Tag and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star Jake Johnson is making his feature directorial debut with the film Self Reliance.
Jake Johnson (New Girl, Tag) is getting behind the camera for his feature directorial debut with Self Reliance. This film finds the main character playing a dangerous game for a lofty sum of cash, but at what price? Hulu acquired the U.S. rights to Self Reliance after a competitive bid with MRC and Paramount Global Content. In addition to directing the feature, Johnson also stars alongside Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, A Simple Favor), Natalie Morales (No Hard Feelings, Dead to Me), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping), GaTa (Dave), Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek, 12 Monkeys), Mary Holland (Golden Arm, Senior Year), Boban Marjanović, Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Nobody) and Wayne Brady (The Wayne Brady Show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?).
Self Reliance revolves around Tommy, a man who is offered a million dollars to participate in a game in which hunters try to kill him. The catch? They can only attack him when he’s alone. Thinking he’s found a loophole, the man attempts to bring his friends and family into the deal. However, problems arise when no one in his party thinks the game is real.
Lonely Island and Walcott Productions produce alongside Johnson, Ali Bell, and Joe Hardesty. Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone executive produce.
Self Reliance premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival in March, with plans to debut the feature as a Hulu Original on September 8, 2023.
Famously known as Nick Miller from the comedy series New Girl, Johnson is an accomplished film and television actor with many notable credits. Johnson plays Randy ‘Chilli’ Cilliano in 2018’s hilarious action comedy Tag and voices Peter B. Parker in Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Would you agree to play the victim in a game where hunters try to kill you? How long do you think you’d survive? Do you think one million dollars is enough to put your life on the line? Could you convince your friends and family to join you, knowing that being alone could get you killed? Sure, one million dollars is a lot for my broke ass, but still. If the hunters don’t kill me, my wife would if I agreed to such a thing.
Blumhouse founder Jason Blum is feeling positive about The Exorcist: Believer, but less positive about an Insidious / Sinister crossover
Blumhouse Productions founder Jason Blum is currently doing the press rounds for Insidious: The Red Door, the fifth entry in the company’s supernatural horror franchise, which is set to reach theatres on July 7th – and during an interview with CinePOP, a couple other upcoming Blumhouse projects were mentioned. Blum had positive things to say about one of those projects, The Exorcist: Believer, but wasn’t so positive about a crossover between the Insidious and Sinister franchises, which is something he has discussed in the past.
First, Blum confirmed that The Exorcist: Believer is sticking with its October 13th release date. He told CinePOP the movie is “good and its really scary.”
David Gordon Green, who previously directed a trilogy of Halloween sequels for Blumhouse, has directed The Exorcist: Believer. He also crafted the story with Peter Sattler (Broken Diamonds), then wrote the screenplay with Danny McBride (who wrote all three of the new Halloweens with him) and their Halloween Kills co-writer Scott Teems. Ellen Burstyn reprises the role of Chris MacNeil, the character she played in the 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it HERE), and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) plays a a character who tracks down Chris MacNeil after his child becomes possessed. Odom and Burstyn are joined in the cast by Lidya Jewett (Nightbooks), Jennifer Nettles (The Righteous Gemstones), Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), Okwui Okpokwasili (Master), and newcomer Olivia Marcum, playing unspecified roles, and Raphael Sbarge (Carnosaur) as a pastor. Original The Exorcist star Linda Blair is in there as well, reprising the role of Chris MacNeil’s daughter Regan.
Then comes the less-than-positive news. When asked if the Insidious / Sinister crossover is going to happen, Blum said, “I think it would be fun, but we need to find the right story. We developed it for a while, but we could never think of a big movie. And I didn’t want to do one just to combine the two franchises. I wanted to make a movie that felt really good. We never had a great idea, but I’m up for it.” So maybe someday we’ll see a movie that deals with both The Further and Bughuul, but it’s not happening anytime soon.
There is already another Insidious movie in the works: Thread: An Insidious Tale, starring Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani.
Are you looking forward to any of the movies mentioned in this article? Insidious: The Red Door, The Exorcist: Believer, the Insidious / Sinister crossover, Thread: An Insidious Tale? Share your thoughts on these projects by leaving a comment below.
The Boys creator Eric Kripke says that the release of season 4 of the Prime Video series will be delayed due to the writers strike.
Fans have been anxiously awaiting word about the release of The Boys season 4, but creator Eric Kripke said that the wait might be longer than expected.
Eric Kripke took to Twitter to offer an update on The Boys season 4 release date. He said that it all depends on how long the WGA strike lasts. “When #Season4 drops depends on how long the #WGA Strike goes,” Kripke wrote. “No answer yet. Tell the studios to make a fair deal!” I’d wager that most fans are perfectly fine waiting longer if it means the writers will get a fair deal at the end of this.
Production on the new season of The Boys actually wrapped up a month before the strike began, but Eric Kripke said that there’s still quite a lot of writing done in post-production which they can’t do until the strike concludes. “There’s a good amount of dialogue we write in post that the actors come back to record (called ADR), to help bridge story gaps or clarify a plot point,” Kripke wrote. “We’ll also edit dialogue together in different ways to ‘rewrite’ it. Writing at every stage of the process. #WGAStrong.“
While we still may not know when to expect the release of The Boys season 4, Eric Kripke has previously teased that we should see the Gen V spin-off series this fall. Theseries takes place “in America’s only college exclusively for young adult superheroes (or supes) that is run by Vought International.” It will explore the lives of “hormonal, competitive supes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities. Part college show, part Hunger Games—with all the heart, satire, and raunch of The Boys.“
Eric Kripke has previously teased that Gen V would include a few crossovers with The Boys, both in terms of characters and events. “There’s definitely crossover, and we’re doing our best to design a universe that sees some of the issues and storylines in Season 3 hand off to the first season in Varsity,” Kripke said. “Like there’s a presidential campaign happening in the background of that season, and there’s certain things that are happening at that school that are both in reaction to Season 3 of The Boys. There’s Soldier Boy, etcetera, but also some new storylines that are happening in that season of the spinoff that we have to pick up and take into Season 4 of the show.“
One of those Gen V crossovers will involve Jensen Ackles reprising his character of Soldier Boy, but it sounds like more of a cameo. Jensen Ackles revealed that his character of Soldier Boy will show up in Gen V. “Soldier Boy pops up for a brief moment in this new spin-off of The Boys,” Ackles said last month. “In fact, there’s a few cameos from the mothership that come into this spin-off. My little bit there was heavily [improvised].“
Skeleton Crew star Jude Law and co-creator Chris Ford tease the upcoming Star Wars series coming to Disney+ later this year.
While we’re still several years out from Star Wars returning to the big screen, we’ve got enough Star Wars TV shows to keep us busy. One of those shows is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, described as “a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy. And it’s the story of their journey trying to find their way home.” While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Skeleton Crew co-creator Chris Ford and star Jude Law dropped a few teases about the upcoming Star Wars series
Skeleton Crew creators Chris Ford and Jon Watts wanted to make a Star Wars series that felt like an Amblin movie similar to E.T. or The Goonies. “Skeleton Crew‘s tone is an adventure,” Ford said. “We wanted it to be a lot of fun. But of course, along with adventure comes the downside of it, which is danger. And when the kids are in danger, it’s extra fraught. So we played with that, but overall we wanted it to be just a fun adventure.” Early reports stated that the series was targeting a younger audience, but Ford said the aim is for the series to be for all ages. “When we told Kathy Kennedy about that we wanted to go for that Amblin tone, which she perfected over the years, what she would say is that they never thought of those as movies for kids,” Ford explained. “They just happen to be about kids, a story of a kid going on an adventure. So it could be for anyone.“
Jude Law stars in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, but the nature of his character remains a mystery. Some have claimed that the actor will play a Jedi, but Law remained tight-lipped. “I can’t tell you very much about my character,” he said. “He is someone the children meet on their attempt to get home. He is like a lot of the world that they experience: contradictory, and at times a place of nurture and other times a place of threat.” Although Law is clearly the big name, the story at the heart of Skeleton Crew will be seen through the eyes of its young characters, played by Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong.
Jude Law added: “Star Wars, for me, held a very particular place because it was as much a part of my childhood as going to school. Literally as far back as I remember, I remember having Star Wars in my life. It was the toys I played with, it was the toys I envied my friends had. I remember one of them having an AT-AT walker and I was never going to get given an AT-AT, so I’d go over and play at his house so I could use the AT-AT walker.“
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew doesn’t have an official release date but is expected to hit Disney+ later this year.
ST. LOUIS, July 3, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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American Medical Administrators, Inc. (AMA), a new and innovative healthcare services company focused on the development and commercialization of providing greater access to healthcare for underserved communities across America, announced today that Dr. Jim Probst has joined the company as a practicing physician with AMA Missouri. For over 30 years, Dr. Probst has been one of the leading OBGYN and Women's Health physicians in the Saint Louis area. Dr. Probst is now part of AMA Missouri's corporate practice, allowing him to access the company's dedicated administrative and human resources teams, revenue cycle managers, and clinical practice managers. This gives him an array of resources, that as an independent physician working alone would not have been economically feasible, while still allowing him to maintain his independence. Not only has this enabled Dr. Probst to grow his practice, but more importantly to provide more thorough and comprehensive care to his patients that love him dearly. Upon joining AMA Missouri, Dr. Probst launched several new services for his patients, including a dedicated allergy program, a toxicology program, and a state-of-the-art electronic medical record platform. Adding these ancillary services has allowed him to hire a family nurse practitioner to help him care for his patients and provide them a greater level of care.
"We welcome Dr. Probst and are excited by AMA's ability to bring together independent physicians under one platform as part of one group with one vision," said Dr. Abdullah Arshad, the COO of AMA. "AMA's mission is to empower the independent and forward-thinking physician with financial, academic, intellectual, and intelligence resources to enable growth, development, and provide better patient care in as many ways as possible. AMA not only acquires independent physician practices while allowing them to maintain their autonomy but also adds to the practices by building urgent care centers, Comprehensive Care centers, multi-specialty clinics, advanced diagnostic centers, and ambulatory surgery centers."
"We are grateful to the AMA founders who had the foresight and understanding that medicine needs to return to the control of the physician," added Dr. Arshad. "This is the only model allowing independent physicians to remain independent and not succumb to the pressure of hospital and corporate takeover. Therefore, I welcome all my colleagues to join us on the AMA platform."
Dr. Abdullah Arshad is currently the COO of AMA. Prior to joining the company he was a practicing physician in southeast Missouri for the last 20 years. He graduated medical school before his 21st birthday and then trained in General Surgery and Internal Medicine. Upon completing his residency training in Cleveland, Ohio, he moved to Missouri and started working at a local hospital. He is board certified in internal medicine, boarded in emergency medicine, and carries additional certification in Wound Care.
He spent the first 17 years working for a hospital system, managing several primary care clinics and the hospital emergency room, and starting a Cardiac and Pulmonary diagnostic center.
In 2020 he started his independent multi-specialty group in rural Missouri, and after three years, he built the practice up into six clinics that operate as comprehensive care centers and a hospitalist service. He has championed bringing advanced and cutting-edge technology to the patients rather than having them travel to other places to receive such care. This includes advanced radiology, cardiology lab including peripheral, arterial, and vein procedures, and interventional pain management, to mention a few.
"The future of healthcare is shaping up in front of our very eyes with the delivery of superior patient outcomes and increased internal efficiency. Independent physicians now have a way to turn back the tide of the ever-increasing bureaucracy that has zero value to them or their patients. AMA is restoring the Doctor Patient relationship and providing access to greater care in communities across America," said Nicholas DeStefane, Managing Director of AMA.
About American Medical
American Medical Administrators Inc. (AMA) is a vertically integrated healthcare system committed to empowering physicians and clinicians with efficient state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic tools to provide all patients in their local communities access to advanced, affordable, and comprehensive care. The origins of AMA started with Dr. Abdullah Arshad's primary care practice in rural southeast Missouri, McPherson Medical and Diagnostic, one of the largest private medical providers in the state. McPherson Medical and Diagnostic consists of six Primary Care / Urgent Care offices, two hardworking physicians, and ten mid-levels that embody the concept of the modern Comprehensive Care Center. AMA offers walk-in urgent care services combined with traditional family practice medicine and multi-specialty ambulatory surgical services. AMA is a physician-driven company designed with a patient-centric model, with the simple goal of providing the best healthcare quality in the 21st Century. AMA championed the concept that Superior Patient Outcomes can be Driven by Innovative Technology.
For additional information about AMA, please visit AMadministrators.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding our expectations to commercialize of AMA. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including the factors identified under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our financial reports for this fiscal year which are accessible on the Investors page of our website at www.AMadministrators.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events.
Investor and Media Contact
Nicholas DeStefane Managing Director (800) 961-4826 [email protected] 10345 Watson Road Saint Louis, MO 63127-1105
Contact Information:
Nicholas Destefane
Managing Director [email protected]
1(800)961-4826
Gattaca reboot TV series that was in development at Showtime from Homeland’s Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa has been scrapped.
Update: Three months after the Gattaca reboot TV series was first announced comes the news that the project has been scrapped by Showtime. In addition to the Gattaca series, Showtime also axed Seasoned, a comedy inspired by the lives of real-life married couple Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, as well as Sweetness and Split, two projects that had been in development. Gattaca will have the opportunity to be shopped elsewhere, so it’s possible we may still see the reboot series.
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Gattaca remains one of my favourite movies, but that doesn’t make it immune from receiving the reboot treatment. It’s been reported that Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, best known for Homeland, are developing a TV series adaptation of the 1997 sci-fi movie for Showtime with Craig Borton (Dallas Buyers Club).
Deals haven’t closed yet, but it’s said that Alex Gansa will serve as showrunner of the Gattaca reboot and will also executive produce alongside Howard Gordon and Craig Borton. The original movie was written and directed by Andrew Niccol and took place in a not-too-distant future where eugenics is common and parents use genetic selection to determine the best hereditary traits to pass along to their children. Ethan Hawke stars as Vincent, who was conceived without any genetic tampering and thus struggles to overcome genetic discrimination to realize his dream of going to space. The film also starred Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Alan Arkin, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Xander Berkeley. While Gattaca wasn’t a commercial success upon release, the movie has since gone on to become a cult classic and a favourite of many.
This isn’t the first time that a reboot of Gattaca has been in the works. Sony Pictures Television attempted to develop Gattaca as a one-hour police procedural set in the future back in 2009, but the project didn’t end up moving forward.
Showtime will soon be rebranding as Paramount+ with Showtime as part of a revamp that will double down on franchises. This means sequels, prequels, and spin-offs of their previous hits, such as Dexter, Billions, and Ray Donovan. This new focus has come at the expense of many of their shows which had either just aired or were still in development, including American Gigolo, Let the Right One In, Ripley, Three Women, and more. Some of those shows have been rescued by other networks and streaming services, but it’s clear what Showtime’s focus is going to be for the near future.
How do you feel about Gattaca getting the reboot treatment? Does it have the makings of a great TV series?
As the nation celebrates Independence Day, Revolution Dating wishes everyone a Happy Fourth of July and encourages individuals to prioritize their quest for love.
Kelly Leary first encourages readers to recapture the essence of romance and the happiness it brings. Be open to new experiences and embrace the potential of a loving partnership. Leary reminds us that love can ignite in an instant but requires being in the right place at the right time.
To enhance the chances of finding love this summer, Revolution Dating poses a thought-provoking question: "What type of single are you?" By reflecting on personal characteristics and dating preferences, individuals gain valuable insights into their romantic journey. For those dissatisfied with their current situation, Revolution Dating assures that a single life can be transformed by a single meeting with their expert matchmakers.
Leary delves into the profiles of the five archetypal singles, offering a glimpse into their traits, struggles, and potential for finding happiness:
The Curmudgeon Single: These individuals may be cynical, judgmental, and resistant to forming new connections. Revolution Dating emphasizes the need for a change in attitude and helps through therapy and guidance.
The HopeFULL Romantic: Representing the ideal outlook on love, these individuals believe in the transformative power of genuine affection. Revolution Dating celebrates this type as their typical client and showcases their high success rate in finding lasting partnerships.
The Lucy Goosey: Some women may exhibit desperation and engage in hasty relationships. Revolution Dating advises caution and encourages these individuals to set higher standards for themselves.
The Even Steven: Often plagued by past failures, some men struggle with self-sabotage and insecurity. Revolution Dating acknowledges the challenges faced by such individuals and emphasizes the importance of personal growth and self-reflection.
The Past Life Blessed: Widow or widower, this demographic represents an inspiring chapter after the loss of a spouse. Revolution Dating recognizes the resilience of these individuals and the potential for them to find new companionship and happiness.
Seek the best in others to find the best in oneself. Embrace the Summer of Love 2023 and take proactive steps towards finding the perfect match. With six months left until 2024, make the first appointment and start a journey towards love. Inquire about the July Special when speaking with a Revolution Dating matchmaker.
James Mangold says his scrapped Boba Fett movie was a borderline R-rated spaghetti western that probably scared the shit out of Lucasfilm.
Star Wars certainly took inspiration from spaghetti westerns, but James Mangold was planning on fully embracing the genre for his Boba Fett movie.
James Mangold was tapped to direct the Boba Fett movie back in 2018 as well as co-write the script with Simon Kinberg. Unfortunately, the project never got off the ground but Mangold teased his vision for the movie while speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “At the point I was doing it I was probably scaring the shit out of everyone,” Mangold said. “But I was probably making much more of a borderline R-rated, single planet spaghetti Western. They probably would never be able to embrace Baby Yoda if I had made that. It didn’t really belong in the world I was kind of envisioning.“
In another world, we might have actually gotten to see James Mangold’s Boba Fett movie, but the box-office failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story led Lucasfilm to scrap the project. “In a moment of corporate realignment or whatever happened with the Han Solo movie, they just suddenly decided they weren’t making pictures like that, and the opportunities in streaming presented themselves,” Mangold said. “I was just listening to Ennio Morricone all day, all night, and typing away. I’m not sure it ever would have happened. I’m not sure it was in anyone’s plans, what I was thinking.“
Although James Mangold wasn’t able to get the Boba Fett movie off the ground five years ago, he has returned to Lucasfilm for a second chance at the franchise. It was announced at Star Wars Celebration that Mangold would helm a movie about the origins of the Force. “It takes place 25,000 years before Episode IV, and it’s about the discovery of the Force,” Mangold said. In contrast to the spaghetti western influences on Boba Fett, this new project will take inspiration from 1950s biblical epics. “I told Kathy [Kennedy, head of Lucasfilm] I wanted to make a kind of Bible movie,” Mangold explained, “a kind of Ten Commandments of Star Wars–kind of a Cecil B DeMille film about the arrival of the Force, and that’s what I’ve been pecking away at between press events. That’s the idea.“
James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will hit theaters tomorrow, so be sure to check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray.
PLOT: After an ostracized knight in a futuristic, medieval world is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona – a mischievous teen who’s also the shape-shifting creature he’s sworn to destroy.
REVIEW: After years of hard work, uncertainty, multiple delays, and a damning cancellation by the Walt Disney Company, Nimona is ready to dazzle audiences with a stunningly animated adventure about defying expectations, exploration of self, acceptance, and the limitless potential of love and friendship. After being canceled by Disney and resurrected by Annapurna and Netflix, Nimona‘s arrival on the small screen is a cause for celebration. Both a triumph of animation and heart, Nimona delivers a story as powerful as its title character for a film that deserves to be seen by everyone.
For the sake of full disclosure, I’ve been a Nimona fan since the first print of ND Stevenson’s powerful graphic novel in 2015. I’ve given the book as a gift during holidays on multiple occasions and the top prize during an annual end-of-year comics awards ceremony. I’ve loved Nimona for years, making me uniquely qualified to analyze the film adaptation after several years of touch-and-go production. Would it live up to my expectations? Will changes to the story and characters alter the impact of the experience? Can a character I hold in the highest regard leap from the printed page to the screen and retain what makes them unique? I’m thrilled to say Nimona exceeded all my expectations, securing a place among my favorite animated films of the past decade.
Set in a futuristic, medieval world that feels like The Princess Bride is holding hands with Blade Runner2049, Nimona invites audiences into a kingdom unlike any other. Seemingly trapped between two eras, the Kingdom is a bustling, vibrant playground for Nimona to terrorize as they shape-shift into a menagerie of different animals in service of their friend and boss, Ballister Boldheart.
When the film begins, our introduction to Ballister depicts a man loyal to the Kingdom but plagued by his heritage. Despite his best efforts, the Kingdom views Ballister as an outsider unworthy of pledging allegiance to the Queen. Riz Ahmed delivers an inspiring performance as Ballister, with his voice embodying someone whose sense of duty outweighs the incessant heckling of his peers. Like Nimona, Ballister is a pariah, and Ahmed’s voice work brings the character’s sense of expectation and longing to a man with complex emotions. Be it his disbelief when fate finds him on the run after a terrible accident or as a lover whose partner stands at a crossroads when things go awry, Ahmed becomes a savior of the kingdom worth rooting for.
Ready and willing to aid Ballister in the fight to reclaim his reputation as someone worthy of the Queen’s blessing is Nimona, a buzzing, unhinged whirlwind with the ability to shape-shift into any creature known to humankind. Chloë Grace Moretz goes all out for this golden role. Meeting Nimona’s boundless energy and then exceeding it with the power of a teen high on too many pouches of Fun Dip, Moretz rides an emotional roller coaster throughout her spirited performance. At a glance, Nimona is overflowing with a playful antagonism toward the citizens of the Kingdom. However, beneath her rage and vigor is someone who’s spent their entire life misunderstood while seeking acceptance. People fear what they do not understand, and Moretz takes the form of someone who desperately wants to love while also being capable of unleashing untold destruction.
Trapped between loyalty to his new Queen and desire to hold Ballister close is Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, a natural leader and respected hero of the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics. Eugene Lee Yang owns the role with sincerity and conviction as a lover and warrior caught between protecting the citizens of the Kingdom against an impossible threat and seeing through a deception thrust upon the man he loves. I could hear Goldenloin’s heartbreak and frustration as Ballister’s opportunity for acceptance was snatched away by an insidious plot, a credit to Yang’s versatility as a gifted actor.
The relationship between Goldenloin and Boldheart, too, is a point of both note and interest. It is more firmly established in the movie than in the source material and normalized in a positively delightful way. Sensing that Disney doesn’t have the stones to represent the LGBTQA+ community in ways that move the needle, Nimona is better served by finding a home with Netflix/Annapurna.
While Nimona explodes with breathtaking action, intelligent observations about subservience, and animated sequences that represent the best of what modern animation has to offer, the partnership between Nimoma and Ballister Boldheart is the glue that holds everything together. Both outcasts, Nimona and Boldheart, develop an endearing bond throughout the film, ultimately leading to the presentation’s most gratifying display of affection. Their bond carries a powerful message of understanding as they evolve from an unlikely duo to friends as thick as thieves.
Discussing Nimona without drawing attention to the film’s directors, Nick Bruno and Troy Quane is impossible. The duo met the difficult task of taking the movie over head-on, directing dynamic camera movements, quiet moments of reflection, and epic displays of fantasy action on par with Netflix’s Arcane or Disney’s Big Hero 6. A fun and bubbly soundtrack accompanies the film’s outstanding technical prowess, while the score from Christophe Beck gives the adventure an overwhelming sense of grandiosity.
Everything about the Nimona movie adaptation feels well-earned. The changes to the story meet the needs of the medium, serve the narrative and the characters well, and feel fluid and natural. The character chemistry is brilliant in script and casting, and the dialogue is hilarious. I burst out laughing for what felt like most of the film, drinking in Nimona’s dry wit, chaotic goblin energy, and ceaseless snark. The story is an incredible distillation of the exploration of fluid identity and what happens to our humanity when we trade critical thinking for the comfort of faith in our leadership. While animated films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Super Mario Bros. Movie are likely to get all the glory this year, Nimona is a glittering gem in an ornate crown forged from the cast and crew’s tenacity, faith in Steveson’s brilliant blueprint, and a desire to bring something honest and new to the animation stage.
The impact of a combination of WGA and SAG strikes would affect far more than just those in Hollywood, with global repercussions likely.
The buzzword in Hollywood right now is strike, with the Writers Guild of America actively in theirs and SAG-AFTRA possibly nearing their own. Uh, then what?
While the WGA strike has put numerous productions on hold in Hollywood, Deadline notes (in a new piece titled “What Happens To Hollywood (And Beyond) If The Actors Go On Strike”) that a Screen Actors Guild strike would have more global repercussions. After all, SAG-AFTRA has more than 160,000 members, compared to the WGA’s ~20,000. And with so many productions filming outside of the United States, that would mean more than just domestic offices closing down.
Stopping so many productions amid another Hollywood strike would, of course, further impact the release calendar as well. We’ve already seen how much the WGA strike has played a role in this, as Disney has significantly shuffled their own releases, moving back major films like the upcoming Avatar and Star Wars installments, with Avatar 5 now expected in 2031. Major projects currently filming that could see an impact include the next Mission: Impossible, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 and Juror #2, expected to be Clint Eastwood’s last movie. Come on, the dude’s 93, let him sneak past the line on this one!
Also on the international side of things, a strike on the Hollywood front could play into film festivals as well. And while there isn’t concern at the moment, that doesn’t mean it’s not something to keep in mind. According to one festival rep quoted by Deadline, “We are going ahead assuming there will be talent at our event and on the carpet. Studios and streamers haven’t mentioned the strike yet. Should it happen, it’s force majeure. Nothing you can do. The pandemic has taught us to live with uncertainties.”
Evidently, a SAG strike would also affect the upcoming Emmy Awards, one of the biggest nights in Hollywood. Such an occurrence calls to mind the 32nd Emmys, which took place amid the 1980 actors strike. Of historical note, the only winner to attend that year was the late Powers Boothe.
Unlike the WGA, SAG has a much leaner history of strikes, with the most recent being over 20 years ago. They did, however, launch one of the earliest major strikes in Hollywood back in 1960, the same year WGA initiated their first.
How would another Hollywood strike impact you as a moviegoer? What do you hope comes of the negotiations? Let us know below.
