Philippa Boyens confirms that The Hunt for Gollum will be just one movie after two-parter rumours and teases another live-action project.
Ian McKellen got Lord of the Rings fans talking last month when he confirmed he had been approached about reprising his role of Gandalf for The Hunt for Gollum and added that the film would be a two-parter. Fans were a little confused, but screenwriter Philippa Boyens has thankfully set the record straight while speaking with Empire, confirming that the spinoff will be just one movie after all.
“I can tell you definitively it isn’t two films!” Boyens said. “That was a genuine misunderstanding that happened because we’ve begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being The Hunt For Gollum, the second one still to be confirmed.” Boyens also added a few brief details on where The Hunt for Gollum fits into the Lord of the Rings saga. “It’s quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria,” she said. “It’s a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature.“
It’s not clear what that second movie would be, but it could also involve Gandalf. “We’re playing around with a number of ideas, but most of those ideas do include Gandalf,” Boyens explained. “So Gandalf would potentially return for two live-action films.” It’s been ten years since McKellen last played Gandalf, but the 85-year-old actor has said that if they want him to reprise the role once again, they’d “better be quick” about it.
Andy Serkis, who will direct the movie as well as play Gollum, dropped a few teases about The Hunt for Gollum earlier this year. “It is so early; it would be unfair to commit to anything at this point,” Serkis said. “But I will say that it will be a deep dive where we investigate Gollum’s character. There may be characters that we recognize that might be coming back. I’m not going to say who.“
While we did see a lot of Gollum’s saga play out in the previous six movies, Peter Jackson has previously said that there’s still a lot of story left to be told. “The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic,” Jackson said. “I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films. It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.“
Red Hulk from Captain America 4, H.E.R.B.I.E. from The Fantastic Four: First Steps & more featured in new Marvel mural at New York Comic-Con.
A Marvel mural at New York Comic-Con has revealed fresh looks at Red Hulk (Harrison Ford) from Captain America: Brave New World, H.E.R.B.I.E. from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and more. You can check out the full Marvel mural courtesy of Brandon Davis below.
I’ve got to say, I’m loving the look of Red Hulk. The motion capture process was a new experience for Harrison Ford, who has described the process as “being an idiot for money.” Captain America: Brave New World has had a fair number of reshoots, with rumours of significant changes to the script. However, the trailer looked pretty solid, with a Winter Soldier-vibe that should please fans. Here’s hoping it can stick the landing. In addition to Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the film also stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / Falcon, Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns / Leader, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, and Liv Tyler as Betty Ross.
The official synopsis for Captain America: Brave New World reads: “After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.” Captain America: Brave New World will hit theaters on February 14th, 2025.
As for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the film is still in production. It stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.
The official title of the film was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, as was a short teaser trailer that concluded with a glimpse of Galactus himself. Director Matt Shakman (WandaVision) confirmed that the film is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by famed concept artist Syd Mead. “We’re not just doing the ’60s, we’re doing retro-future ’60s,” Shakman said. “It’s part what you know from the ’60s, but part what you’ve never seen before.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
Ted Sarandos made the claim that Netflix is encouraging directors to make their best work ever at the streaming service.
Last Updated on October 24, 2024
You might think you’re a Netflix junkie just because you’ll binge Love Is Blind for an entire Sunday, but nobody is a bigger fan of the steamer than CEO Ted Sarandos. And who can blame him? Since coming on board and taking over the position, Sarandos has helped Netflix grow into a behemoth within the movie and TV industries, now with a major investment in live sports. While there is constant content being pushed on the streaming service, what role does it truly have for the filmmakers?
Ted Sarandos recently defended Netflix’s insistence on sticking with their model, which is essentially shunning theatrical releases as much as possible. As per Deadline, Sarandos stated, “We believe that not making them wait for months to watch the movie that everyone’s talking about adds that value. So what we do for filmmakers is, we…bring them the biggest audience in the world for their films, and then we help them make the best films of their life.” He added, “I’m just going to reiterate, we are in the subscriptions streaming business, and you can see our results. It’s a pretty good business and it appeals to a very large segment of consumers and fans.” We can all admit that it’s just plain easier to press play on the remote than it is to go through the so-called hassle of going to the movies. But is Netflix really encouraging directors to produce their best work or is it more about generating content? Judging by the fact that Sarandos said the viewer numbers comes before the film quality itself, well…
So, what are these “consumers and fans” contributing to the filmmakers? Sarandos added, “Our top 10 films that premiere on Netflix all have over 100 million views, among the most watched films in the world. It’s our desire to connect keep adding value to our consumers for their subscription dollar.” This is a stance that is often argued in favor of subscription services, although there is a false equivalency at play, as Sarandos would go on to suggest that any movie that gets 100 million views is akin to making $1 billion at the box office (going off of average movie ticket prices).
As far as actual accolades, Sarandos did point out that Netflix has released nine Best Picture nominees (positioning it between RKO and Orion), although considering they have produced over 4,000 original movies in less than a decade since their first, we’re not so sure how much backpatting needs to be done…Historically speaking, only Focus Features has more Best Picture contenders without a win.
What do you make of Ted Sarandos’ comments regarding Netflix? We’d love to hear your thoughts below.
New York Comic-Con got the exclusive look at the first trailer for Karate Kid: Legends, which unites Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio.
The audience at New York Comic Con got a special treat during the Sony Pictures panel: the first trailer for Karate Kid: Legends. The crowd got the exclusive first look at this highly anticipated project, which blends the Cobra Kai universe and the reboot universe. Unfortunately, the trailer hasn’t been made available online (yet), but we do have a description courtesy of Variety and Deadline.
The Karate Kid: Legends trailer naturally focuses on the three leads (Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio, and Jackie Chan). It begins with Chan’s character (Mr. Han) recruiting Wang’s character (Li Fong) at a martial arts academy. We’re reintroduced to Macchio’s character (Daniel LaRusso), who teams up with Mr. Han to help mentor Li Fong, but their training styles don’t always mesh. We also see a glimpse of a portrait of Mr. Miyagi, as well as some fight scenes and martial arts matches. As Li Fong faces off against some bullies, we hear Mr. Han say, “In life, you only have one question: Is it worth fighting for or not?“
The film stars Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) as a young teenager from China who finds identity and strength in martial arts. During his journey of self-discovery, Wang’s character meets a disciplined martial arts master. Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their roles of Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) also appear in the movie, alongside Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) as the romantic lead. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directed the movie from a script by Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).
Getting to work with Jackie Chan was a huge honour for Ralph Macchio. “Jackie Chan is a legend, just to have that opportunity was exciting. He was wonderful,” said Macchio earlier this summer. “Lot of heart, lot of soul and caring, I will say that about Jackie. He loves being on set and it was like his first day every day. I love seeing that at his age and time of his career because I like to try to bring that as well, but a great young cast on that one, and we’ll see where it goes.“
The first five episodes of the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai debuted on Netflix this summer. Part 2 will follow on November 15th, and Part 3 will conclude the series next year. Nothing is official, but creators Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz have been entertaining the idea of more spinoffs, including a prequel series centered on Mr. Miyagi.
Karate Kid: Legends will hit theaters on May 30, 2025.
Gladiator II finally had its first publc screening, and the buzz from critics suggests it might be an all-timer on par with the original.
Last Updated on October 24, 2024
Over the past few months, buzz has steadily been building for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. While various news stories mentioned that the budget for Scott’s Roman epic had spiralled out of control, word from early test screenings suggested that whatever it cost, it might be worth it, with Paramount having enough confidence in the movie that they’re positioning it for awards season with a prime November release date. And now, the studio has finally started showing the film, and critics in attendance raved about what they saw, with many saying it’s Ridley Scott’s best film in many years.
In it, Paul Mescal plays the now-grown Lucius (the son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus from the original), who finds himself forced to fight as a gladiator for Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, a former slave plotting to take control of Rome. Pedro Pascal co-stars as Marcus Acacius, a Roman general Lucius fights in the Colosseum.
Clayton Davis, the awards editor at Variety (and a key tastemaker during Oscar season) is calling the movie Ridley Scott’s best since Black Hawk Down, writing on X, “I found Paul Mescal’s work as Lucius to be one of the film’s most honest surprises. This is Denzel Washington, having the time of his life in one of his most killer roles yet. A third Oscar could very well come his way. Sound, visuals, costumes, you name it, this movie’s got it. Another blockbuster the Academy can most definitely embrace.”
Influencer Matt Ramos was even more vehement in his praise, not only pegging it as the best film of the year but possibly (in his words) one of the best of all time! He writes, “It’s one of those films that will reinvigorate your love for cinema. It defies expectations, the performances are outstanding (Denzel just locked in another Oscar), the score is just as great as the original, the writing is incredible, & there’s a lot of action on such a massive scale; it’s unreal. I could go on and on but prepare to witness greatness this November.”
Drew Taylor of The Wrap writes, “Rest easy, Romans. #Gladiator2 is the kind of large-scale filmmaking excellence that only Ridley Scott could corral. Everything about it just works. Big #Maverick vibes in its ability to conjure the past while adding something new. Bold, muscular filmmaking from a legendary talent.”
And finally, Scott Mantz of KTLA writes, “GLADIATOR II is indeed the REAL DEAL! An epic sequel worthy of its Oscar-winning predecessor — great action, amazing visual effects, stellar performances across the board (esp. PAUL MESCAL & DENZEL WASHINGTON)! A return to form for director RIDLEY SCOTT! I was ENTERTAINED!”
Indeed, X is loaded with raves from the screening, so it sounds like even if it took Scott nearly a quarter of a century to make a sequel to Gladiator, it might have been well worth the wait!
Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].
Hallie Meyers-Shyer directs a sweet comedy about family featuring Mila Kunis and Carmen Ejogo.
Last Updated on October 24, 2024
Plot: After his younger second wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program, Los Angeles art dealer Andy Goodrich seeks out his adult pregnant daughter Grace for help with raising his nine-year-old twins.
Review: I love Michael Keaton movies. In the 1980s and 1990s, Keaton was the ubiquitous leading man in everything from comedies and dramas to his game-changing turn in Tim Burton’s Batman. In the early 2000s, Keaton’s roles dried up a bit, aside from voice roles in the Cars and Toy Story franchises. After his awards-worthy role in 2014’s Birdman, Keaton had a resurgence with acclaimed films like The Founder, Spotlight, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 to a very different comic book character in Spider-Man: Homecoming. After reprising his Batman role in last year’s The Flash and making his directorial debut with Knox Goes Away, he resurrected his iconic Beetlejuice this year and is following it up with Goodrich. Goodrich is not a remake or a sequel but does harken back to Keaton’s popular 1983 film Mr. Mom, in which he played a dad experiencing the life of a stay-at-home parent while his wife gets a high-powered job. Goodrich shifts the perspective to a man in his seventies experiencing a similar responsibility under different circumstances but benefits from Keaton’s wit, presence, and charisma despite a somewhat cliche script.
Goodrich centers on Michael Keaton as the title character. This sixty-something is awakened in the middle of the night to learn that his wife, Naomi (Laura Benanti), has entered a rehab program due to an addiction to pills, something that Andy overlooked. Naomi also tells her husband she is leaving him, sending Andy into a whirlwind of coordinating school drop-offs, pick-ups, playdates, parent-teacher conferences, and more. Andy tries to enlist help from his adult daughter, Grace (Mila Kunis), who is pregnant with her first child with her husband, Pete (Danny Deferrari). Andy must also contend with a massive downturn in profits at his namesake art gallery while navigating single parenthood at an age when most are retiring to spend time with their families. As typically happens with films like this, Andy comes to terms with his failures as a parent and a spouse while trying to find a path forward in his new world. Like writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s previous film, Home Again, Goodrich mines schmaltz and sentimentality to deliver a story from the Nancy Meyers playbook, which is apt as the Father of the Bride and The Parent Trap director is her mother.
As with many films that fall into this genre of comedy-dramas, Goodrich shows how out of his element Andy is with all of the parental responsibilities that he pawned off on both of his spouses. At the same time, he focused on running his art gallery. Now that he has no one to lean on, Andy realizes what he missed in the last four decades. Much of this is told to him directly by Grace, who feels mixed emotions seeing her absentee father, now a doting dad for her two much younger half-siblings. Andy also forges a friendship with Terry (Michael Urie), the father of his twin children, Mose (Jacob Kopera) and Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair). At first, Andy tries to muddle through the way he always does, and the precocious Billie calls him out at every turn. He relies on a babysitter, Tali (Noa Fisher) and Grace, but eventually, Andy must step up to be the dad he needs to be. At the same time, Andy tries to persuade Lola (Carmen Ejogo), the daughter of a famous artist, to allow him to show her mother’s art in a last-ditch effort to save his gallery. At first, the film seems to be trying to set up a romantic element for the film, but soon, the plot melds into a more formulaic tale of a guy realizing what he has missed and resetting his personal expectations and goals.
Make no mistake that Goodrich is intentionally designed to tug at the heartstrings. There are funny moments throughout the film, but Goodrich depends on the sentimentality of parents and grandparents as they reflect on their lives. This is absolutely the type of movie that screams mid-life crisis cinema while delivering a satisfying story. Yes, it is cliche, and yes, it is melodramatic, but it also rests on the shoulders of Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis. While Kunis’ role is far smaller than the trailers may have you believe, she is solid in all of her screen time, delivering several key monologues that call her character’s father out on his actions. Michael Keaton has always delivered roles like this, going back to films like Clean and Sober, My Life, and the aforementioned Mr. Mom. Keaton does not play Andy as a bad guy or someone with any malicious intent but who is truly a decent person inside that made some poor choices along the way. Goodrich also provides for a nice Multiplicity reunion thanks to Andie MacDowell briefly appearing as Andy’s first wife and Grace’s mother.
Writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer brings a maturity to Goodrich that goes far beyond her thirty-seven years. It evokes a solid portrait of a man later in his life coping with some life-altering milestones. Goodrich hits many expected beats we have seen countless times before, signaling some of the more emotional moments. However, they still hit thanks to the authenticity of Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis’ performances. I would be lying if I said I didn’t get a little choked up at the ending despite knowing exactly what the filmmakers were trying to do. But that is what makes movies like this enjoyable to watch: they hit your emotional pressure points, and you cannot stop yourself from feeling for the characters. I also applaud that despite Goodrich‘s happy ending, it does not get there through happiness.
Goodrich is a movie that would have played way bigger in theaters twenty years ago and is bound to find great success on streaming after it runs in theaters. Michael Keaton continues to show that he has the breadth to play a likable guy stuck in an unenviable position. There are no broad moments in this film that rival the vacuum cleaner scene in Mr. Mom or any of his big moments in films like Gung Ho, but even in his seventies, Keaton has a presence that makes you take notice. This emotionally-centered film is nowhere near the caliber or quality of Keaton’s more acclaimed films. Still, it is a solid and enjoyable movie that deserves a watch.
Thomas Lennon, who played Lieutenant Jim Dangle on Reno 911!, says they may as well make more episodes if they still have the uniforms.
Last Updated on October 24, 2024
The days of Reno 911! on Comedy Central may feel like a thing of the past, but we may not need a time machine to visit Dangle, Wiegel, Garcia, Jones, Johnson, Williams, and Junior. When Reno 911! first went off the air in 2009, that seemed to lock up the mockumentary spoof. But it bounced back with support from everybody from Quibi to Paramount+, who invested in it through new episodes and even more movies. Nearly three years removed from the force’s final shift, there might be hope for more of Reno’s finest.
Speaking with MovieWeb, Thomas Lennon – who played short-short-sporting Lieutenant Dangle (pun most definitely intended) – said that he expects even more Reno 911! in the future, joking, “I can’t imagine we wouldn’t do more Reno 911! because we already have all the outfits, which is basically the hardest part. You can tell that we don’t really overthink it when we do it. If anything, we really underthink it quite a bit.”
Lennon also noted that Reno 911! is timeless in a way, due in part to just how ridiculous – and consistent (fashion-wise) – the team is. “What’s neat to me to see, is that…we never really reference politics. We never really reference time. Reno 911!, in some ways, is like The Simpson, which is, the characters never grow up. They never mature. They never get better, they never learn anything. Like, every Reno 911! starts exactly at zero again, which is one of the fun things about it…We literally are a cartoon. We’re animated characters, except we’re alive.”
Personally, I’m down for as much Reno 911! as they’re willing to produce. Maybe the 2021 and 2022 movies – The Hunt for QAnon and It’s a Wonderful Heist – didn’t fully stick, but these characters are just too much damn fun to turn away from. Comedy Central is a bit of a shell of what it used to be, but if someone wants to fully run with at least one more season, you can count myself and Reno 911’s legion of fans as in.
Are you ready for more episodes of Reno 911!? Do you think there is still an audience for the show?
Eiza González and Aaron Paul star in first teaser trailer for Ash, a trippy sci-fi horror movie from director Flying Lotus.
Last Updated on October 24, 2024
RLJE Films dropped the first teaser trailer for Ash at New York Comic-Con, a trippy sci-fi horror movie starring Eiza González (3 Body Problem) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) from director Flying Lotus and screenwriter Jonni Remmler.
The official synopsis for Ash: “On the mysterious planet of Ash, Riya (González) awakens to find her crew slaughtered. When a man named Brion (Paul) arrives to rescue her, an ordeal of psychological and physical terror ensues while Riya and Brion must decide if they can trust one another to survive.” The film also stars Iko Uwais (The Raid), Beulah Koale (Next Goal Wins), and Kate Elliott (Wentworth). In addition to directing Ash, Flying Lotus also composed the score.
González has previously teased that you should expect the unexpected with Flying Lotus. “The way his brain works is quite special,” González says of Ash’s director. “He reminds me a lot of David Fincher, who also started in music videos, as someone who is quite interested in pushing boundaries and not being scared of diving into something. But this movie also required someone who had a really authentic and unique artistic take. We couldn’t have been more lucky, because his visual imagery and the way that he spoke to us about the movie really translated to the making of the film. It’s a movie that causes the audience to stay engaged consistently. I love movies that require you to keep thinking and trying to figure out what is actually happening.“
Paul added that music was very important to the production. “He was always playing music on set,” Paul said. “Not necessarily his own music, but just stuff that he dug that fit the vibe of where the characters were at. And then, just before rolling, he would start messing with some stuff that he’d been working on and playing it over the speakers, to get us in the mood. Then they’d yell ‘action!’ and we’d cut the music and go into it.“
Ash will be released in theaters in 2025, followed by a streaming debut on Shudder. What did you think of the teaser trailer for Ash?
Smile 2 looks like it will open slightly ahead of box office forecasts, with a predicted 1st place finish around $22 milloon.
SATURDAY UPDATE: It looks like Smile 2 is going to open pretty much on par with the first film. Deadline is predicting that the horror sequel is going to gross somewhere around $22 million this weekend, which will bring it in just under the $22.6 million the original opened with. While only time will tell whether or not the sequel will have the legs the original did (it grossed over $200 million worldwide), the reviews for this are spot-on, and the opening is pretty much in line with our predictions.
Terrifier 3 is looking at about a 48% dip from the first weekend (good for a horror movie), but will likely get overtaken in second place by The Wild Robot, which is having great legs at the box office and should make $10.7 million this weekend, compared to Art the Clown’s $9.8 million. Further down the list, A24’s We Live in Time is overperforming, with a predicted $4 million weekend, and a predicted fifth place finish.
Check back tomorrow for our full box office report!
The people at Paramount will also be smiling ear-to-ear as the sequel to the 2022 horror film Smile keeps the scares going this October after Terrifier 3 topped last week’s box office top ten. Smile 2 blew away our own Chris Bumbray as he glowed in his review, “Smile 2 dwarfed its predecessor, but it could rub people the wrong way with its heavy doses of pitch-black comedy. However, Finn also doesn’t skimp on the gore, with it being more gruesome than the original and having a big payoff, which is an all-timer for me as far as these things go. Indeed, I was shocked at how much I loved Smile 2. For me, it’s one of the more entertaining films I’ve seen this year, with the two-hour-plus running time racing by. It’s an all-out gore-soaked blast.”
Deadline is now reporting that audiences lined up for a good scare for the early Thursday preview of the Parker Finn horror movie, and Smile 2 would conjure up $2.5 million as it started its run at 5pm through 3,000 locations. This would best the first movie’s early preview by half a million, while the first would go on to make $22.6 million in its opening weekend and finish its theater life with $105.9 million. The ticket presales were also a good sign for this sequel and the buzz is pretty positive as it sits on a certified fresh 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes while it waits for an audience score.
The Halloween-going crowd also had last week’s Terrifier 3 to give some good scares. The Thursday estimates indicate a slight drop with $1.5 million earned, which will bring its first week run to $26.9 million. The Terrifier movies made a splash with audiences due to the over-the-top violence and dark humor and many are saying that Terrifier 3 is the best in the series yet. The success of this new film is also priming audiences for an inevitable follow-up.
Meanwhile, not all of these October new releases are aiming to scare audiences, the Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh romantic drama We Live in Time from A24 expanded its release to 955 theaters. The film wouldn’t fair with the bigger releases and earned a humble $500k on Thursday.
