Moviefone Editorial

Author: Stephanie Topacio Long

  • ‘Ghostbusters’ Returning to Theaters for 35th Anniversary

    ‘Ghostbusters’ Returning to Theaters for 35th Anniversary

    Columbia Pictures

    Paranormal activity will be sweeping theaters this October, because “Ghostbusters” is celebrating its 35th anniversary.

    Sony Pictures has teamed up with Fathom Events to bring the 1984 fantasy comedy back to the big screen, EW reports. Moviegoers will get to see Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis as scientists-turned-ghost-catchers, joined by characters played by Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Ernie Hudson. The iconic film launched a franchise that has gone on to include video games, toys, TV shows, 2016’s female-led reboot, and more.

    “‘Ghostbusters’” is a comedy legend and a movie legend, a movie whose immediate success has been followed by decades of fervent fan appreciation,” said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events vice president of studio relations, in a statement (via EW). “There’s never been a comedy quite like it, and maybe never will be again, and Fathom Events is delighted to bring Ghostbusters back to the big screen for longtime fans to enjoy again and new audiences to discover for the first time.”

    Some 600 theaters across the United States will participate in the 35th anniversary event. Each will offer two screenings of “Ghostbusters” on both Oct. 6 and Oct. 10; they’ll be held at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time at those locations. Fans will get to see not just the classic comedy but also an introduction that features alternate takes. The footage is “newly unearthed and rarely seen,” per the event description.

    Tickets are available online via Fathom Events, so get them while you can.

    [via: EW]

  • ‘Semper Fi’ Trailer: Jai Courtney Plans a Risky Jailbreak to Free His Brother

    ‘Semper Fi’ Trailer: Jai Courtney Plans a Risky Jailbreak to Free His Brother

    Semper Fi trailer still
    Lionsgate/YouTube

    A cop and his fellow Marine reservist friends embark on a risky, not to mention unsanctioned, mission in “Semper Fi.”

    Lionsgate released the official trailer Wednesday, and it offers a look at the upcoming drama starring Jai Courtney, Nat Wolff, and Leighton Meester. In it, we meet cop Cal (Courtney) and his younger brother, Oyster (Wolff), and see the lengths Cal is willing to go to when Oyster gets arrested and slapped with an unfair prison sentence. Cal hatches a plan to break his brother out, and he finds that his longtime friends don’t plan to make him do it alone.

    Of course, a jailbreak isn’t exactly an easy thing to orchestrate. The trailer shows Cal’s love interest, Clara (Meester), expressing her concerns.

    “This is insane,” she says. “You’re going to get caught.”

    Watch below.

    “Semper Fi” hits select theaters on Oct. 4. It’ll also be available on digital and on demand.

  • Naomie Harris Boards HBO-Sky Mystery Drama Miniseries ‘The Third Day’

    Naomie Harris Boards HBO-Sky Mystery Drama Miniseries ‘The Third Day’

    Naomie Harris in Collateral Beauty
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    It’s off to a mysterious island for Naomie Harris. The Oscar nominee booked her ticket by signing on for the HBO and Sky mystery drama “The Third Day.” Harris is set to star in the six-episode limited series alongside Jude Law, according to Deadline.

    The story, which comes from creators Felix Barrett and Dennis Kelly, centers on a mysterious island not far from Britain, where a group of islanders live. They’re determined to preserve their traditions, no matter the cost. The first three episodes will make up the first half, “Summer,” directed by Marc Munden, while the episodes in the second part, “Winter,” will be helmed by Philippa Lowthorpe.

    Law’s character, Sam, will find the island in the first half of “The Third Day,” and Harris’s character, Helen, will arrive in the second. She’s described as “a strong-willed outsider who comes to the island seeking answers. Apparently, her showing up will spark a battle to decide the island’s fate.

    Harris has been active in films, television, and theater, taking on a variety of projects and genres. She has notably starred in movies such as “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle,” “Collateral Beauty,” and “Moonlight.” Her work in the latter earned her an Academy Award nomination.

    “The Third Day” is written by Kit de Waal and Dean O’Loughlin and produced by Sky Studios, Plan B Entertainment, and Punchdrunk International. The project’s executive producers are Kelly, Munden, Lowthorpe, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner, and Adrian Sturges is a producer. Production has already begun, and the limited series is expected to premiere in 2020. Viewers who want to join Harris on the island will find the show on HBO in the United States and Sky Atlantic and its streaming service Now TV in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

    [via: Deadline]

  • ‘Dickinson’ Teaser: Hailee Steinfeld Has ‘Wild Nights’ as Famed Poet

    ‘Dickinson’ Teaser: Hailee Steinfeld Has ‘Wild Nights’ as Famed Poet

    Dickinson teaser still
    Apple TV/YouTube

    Apple TV+ is teasing some “wild nights” with Emily Dickinson.

    The streaming service released a teaser trailer on Monday for “Dickinson,” an upcoming comedy series led by Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld. The actress plays a young Dickinson, a budding poet, exploring her passion for writing and being generally ahead of her time. Along the way, we hear lines from the Dickinson poem “Wild Nights–Wild Nights!” that fit with the footage and show her rebellious side.

    The short preview makes it clear that Dickinson’s behavior causes tension in her family. In it, her mother, Mrs. Dickinson (Jane Krakowski), emphasizes how her “wild” daughter “will be the ruin of this family.” And yet, the unconventional young writer doesn’t seem too concerned. Watch below.

    The series is created by Alena Smith and also stars Toby Huss, Anna Baryshnikov, Ella Hunt, and Adrian Enscoe. “Dickinson” premieres this fall on Apple TV+. An exact release date has not yet been announced.

  • ‘Halloween Kills’: Anthony Michael Hall to Star Alongside Jamie Lee Curtis

    ‘Halloween Kills’: Anthony Michael Hall to Star Alongside Jamie Lee Curtis

    Anthony Michael Hall in War Machine
    Netflix/YouTube

    Another original “Halloween” character is coming back, but a new actor will take over the role in the next installment in the horror franchise.

    Anthony Michael Hall has been cast as Tommy Doyle, Variety reports. He’ll star alongside Jamie Lee Curtis as the grown-up version of the bogeyman-fearing boy she babysat the night Michael Myers went on his chilling 1978 rampage. The role was first played by Brian Andrews.

    As a follow-up to 2018’s “Halloween,” the upcoming movie will ignore the sequels that came before it, including 1995’s “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.” In that film, Paul Rudd played Tommy. Another version of the character was portrayed by Skyler Gisondo in 2007’s “Halloween.” Hall’s Tommy is part of a script that director David Gordon Green and Danny McBride will co-write.

    While this is Hall’s first film in the famed horror franchise, he’s had a long and notable career. He has starred in classics such as “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Breakfast Club,” and more. More recently, he was seen in the films “Bodied” and “War Machine” as well as the series “Murder in the First.”

    “Halloween Kills” will lead to more scares; another sequel, “Halloween Ends,” will shoot directly after. The two films are set to open on Oct. 16, 2020 and Oct. 15, 2021, respectively.

    [via: Variety]

  • ‘American Horror Story: 1984’ Trailer Is Full of Slasher Scares

    ‘American Horror Story: 1984’ Trailer Is Full of Slasher Scares

    American Horror Story: 1984 trailer still
    FX Networks/YouTube

    It’s back to the ’80s we go.

    FX has finally released the official trailer for “American Horror Story: 1984,” and Season 9 pays homage to the decade’s slasher iconic flicks. It brings us to “the site of the worst summer massacre of all time,” where a group of friends find that their plans for “a nonstop party” lead to more of a nonstop nightmare. Summer camp life just isn’t the same when there’s a psycho on the loose.

    The preview hints that an escaped patient named Mr. Jingles could be behind the horrors, but we suspect there’s more to it than that. We’ll have to wait and see, but whatever the case, it’s definitely going to be a bloody, terrifying story. Watch below.

    “AHS: 1984” features a star-studded cast including Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Olympian Gus Kenworthy, Cody Fern, Leslie Grossman, Matthew Morrison, and more.

    “AHS: 1984” premieres Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.

  • ‘Mortal Kombat’ Movie Casts More Leads

    ‘Mortal Kombat’ Movie Casts More Leads

    Mortal Kombat's Kano and Sonya Blade
    NetherRealm Studios

    More actors are ready to stand and fight.

    Casting for New Line’s “Mortal Kombat” movie continues, and three more leads have been found. Josh Lawson has signed on to play Kano, while Jessica McNamee is in final talks to star as Sonya Blade, according to THR. Additionally, Lewis Tan is reportedly in final negotiations as well, but his role hasn’t been revealed.

    The movie is based on the video game series, which features numerous fighter characters. Kano and Sonya Blade were introduced in the original Mortal Kombat, which came out in 1992, and were also part of the 1995 movie, played by Trevor Goddard and Bridgette Wilson, respectively. The two characters have long feuded, as she has a military background and he’s a mercenary and fugitive. Plot details for the new movie, however, remain under wraps. The most recent script was written by Greg Russo.

    Lawson, McNamee, and Tan may be new to “Mortal Kombat,” but acting is not new for them. Lawson has had roles on shows like “House of Lies” and “Superstore” and will appear in the upcoming drama film “Bombshell.” Meanwhile, McNamee had roles in the 2018 movies “The Neighbor” and “The Meg,” and Tan, a martial artist and actor, stars in the series “Wu Assassins” and appeared in “Deadpool 2.”

    The cast of “Mortal Kombat” already includes Mehcad Brooks (Jackson “Jax” Briggs), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Joe Taslim (Sub-Zero), Sisi Stringer (Mileena), and more. The movie is set to hit theaters on March 5, 2021.

    [via: THR]

  • Miley Cyrus Reveals the Reason Behind Her Shocking ‘Hotel Transylvania’ Firing

    Miley Cyrus Reveals the Reason Behind Her Shocking ‘Hotel Transylvania’ Firing

    Miley Cyrus on The Voice
    NBC

    Sometimes “just being Miley” has unexpected consequences.

    With Miley Cyrus in the midst of a divorce from her husband of eight months, Liam Hemsworth, the actress-slash-singer decided to open up on Twitter Thursday about the split, revealing some interesting information about her career in the process. While the main purpose of her tweets was to deny cheating on Hemsworth, she also shared why she was fired from “Hotel Transylvania” in 2012. Cyrus had been set to play Mavis — a role that eventually went to Selena Gomez — and would have done so had it not been for a certain phallic cake, she says.

    “I got kicked off hotel [sic] Transylvania for buying Liam a penis cake for his birthday and licking it,” Cyrus wrote in one of her tweets.

    Sony hasn’t confirmed the news, but a source told THR that the photos did cause studio heavy-hitters to reconsider putting Cyrus in the role. A child star, she had led the Disney Channel series “Hannah Montana” from 2006 to 2011. From there, her image started to become much less family-friendly. Cyrus herself admitted in her tweets that she “was into partying” in her teens and early 20s and caused her fair share of scandals.

    For all that she raised eyebrows in the past, though, Cyrus wrote that she has “learned from every experience” in her life and that she’s grown up along the way.

    “I am proud to say, I am simply in a different place from where i [sic] was when I was a younger,” Cyrus added.

    And even without “Hotel Transylvania,” the entertainer has continued to do well for herself. Cyrus has released multiple albums since her 2012 firing, and her latest, “She Is Miley Cyrus,” is on the way. Additionally, Cyrus has been a judge on “The Voice,” starred in the miniseries “Crisis in Six Scenes,” had a guest role in “Black Mirror,” and more.

    Cyrus is both a Grammy and a Golden Globe Award nominee, so she can have her cake and lick it too.

    [via: Miley Cyrus/Twitter; h/t: THR]

  • Sarah Michelle Gellar Project ‘Other People’s Houses’ in Development at Fox

    Sarah Michelle Gellar Project ‘Other People’s Houses’ in Development at Fox

    Sarah Michelle Gellar
    CBS

    Fox is developing what could be Sarah Michelle Gellar‘s next TV series.

    The network has given a script commitment to “Other People’s Houses,” a project Gellar is attached to star in and executive produce, Variety reports. “Ringer” creators Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder are on board as writers, and they’ll serve as executive producers alongside Gellar, Neil Meron, and Mark Nicholson.

    The project is a suburban dramedy based on Abbi Waxman’s novel of the same name. The book follows four families in the same neighborhood carpool and how an affair changes everything. The potential series is described as being “somewhere between ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘Catastrophe,’” as it looks at nine people in Los Angeles’ Larchmont Village who are going through emotional ups and downs. Gellar’s character is Anne Porter, a social media influencer and mom.

    Over the years, Gellar has had many memorable roles. She notably played the titular character in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and starred in films like “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Cruel Intentions,” and “The Grudge.” More recently, she starred in the shows “Ringer” and “The Crazy Ones.”

    There are still more steps between now and “Other People’s Houses” getting a greenlight, but we’re interested to see where this project goes.

    [via: Variety]

  • Hasbro Makes $4 Billion Deal to Acquire Entertainment One

    Hasbro Makes $4 Billion Deal to Acquire Entertainment One

    Peppa Pig
    Entertainment One

    Peppa Pig and other Entertainment One brands are heading to a new home.

    Hasbro, Inc. and eOne announced an acquisition on Thursday. Hasbro will pay $4 billion in cash to acquire eOne, bringing brands like Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, and more under its umbrella. The company’s chairman and CEO, Brian Goldner, celebrated it as a move that “adds beloved story-led global family brands that deliver strong operating returns to Hasbro’s portfolio and provides a pipeline of new brand creation driven by family-oriented storytelling.”

    The play and entertainment company is looking to bring its brands to fans in new ways, per Goldner. He noted in an investor call Thursday (via Variety) that “with eOne’s content creation capabilities … we can reach audience on all screens.” As part of that, eOne’s employees will be joining Hasbro.

    eOne CEO Darren Throop talked up the “strong cultural fit” between the two companies in the announcement. He added that Hasbro’s portfolio “will further fuel the tremendous success” of eOne.

    The acquisition isn’t a done deal yet. One of the key steps left is for eOne shareholders to vote in favor of the acquisition. However, the boards of directors of Hasbro and eOne have each signaled their approval, and the transaction is expected to be finalized in late 2019.

    [h/t: Variety]