James Hawes, known for Black Mirror, Slow Horses, and more, will be the director of the first episodes of DC’s Lanterns series.
Per THR, DC Studios and HBO have tapped James Hawes to serve as the director of the first two episodes of Lanterns. Hawes is a prolific TV director, having helmed episodes of Black Mirror, Penny Dreadful, Doctor Who, The Alienist, Snowpiercer, Raised by Wolves, and Slow Horses. He also recently made his feature directorial debut with One Life, a biopic starring Anthony Hopkins as Nicholas Winton, who helped save hundreds of children during World War II.
The live-action Green Lantern series is said to have a True Detective vibe as it “follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” Kyle Chandler was recently set to star as Hal Jordan. Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) and Stephan James (Homecoming) are the top choices for John Stewart, with THR stating that screen tests are happening right now.
Josh Brolin was originally in talks to play Hal Jordan, but he recently said it didn’t work out. “You know what? Green Lantern didn’t work out, but that’s okay,” Brolin said. “It’s working out. Who is it going to be, Kyle Chandler? I love him as an actor, I think he’s wonderful, actually. And, you know, we’ll see what’s down the line, man.”
Lanterns was given an eight-episode straight-to-series order earlier this summer. Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, said: “We are elated to be reuniting with both Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof as they partner with Tom for this fresh take on DC’s ‘Green Lantern.’ As part of James and Peter’s vision for the DC Universe, this first new live action series will mark an exciting new era.“
In a joint statement, James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios, added: “We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and LANTERNS brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with ‘Superman.’“
Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder is rumoured to be developing a movie set in the world of the UFC as his next project.
Zack Snyder has spent the last decade making movies about comic-book superheroes, rampaging zombies, and epic space conflicts, but could his next project take him into the world of the UFC?
According to Jordan Ruimy at World of Reel, Snyder may be ready to bring the UFC to the big screen. Zach Baylin (King Richard) has reportedly penned the screenplay with Snyder, with the full cooperation of UFC president Dana White. The project isn’t set up at Netflix and is planned to be a theatrical film. The team has been looking at locations such as Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas, and the report even states that Adam Driver has been “approached” to star in the movie. It’s still very early, so nothing has been confirmed.
Earlier this year, Snyder told Reel Blend that his next movie would be smaller, at least compared to something like Rebel Moon. “I’m trying to do a small movie right now,” Snyder said. “I’m not going to say what it is, but I was, like, can I just do a movie without any visual effects in it for like five minutes?” A UFC movie would fit the bill while still keeping with the director’s action aesthetic.
The UFC held a major event in Saudi Arabia this summer, and Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, immediately said he wanted to get Snyder to direct a UFC movie. “I want to have a meeting with him [Dana White] and director Zack Snyder – he’s a friend. We want to talk about doing big movie about the UFC like ‘Cinderella Man’ or something like this,” Alalshikh said. “I will try to convince Zack Snyder; he liked the idea and convince also Dana.“
The director’s latest project is Twilight of the Gods, a bold and bloody animated vision of Norse mythology about a warrior with an axe to grind against the gods. The series premiered on Netflix last month, and even our own Steve Seigh loved it, particularly the animation. “The animation in Twilight of the Gods is staggeringly beautiful at all times,” Seigh wrote. “While the series boasts a unique look, its style combines Samurai Jack and Cartoon Saloon’s The Secret of Kells elements. The result is something memorable, vibrant, and bold.” He also mentioned that the show is “as mature as it gets, with gory violence, full-frontal nudity, coarse language, and sex scenes unafraid to give another meaning to ‘thrusting one’s blade.’” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
Could you see Zack Snyder taking the helm of a UFC movie?
Anne Hathaway confirms return for The Princess Diaries 3 with Adele Lim set to helm the long-awaited Disney sequel.
Update: It really wouldn’t be The Princess Diaries without Anne Hathaway, would it? Thankfully, the actress took to Instagram to officially confirm that she would be returning for The Princess Diaries 3 under the direction of Adele Lim.
— Original article follows —
Take the fancy place settings out of the cabinet and pop the bubbly because Disney’s The Princess Diaries 3 is courting Joy Ride director Adele Lim to helm the next film in its long-standing Princess Diariesfranchise. Lim and Disney already share a past, as she co-wrote the studio’s 2021 animated film Raya and the Dragon, starring Kelly Marie Chan, Awkwafina, and Gemma Chan.
“As a diehard fan of the original Princess Diaries, I’m beyond excited to be a part of bringing the third iteration of this beloved franchise to life. We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy, and mentorship with audiences worldwide,” Adele Lim told Deadlineabout seizing her chance to helm The Princess Diaries 3.
Lim’s writing credits extend beyond Raya and the Dragon. She was a writer and producer on One Tree Hill and Lethal Weapon and then became the showrunner for the CW series Star-Crossed. She wrote the Jon M. Chu-directed romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, which became a critical darling, Golden Globe-nominated film, and Critics Choice Award winner. Lim’s 100 Tigers studio specializes in female-focused entertainment to “foster and empower artists and projects that share our passion for female-forward, cross-cultural stories with global appeal and a glossy edge.”
Disney’s The Princess Diaries franchise stars Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, the heir apparent to Genovia’s throne. She navigates through the rest of her sixteenth year with her friends Lilly and Michael Moscovitz in tow. The film made Anne Hathaway a household name, paving the way for starring roles in blockbuster films. 2004’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement found Princess Mia priming for an arranged marriage to an English suitor. It’s been 20 years since Disney rolled out the royal carpet for another entry in the Princess Diaries franchise, though Lim sounds ready to plan on a hell of a soirée.
Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews’s involvement in the sequel remains unclear. The threequel could focus on a new royal, though I’m sure Disney will try their damndest to get the band back together for The Princess Diaries 3. Do you know anyone who’s a Princess Diaries fan? 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.
Terrifier 3 hasn’t even come out yet and already director Damien Leone has a good idea how he will end the series with 4.
As Terrifier 3 nears its release – and is already drumming up publicity for its violence – we can pretty much be guaranteed that a Terrifier 4 will be right around the corner. Tailor-made for an immediate cult following and the Spirit Halloween crowd, Art the Clown seems almost as much a part of spooky season as any of the other franchise favorites. So director Damien Leone better squeeze what he can – and he will, saying Terrifier 4 could be arriving as early as next year.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the threequel’s release, Leone said that Terrifier 3 purposely leaves fans wanting more, thus setting up Terrifier 4. “It leaves on a blatant cliffhanger. It’s like our Empire Strikes Back of the saga. So somebody asked me if there was going to be more, and I was like, ‘Well, you just saw the movie, so, of course, there’s going to be more. I would never leave the audience there.”
As for where Terrifier 4 could take the fans, Leone said a lot of it has been in the outline phase since Terrifier 2, which came out in 2022. “It’s a great safety net to have because figuring out the end of your franchise is usually the hardest part, especially if it’s, hopefully, a satisfying ending. So I have a lot of it blueprinted now, and depending on how Terrifier 3 does and if it continues to get a good reception and people really want the next one, then that could be something I dive into right away.”
Leone has said that a Terrifier 4 would probably be the last, but considering the level of following the movies and Art have, we wouldn’t be surprised if he kept going – especially with such small budgets raking in sizable receipts.
Terrifier 3 will help bridge that Halloween/Christmas gap, as it will find final girl Sienna Shaw trading in sleigh for slay as Art the Clown begins terrorizing her all over again after the events of Terrifier 2.
Do you think Terrifier 4 will actually be the last in the series or will it keep going?
2024 has been an awful year for Lionsgate with releases like The Crow and Megalopolis and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.
Imaginary. Borderlands. The Crow. Megalopolis. 2024 has been a colossally bad year for Lionsgate Films. Whether it’s critical ratings or box office take, there’s not a lot to be optimistic about if you’re a fan or shareholder. This is too bad as Lionsgate has always been the studio I’ve always rooted for. As distributors of the Saw, John Wick, and Rambo they’ve always had an edge to them, giving smaller films a chance to reach larger audiences. And franchises like Twilight (purchased from Summit), Divergent, and Hunger Games showed their ability to make/acquire broadly appealing films. Then they’ve even gotten into the Oscar space with releases like La La Land, Knives Out, and Sicario. But it’s getting to the point where I groan every time the Lionsgate logo comes up as it’s no longer a sign of quality or fun.
It’s hard not to blame Lionsgate at least a little bit for this. Borderlands, The Crow, and Megalopolis were largely considered to be bad ideas from the start. Another adaptation of the graphic novel which hasn’t had a good film since the original? A film based on a video game completely miscast and coming from a horror director? And finally, a passion project from a once great filmmaker who hasn’t made a good movie in 32 years? Each of these was a clear failure and largely made fun of when announced. So the fact that they threw so much cash at them is baffling. The Crow was always going to be a tough sell, and to be sure, Lionsgate is only the distributor, not the producer (same with Megalopolis). But it still begs the question as to why they would acquire a film with such a low upside. Another head-scratcher is the release of White Bird this weekend, which is a prequel/sequel to their 2017 hit Wonder. That movie sat on the shelf for a few years (despite perfectly respectable reviews), but was released in a very low-key way for a film related to one of their biggest word-of-mouth hits.
While Lionsgate is not a major studio, they are still considered a mini-major where they mostly focus on foreign and independent films. Much like the Saw franchise which was made for cheap but made a boatload of cash for the studio, Lionsgate was able to make massive profit off of it. Yet even their low-budget fare has been uninspiring. Damaged, Miller’s Girl, Arthur the King, and The Duel prove we’re far removed from the days of high-quality acquisitions. Hell, the one time they had a great indie horror film in Cobweb, they decided to release it to damn near zero promotion on the same day as Barbenheimer.
We also need to discuss their strange release strategy. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Arthur the King, and The Killer’s Game only came out in the United States (skipping Canada entirely) and resulted in a tepid box office. While I enjoyed Ungentlemanly Warfare, releasing in this way says to audiences that the films aren’t worth an entire release/marketing strategy. Sure, it costs a lot of money to market a film, but why even make/acquire the film in the first place if you’re not even going to give it a chance to fully optimize its chances to profit?
I know I’m pretty much the only person on the planet who enjoyed the ridiculousness of The Strangers: Chapter 1 but it’s clear based on others’ reactions, that its sequels have a tough hill to climb. While the first film did well, that could likely be attributed to fans of the original wanting to check it out. But after the terrible word of mouth, it’s going to be a lot more difficult to get people in seats. This is likely why we haven’t seen anything from Chapter 2 despite Chapter 1 releasing back in May. Not even a trailer. And with the trilogy filming back to back, you have to figure the sequels are near completion, editing-wise. So will the trilogy complete its story in theaters, or will it be relegated to streaming services for the rest of its run? The more Lionsgate needs a win, it seems the less likely it is to happen.
As far as big releases to save the year, Lionsgate doesn’t have much of anything left. With a small Cillian Murphy drama and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the chances of recovering their losses don’t seem great. But 2025 should be a little better with the return of the Saw franchise with XI, the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, and the popular magic series Now You See Me 3. But then again, they are producing a Dirty Dancing sequel so I’m not sure if they’ve learned their lesson yet. Especially with the rumors that much of Ballerina had to be reshot, as the original cut was such a mess. Whatever happens, Lionsgate is in need of some major changes going forward as the studio has become a shell of its former self. Hopefully, they take inspiration from other mini-majors like A24 and start focusing on quality and creativity. But who knows, maybe some Lionsgate exec just got a great idea for The Crow 2. *shudders*
What do you think? Will Lionsgate ever recover? What is the solution? Let us know in the comments below!
For years, Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up and coming, or well established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…
Adam Young
Adam Young is a Canadian artist best known for his whimsical and colourful depictions of Eastern Canada, specifically Newfoundland. He was born in Halifax, NS, raised in Moncton, NB and has been living on Fogo Island, off the northeast coast of Newfoundland since 2008.
Inspiration for Adam’s work comes from the stark beauty of the landscape, architecture and the warmth of the people who live in Newfoundland. His mediums of choice are acrylics and inks and focuses on the elements of light, repetition, movement and colour. The fishing stage and/or saltbox house is a common theme within most of Adam’s paintings which takes the place as the absent figure. The little colourful shacks embody a playful feeling of curiosity and wonder as they balance on the rocky and sometimes harsh coastline of the North Atlantic. Adam lives on Fogo Island with his wife Jennifer, their daughters Bella and Scout and dog Willie.
JOBLO: I’m so happy to see that you have chosen Adam Young as an artist to watch for! I have been following him for years on Instagram and most recently purchased one of his original paintings (called “Crooked Chimneys”) and it’s purposely resting above my bed these days.
I love the colors in the painting and how it makes me feel when I walk into my room, ready to hit the sheets and get some shuteye. I also purchased his book a couple of years ago and love flipping through that as well. And on top of all that, he’s a nice guy and fellow Canadian so glad to see him featured here!
JOBLO: What got you started as an artist? ADAM: My older sister Toni is a great artist and I think just being around her and always drawing and colouring is where I first began to love art. I also had a great art teacher in high school who really encouraged me to pursue it further.
Who were some of your favourite artists growing up? Of course Group of Seven, Van Gogh, Maud Lewis, Klimt and a big Dali fan.
Who do you really dig these days, follow on Instagram? I’ve really tried to limit my time scrolling on social media these past few years so I’m not really up on what’s happening in the social media art world. I do enjoy Gordon Wilson and Jeremy Mann.
What advice would you have for budding artists today? Be yourself. Follow your own path. I think find what inspires you, what story you want to tell, and if you can’t sleep because you are so excited to get back to the work then you’re on the right path. Art lovers can tell when your work comes from something real. Be you.
What should we be looking out for from you in the future? I think just continuing to be inspired by my surroundings. I hope to so some more abstract pieces in the future. Try to travel Canada a little more and do some pop up shows and see some different landscapes.
Being a fansite, we have to ask you… What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time? Oh I am a huge movie/tv lover! Of course I love Games of thrones, The Office. I am a huge fan of scary movies so anything horror. Lord of the Rings, the Alien franchise, I love it all!
Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Adam as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / Facebook / Store / Book
Joker: Folie a Deux is on its way to a disasterous opening weekend, with it earning the lowest ever CinemaScore for a comic book movie.
The numbers are coming in for Joker: Folie a Deux and aren’t pretty. It is one of the year’s most anticipated films, but terrible reviews and extremely poor word of mouth from fans are killing this musical sequel’s box office. Deadline reports that the opening weekend box office outlook for the film is in the $47 million-ish range, a deadly result for a $200 million budgeted would-be tentpole movie. That’s even less than the cautious $60 million we predicted earlier this week.
So how did we get here? Simple – fans REALLY don’t like director Todd Phillips’s sequel, and word of mouth is tanking the movie in a big way. The CinemaScore rating for this film is particularly dire, with it being the first ever comic book movie to earn a D rating. That’s a horrifically low rating, with even Francis Ford Coppola’s largely disliked bomb, Megalopolis, earning a D Plus.
One definitely has to wonder what possessed WB to green-light a musical sequel to Joker. I suppose the idea of pairing Lady Gaga with Joaquin Phoenix proved too enticing a prospect to turn down, but it can’t be denied that the idea has backfired. That said, Phillips is in good company here, with Martin Scorsese having his own musical flop with New York, New York back in 1977, and Coppola having One from the Heart in 1982. Musical flops seem to be a right of passage for big-time directors, don’t they?
Meanwhile, The Wild Robot will likely finish second this weekend with about $20 million. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, despite coming out on digital this Tuesday, had another strong weekend, with it on track for about $11.4 million and a third-place finish. It also looks like Lionsgate had another bomb on their hands, with White Bird (a prequel to Wonder) opening outside the top five with about $1.5-2 million.
How has audience turnout for Joker: Folie a Deux been at your screenings? Let us know in the comments!
Dom DeLuise conned Don Bluth into letting him work with pal Burt Reynolds on animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven.
Before Burt Reynolds was doing voice roles for a quick buck later in his career, he had a true passion for the art…or maybe just acting like a dog. His first foray into voice work was as Charlie 1989’s All Dogs Go to Heaven. While the character was written with Reynolds in mind, he brought a little something extra to the part, which resulted in none other than Dom DeLuise (who voiced Itchy) being recruited to help.
In a recent social media post, All Dogs Go to Heaven director and animation legend Don Bluth remembered Burt Reynolds going full German Shepherd. “When he first came to the microphone he made up what he called, ‘My wonderful dog voice.’ He was very proud of it, but it was awful.” As such, Bluth asked DeLuise (a longtime pal of Reynolds’) to help out, which he did…for a price. “Then I called Dom DeLuise to see if he could suggest how to get Burt not to use his dog voice. Dom laughed and said, ‘Put me in the movie, call me Itchy. I can fix this.’ In the recording studio Dom and Burt sat side by side and when Burt started to use his dog voice, Dom looked at him and said, ‘What the hell is that, you’re embarrassing me. Just be Burt, the audience loves Burt.’ And that is the reason Itchy, Charlie’s wonderful friend is in the movie.”
Burt Reynolds was the voice of Charlie the dog. When he first came to the microphone he made up what he called, “My wonderful dog voice.” He was very proud of it, but it was awful. Then I called Dom DeLuise to see if he could suggest how to get Burt not to use his dog voice. Dom… pic.twitter.com/HIOzcA3hgN
Unfortunately, this so-called “dog voice” has been lost, so we’ll never get to hear exactly what Burt Reynolds would actually sound like as a German Shepherd. We do, however, need to hear what Dom DeLuise’s weiner dog voice sounds like.
Outside of Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise, All Dogs Go to Heaven also features the distinct talents of Judith Barsi, who tragically died in 1988 before both that and her other signature film, The Land Before Time, were released. There, too, is Charles Nelson Reilly, Reynolds’ then-wife Loni Anderson, Vic Tayback, and Ken Page, who died this past week.
What was your favorite Don Bluth movie growing up? Share your pick with us in the comments section below!
Considering how hard Zombies Ate My Neighbors could be, it’s no surprise more people don’t know about the secret George Lucas cameo.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors might be the greatest horror video game ever. It’s not scary in the traditional sense but no other game better played off of our favorite horror tropes and characters – all without getting slapped with an insane amount of lawsuits. Those evil dolls? Yeah, they’re Chucky. That chainsaw-wielding dude in the hockey mask? Yup, that’s Jason, even though Mrs. Voorhees’ baby boy never used one. From there, we’ve got vampires, werewolves, reptilian men, aliens, giant creatures, pod people, blobs, and more running around neighborhoods, shopping malls, factories, pyramids, castles, and anywhere else you’ve already seen in classic horror flicks. But one figure that pops up at random isn’t exactly known for horror flicks – and that’s George Lucas, whose LucasArts developed the game.
A lot of people don’t know this, but George Lucas actually has a cameo in Zombies Ate My Neighbors, appearing in the level “Monsters Among Us”, categorized as a “credit level” as it’s revealed only after you defeat the game’s final boss, Dr. Tongue. But there he is, as this level is set in the offices of LucasArts, the company that developed Zombies Ate My Neighbors. So why don’t more people know about this cameo? Well, because the game is insanely hard! Heck, I’ve played the game off and on since Konami released it back in 1993 and still haven’t conquered it without codes (damn you, Snakeoids!). While I did come across the level through roms and discovered the cameo years ago, we have to give credit to Laser Time for giving us proof.
Unfortunately for some, you can’t use your water pistol, weed-whacker or magical crucifix against Lucas, as he is just part of the scenery and – as in real life, probably – unkillable. So what is he up to? After you save the tourists snapping pictures of him, he tells the characters, “Welcome to LucasArts Games and now get back to work.”
Getting back to work not only entails saving your neighbors but also taking time to scope out everything and everybody within the walls, which are covered in cobwebs. Taking a walk around, we see assistant animators, musicians (Joe McDermott and George Sanger), artists (key LucasArts figure and later Pixar employee Steve Purcell), and even the head of LucasArts Kelly Flock – no, literally, it’s his giant floating head watching over the studio! One employee even has his own head on the body of a dog, a little nod to 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. With all of that going on — especially in a level that most people will never play — you have to appreciate the (dr.) tongue-in-cheek devotion.
Did you play Zombies Ate My Neighbors? How far did you make it?
THE STORY: Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider), a helicopter pilot working for the LAPD, is selected to test pilot an experimental government helicopter called “Blue Thunder.” Highly sophisticated, and heavily armed, Murphy discovers the helicopter is being designed for urban use by a group within the government, headed by his old Vietnam nemesis, F.E Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell). Thought to be insane by his LAPD bosses thanks to his troubled history of war-related PTSD, Murphy steals ”Blue Thunder” in an attempt to reveal the murderous conspiracy behind its creation, culminating in a series of spectacular dogfights in skies above downtown Los Angeles.
THE PLAYERS: Director: John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, Bird on a Wire, Stakeout). Writers: Dan O’Bannon (Alien, Total Recall), Don Jakoby (The Philadelphia Experiment, Vampires). Starring: Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Candy Clark, Daniel Stern, & Warren Oates. Score by Arthur B. Rubinstein.
THE HISTORY: During the early eighties, the comic book-style techno-thriller was in-vogue. Usually, these thrillers revolved around lone-wolf cops or military men given access to highly sophisticated weaponized vehicles they used to do battle with the forces of evil (or – in the case of many eighties action movies – communism). On TV, there was Knight Rider, on the big screen, there was the infamous flop MegaForce. Super-helicopters/planes were especially popular, with Clint Eastwood’s bizarre spy/sci-fi thriller Firefox featuring him stealing a Russian Jet run by telepathy (???), while on TV there was “Airwolf”. Many believe the latter was actually a rip-off of this week’s subject, Blue Thunder.
Unlike many movies featured in this column, Blue Thunder was a sizable hit, raking up $42 million in 1983 dollars (equal to $104 million today). That’s not bad considering that two weeks after it opened, a little movie called Return of the Jedi hit theaters. Blue Thunder was so well-received that, in the days before sequels became commonplace, it spawned a rip-off TV show, which was rushed on-to the air only seven months after this hit theaters (around the time it made it to home video) and lasted a whopping eleven episodes. The movie became a modest cult hit on video/cable, and director John Badham went on to hit-after-hit for the rest of the decade, including the same year’s WarGames, Short Circuit and Stakeout, before turning to TV in the mid-nineties after a few flops (including the decent Nick of Time starring a young Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken).
Nevertheless, Blue Thunder has sunk into a modest kind of obscurity. It’s well-known enough that Sony has reissued it a few times on DVD/Blu-ray, but it’s rarely talked about alongside other popular action movies of the era, maybe due to the lack of a marquee star in the lead. There’s also been some talk of remaking it with drones (not a bad idea as far as these things go), but nothing has come to fruition yet.
WHY IT’S GREAT:Blue Thunder is both typical and atypical of its era. In addition to the sleek, high-tech vehicle, the hero’s also a PTSD-afflicted Vietnam vet, something that was so common in movies back then that the similarly themed Firefox had a hero (Clint Eastwood) with the exact same issue. Yet, while many Reagan-era actioners had a somewhat conservative, rah-rah America bent, Blue Thunder was anti-authoritarian. Here, the government is seen as a sinister force, with the main conflict being that if the Blue Thunder is mass-produced, citizens may find themselves unwittingly under surveillance, something which – thirty-three years later – has indeed happened although the new watchers don’t need anything as clunky as helicopters.
“The story supposes that some right thing or conservative group in the government decides that it will be a great idea for crowd control in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, to use these helicopters for surveillance, and to arm them, which is a pretty frightening idea…
Unfortunately, the other equipment they want to put aboard is equipment that can look through into your house, see anything that’s alive and be able to record any conversation from five, six, hundred feet up in the air. The ship then becomes a representation of total invasion of privacy, a flying big brother…
In the film, the character I play, Murphy, a Los Angeles helicopter pilot, knows that this is a very evil and unnecessary thing. So he does something about it.” – Roy Scheider – Blue Thunder Online
As Murphy, Roy Scheider plays one of the last of the 80’s everyman heroes, with he-men like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone taking over action flicks within a year or two. Scheider is more of a seventies-style lead, in that he uses his brains and wit rather than brawn and doesn’t trust “the man.” Scheider was the king of this type of hero during this time, with this not too far from his part as Chief Brody in Jaws & Jaws 2. Already in his fifties, Scheider brought a rugged, world-weariness to the part that really made Frank Murphy an interesting guy, with a terrific introduction showing him using his high-tech (for the time) digital watch to count backwards as he tries to calm himself enough to climb into the pilot’s seat of his helicopter. For much of the running time, you’re never really sure if Murphy’s up to the task of taking on the government plot behind Blue Thunder, and by the time the credits roll he’s just about eked-out a victory, but at a heavy cost.
Similarly, the villain is atypical of the time, with Malcolm McDowell fairly low-key as Murphy’s rival, F.E Cochran, a government agent who tries to frame Murphy for murder once he starts asking too many questions and later faces off with him in a spectacular dog-fight in the L.A skies. McDowell’s lower-key performance may have to do with the fact that he’s terrified of flying, with his grimaces during the final battle being real, as he was so freaked out about being in a helicopter.
“I was terrified. We started out filming it on the gimbel thing (a rig designed for the purpose) with the crew moving it around. Then, it was easy to look macho and all that, but it’s all very different when you’re really up there in the air! They had to retake my stuff several times because I was so scared. It gave them a good laugh.” “Going under those bridges in the helicopter was simply terrifying. I didn’t think we were going to make it. I asked the pilot, ‘We are not going to go under it, are we? We don’t have enough room under the bridge. I don’t know how wide this thing is, and there is just not enough – oh my god! He scraped the paint!’ I still get the old pollywoggles in my stomach when I watch that scene. In fact, I’ll tell you, I still can’t even look at some parts of this movie.” Malcolm McDowell – Blue Thunder Online
The supporting cast is good too, with Daniel Stern as JAFO (“Just Another F**king Observer”) Lymangoode, the young, family man partner who – if you know your eighties action movies – won’t be around long past the second act. Candy Clark makes for a spunky love interest for Scheider (it’s interesting that when the movie starts they’re already in a relationship rather than falling in love as it goes on), while Warren Oates owns every scene as the typical pissed-off Police Captain, although he’s more sympathetic than usual given the trope.
Given the era, the FX are pretty nifty, with lots of real helicopters used, in addition to model work and rear projection. The action scenes are top-notch, although one of the movie’s dumber aspects is that Murphy engages the villains’ right over downtown L.A., with missiles flying into buildings and a (presumably) astronomical body count on the ground. I guess Badham and company thought an air battle over an urban setting would be more exciting – maybe they’re onto something. Apparently, Scheider thought this was moronic and fought hard to move the battle out to a less populated area, as that’s what he thought Murphy would do (ever the method actor).
“I would get rid of that Arco Tower scene,” he notes. “It seems out of character for Murphy to draw missile fire to it. To my way of thinking, they should have picked a place which was obviously abandoned, where innocent people wouldn’t be endangered. – Roy Scheider – Blue Thunder Online
That aside, Blue Thunder is pretty damn exciting, with Scheider’s performance grounding the film in a big way, and Badham’s straightforward (some might say workmanlike) direction a far-cry from today’s action directors, who bombard you with carnage. I also really like the super-synthy electronic score by Arthur B. Rubinstein, with Murphy having a cool heroic theme that I’m humming to myself as I write this.
SEE IT:Blue Thunder is widely available on DVD/Blu-ray, iTunes, Amazon and Netflix depending on your region. No 4K yet though, which is a shame.
PARTING SHOT: Having been born in ’81, I probably should have seen Blue Thunder as a child, but oddly enough I only caught it as a teenager when it showed on an “oldies” cable channel. Over the years I’ve returned to this one quite a bit, and it remains one of my favorite Scheider vehicles. It’s too bad that despite its box office success, it was his last big theatrical hit, with him following it up with two underrated movies, Peter Hyams’s 2010 (a modest success at the box office) and John Frankenheimer’s 52 Pick-Up (a huge flop – but a great movie). Check this one out!
