MCU alum and The Purge franchise star Frank Grillo is joining the Tulsa King: Season 2 cast as a series regular alongside Sylvester Stallone.
Like Hideo Kojima and his collection of scanned celebrities, Taylor Sheridan is adding another star to his Paramount+ collection as Boss Level and The Purge franchise badass Frank Grillo joins the cast of Tulsa King: Season 2. The MCU alum boards the Sylvester Stallone-led crime drama as a series regular, playing Bill Bevilaqua, a Kansas City mobster interested in Tulsa. Is Grillo’s character trying to muscle in on The General’s territory? Who will tell him how much of a bad idea that would be?
Sylvester Stallone stars in Tulsa King as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mafia capo. After he’s released from prison, his boss unceremoniously exiles him to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that might as well be another planet.
Grillo joins an already-stacked cast for Tulsa King: Season 2, featuring Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, Annabella Sciorra, Tatiana Zappardino, with Garrett Hedlund and Dana Delany. Cameras are currently rolling for the sophomore season in Oklahoma and Atlanta.
“Tulsa King scored as the #1 new series of the year, topping all others including the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, with its preview on Paramount Network, and on Paramount+, it shattered records, driving us to our biggest new sign-up day in history – which is why we instantly greenlit season two,” said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, Paramount Media Networks & MTV Entertainment Studios in 2022. “Tulsa King together with Mayor of Kingstown, 1883 and the upcoming 1923, undeniably confirm the success of our strategy to franchise Yellowstone and use it to supercharge streaming growth – none of which would be possible without the creative mastermind of Taylor Sheridan.”
Frank Grillo is one of Hollywood’s busiest stars, having worked on multiple projects in various production states. He’s got six movies in post-production, including (but not limited to) the Steven C. Miller-directed action thriller Werewolves, John Swab’s crime thriller Land of Grace, and Lowell Dean’s horror thriller Die Alone. Grillo is also the voice of Rick Flag Sr. in the upcoming DC animated TV series Creature Commandos.
Are you excited to hear Frank Grillo is joining the Tulsa King: Season 2 cast? Let us know 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.
Olivia Wilde’s Avengelyne, based on the Rob Liefeld comic book character, enlists Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap as a producer.
Olivia Wilde’s comic book action film Avengelyne is picking up the sword with Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap production company along for the ride. Based on the signature comic book creation by Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, rumor has it Margot Robbie could play the lead, but her reps are denying her involvement with that part of the project. LuckyChap includes Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara, and Simon Kinberg. LuckyChap produced Barbie, the billion-dollar barn-burner based on Mattel’s iconic blonde bombshell. With influence like that, it’s difficult not to imagine Avengelyne being a big to-do.
After directing 2019’s Booksmart and the controversial Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand filmmakers. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Avengelyne “is an angel who fights the forces of evil and often finds herself face-to-face with demons and monsters. She was the most feared warrior in Heaven’s Warhost, having single-handedly broken into Pandemonium, the outer fortress of Hell, to confront the Devil himself. She is a fallen angel, banished from Heaven by God after being tricked into questioning his love for humans. Avengelyne was stripped of all her angelic abilities, other than her great strength and her blood, which, once extracted from her body, could be used as a weapon or a miracle once empowered by quoting verses from the Bible.” Like anyone with powers worth their salt, Avengelyne uses her unique abilities to battle demons on Earth while preparing to thwart an oncoming Armageddon.
Known to Liefeld’s fans as a powerful warrior, Avengelyne could fill a unique gap in the superhero genre. Think of Vampirella meeting Barbarella with the supernatural sensitivities of John Constantine. It’s been a while since we’ve had an honest-to-goodness battle for the soul outside of Netflix’s Warrior Nun. With Olivia Wilde behind the camera, Avengelyne could exorcise people’s superhero fatigue when it lands in theaters.
What do you think about Margot Robbie climbing aboard Wilde and Liefeld’s Avengelyne? Is this a strange career move for Wilde? Will Margot Robbie end up starring in the film after all is said and done? Who do you think could play Avengelyne in Wilde’s film? Let us know 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.
According to recent reports, the fifth Indiana Jones movie lost upwards of $130 million for Disney.
The fifth Indiana Jones movie was supposed to send the franchise out on a high note, but it proved to be a sad anti-climax to an amazing franchise. Indeed, yesterday, Disney boss Bob Iger won a brutal proxy battle against a group led by Nelson Pelts over control of the Disney board. One of the issues was how the company had a pretty dire 100th anniversary, with them posting a shocking number of flops, which included The Marvels, Haunted Mansion, and more. Yet, of all the films, none was a more bitter loss to the company than Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It’s now being estimated that the fifth Indiana Jones film lost upwards of $130 million.
While the movie grossed $174 million domestically for a $383 million worldwide total, the film cost a staggering $387 million. When a studio releases a movie, typically they only get to collect about 50% of the box office earnings. In fact, the figures put out by Disney that estimate a $137 million loss are probably generous, as there were probably a number of gross participants in the movie who likely collected from the net rather than the gross. The film will likely make up some of its losses in ancillary media, but even those prospects seem dire, as the movie is (so far) exclusive on Disney Plus. It’s gotten a physical media release, but it seems doubtful that sales will be able to make up for that shortfall.
So what happened? Fan reaction to the film was cool, and reviews (including ours) were mixed, with many pointing the finger at Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s shoe-horned in role, the annoying kid sidekick, and unconvincing de-aging effects. Indeed, it was a sad way to end the franchise, with it grossing hundreds of millions less than Kingdom of the Crystal Skulldid, and no one really liked that movie, did they? Some fans even think Dial of Destiny was worse. Indeed, it’s a sad end to one of the greatest franchises ever. Alas, we’ll always have that original trilogy.
Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company is partnering with Amazon MGM Studios on a Legally Blonde spinoff TV series.
Bring your pink suit to the dry cleaners because Legally Blonde is making a comeback, and you’ll want to dress to impress! According to Deadline, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company will partner with Amazon MGM Studios for a Legally Blonde spinoff TV series. The long-anticipated project comes from Gossip Girl writers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who will also produce through their Fake Empire studio. Plot details remain a mystery, though Witherspoon’s involvement with the project gives me good vibes.
Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter will produce the Legally Blonde spinoffTV series via Hello Sunshine alongside Legally Blonde film producer Marc Platt. Deadline says there’s a chance we could get more than one spinoff series inspired by Legally Blonde, but details are fuzzier than the eraser toppers Elle Woods keeps in her purse.
Released in 2001, Legally Blonde stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, a fashionable sorority queen whom her boyfriend dumps. She decides to follow him to law school. While there, she discovers that there is more to her than looks. Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, and Ali Larter also star as primary cast members in the laugh-out-loud comedy.
A sequel directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld followed in 2003 with Witherspoon back in her pink pumps. In the follow-up film, Elle Woods heads to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of a Representative to pass a bill to ban animal testing. Sally Field, Regina King, Bob Newhart, and Bruce McGill join Witherspoon in the sequel.
A third film in the Legally Blonde series is said to be in the works, but things have been quiet on that front for a while. In May 2020, Never Have I Ever‘s Mindy Kaling and Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Dan Goor were announced as screenwriters. Again, there’s no telling if this is still the case or if the spinoff series will put the threequel on ice. Witherspoon says she’d return to star and produce the film, but no official announcements have been made.
Are you a fan of Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde series? Would you watch a Legally Blonde spinoff? Let us know 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.
Shooting on Yellowstone Season 6 is set to begin in a few weeks, and no one seems sure if Kevin Costner’s going to return as John Dutton. His time on the show infamously ended due to a row with showrunner Taylor Sheridan and scheduling conflicts with his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. But, in recent weeks, there have been rumours that Costner may indeed return to the show. While it’s unlikely he’ll have a huge role going forward, the buzz is he could theoretically make a cameo, but so far, all involved have been mum on the possibility of this happening. Given Sheridan’s creative control over the show, the ultimate decision whether or not to bring him back likely remains something he’d have to sign off on, but a full-fledged return seems unlikely (I would imagine there will be some kind of cameo, though, to wrap things up). So, if Costner really isn’t coming back as John Dutton, how will they do away with him?
His Cancer Could Return
If you’re a Yellowstone fan, you’ll remember that in the first season, Costner’s John Dutton was diagnosed with colon cancer. Rumor has it, Costner was originally planning for his run on the show to be a short one, but the cancer plot line was quickly done away with. In the Season 2 premiere, Dutton had a major attack that he assumed was his cancer returning, only for a vet to perform emergency surgery on what turned out to be a ruptured ulcer. And so Dutton lived to fight another day.
Assasination
Now that Dutton is governor of Montana, it’s possible that he could be assasinated, potentially at the hands of his estranged son Jamie (Wes Bentley), but that seems out of sorts for that character, who was last seen planning to take him down with an impeachment. Remember, him and his paramour, Dawn Olivieri’s Sarah Atwood, were trying to take him down that way.
Some Random Dumb Accident
Life on the Dutton family ranch is rough. If Sheridan really wants to stick it to Costner, who always had an entry in his contract that guaranteed “a moral death” for the character, it’s possible he’ll just kill him off randomly. While that might strike some as a middle finger to fans, with Costner refusing to do any shooting at all, Taylor Sheridan might not have much of a choice.
When does season 6 of Yellowstone start?
Originally, the plan was to split the fifth season of Yellowstone into two parts, with Part 2 due to air in fall of 2023. That didn’t happen due to the strikes, so now Paramount is dubbing Yellowstone‘s final season number 6. It’s now due this fall, with episodes of Yellowstone season 6 airing sometime in November 2024. It can’t air any sooner because the show’s filming schedules in Montana are notoriously weather dependent, and it can’t be shot until winter is over.
How many episodes there be be?
Two of the biggest problems facing the final season of Yellowstone stem directly from the strikes, as creator Taylor Sheridan had yet to complete the scripts when the WGA strike was called. If took months for the strikes to end, and in that time the plan shifted, as originally there was supposed to be a Season 5 part 2 with 6 episodes, but this plan was scrapped in favor of a legit sixth and final season. However, the number of episodes needs to be clarified. In recent red carpet interviews with Entertainment Tonight, Josh Lucas, who plays the younger John Dutton, said they would be shooting ten episodes, but co-star Ian Bohen says six, plus a series finale.
What Will Happen to Beth and Rip?
Here’s where it gets interesting. With the final season set to do away with John Dutton, the focus will likely fall to the romantic duo at the center of the show, Cole Hauser’s Rip and Kelly Reilly’s Beth. While they aren’t the only star-crossed lovers on the show, with Luke Grimes’s Kaycee and Kelsey Asbille’s Monica also seeing their shares of ups and downs, fans are obsessed with this couple. The show has often revolved around Beth’s deadly rivalry with her estranged (adopted) brother, Jamie (Wes Bentley), and it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that if John Dutton dies, the prodigal son is somehow behind it. If so, I expect Beth to go on the warpath and for the show to end with Jamie’s presumably violent death.
Will Rip Be In It?
While Rip is one half of Yellowstone’s biggest power couple, another behind-the-scenes Yellowstone battle has been brewing – this time between Hauser and creator Taylor Sheridan. Unlike with Costner, this has nothing to do with what’s happening on screen or with money. Rather, Sheridan is accusing Hauser’s new coffee brand, Free Range Coffee, of sporting a logo nearly identical to that of his coffee brand, Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee. Hopefully, this battle doesn’t lead to more behind-the-scenes strife, but these squabbles have a tendency to get out of hand.
What is Yellowstone 2024?
This seems to be the current title for the sequel series starring Matthew McConaughey and (potentially) other Yellowstone cast members. No word yet on what the series will involve, but you can be sure that John Dutton won’t be tipping his hat – both because of Costner and, come on, Dutton has to die in Yellowstone, right? If he does die, I imagine surviving cast members will make their way over to this show. If Beth and Rip survive the final season, I would expect them to be leads alongside McConaughey, which would make sense and give the show some legit crossover appeal. It’s been rumored that Michelle Pfeiffer is also set to play a big role, but apparently salary negotiations for Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Luke Grimes have been complicated. In fact, a bombshell report suggests Reilly and Hauser want at least equal billing to any newer, big-named stars, and salaries that match. Notably, they are negotiating separately, meaning one may end up on the new show, and one may not.
What About the Prequels?
The well-received prequel 1923, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, is set to air one more season. It will likely premiere beforeYellowstone Season 6, as Sheridan is thought to have completed the scripts. Paramount Network also announced another spin-off called 1944, which would presumably take the Dutton clan through WW2, and could (theoretically) include characters from 1923, including Brandon Sklenar’s Spencer. That said, the role could potentially be recast, as, if he’s supposed to be in his fifties, Sklenar would be a bit on the young side. Sheridan’s also got Lawmen: Bass Reeves on the air. Originally, this seemed to be set in the universe of Yellowstone spinoffs, but so far hasn’t been linked to shows like 1883, despite a similar style.
What is Horizon?
By this point, fans might be wondering just what exactly Horizon: An American Saga is, as it’s the project that seemingly kept Costner away from Yellowstone season 6. It’s a multi-part western saga that Costner both stars in and directs. The first two parts are due out this summer, with the first coming out on June 28th, and the sequel to follow on August 16th. Costner stars alongside Sienna Miller, Yellowstone vet Danny Huston, Jena Malone (his Hatfields and the McCoys co-star), Sam Worthington, and more. Warner Bros, the studio that is releasing the film, is set to release a full trailer and more details shortly. Here is the poster:
What do you expect to see in the final season of Yellowstone? Which character(s) do you think won’t make it out alive? Let us know!
The Los Angeles and Miami homes of producer/rapper Diddy were raided by Homeland Security officials on Monday. Now his lawyer is striking back.
UPDATE: In a strongly worded statement to the media, Diddy (aka Sean Combs) and his lawyer called the Homeland Security raids a “witchhunt.” Here’s a statement via his attourney Aaron Dyer:
“There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on this explosive story as it develops.
Original Story:
Rapper Diddy is facing mo problems than before, as officials raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami on Monday, stemming from sex trafficking allegations, with former girlfriend Cassie Ventura one of the most vocal alleged victims.
According to a spokesperson for Homeland Security (via Rolling Stone), who was tasked with conducting the raids, “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
While there’s no precise telling just what will come of these raids against Diddy’s properties, it’s believed that if the aforementioned New York branches are zeroing in on the mogul, he is going to have a tough road ahead of him.
As per a representative of Cassie’s and an unnamed accuser, “We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.” According to reports, numerous unnamed individuals had been interviewed by investigators in New York, while others even still are awaiting their own sitdowns. As for the properties, it is unclear if Diddy was actually on either of the premises, although photos and video footage don’t appear to support this.
Cassie’s allegations against Diddy came out late last year, with the singer claiming that Diddy tried to keep the extensive abuse silent by paying her off, with the amount said to be in the eight-figure range. Even more recently, former collaborator Rodney Jones, Jr. filed a $30 million lawsuit against Diddy over sexually and financially taking advantage of him. One of the others named in the lawsuit was Diddy’s son Justin, who footage shows at one of the properties during the raid. Expectedly, Diddy is denying all claims from the multiple parties.
Whatever comes of these raids, Diddy is in some serious legal trouble that will see his career stalled at the bare minimum. His most recent release, last year’s The Love Album: Off the Grid — which Jones’ lawsuit has roots in — was his first in seven years, the longest gap between albums of his career. With so much working against him, one wonders if that will be his last one.
Do you think Diddy has a chance to press through these allegations and lawsuits? Share your thoughts below.
After a terrible first outing, this sequel actually manages to be a fun slasher with an extremely high body count and smaller human element.
Last Updated on March 28, 2024
PLOT: Not wanting to live in the shadows any longer, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Owl and Tigger take their fight to the town of Ashdown, leaving a bloody trail of death and mayhem in their wake.
REVIEW: Last year’s Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey proved to be one of the worst horror films of the year. It was my least favorite theatrical experience and completely barren of any passion. It was a dull affair that failed to deliver much on the horror or the fun. So I rolled my eyes when a sequel was announced. Then they reached near the back of my skull when the Poohniverse was announced. But I’m here to tell you that it appears the filmmakers learned their lesson and understand what their films need to be: fun.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 follows Christopher Robin (now played by Scott Chambers) one year after the events of the original film. Only the film that we saw (and I reviewed HERE) was actually a movie within this world. This explains the Monster redesigns as well as the change to the lead. And it honestly feels like a nice reset for the series. If they’re planning on making this a whole universe, then the world set up in the last film wasn’t exactly vibrant. But this one does a better job of actually establishing a town for the 100 Acre Wood to exist near. It’s not just some phantom wooded area. This opens the film up to the more slashery elements.
Most of the film follows Pooh and the crew as they’re killing residents of Ashdown. And holy hell are there a lot of deaths. I lost track at somewhere around 40 but it really wouldn’t shock me if it actually hit north of 50. And these are more than just simple stabbings and quick cutaways. There were at least five decapitations, with each managing to be a bit different. It’s not quite to Terrifier-levels, but it’s clear that’s the direction they were going for. And since none of the characters are worth caring about, the deaths leave little emotional impact. So expect a lot of cheering in your theater when someone gets theirs.
The designs in the last film were very generic so I was happy to see an update. Piglet, in particular, had a terrible Halloween store look. And I’m not going to claim that these creatures don’t look like men in costumes, but that’s part of the charm. Especially Owl who looks absolutely ridiculous; especially when flying. Though there were times when the silhouettes of Tigger and Pooh were a little hard to differentiate from. I think their faces were just too similar. Another element they vastly improved upon was the animations, which have a lot more character to them. I liked the blue hue and they clearly put a little more of the budget towards quality animation.
Even the technical side of the film feels vastly improved upon. Given how many eyeballs often land on these Public Domain Horror projects, it’s nice to finally see the technical handled with a bit of professionalism. It should be seen as a job opportunity for their own original ideas, so I’ve never understood just phoning it in. Thankfully, there actually feels like a bit of passion exists with the filmmaking here. I’m not sure what changed between the first film and this one, but I’m glad that they didn’t just put their head in the sand and just produce the exact same film a second time.
I’m shocked to say that I had a fun time with Blood and Honey 2. I went into this showing with my heels dragging and was shocked at the balls it managed to have. The kills are nasty and nearly nonstop. Anytime the story starts to feel dragged down by lore they quickly go to a creative and satisfying kill. It’s clear from the introduction that ran before the movie, that filmmakers Scott Chambers and Rhys Frake-Waterfield have a lot in store for us. And honestly, it seems like they’ve course-corrected and understand the kind of movies these Public Domain Horror Films need to be. And that’s a breezy story that facilitates kill after kill which eventually leads to a nifty final showdown. So long as they don’t break the formula too much, it should be a fun universe to follow.
The first of the modern-day James Bonds has shown his support for the rumored casting of the next incarnation of the special MI6 agent.
Not long ago, former James Bond actor George Lazenby, who has had the opportunity to star in a sole outing as the agent in the now-appreciated On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, threw his support behind the all-but-confirmed Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the role. Lazenby was reportedly saying to TMZ that Taylor-Johnson would be able to “handle the stunts and all the ladies who love a man in a tux.” However, he also thinks the reason for the delay in any kind of announcement is because “when he auditioned for the part back in the 1960s, he went through a bunch of different tests and auditions before he won the role.” Though, he still thinks Taylor-Johnson would make a great Bond “as long as they do the character justice.” His advice for the young lad would be “to be true to himself and reinvent the role to fit him.”
Now Pierce Brosnan, who starred in four films as the famous Ian Fleming 007 agent from 1995’s Goldeneye to 2002’s Die Another Day, has weighed in on the rumored successor to the small group of actors. Deadline reports that Brosnan recently appeared on The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1, where he stated, “I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so.” Brosnan had worked with Taylor-Johnson in the 2009 film The Greatest, and Brosnan refers to that film, “One of the first movies we made, one of our earliest movies, was The Greatest – and he was in it. He was The Greatest in it. It’s a lovely movie with Aaron and Carey Mulligan and Susan Sarandon and myself. So yes, I read the news about his possibilities of being a Bond, so I would definitely tip my hat to the fellow.”
Brosnan would also give his advice to Taylor-Johnson should he officially be named in the part, “Be bold. Go out there, have a great time. Just love it. Just go for it.” Back when Brosnan was promoting Black Adam in 2022, he was asked about his impressions on Daniel Craig’s Bond in an interview since Craig had taken over after his incarnation. “I have the greatest admiration for Daniel Craig and what he did. The physicality he brought to the performance was monumental.” Then, Brosnan shared his personal opinions of Craig’s movies where he implied he wasn’t too impressed with No Time to Die. “I saw the last one, and I saw Skyfall. I love Skyfall. I’m not too sure about the last one. Daniel always gives of his heart. Very courageous, very strong. But…” Brosnan would trail off and not put a cap on that comment.
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.
A teaser trailer for the latest Yorgos Lanthimos / Emma Stone collaboration, a triptych fable called Kinds of Kindness, is now online
When director Yorgos Lanthimos and actress Emma Stone make a feature film together, Academy Award nominations follow. Their 2018 collaboration The Favourite was nominated in the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Production Design, Costume Design, Cinematography, and Editing categories, with supporting actresses Stone and Rachel Weisz also earning nominations and lead actress Olivia Colman taking home an Oscar for her performance. Their 2023 collaboration Poor Things racked up nominations in the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Editing, and Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo) categories – and won Oscar gold for Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, Costume Design, and Stone’s performance in the lead role. Now a teaser trailer has arrived online for the latest Lanthimos / Stone team-up, a film called Kinds of Kindness (previously known as And), and you can check it out in the embed above.
While walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes, Lanthimos described Kinds of Kindness as follows: “It’s three contemporary stories, and there’s a core of actors — seven total — who play one character in each story,” he said. “So, they’ll play three different characters.”
The film is officially described as a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.
Joining Emma Stone in the cast are Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse), Jesse Plemons (Civil War), Hong Chau (The Menu), Margaret Qualley (Drive Away Dolls), Joe Alwyn (The Favourite), Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World: Dominion), and Hunter Schafer (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Song Birds & Snakes).
Kinds of Kindness is set to reach theatres on June 21st. What did you think of the teaser trailer? Will you be checking this one out on the big screen – and do you think Lanthimos and Stone are in for more Oscar nominations with their latest collaboration? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Saw X director Kevin Greutert helped Immaculate director Michael Mohan get thrills out of a scene that wasn’t working
In his review of the new horror film Immaculate (you can read it HERE), JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray said the movie – which reunites Sydney Sweeney with Michael Mohan, who directed her in the erotic thriller The Voyeurs and the Netflix series Everything Sucks! – is “a decent throwback to Dario Argento-style Italian horror movies.” During a recent post-screening Q&A at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Boston Seaport, Mohan also revealed that one particular scene in the movie was inspired by the work one of my favorite grindhouse era filmmakers, Jack Hill – and that same scene also had to be salvaged with the help of Saw X director Kevin Greutert!
Our friends at Bloody Disgusting shared the information from the Q&A, reporting that Mohan said, “The biggest scene that did not work and I’m still not happy with is the scene when Isabelle tries to drown Cecilia. I studied a lot of ’70s exploitation movies featuring two women getting in fights, and I wanted it to be like a more direct homage to a genre known as nunsploitation. I studied some of Jack Hill’s work. Typically what they would do with those types of scenes is they would leave them in a medium-wide shot and just let it play out. The only thing I was doing differently was I wanted a slow push-in just to make it a little more elegant. Sydney can hold her breath for three minutes, so to not cut away would be really thrilling, because the audience would be like, ‘Wait a minute. We can see there’s no tank down there.’ I thought it would be really cool… and it wasn’t. It was boring! When you put this pulse-pounding music over it, it was like, the music doesn’t match what I’m seeing. When you took the music out, it was just flat. On the day, I knew something wasn’t working with it, so I shot a little bit of extra coverage. We tried re-cutting it a million times, and we finally got a pair of fresh eyes to actually look at that sequence.“
The person brought in to help out was Greutert… who not only directed Saw X, he also directed Saw VI and Saw 3D, in addition to editing the first fiveSaw movies and Jigsaw. He touched up the lacking scene in Immaculate and told the filmmakers how to get more thrills out of the footage. Mohan still isn’t entirely satisfied with the scene and wishes he had shot more underwater coverage, but Greutert helped them work with what they had.
Scripted by Andrew Lobel, Immaculate sees Sweeney taking on the role of Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Her warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside is soon interrupted as it becomes clearer to Cecilia that her new home harbors some dark and horrifying secrets.
Simona Tabasco (The White Lotus), Alvaro Morte (Money Heist), Benedetta Porcaroli (Baby), and Dora Romano (The Hand of God) are also in the cast.
Sweeney (who first auditioned for the project when she was a teenager, at which time the lead character was a high schooler rather than a nun) produced the film through her company Fifty-Fifty Films, alongside Jonathan Davino. Also producing are Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler of Black Bear and Middle Child Pictures’ David Bernad, who developed the project with Sweeney after they worked together on the Emmy-winning series The White Lotus. Will Greenfield and Black Bear’s John Friedberg and Christopher Casanova serve as executive producers. Black Bear provided the financing.
Have you seen Immaculate? If so, let us know what you thought of the attempted drowning scene by leaving a comment below.
If you’re interested in the work of Jack Hill, his credits include Spider Baby, Pit Stop, The Big Doll House, The Big Bird Cage, Coffy, Foxy Brown, The Swinging Cheerleaders, and Switchblade Sisters, among others.
