Steve Buscemi was randomly attacked in New York City, the latest in an odd and violent string of assaults on celebrities.

In a random and brutal moment, actor Steve Buscemi was attacked on the streets of New York City, with a man blindsiding him with a punch to the face. According to the New York Post, Buscemi was taken to the hospital and suffered bruisings. The assailant has yet to be caught.

According to his publicist (as per the New York Post), “Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city…He is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York.”

As you can imagine, fans of Steve Buscemi and those within the industry have come to the actor’s defense, saying it is an outrage that such an occurrence would even happen. Let’s also not forget that in addition to being a beloved presence on both the big and small screens, Steve Buscemi has been a pillar of the community, working as a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department in the ‘80s and volunteering in the aftermath of 9/11 for his former house.

The B-movie star has a new, but untitled, action film developing with the Icelandic director of 2 Guns and Everest.

Jason Statham is someone who is admirably unpretentious and genuinely grateful for his success, and within that, he has a definite preference of films that can predominantly define his career. Earlier this year, Statham was seen in The Beekeeper, a seemingly usual action B-movie fare with the star, but the movie from Suicide Squad director David Ayer would throw in some bold conceptual curve balls to the normal vengeance tale. Deadline has now reported that Statham will be working with director Baltasar Kormákur for his next action film.

Kormákur’s resume features such credits as Contraband, 2 Guns, Everest and the recent Idris Elba lion attack film, Beast. According to Deadline, “In the currently untitled pic, Statham will play Mason who lives in isolation in a remote Scottish island. When he rescues a young girl from the ocean in a terrible storm, he sets a chain of events in motion that brings a violent attack to his hideaway, forcing him back into the world to confront the ghosts of his past.” The movie will come from the company Black Bear and they will be introducing the film to buyers this week in Cannes and co-representing the U.S. rights alongside Range Select.

Ward Perry penned the script to the film. The producers on board will include Statham, who has produced Levon’s Trade, for Punch Palace Productions, Kormákur for RVK Studios, John Friedberg, who worked on the recent Guy Ritchie film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, for Black Bear and Jon Berg, whose credits include Wonder Woman, and Greg Silverman, who is the former President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production for Warner Bros. They are all producing the movie for Stampede Ventures, who developed the film. Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler are also on board to serve as executive producers for Black Bear.

The production of the untitled action film is scheduled to commence in November in the UK and Kormákur’s native Iceland. Production services and filming will take place at Kormákur’s RVK Studios facility in Reykjavik.

There hasn’t been confirmation yet, but Staham has also been set up in the last Fast & Furious movie to appear in the next installment as his character, Deckard Shaw, has been shown to gear up for a mission that involves Jason Momoa’s Dante and his ties to the Shaw mother played by Helen Mirren. He also recently signed on for the action-thriller Mutiny from Plane director Jean-Francois Richet, in addition to his upcoming re-team with Beekeeper director David Ayer for Levon’s Trade, which is written by Sylvester Stallone.

About the Author

E.J. is a News Editor at JoBlo, as well as a Video Editor, Writer, and Narrator for some of the movie retrospectives on our JoBlo Originals YouTube channel, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the Top 10 lists. He is a graduate of the film program at Missouri Western State University with concentrations in performance, writing, editing and directing.

Woke cinema is a topic that’s become increasingly divisive among film fans. Why the controversy? In this video we take a deep dive.

In this new ongoing series, a revival of our old C’Mon Hollywood op-eds, we will examine the current political climate surrounding all things “woke” when it comes to the cinematic arts. Are Hollywood studios pushing an agenda or is this idea overblown? Is this creating a division among us peasants? Is it even possible to critique or watch a film without politics coming into play anymore? 

Our hot shot team of dedicated researchers may have found out that things might not be so black and white… Pun intended? Who knows anymore?! It is an exciting and scary time to be making and watching movies but that type of chaotic environment allows this medium to experiment and grow. Controversy can always inspire conversation and that’s what we are hoping to do with this new show. 

So what’s all the fuss about?

I believe it was the Disney+ flick Peter & Wendy that responded with a “So!?” when asked why The Lost Boys were not exactly Boys. And I believe it was South Park’s Cartman who, while poking fun at Kathleen Kennedy said, “Put a chick in it and make her lame and gay.” Sooooo…. What did she mean by “So?” and what did Cartman mean by “Put a chick in it and make her lame and gay.’? I don’t exactly understand all of that but do I understand LAME. Trust me, I identify as lame.

Like it or not, in the minds of many, the definition of “woke” has changed to mean “lame”. It used to be cool. “Stay woke” was seen as a battle cry to fight injustice and bring equality to the people. But the phrase got overused to the point of parody and social justice morphed into a business and even almost a religion. Wokeness began with the best of intentions but evolved/mutated/transitioned into something well…lame. The definition of the word lame is “uninspiring and dull”. That is what many of these new films and characters have been feeling like… uninspiring and dull. Unfortunately, many of these new dull sources of art and entertainment fall under the category of “Woke”. This unfortunately creates a connection in our collective minds that “woke” content equals “lame” content. This word “lame” also means “unable to walk without difficulty” which is what’s happening to Disney and other studios, who seem to be doubling down on the pandering of “wokeness” in their content, rather than quality entertainment. 

Good woke vs bad woke

Context is key when a film is labelled “woke” and it depends on who is doing the labelling and if the movie is good or not. “Lame Wokeness” is very forgivable when the film offers other “cool” cinematic aspects. You got Good Woke, Bad Woke and Ugly Woke and somehow the Good Woke is overshadowed by the abundance of Bad Ugly Woke… which is lame…. and confusing… but that’s why we are trying our best to tackle these issues. Cinema is still a relatively new tool for artistic expression and we are still making mistakes when it comes to how to tell the best story in the most effective way possible. This new call to arms for our content to be more woke or less woke is the next frontier to explore and who knows what we will find in this new wild west of wokeness. 

At first, “Woke Cinema” was all about telling new stories from new points of view from people who may not have had their stories told in the past due to actual hate and discrimination and racism or sexism or any-ism you wanna ism. But maybe those good intentions went too far, lost focus and began to feel forced, done out of fear and almost hateful themselves; potentially creating enemies out of lifelong allies and supporters. Was it intentional or an accident? Is this argument overblown?

Future episodes

Of course, this is a big topic and in this video, we’re only scratching the surface. This debate has been raging on for a long time now, and likely won’t cease anytime soon. If there’s something about the topic you’d like us to cover, or maybe you even have a counter-point, make sure to let us know in the comments! In the meantime, please check out the video above and let us know what you think!

Labyrinth star Jennifer Connelly fondly remembered working with Jim Henson on the film, which she says remains “special.”

You remind me of the babe? What babe? The babe with the massive cult following! Nearly 40 years since its release, Labyrinth has endured as one of the most beloved fantasy movies ever. While it was a flop at the box office, the movie would go on to embody so much of what makes the genre what it is, not to mention it being a charming – and sometimes frightening – representation of the brilliance of cinematic puppetry.

Like so many of our favorite movies, when it comes down to it, the box office numbers never mattered. That’s definitely the case with Labyrinth, which took in just under $13 million domestically on a budget reportedly around double that. Jennifer Connelly remembered “hearing rumblings” of it being poorly attended at the multiplex but that it eventually found its fandom. “People’s affection has grown over the years. People talk to me about it in a way that seems outsized to the response when it was first released.”

Connelly had already worked with iconic directors like Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in America) and Dario Argento (Phenomena) but collaborating with Jim Henson was a completely unique experience for her. “Jim was a genius. And we don’t really make movies like that anymore. All those practical, wonderful puppets working together on those beautifully crafted sets. It feels different than the way we make a lot of films now; it feels kind of special.”

Indeed, Labyrinth is special. In a time when practical effects and puppetry is few and far between, it’s films like Labyrinth – and any others that seek to honor the artistry – that stand out. Really, how fantastic are the designs of Hoggle, Ludo, the Fierys, and pretty much every other character inside of the titular maze?

Sequel discussion for Labyrinth has been around for several years now, with Brian Henson saying as recently as this winter that it was still a possibility. Although The Dark Crystal’s TV continuation didn’t stick, the fanbase for a similar approach to Labyrinth could prove successful.

What is your favorite scene from Labyrinth? Which character design and set stands out the most to you? Let us know in the comments section below!

The neo-horror film with an interesting premise has now released a poster showcasing a possibly rabid Amy Adams.

Amy Adams has been in development with Nightbitch for over a year, but details have now started to surface as the neo-horror film has recently released a new poster from Searchlight Pictures. The film has been written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of “a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.”

Adams plays that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season, takes on an unspecified role. The cast will also include Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Archana Rajan and Jessica Harper.

Coming to us from Searchlight Pictures and Annapurna, Nightbitch is produced by Heller, Adams, Anne Carey, Stacy O’Neil, Christina Oh, and Sue Naegle. Sammy Scher and Havilah Brewster serve as executive producers.

Yoder’s novel (pick up a copy HERE) has the following description: 
“One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else… An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler’s demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms. As the mother’s symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem. An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.”

The film was originally slated for December 6, but the poster reveals that it will move up to sometime in the fall.

After underperforming theatrically, the well-reviewed prequel to The Omen, The First Omen, will make a streaming debut on Hulu.

Despite pretty good reviews (including ours), The First Omen underperformed dramatically at the box office this winter. It was meant to reignite The Omen franchise. Still, with a domestic total of just under $20 million, it seems unlikely it succeeded in this goal (although it made an additional $30 million overseas). Initially, The First Omen was intended to be released directly to streaming via Hulu before getting a theatrical bow, and now it’s finally making its way to the service. The movie is set to come out on Hulu on May 30th, only two days after its PVOD release on May 28th.

Notably, the film will be released on physical media, with a Blu-ray and DVD release set for July 30th. That’s a departure for Disney, who produced the film, as their horror breakout hit Barbarian has yet to come out on Blu-ray or DVD.

The First Omen served as a prequel to the Omen saga and starred Nell Tiger Free (of the Apple TV series Servant) as Margaret, a noviciate sent to Rome where she’s put to work in an orphanage before taking her vows. Once there, she’s approached by a defrocked priest, Ralph Ineson’s Father Brennan (who just signed on to play Galactus in Fantastic Four) and warned about a sinister conspiracy in the church revolving around a plot to produce the anti-Christ. It was meant to be an origin story for Damien, although the film made a small (but important) change to his origin, which made it controversial among fans.

While it didn’t set the world on fire in theaters, there’s a good chance The First Omen will find a more receptive audience once it hits streaming, where it was originally supposed to debut. If you missed The First Omen in theaters, will you be giving it a chance on streaming?

Final Destination: Bloodlines, the sixth film in the series, has officially wrapped filming. What else do we know about it?

Earlier this month, an image cinematographer Christian Sebaldt shared on Instagram indicated that Final Destination 6 (which is going by the title Final Destination: Bloodlines) was finally, after years of development and a thirteen-year gap between sequels, heading into production. The next day, producer Craig Perry took to social media to confirm that Final Destination: Bloodlines is indeed filming, the aim being to get this one into theatres in 2025 – in time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the original film. Now, it’s been revealed that the long anticipated sequel has officially wrapped principal photography. Once again, the announcement came courtesy of Perry. The film stars Brec Bassinger (Stargirl), Teo Briones, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Richard Harmon, Anna Lore, Owen Patrick Joyner, Max Lloyd-Jones, Rya Kihlstedt, and Tinpo Lee. It also features the return of Tony Todd in his iconic role as William Budworth, who was in the first, second and fifth films.

What is Final Destination: Bloodlines about?

According to entertainment industry scooper Daniel Richtman, Final Destination: Bloodlines has the following synopsis: Just as she’s about to leave home for college, 18-year-old STEFANI, who’s been having horrific nightmares about dying in a tower accident in the 1960s, discovers that her dream is actually a premonition that happened to her grandmother, Esther, who thwarted death fifty years ago but is now running out of time. Stefani learns that though her grandmother thwarted Death (until she died in her 80s), and Death has been going after the would-have-been victims of that long-ago catastrophe, killing them off and then going after their children. Stefani and her family realize that their bloodline isn’t safe from Death, who will take them violently and gruesomely, in order, unless someone like Stefani figures out a way to stop it.

Jon Watts, director of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, is producing the film with Perry, Dianne McGunigle, and Sheila Hanahan Taylor. Watts also wrote the initial treatment, which was fleshed out into a screenplay by Lori Evans Taylor and Guy Busick. The directing duo of Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, who previously directed the 2018 film Freaks (starring Emile Hirsch and Bruce Dern) and the 2019 live-action Kim Possible movie, are at the helm. I

Are you looking forward to Final Destination 6 / Final Destination: Bloodlines? What do you think of the cast that has been assembled for the film? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The Shrouds teaser trailer paints a warped picture of David Cronenberg’s latest thriller about keeping tabs on the dead in real-time.

Vincent Cassel and David Cronenberg are getting the band back together for The Shrouds, a disturbing meditation about grief, making peace with death, and watching your loved ones decompose in real time. Yeah, you heard me. The Shrouds teaser trailer offers a brief glimpse at Cronenberg’s next mind-bending thriller and the filmmaker’s first project with Cassel since teaming up for Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method. According to Cronenberg, The Shrouds is a personal project for him, with parts of the story being autobiographical.

In The Shrouds, Vincent Cassell 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) join the cast as primary players.

In The Shrouds teaser trailer, Cassel’s Karsh contemplates the art of seduction alongside Diane Kruger’s Becca. After Karsh discovers his cemetery is vandalized and the party responsible could be tracking him, he takes a mysterious black suit out of storage. A montage of quick cuts from the film follows, with Cassel and Karsh sharing knowing glances as Karsh contemplates his next move.

My mom told me David Cronenberg is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. That’s precisely how I feel about The Shrouds teaser trailer. How about you? In the comments section below, let us know what you think about David Cronenberg’s latest film.

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.

The former True Blood star will be taking the lead as a woman who finds the remains of her estranged father and investigates his past in the new thriller.

Daredevil: Born Again may have been retooling, but from what is known, Deborah Ann Woll is set to return. It can be assumed that even with the revamped production, she will be playing a part of it, but the True Blood actress will also be starring in the upcoming horror film The Cycle. The press release from The Exchange for The Cycle has revealed that the thriller is set to be directed by Jordan Downey (The Head Hunter) and written by Downey and Kevin Stewart (The Head Hunter).

The plot synopsis reads,
In the film, when the body of a man missing for thirty-six years is discovered at the scene of a horrific crime, it’s up to his estranged daughter to unravel his dark past.

The film is produced by James Harris and Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions (The Fall, The Surfer), with The Exchange executive producing and handling international sales at the upcoming Marché du Film at Cannes. Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, will be handling distribution in the US and Canada, UK and Ireland, and Australia/New Zealand. The film is in pre-production and looking to shoot later this year.

James Harris of Tea Shop has expressed his enthusiasm for the project, “We are so excited about The Cycle, Jordan has crafted such an original story that is gonna excite audiences. For us he has the ability to be the next great genre film maker and we can wait to make the movie.”

Deborah Ann Woll has been recognized for her versatility and depth on both the big and small screens. Rising to fame as the fiery Jessica Hamby in the HBO series True Blood, Woll further impressed audiences with her portrayal of Karen Page in Marvel’s Daredevil series, displaying a compelling blend of vulnerability and strength. Woll’s film credits include roles in Escape Room, Ruby Sparks, and Mother’s Day, solidifying her status as a dynamic talent in the entertainment industry.

Current titles from The Exchange include FRUITCAKE, starring Jennifer Garner, Rose Byrne and Octavia Spencer’s TOW, Orlando Bloom’s THE CUT, Anna Faris’ I, OBJECT, Peter Dinklage’s THE THICKET, Milla Jovovich and Luke Evan’s WORLD BREAKER, the recent Hot Doc’s participant THE WHITE MOUNTAIN, and horror TV series TALES FROM THE VOID.

Guy Ritchie is partnering with Black Bear to bring his newly-announced film project, Wife and Dog, to the Cannes Film market.

While in the middle of filming his latest mystery film, Fountain of Youth, Guy Ritchie is revealing another film project, Wife and Dog. Ritchie’s 18th feature hails from Black Bear, who launches Wife and Dog at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival event. Plot details about Wife and Dog remain a mystery, though Variety hears Ritchie is returning to the shady world of British Aristocracy for this anticipated feature. Cameras roll for Wife and Dog in October, with top-tier Hollywood actors negotiating for starring roles.

Like many of Ritchie’s film projects, he’s writing the screenplay and producing alongside his production partner, Ivan Atkinson, and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler of Black Bear executive produce.

As Cannes revs up for another competitive year, Ritchie is rolling cameras for Fountain of Youth, a mystery written by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, Scream, Basic), starring Eiza González (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, 3 Body Problem), Natalie Portman (Annihilation, Lucy in the Sky), John Krasinski (A Quiet Place, Jack Ryan, The Office), Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina, Anna Karenina), Laz Alonso (Avatar, Jarhead), and Carmen Ejogo (Selma, It Comes at Night). Ritchie directs Fountain of Youth, focusing on two estranged siblings who join forces to seek the legendary Fountain of Youth. Using historical clues, they embark on an epic quest filled with adventure. If successful, the mythical fountain could grant them immortality.

Another of Ritchie’s film projects, In the Grey, is in post-production. The action film stars Eiza González (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, 3 Body Problem), Henry Cavill (The Witcher, Argylle), Jake Gyllenhaal (Road House, Ambulance), and Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl, I Care a Lot). In the Grey revolves around two extraction specialists who have to designate a route of escape for a senior female negotiator.

Are you excited about Guy Ritchie’s return to the world of British Aristocracy, or would you prefer he tell stories in a different venue? If you look at his film catalog, you’ll see that Ritchie is fearless in conquering new territory. Plus, who doesn’t like to poke a little fun at the elite? Let us know what you think 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.