Rumor has it that Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan are in negotiations to join the cast of Netflix’s Beef Season 2.

Do Oscar Isaac (Dune: Part One, Moon Knight, Ex Machina) and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman, The Great Gatsby, Saltburn) have beef with one another? No, not exactly. According to Deadline, the duo is negotiating to star in Beef Season 2. While Netflix refused to comment about its status with the Emmy darling, it’s an excellent time to remind everyone that Netflix has not officially announced Beef Season 2. Deadline says the roles that Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan would play for Beef Season 2 were originally for Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, but momentum on them joining the series stalled. Meanwhile, the move to add Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny to the series remains a mystery.

Lee Sung Jin created Beef, which Ali Wong and Steven Yeun led. The show revolves around two people (Wong and Yeun) who let a road rage incident burrow into their minds and slowly consume their thoughts and actions. Their toxic relationship evolves into an all-out war with disastrous consequences. Beef received 14 Emmy nominations, winning 8, including the awards for Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Outstanding Directing for a Limited Anthology Series, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Ali Wong, and more.

Oscar Isaac is involved in several projects, including The King of Kings and In the Hand of Dante, which are each in post-production. Isaac voices Jesus Christ in The King of Kings, an animated story about Jesus Christ as told by Charles Dickens through the eyes of a child. In the Hands of Dante follows the dark and violent path of a man who plunges into a metaphorical hell until he reaches paradise in search of his forbidden and impossible love. The cast for In the Hands of Dante is madness, with Gerard Butler, Jason Momoa, Al Pacino, Gal Gadot, Martin Scorsese, and John Malkovich making the trek through the layers of Hell.

Elsewhere, Carey Mulligan is teaming up with Laika Studios for the upcoming stop-motion animated feature Wildwood. She voices Alexandra in the Travis Knight-directed film. The story is told from multiple points of view, and the book features more than eighty illustrations, including six full-color plates. In Wildwood, Prue and her friend Curtis uncover a secret world amid violent upheaval—a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. What begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Neon has scheduled a February 2025 release for the Stephen King adaptation, coming from director Osgood Perkins and producer James Wan

Back in March, we heard that production had wrapped on the Stephen King adaptation The Monkey, which is coming our way from the team of producer / genre regular James Wan and director Osgood Perkins, whose credits include The Blackcoat’s Daughter (a.k.a. February), I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, Gretel & Hansel, and the upcoming Nicolas Cage horror film Longlegs. Longlegs will be reaching theatres on July 12th, courtesy of Neon – and today, Neon has announced that they will be giving The Monkey a theatrical release on February 21, 2025. So we’ll be getting two Osgood Perkins movies from Neon just seven months apart.

Perkins wrote the screenplay for The Monkey, working from a King short story. The film will tell the following story: When twin brothers Hal and Bill discover their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths starts occurring all around them. The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years. But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.

Theo James (The White Lotus) plays the twins in later years, while Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth) plays them in their younger days. Also in the cast are Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), Tatiana Maslany (She–Hulk: Attorney at Law), Colin O’Brien (Wonka), Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends), and Sarah Levy (Schitt’s Creek).

James Wan and Michael Clear are producing The Monkey for Atomic Monster, while Jason Cloth and Dave Caplan produce for C2 Motion Picture Group. Executive producers include Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger of Automatik, Peter Luo and Nancy Xu of Stars Collective, John Friedberg of Black Bear, and Chris Ferguson. Atomic Monster and Stars Collective developed the project, and C2 Motion Picture Group provided the financing.

Wan previously provided the following statement: “Stephen King is the godfather of the horror genre. He had a huge influence on me as a child and throughout my career and it’s always been a dream to help bring one of his stories to life. The Monkey is a personal favorite, with its simple, iconic, and incredibly marketable conceit. And I can’t imagine anyone better than a visionary and lifelong genre fan like Osgood to bring this to life.“

In addition to directing the films mentioned at the top of this article, Perkins directed an episode of the recent revival of The Twilight Zone. He has also worked on the screenplays for the thriller Removal, the crime thriller Cold Comes the Night, and the horror film The Girl in the Photographs.

Are you looking forward to The Monkey? What do you think of the film being scheduled for release in February 2025? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

No Hard Feelings actress Jennifer Lawrence will star in and produce a murder mystery for AppleTV+ called The Wives.

Look out, Benoit Blanc! Jennifer Lawrence is prepping an original murder mystery feature at AppleTV+. After studios fought for the package like tossing a bone to a pack of rabid hounds, Apple Original Films emerged as the victor of The Wives, a film project starring and produced by Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise, No Hard Feelings, East of Eden).

Much like the film’s genre, details about the plot remain a mystery. However, word around the Hollywood water cooler suggests the film takes inspiration from the Real Housewives reality franchise. The script was written by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical).

If you walked outside your house and threw a rock, it would likely land on the site of one of Jennifer Lawrence’s upcoming projects. She has six ventures in various stages of development and production, including Sue, a biopic about the Hollywood super-agent Sue Mengers. Initially, Mengers was a secretary to William Morris, but her savvy, determination, and talent helped propel her to the top of the Hollywood food chain. Her list of clients included celebrities like Ali MacGraw, Gene Hackman, Peter Bogdanovich, Burt Reynolds, and close friend Barbra Streisand.

Before Jennifer Lawrence hunkers down for The Wives, she’s teaming up with Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria, Bones and All) for the drama Burial Rites. The story focuses on a young woman who is charged with a brutal murder and sent to an isolated farm to await execution. Also in production is the Lynne Ramsay-directed horror comedy Die, My Love. The dramatic tale of dread unfolds in a remote and forgotten rural area, where a mother struggles to maintain her sanity as she battles with psychosis.

Are you interested in learning more about The Wives? Do you watch any iterations of The Real Housewives? What do you think the reality show has to do with the plot and premise of The Wives? Will Jennifer Lawrence play a Benoit Blanc-like character in The Wives, or will she be the one accused of murder? We’ll need to wait for more details, though we are curious how this project will shake out.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Universal Orlando’s upcoming theme park Epic Universe will include a Universal Monsters-themed land called Dark Universe

Universal Orlando is planning to unveil a new, game-changing theme park called Universal Epic Universe in 2025, and this park is going to be split into five separate, “vibrant worlds filled with extraordinary adventures that go beyond their wildest imaginations.” Also contained within these worlds will be around 50 dining, shopping, and entertainment experiences. The worlds that will make up the Epic Universe are Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How To Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk, and the Universal Monster-themed Dark Universe. (Yes, the Dark Universe cinematic universe may have been scrapped after the disappointment of The Mummy, but the name lives on.) Universal has given a preview of the Dark Universe land by sharing an animated tour video, which can be seen in the embed above, and a batch of photos, which we have shared below (with thanks to Deadline).

As described by Deadline, “Created by the Universal Creative team in partnership with Universal Pictures, Dark Universe blends the iconic stories of unearthly legends like Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein and more with a new generation of monsters and characters, including Dr. Victoria Frankenstein – the great-great-granddaughter of the infamous Henry Frankenstein who has continued his misguided experiments.“

Guests will enter the Dark Universe through an electrified portal that is said to “harness the dark energy of Darkmoor.”

What is Darkmoor? Well, it’s the name of a village that you’ll be able to tour while visiting Dark Universe – and while guests make their way around this village, they’ll encounter the characters and subjects of Frankenstein’s experiments. The idea is that this theme park environment will offer “family-friendly fun while also pushing the boundaries on intensity.”

Individual experiences within the Dark Universe will include “a ride called Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, the Curse of the Werewolf coaster, a Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience and an up-close opportunity to Meet the Monsters.”

The ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is designed to take passengers “deep into the catacombs of Frankenstein Manor, where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein conducts her twisted experiments. She invites guests into her laboratory to witness a demonstration of her ability to control monsters, but her plans go awry when her attempts to control Dracula fail, unleashing a horde of enraged monsters. Guests then ride through the darkness as they try to evade the likes of The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Brides of Dracula and more.”

The spinning family coaster Curse of the Werewolf, which is inspired by the Wolf Man, of course, will be located deep in the woods on the edge of Darkmoor. “Entering The Guild of Mystics, guests will be greeted by the Maleva, the guild’s all-knowing seer and leader, who warns them that they bear the mark of the werewolf. Guests then board a wagon and venture into the forest, racing to escape the werewolves before they become one themselves.”

The Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience is where guests can receive face paint and temporary tattoos. “Here, monster makers have converted Dr. Pretorius’ infamous old lab into a parlor and skilled artisans use their talents to transform guests into a likeness of their favorite Universal Monsters.”

Meet the Monsters is, as you may have guessed, where visitors can pose for a photo op with the Monsters of Darkmoor. “The rogues gallery includes Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s Monster and the alluring Bride of Frankenstein. Guests will also encounter other unusual inhabitants roaming the village, including Victoria Frankenstein’s servant, Ygor, The Invisible Man, an eccentric monster hunter and a talented musician who regales guests with songs and tales related to classic monster stories.”

If you’re wondering where the Epic Universe will be located in the Universal Orlando area, Deadline has that information as well: “The Epic property will be about three miles from the existing parks on the north campus, or a 25-minute ride on a road the company’s rebuilt to include a median for a dedicated Universal fleet of electric buses.”

I have only been to the Orlando theme parks once in my life, back in 1994, and of the handful of parks I visited during that trip, Universal was by far my favorite. I’m sure a lot of things have changed since I was there thirty years ago, but this Dark Universe land is making me consider making a return trip, because this place sounds pretty cool to me. It would be cooler if there were more than two rides in there.

Will you be visiting the Dark Universe theme park when it opens in 2025? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Supernatural star Jared Padalecki is ready to reunite with Eric Kripke on the final season of The Boys. “The answer is yes.”

Over the course of four seasons, we’ve seen several major Supernatural stars make the leap to The Boys, including Jensen Ackles, Jim Beavers, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Rob Benedict, but we’re still waiting on Jared Padalecki. Eric Kripke, creator of Supernatural and The Boys, has expressed his desire for Padalecki to appear on the show before it comes to an end. Deadline recently asked the actor if he was game, to which he replied, “The answer is yes.“

“We have talked [about a role]. As a matter of fact, we talked today,” Padalecki continued. “I think at this point in my acting life, I only want to work on projects that I really care about or with people that I really care about, and obviously Eric and I are indelibly connected forever.“

Padalecki has spent the last four years starring in Walker for The CW, but the series was cancelled last month, leaving him with some free time to reunite with Kripke. “I mean, he created Supernatural. He created Sam Winchester. He created Ruby [Genevieve Padalecki], who I ended up marrying and starting a family with,” he said. “I adore him. I adore his humor. I adore him as a person, his storytelling. So I can’t wait. I don’t think [Season 5] films until next year, but I will be ready when he makes the phone call. I’ll just say ‘Okay, when am I flying out?’” I mean, it’s got to happen, one way or another.

The first four episodes of The Boys season 4 are currently streaming on Prime Video, and it was recently announced that the series will be coming to an end with its fifth season. “Season 4 premiere week is a good time to announce: Season 5 will be the final season!” Kripke said. “Always my plan, I just had to be cagey till I got the final OK from Vought. Thrilled to bring the story to a gory, epic, moist climax.“

The official synopsis for The Boys season 4: “The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and the rest of The Boys are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.” You can check out a review from our own Alex Maidy right here.

We review Jeff Nichols’s highly anticipated and star-studded The Bikeriders.

PLOT: A Chicago biker gang rises in prominence throughout the sixties, only to eventually shift from a family-centred club into something more sinister and dangerous.

REVIEW: To say that I’ve been looking forward to The Bikeriders would be a major understatement. The director, Jeff Nichols, is a favorite of mine, and this is his first movie since his 2016 double-header of Midnight Special and Loving. The wait for this one has seemed extra long, with it initially slated for a 2023 release through Searchlight, only for them to eventually sell the film to Focus Features, who’ve decided to position it as a unique piece of summer counter-programming. This might be a wise choice, given the starry cast (who we interviewed recently), led by a strong trio of performances by Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy. 

Many will compare this to Goodfellas, with the movie giving off strong vibes reminiscent of Martin Scorsese’s classic as the film starts. Eventually, it settles into a more elegiac tale. While some automatically associate biker gangs with crime, the film goes through pains to show that this wasn’t always the case, with the pivot towards organized crime being something that crept up on the gang’s founders. Tom Hardy’s Johnny is the gang’s mastermind, who holds down a job and supports a family, with this just being a way to bring together like-minded bike enthusiasts. In the sixties, this was a culture that was looked down on as thuggish, but Johnny, who openly models himself on Marlon Brando in The Wild One, is no thug.

The film is based on a volume of photography (also called “The Bikeriders”) by Danny Lyon, played in the movie by Mike Faist. While his work with the clubs is dramatized, the gang depicted here, the Vandals MC, is fictional. They serve as a vehicle for us to see how bike subculture was somewhat co-opted by the more violent gangs in the post-Vietnam era, with Johnny’s response to any challenge “fists or knives” old fashioned in a world where any such challenge would soon be met with gunfire.

Yet, Hardy’s Johnny isn’t the lead here. The film is told through the eyes of Jodie Comer’s Kathy, an ordinary gal out of Chicago who, after an ill-advised foray into the mayhem-soaked Vandals clubhouse, finds herself fascinated by Austin Butler’s too-cool-for-school Benny. While the film’s protagonist, Kathy, is more of an entree into the milieu than a full-fledged character, as we don’t learn much about her other than that she becomes Benny’s wife. The story’s heart is the relationship between Benny and Johnny, with Kathy playing tug-of-war with Johnny over her husband. Both seem infatuated with him, but part of his appeal is how aloof he is, with him unwilling and unable to commit to either. Kathy wants him as a husband, which he’s only semi-interested in, while Johnny wants him as his right-hand man, which – again – Benny doesn’t want to be or need to be. 

If ever you wanted to know what a movie that starred Marlon Brando and James Dean would have been like, The Bikeriders gives you an idea, as those are the icons both men seem to be channelling. Butler seems like a significant star waiting to happen, and it’s impossible to take your eyes off him as he commands the screen so fully. By comparison, Comer’s role is a touch bland – perhaps by design – but she vanishes into it, adopting a kind of Illinois-style drawl that might turn off some viewers but is certainly an interesting approach and feels authentic to the milieu. 

Jeff Nichols has made a lean movie, running under two hours. This is the rare film where I almost hope there’s a more extended version, as I found some of the side characters fascinating and worth further development. Standouts to me include Michael Shannon as a wild member who remembers being turned away from the draft board as “undesirable,” while Norman Reedus shows up sporting a terrifying set of teeth as a ferocious-looking but affable biker who joins the crew. 

In effect, the film is an impressionist take on a very short-lived chapter in Americana, with the bike gangs of the fifties and sixties ultimately co-opted into organized crime, with gangdom itself now seen as sinister even if that initially wasn’t the intention. The Bikeriders is an elegy for that lost time and is thoroughly engaging from start to finish. No one makes movies like Jeff Nichols does, and the fact that I left The Bikeriders wanting even more shows you how good it is. It’s rare I look at my watch during a movie hoping there’s more or it left, but that’s what happened to me here quite a bit, so take that as high praise.

9

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Viewer Ratings (0 reviews)

The Bikeriders director Jeff Nichols explains why he walked away from A Quiet Place: Day One three years ago.

Once upon a time, Jeff Nichols was tapped to write and direct a new Quiet Place movie. However, one year later, he exited the project with little explanation. While speaking with The Wrap, Nichols finally explained why he decided to walk away.

“[John Krasinski] was a fan of my films and was asking me if I wanted to make this prequel,” Nichols recalled. “At the time, the calculus was, well, those movies are pretty good. And I liked what they said about sacrifice and family. It felt thematically in line with some of the stuff I had made. I hatched an idea of how to how to approach it in a way that I felt comfortable with, that he seemed to like. I was like, I think this is a movie that could get made.“

After Nichols submitted his script, he came to realize that it wasn’t going to be the best fit. “It’s hard to say this without sounding pretentious but I’ve made enough films at this point in my career, that if I do this, it’s going to become my film,” he said. “And the truth is ‘Quiet Place,’ those are his films.” Nichols added, “At some point, you realize, it’s never going to be my film. It’s better if I just step away and let some other people do that.” The project eventually became A Quiet Place: Day One, with Michael Sarnoski (Pig) writing and directing. The film stars Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn, and as you might tell from the title, it takes place on the first day of the alien invasion. The film is set to hit theaters on June 28th.

When Jeff Nichols departed the Quiet Place movie, he turned his attention to The Bikeriders. Starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, and Norman Reedus, the film chronicles “the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.” The Bikeriders is now playing in theaters, and you can check out a glowing review from our own Chris Bumbray right here.

Ishana Night Shyamalan’s thriller The Watchers is set to receive a digital release next week, the physical media release following in August

M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan made her feature directorial debut with a thriller called The Watchers, which received a June 7th theatrical release, courtesy of Warner Bros. / New Line Cinema. (You can read our review HERE and watch our interviews with the director and cast members HERE.) The movie did not enjoy the sort of box office success many of the elder Shyamalan’s films have, drawing in just over $25 million worldwide so far. But maybe it will reach a wider audience with its digital release, which is just one week away. Media Play News reports that on June 28th, three weeks after it reached theatres, The Watchers will be available to watch in the comfort of your own home. The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release will follow on August 27th.

Ishana Night Shyamalan wrote the screenplay for The Watchers, based on a novel by A.M. Shine (pick up a copy HERE). The film stars Dakota Fanning (The Equalizer 3) as Mina, a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers that are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. Also in the cast are Barbarian star Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and Oliver Finnegan (Creeped Out).

When the film was heading into production, New Line Cinema’s Richard Brener provided the following statement: “We couldn’t be more excited to make Ishana’s first film with The Watchers. Equal parts visual, immersive, and terrifying, the script grips you from the first page and never lets go.“

M. Night Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan produced The Watchers for Blinding Edge Pictures. Nimitt Mankad of Inimitable Pictures is also producing. Jo Homewood serves as executive producer. M. Night was also the second unit director on the film.

Ishana Night Shyamalan was an important part of the creative team behind her father’s Apple TV+ series Servant, writing and/or directing multiple episodes. In addition to her work on Servant, Ishana Night Shyamalan has also worked as second unit director on her father’s movies Old and Knock at the Cabin, and she has directed four music videos for her sister Saleka. Saleka has a prominent role in M. Night’s new film, the thriller Trap, which is set to reach theatres on August 2nd.

Have you seen The Watchers during its theatrical run? What do you think of it getting a digital release next week? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Eddie Murphy and Jerry Bruckheimer confirm they are already developing Beverly Hills Cop 5. “We have a couple of stories in mind.”

Just two weeks out from the release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix, Eddie Murphy and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are already thinking about Beverly Hills Cop 5.

“They’re developing it,” Murphy told Variety at the recent world premiere of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. “If it comes together, we’ll be doing another one.” Bruckheimer confirmed the news, adding, “We have a couple of stories in mind.” It sounds as though everyone is onboard for another installment, but it will all come down to how this long-awaited fourth movie is received. Our own Chris Bumbray attended the Axel F world premiere and had a blast, so you can expect to see his review right here on JoBlo.com closer to the streaming release of the movie.

Murphy also spoke of the first screening of the original Beverly Hills Cop movie all the way back in 1984 when he thought the movie was going to bomb big time. “It didn’t go well,” Murphy said. “A lot of times at industry screenings they don’t laugh. I thought the movie was going to be horrible. I was with [Murphy’s ‘Trading Places’ director] John Landis and he was like, ‘No, it was great.’ I thought they hated it. Then I went and saw it with a real audience and then I saw the real reaction to it. But the very first time it was scary.“

Just days ago, the actor expressed that he’d be down to return for Beverly Hills Cop 5, but his comments from the premiere indicate that it’s not just a hopeful wish; it’s really happening.

The official logline for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F: “Detective Axel Foley (Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter Jane’s (Taylour Paige) life is threatened, she and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.” In addition to Eddie Murphy, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F features the return of several original cast members, including Judge Reinhold as Lt. William “Billy” Rosewood, John Ashton as Sgt. John Taggart, Paul Reiser as Det. Jeffrey Friedman, and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. The film is slated to be released on Netflix on July 3rd.

Would you be down for Beverly Hills Cop 5?

The famous Boston natives return to the Town for a big heist that goes awry in the new Doug Liman film co-written by Casey Affleck.

Those who may be clamoring for a new Ocean’s film can somewhat get their wishes fulfilled this year with two movies featuring the Steven Soderbergh caper alums. While George Clooney and Brad Pitt reunite for some criminal hijinks in AppleTV+’s Wolfs, similarly, their fellow Ocean’s Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen co-stars also reunite for a crime comedy, which happens to be about a heist. Apple has just released the trailer for The Instigators, which finds Matt Damon and Casey Affleck attempting to rob a bigwig in Boston.

The official synopsis reads,
“Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to pull off a robbery of the ill-gained earnings of a corrupt politician. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police, but also backwards bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture—or worse. Directed by Doug Liman and written by Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck, The Instigators also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Toby Jones, with Jack Harlow and Ron Perlman.”

Casey Affleck co-writes this feature with Chuck MacLean. His big brother, Ben Affleck, is on board as a producer along with Matt Damon, Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Kevin J. Walsh and Alison Winter. Executive Producers include Celia Costas, Dani Bernfeld, Kevin Halloran, Michael Joe, Cynthia Dahlgren and Luciana Damon.

Damon says he was drawn to the project because “Casey Affleck and [co-writer] Chuck MacLean had created some great characters and a really fun world. More than anything, it was a chance to work with Doug and Casey together that I was the most excited about. And it’s always great to go back to Boston.”

Director Doug Liman kicked off the Bourne-portion of Damon’s career with 2002’s The Bourne Identity. Damon added, “I absolutely love working with Doug. I can’t believe it took us 20 years to find something else to do together. Doug is one of the most creatively tenacious people I’ve ever met. He just won’t stop until the movie is as good as it can be, and that is the best possible thing you can feel from a director. I trust him completely.” Liman reciprocated with his own excitement, “It was so fulfilling to see how each of us has grown. And by that, I mean to see how much Matt has grown. And not just as an actor.” He added, “With Bourne, I was inviting Matt into my world. But with Instigators, I was very clear being dropped into Matt’s family. And all that history, good and bad, is on the screen.”

The Instigators hits select theaters on August 2 before streaming globally on Apple TV+ on August 9.