Oscar-nominated actress Sandra Hüller will co-star with Ryan Gosling in the upcoming space survival epic Project Hail Mary.
Is space ample enough to withstand the power of two of Hollywood’s brightest stars? We’re about to find out when Oscar-nominated actress Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) co-stars alongside Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy, Stay, Barbie) for the upcoming interstellar epic Project Hail Mary. The feature-length project hails from Amazon MGM Studios, with Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Aditya Sood producing.
Lord and Miller will direct Project Hail Mary from a script by Drew Goddard (The Martian, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Cabin in the Woods). The film will be shot in IMAX and released wide on March 20, 2026. It is based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name—that’s right, the same guy who wrote The Martian. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, the plot revolves around “a middle school science teacher, Ryland Grace (Gosling), who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He must figure out how to complete his interstellar mission to save Earth from an astronomical catastrophe completely alone, until he meets a mysterious alien who has traveled light years to save his own species from the same fate.”
Man, the science fiction genre has given me trust issues. My first thought is that this alien is doing its best to ensure humankind’s extinction. I hope I’m wrong, but like I said, trust issues.
German actress Sandra Hüller brought the house down with her show-stopping performance in last year’s Anatomy of a Fall, focusing on a woman suspected of murder after her husband’s death. In the intense drama, the woman’s half-blind son is her only salvation as the sole witness to the incident. Hüller brings the goods to the Justine Triet-directed thriller, starring Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, and Samuel Theis.
What do you think about Sandra Hüller joining Ryan Gosling for Project Hail Mary? What would you do if you woke up alone on a spacecraft floating in space? Would you succumb to space madness? Gather your wits and attempt to radio home. Find the nearest airlock and eject yourself into the void. I’d give an honest shot at survival until finally giving up the ghost and preparing myself for a leisurely spacewalk. Let us know how you’d react in the comments below.
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.
Don’t expect body horror as reviews for David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds paint the director’s latest as a somber exploration of grief.
David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and the reviews have begun to emerge. The film follows a businessman and grieving widower who invents a controversial technology known as Gravetech that allows families to see inside the graves of their loved ones as they decompose. Although known as the master of body horror, fans shouldn’t expect too much of that as Cronenberg’s latest is a much more personal film. The Shrouds is at least partly inspired by the death of his wife, Carolyn Cronenberg, in 2017.
THR‘s Leslie Felperin said, “This fetid stew of sex, death and tech may be an aphrodisiac for hardcore Cronenberg fans, but more casual viewers are likely to find it all rather slapdash and undercooked here. Cinematographer Douglas Koch’s lighting looks drabber than usual, and many of the scenes feel like the first or second take after a long day’s filming, thrown in the can so the production can move on. There’s little of the verve, wit or invention that make vintage Cronenberg still so evergreen, which renders this already melancholy work even sadder to watch.“
The Wrap‘s Steve Pond said, “At most Cannes Film Festivals, a new film by David Cronenberg might well be the creepiest, most shocking film in the lineup – particularly if it’s about cameras that allow people to see their loved ones decompose after death, as ‘The Shrouds’ is. But while ‘The Shrouds’ is strong stuff and contains images not for the squeamish, at this year’s festival, Cronenberg-style body horror has been delivered more robustly by the likes of Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance.” By contrast, ‘The Shrouds’ is restrained, even elegant. It’s a deeply personal look at loss that finds plenty of time to get creepy but never loses sight of the fact that it’s a movie about grief.“
Deadline‘s Stephanie Bunbury said, “[Cronenberg’s] customary flat style is energized here by the performances brought by actors new to his fleshy universe. Cassel, embodying the bereaved Karsh, seems to vibrate with emotions only just kept in check. Diane Kruger plays both his dead wife — always naked and sometimes partially dismembered in his tormented black-and-white dreams — and her sister Terry, a zany dog-walker who corners him into having an affair with her.” However, Bunbury felt let down by the ending. “By the last half-hour of The Shrouds, these various plot threads (and many others, too many to mention) are whipping around dangerously like loose electric cables in a storm… Whatever else you may expect of Cronenberg as a distinctive auteur – wry humor, a measured pace, exultant wallowing in foul goo – you’re not expecting the narrative to explode into bits. That really is a new kind of ick.“
IndieWire‘s David Ehrlich said, “Between its paranoid scramble of a plot and a protagonist who becomes increasingly difficult to see as anything more than an avatar for its auteur, ‘The Shrouds’ lends itself to a sort of delayed appreciation; its story only makes sense with the detached perspective that might begin to develop in the time between the death of a loved one and the funeral service at which they’re laid to rest.“.”
ScreenDaily‘s Fionnuala Halligan said, “The Shrouds, David Cronenberg’s seventh film to compete at Cannes, certainly boasts a terrific premise. But it is indeed a day to grieve when the most shocking thing about a David Cronenberg film is how dull it is.“
Although The Shrouds is a personal film, David Cronenberg didn’t necessarily view it as part of his grieving process following the death of his wife. “Whether you’re rehashing something from your distant past or your present circumstances, there’s always creative energy that can be mined from your life,” the director told Variety. “But grief is forever, as far as I’m concerned. It doesn’t go away. You can have some distance from it, but I didn’t experience any catharsis making the movie.“
The Shrouds stars Vincent Cassel as Karsh, “an innovative businessman and grieving widower, who builds a novel device to connect with the dead inside a burial shroud. This burial tool installed at his own state-of-the-art though controversial cemetery allows him and his clients to watch their specific departed loved one decompose in real time. Karsh’s revolutionary business is on the verge of breaking into the international mainstream when several graves within his cemetery are vandalized and nearly destroyed, including that of his wife. While he struggles to uncover a clear motive for the attack, the mystery of who wrought this havoc, and why, drive him to reevaluate his business, marriage and fidelity to his late wife’s memory, as well as push him to new beginnings.“
An AI program on ChatGPT’s upcoming voice mode raises concerns about its similarity to Scarlett Johansson’s voice, and the actress responded.
Update: Scarlett Johansson has reacted to the AI voice in OpenAI’s ChatGPT system, saying she was “shocked” and “angered” by how closely the voice resembled her own. She also revealed that the company had actually wanted to hire her to voice the chatbot last year, but she turned down the offer, making it all the more suspicious when the final voice sounded so much like her.
You can read Johansson’s full statement below:
Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers to feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and Al. He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people.
After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family and the general public all noted how much the newest system named ‘Sky’ sounded like me.
When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference. Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word ‘her’ — a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human.
Two days before the ChatGPT 4.0 demo was released, Mr. Altman contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there. As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAl, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the ‘Sky’ voice. Consequently, OpenAl reluctantly agreed to take down the ‘Sky’ voice.
In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.
— Original article follows —
Scarlett Johansson played the role of an AI voice in Spike Jonze’s prophetic 2013 film Her. In the film, the program, Samantha, is a digital assistant to Joaquin Phoenix’s character who holds realistic call-and-response conversations with him despite only existing through his computer operating systems. As AI technology continues to grow at an immeasurable rate, life is now imitating art as OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4o announcement showcased a new voice mode that included a character named Sky, who many have associated with Johansson’s signature raspy pipes. OpenAI founder Sam Altman would even post “her” on social media during the demo presentation.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, OpenAI has stated that they will be pausing the use of Sky’s voice due to the resemblance to the famous actress. The company stated, “We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky. We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them.” They would go further in-depth in a blog post where they addressed people’s concerns and explained their voice casting process, “We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice — Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice. To protect their privacy, we cannot share the names of our voice talents.”
OpenAI stated that they put out a casting call in early 2023 for voice models and received over 400 submissions. The list would eventually be narrowed down to 14 finalists. The company adds that they settled on five final voices when they stated, “We spoke with each actor about the vision for human-AI voice interactions and OpenAI, and discussed the technology’s capabilities, limitations, and the risks involved, as well as the safeguards we have implemented. It was important to us that each actor understood the scope and intentions of Voice Mode before committing to the project.”
The actors flew to San Francisco for the recording sessions that ChatGPT would integrate into its technology later this year. They expounded, “We support the creative community and worked closely with the voice acting industry to ensure we took the right steps to cast ChatGPT’s voices. Each actor receives compensation above top-of-market rates, and this will continue for as long as their voices are used in our products.”
When Ridley Scott’s Gladiator hit the big screen in 2000, it captivated audiences worldwide with its thrilling tale of honor, vengeance, and redemption set in ancient Rome. The film’s grandeur, stunning visuals, and gripping performances made it an instant classic, so much so that nearly a quarter of a century later a sequel is finally on the way. However, what many might not know is that Gladiator drew inspiration from a real-life story, one that is equally as captivating, though with its own unique twists and turns. Sometimes reality is much stranger than fiction, so let’s find out What Really Happened To Gladiator?
Gladiator: Fact Vs Fiction
In the film, Maximus (played by Russell Crowe) is a legendary general in the army of the Roman Empire. The aged Emperor Marcus Aurelius decides to appoint Maximus as his successor over his own son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). This angers Commodus, who orders Maximus to be put to death, but the Roman general is able to escape before the sentence can be carried out. He hurries home to his wife and child only to find they have been killed.
While wallowing in his grief, Maximus is captured and put into slavery. It is here that he is put into gladiator combat by Proximo. At first, he refuses to fight, but soon his fighting skills kick in, and Proximo is impressed by his tactics. He is put into the gladiator games and begins to earn the audience’s approval. When he learns they will be heading back to Rome to participate in a gladiator games marathon, Proximo reveals he used to be a gladiator. When he won enough matches, he was granted his freedom. Maximus thinks this might be his chance to get close to Commodus and finally exact his revenge. How close to history is the film?
The core of Gladiator revolves around the characters of Marcus Aurelius, the wise and just Emperor of Rome, and Commodus, his treacherous and power-hungry son. In reality, Marcus Aurelius was indeed a revered philosopher-king who ruled Rome from 161 to 180 AD. He was known for his intellectual pursuits and his military successes against the Germanic tribes. One fact that the film completely omits is that Marcus actually shared the role of Ruler Of Rome with his adopted brother Lucius Verus. The two consulted each other about the decisions for the empire.
In terms of character, Marcus Aurelius shared some similarities with his on-screen portrayal. He possessed a deep sense of duty and sought to leave a legacy of Roman rule guided by wisdom and justice. However, unlike the film, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that Marcus Aurelius intended to restore the Roman Republic or that he wished to appoint any of his Generals as his successor. He wasn’t killed by his son but actually died during the Antonine Plague. The Marcomannic Wars from the opening of the film actually lasted until after his death.
Emperor Commodus was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius and ascended to the throne after his father’s death. However, the film exaggerates his villainous nature, depicting him as a bloodthirsty megalomaniac driven solely by a lust for power. While Commodus was not a virtuous ruler, his reign lasted for over a decade, during which he enacted some reforms and undertook a series of gladiatorial combats. His demise came at the hands of Narcisuss while Commodus was in his bath.
It was discovered that his sister Lucilla (played in the film by Connie Nielsen, with Spencer Treat Clark as her son Lucius Verus) had been part of the plot to kill him. When this was discovered, she was exiled to Capri, where she was eventually executed. Once Commodus was killed, Rome would end up having five rulers as a power struggle broke out among those in power. Pertinax, Didius Julianus, Pescennius Niger, Clodius Albinus, and Septimius Severus would all serve as Emperors in one year.
Gladiator Facts
The film’s protagonist Maximus was not a real person but instead was a combination of multiple people throughout Roman history. Marcus Nonius Macrinus was a general in the Roman Army who was close to Marcus Aurelius. The ruler trusted him so much he was appointed to Roman Council. The humble beginnings of Maximus may have been inspired by Cincinnatus, a Roman Emperor who only ruled for fifteen days. He was said to have been a simple farmer who was appointed ruler. During his short reign. it was said that he stopped an invasion of Rome.
One person who may have been a big inspiration to Maximus’ plight in the film is Lucius Annaeus Seneca, also known as Seneca the Younger. He was born into an aristocratic family in Cordoba, Spain around 4 BC and became one of Rome’s most prominent philosophers and statesmen during the reigns of emperors Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.
Seneca’s life took a dark turn when he became embroiled in political intrigue during Nero’s reign. Despite being one of Nero’s closest advisors at first, their relationship eventually soured due to rumors that Seneca was involved in plots against him. In 65 AD, after being accused of conspiring in the Pisonian conspiracy against Nero (of which historians now believe he had no part), Seneca was ordered to commit suicide by opening his veins. He didn’t seek revenge against those that accused him of being part of the plot but instead was executed.
Another may be Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, who was thought to have been the preferred candidate to replace Aurelius but declined the position when it was offered to him. Perhaps the most famous inspiration for Maximus was Spartacus. He led a revolt of the slaves, and this also takes place in the film as Maximus seeks his revenge.
One of the most captivating aspects of Gladiator was its depiction of the gladiatorial games and the grandeur of the Colosseum. The film showcased the brutal nature of these spectacles and the immense popularity they enjoyed among the Roman populace. The portrayal of Maximus, the seasoned general turned gladiator, winning the hearts of the crowd and seeking revenge against Commodus, adds an intense dramatic touch to the narrative.
In reality, gladiatorial combat was indeed a prominent form of entertainment in ancient Rome. Gladiators were typically slaves or prisoners of war who fought for their lives in often brutal matches. However, it is worth noting that Gladiator takes some creative liberties, combining elements of different historical periods and venues to enhance the cinematic experience.
One of the stranger elements of the gladiatorial arena of Rome was that Commodus would actively participate in combat. He would don a gladiator uniform made of lion skins (that he had killed himself in the arena) and fight against other competitors. It was thought that he would only slightly wound the participants, and they would submit to him since they knew he was emperor. It does make Commodus seem like a significantly more interesting character than the one from the film.
Gladiator Fiction
While Gladiator draws inspiration from real events and historical figures, it is important to recognize that the film takes significant liberties with the historical record. It prioritizes drama, spectacle, and emotional storytelling over strict historical accuracy. This is a common practice in the film industry, where the goal is to entertain and engage the audience rather than adhere strictly to historical facts.
However, the film’s creative deviations do not diminish its impact or entertainment value. In fact, the fictional narrative constructed around the historical framework serves to create a captivating and emotionally charged story that resonates with viewers. The themes of honor, loyalty, and the pursuit of justice transcend the boundaries of time and offer universal appeal.
Gladiator stands as a testament to the power of cinema to bring historical events to life and captivate audiences worldwide. While the film draws inspiration from the real-life story of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, it takes creative liberties to enhance its dramatic impact. The fictional tale of Maximus, the valiant general seeking vengeance in the gladiatorial arena, captivated audiences and propelled Gladiator to the status of an epic masterpiece. By weaving together elements of history, mythology, and human drama, the film transports viewers to ancient Rome and immerses them in a world of grandeur and conflict. While the real story may differ in certain aspects, the film’s ability to evoke emotions and inspire awe remains undiminished. Ultimately, Gladiator serves as a reminder of the enduring power of storytelling and its ability to transcend time and bring history to life on the silver screen.
While Charmed star Shannen Doherty says she wishes fans got to see Prue one more time, she knows it’s for the better she sat out the finale.
Last Updated on May 22, 2024
There has been much debate and discussion over why Shannen Doherty left Charmed just three seasons in. Most fingers – including Doherty’s – point to co-star Alyssa Milano, although she has hardly fessed up to any wrongdoing (although she hasn’t exactly denied it, either…). Whatever the true case may be, when Prue Halliwell was killed off in “All Hell Breaks Loose”, that was it for Shannen Doherty’s Charmed run. And that includes the series finale, “Forever Charmed”, which is one of the finest of its time despite her absence.
Speaking on her own Let’s Be Clear podcast (via The Hollywood Reporter), Shannen Doherty says she wishes she could have given Charmed fans a different sendoff by being part of “Forever Charmed” but knows it wouldn’t have benefited her. “I regret it one sense, I regret it for the fans. But I don’t regret it for me, because I was so incredibly wrecked from getting fired that, I think, even years — years — years later, had I walked on that set, it just would’ve stirred everything back up for me. And it would’ve crushed me all over again.”
The drama surrounding Shannen Doherty’s exit from Charmed is one of the most storied of the past quarter century of television. Doherty has actively blamed Milano – who played sister Phoebe for the show’s entire eight-season run – for her departure, saying their on-set feud was the primary reason she was written off. Milano has said both that she has taken accountability and that most stories are “revisionist history”, so it’s a bit confusing exactly where she truly stands…Regardless, Doherty insists that everything she says should be held as truth, previously saying, “There is no revisionist history happening in the truth that I know we told. There is no brush flinging or shoe flinging. There is no lateness to set, there is no mediator for months on end. I recall the facts as if I was still living in them.”
Milano has further said that she would like to get together with her Charmed co-stars – chiefly Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan – for a reunion…although we don’t see that ever happening considering there’s even more bad blood between the sisters…
What do you make of the Charmed drama? Could the showrunners have made a Prue appearance work?
Get your home theaters ready for a brutal display of power because Dev Patel’s Monkey Man is getting a Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray release! The physical version of Patel’s directorial debut hails from Universal Pictures UK, and it comes packed with extras to take you behind the action of one of this year’s best films. The Collector’s Edition enters the ring on June 8.
Monkey Man is an action thriller about one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to victimize the poor and powerless systemically.
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.
After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
With thrilling fight and chase scenes, Dev Patel directed Monkey Man from his original story and screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).
You’ll find the specs and Special Features for the Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray of Monkey Man below:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
Alternate Opening
Alternate Ending
Deleted/Extended Scenes
A Labour of Love
MONKEY MAN of Action
Fateful Encounters
Roots Exposed
Optional English SDH, Dutch, German, Italian, and French subtitles for the main feature
Sharlto Copley (District 9, The A-Team), Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven, The Night Manager), Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm, Go Goa Gone), Vipin Sharma (Hotel Mumbai, Like Stars on Earth), Ashwini Kalsekar (Ek Tha Hero), Adithi Kalkunte (Hotel Mumbai), Sikandar Kher (Aarya, 24) and Makarand Deshpande (RRR) also star.
Monkey Man is produced by Dev Patel, Jomon Thomas, Oscar winner Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler, and Anjay Nagpal. Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney, and Steven Thibault executive produce.
Welp, I’m arranging a pre-order today! Monkey Man is one of my favorite films of the year. Patel’s story is surprisingly layered, and the action is hard-hitting and visceral. That’s a movie worth owning physically, in my book.
Will you pick up the Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray of Monkey Man on June 8?
Tobias Santelmann is set to play Harry Hole in the Netflix series Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole, based on the series of bestselling novels
The name Harry Hole may sound like a joke to a lot of English speakers, but Norwegian author Jo Nesbø has managed to build a bestselling series of crime novels around the character – whose last name is meant to be pronounced as “HOO-leh.” There have been thirteen books in the Harry Hole series to date, with the seventh one having previously been brought to the screen as the 2017 film The Snowman… which, despite having Tomas Alfredson at the helm, Martin Scorsese on board as a producer, and a strong cast that included Michael Fassbender as Hole, did not turn out well. (You can read our 3/10 review HERE.) Now Nesbø is seeking redemption for his character by teaming with Working Title and the Netflix streaming service for a series called Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole, which is set to star Tobias Santelmann (The Last Kingdom) as Hole. Deadline has unveiled an image of Santelmann in character, and that image can be seen above.
Santelmann is joined in the cast by Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide Squad) as Tom Waaler and Pia Tjelta (Made in Oslo) as Rakel Fauke.
Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole is coming our way from Exit and So Long, Marianne creator Oystein Karlsen. Nesbø is writing the scripts, and the first season of the show is based on his novel The Devil’s Star, the fifth entry in the Hole book series. The Netflix series adaptation is described as being a whodunnit serial killer mystery led by the famed anti-hero. Underneath the surface, it is a nuanced character drama about two police officers – and supposed colleagues – operating on opposite sides of the law. Throughout the first season, Harry goes head-to-head with his long time adversary and corrupt detective Tom Waaler.
The Devil’s Star has the following description: It seems the city of Oslo has a serial killer on its hands, and Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case. Only he is not happy with his colleague Tom Waaler, whom he suspects of arms smuggling and murder.
Santelmann had this to say about being cast in the lead role: “I am incredibly grateful for the trust I have been shown in getting to play Harry Hole. I am very much aware of the huge global fan base and the millions of readers who love the character.“
Nesbø added: “I’m guessing that all readers of the book series have their own vision of what Harry Hole would look like, and they should be allowed to keep that. We will create a Harry that is based not only on the books but someone based on the actor Tobias Santelmann and everyone involved in this project – both in front of and behind the camera.“
Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole is set up at Universal International Studios. Working Title is producing the series alongside Tor Arne Øvrebø. Nesbø and Karlsen serve as executive producers with Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Katy Rozelle, Rene Ezra, and Niclas Salomonsson.
Are you a fan of the Harry Hole series? What do you think of Tobias Santelmann being cast as the character for the Netflix adaptation? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Ben Affleck’s roast of Tom Brady — which was more of a rant — was met with confusion and criticism for lack of laughs and prep.
Last Updated on May 22, 2024
Roasts can be brutal and humiliating. But we’re not talking about the spotlight celeb, we mean when somebody bombs hard. We’ve all seen it happen and there’s always one – and this time around, Ben Affleck was the bomb (and not in the Phantoms kind of way), delivering a viral rant during The Greatest Roast of All Time that spent less time sacking Tom Brady and more going in delirious circles.
So what happened with Ben Affleck? Comedian Nikki Glaser – who was also included in the roast of Tom Brady – shared her insights with KFC Radio (via Deadline), saying, “I haven’t watched it again because I don’t like to watch people bomb. I know what happened: he didn’t prepare. He’s someone who’s famous enough he probably thinks it’s beneath him to do this. ‘I’m just gonna do a favor, it’s not gonna be that big of a deal.’” She added, “Either they couldn’t get him on the phone enough to work out something, or he didn’t practice enough. He just picked a bad premise and then he had to stick to it the whole time. It didn’t work right away, so it’s not gonna work later.”
The core problem, though, may be that Ben Affleck really isn’t all that funny of a guy (without proper writing, at least) and his most famous link to Brady is a recent Super Bowl spot. For those who haven’t seen his interpretation of what a roast should be, at one point he veered off into taking genuine digs at some internet commentator dubbed “Tall Boy Henry”, slamming him for even thinking about bashing Tom Brady, who Affleck spent the bulk of his time fawning over – you know, the exact opposite of a roast. It was like that scene in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back where Holden blasts faceless trolls on web forums – except that scene had a few laughs.
Dane Cook – who was in attendance for the Tom Brady roast – also commented on Ben Affleck’s attempt. “He decided to deliver a monologue that…didn’t work. And he tied into it for, what, four or five minutes. And about 45 seconds in, it was clear that it just wasn’t the right choice.” Cook would praise him as a fellow Boston native but concluded, “That was just not his night…and so he came in last place.”
The roast of Tom Brady had some high points but also had enough lows that the former quarterback ended up completely regretting the night.
The premiere movie studio A24 is bringing its collection of hardback screenplay books to brick-and-mortar stores in a publishing deal.
Digital media is convenient, storage efficient, and easy to access. However, there’s nothing quite like the real thing. As a collector of physical media (much to the distress of my shelving units), I love slipping a new Blu-ray, vinyl, video game, graphic novel, or book onto the shelf. That satisfying sound when you hear the media slide into place. It’s a chef’s kiss. Thankfully, A24 knows the value of physical media, so they’re partnering with the publishing house Mack to bring its screenplay collections to stores worldwide.
The union between A24 and Mack is the first of its kind. The partnership will see A24’s existing line of film, TV, and creator-driven books sold in bookstores globally from September, distributed via Mack’s network in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Before A24 joined forces with Mack to tempt the wallets of cinephiles and bibliophiles alike, you could only get these books through the studio’s online store. Starting in September, you can walk into a physical store and hold the book, leafing through it before you buy it.
A24 knows the value of seeing hard work up close and in great detail. There’s no better way to learn about scriptwriting than to see how your favorite filmmakers structure their work. The first three books in A24’s collection were hardcover versions of the scripts for Moonlight, The VVitch, and Ex Machina. After positive responses from fans, A24 began printing hardbacks for Ari Aster’s Hereditary, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, and more original works, like the Horror Cavier cookbook, 99 Movie Crosswords, and more.
“Never before has a leading entertainment company and an art book publisher come together in an exclusive partnership of this nature,” said Mack founder Michael Mack. “It speaks to the shared vision of independent production houses that prioritise artistic innovation and creative expression.”
Which of A24’s hardback books do you want to add to your collection? I like Ari Aster’s Midsommar, Pi: The Guerilla Diaries by Darren Aronofsky, Everything Everywhere All At Once Song Reader, and the Minari screenplay book. Let us know which books you’d choose in the comments section below.
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.
David Cronenberg originally envisioned his new film The Shrouds as a Netflix streaming series, but Netflix dropped the project
Iconic directors named David haven’t been having the best luck with the Netflix streaming service lately. David Lynch recently revealed that Snootworld, an animated movie he hopes to make, had been rejected by Netflix, and now David Cronenberg has said that his new film The Shrouds – which just made its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (you can read some of the first reactions HERE) – was originally intended to be a Netflix TV series, but the streamer dropped it after paying him to write the pilot episode.
During a press conference at Cannes, Cronenberg said (according to The Hollywood Reporter) that he “envisioned the story working well as a series. He flew to Los Angeles to speak with two Netflix execs who financed the writing of a first episode – which they loved. But after the second, they did not want to go any further.” Cronenberg went on to say, “They said – and this is a very Hollywood thing to say – ‘It’s not what we fell in love with in the room.’ Later, I felt that what they fell in love with in the room was me, which was very flattering, but not the script. I felt I can’t let this die, let’s see if we can turn it into a movie… It could be a series, but it doesn’t have to be.“
In The Shrouds, Vincent Cassel, who previously worked with Cronenberg on Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method, takes on the role of Karsh, “an innovative businessman and grieving widower, who builds a novel device to connect with the dead inside a burial shroud. This burial tool installed at his own state-of-the-art though controversial cemetery allows him and his clients to watch their specific departed loved one decompose in real time. Karsh’s revolutionary business is on the verge of breaking into the international mainstream when several graves within his cemetery are vandalized and nearly destroyed, including that of his wife. While he struggles to uncover a clear motive for the attack, the mystery of who wrought this havoc, and why, drive him to reevaluate his business, marriage and fidelity to his late wife’s memory, as well as push him to new beginnings.”
Diane Kruger (National Treasure, Inglorious Basterds, In the Fade), Guy Pearce (Memento, The Hurt Locker), Sandrine Holt (Homeland, House of Cards), Al Sapienza (The Sopranos, Reacher), Elizabeth Saunders (From, Mary Kills People), and Jennifer Dale (Coroner, Into Invisible Light) are also in the cast.
Would you have been interested to watch David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds as a Netflix series? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
