Moviefone Editorial

Category: Behind the Scenes

Peter Dinklage Joins the ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel

(L to R) Haley Bennett as Roxanne, and Peter Dinklage as Cyrano in Joe Wright’s
‘Cyrano,’a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. Photo credit: Peter Mountain. © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Shooting is underway on the prequel movie set in ‘The Hunger Games’ universe, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, but that isn’t stopping fresh casting news from being confirmed.

Peter Dinklage, the veteran of such huge genre projects as ‘Game of Thrones’, the ‘X-Men’ movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is the latest recruit for the movie. He’ll play Dean Casca Highbottom, who runs the training academy in Panem and is one of the architects of the games.

The story, based on Collins’ prequel novel, is set roughly 60 years before the events in the original book trilogy. It finds 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) as the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.

With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.

But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.

Francis Lawrence, who directed three of the ‘Hunger Games’ movies based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling book series (‘Catching Fire’, ‘Mockingjay – Part 1’ and Mockingjay – Part 2’) is back behind the camera for this new one, which has seen script work from Collins, Michael Arndt and, more recently, Michael Lesslie.

Jennifer Lawrence in 2012’s ‘The Hunger Games.’

“Dean Highbottom is one of the most powerful people in Snow’s life. As the austere and vindictive face of the games, he sets the rules that will determine every aspect of Coriolanus’s fate. I’m thrilled that Peter will be bringing him to life,” says Lawrence in a statement.

“With production underway, we couldn’t be more excited about the way this cast has come together and thrilled to be welcoming Peter Dinklage to Panem. Peter is not just a fan favorite actor who brings a commanding presence to every part he plays,” adds Nathan Kahane, President of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group. “He is one of the best actors alive. He will bring a formidable, charismatic authority to the important role of the dean of the Academy.”

Dinklage is just the latest piece of casting for this movie. Others have included Hunter Schafer, who plays Tigris Snow, while Jason Schwartzman is Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, the host of the 10th games and ancestor to Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci in the original movies).

And there has been a wave of mentors and tributes brought aboard including Irene Boehm, Cooper Dillon, Luna Kuse, Kjell Brutscheidt, Dimitri Abold, Athena Strates, Dakota Shapiro, George Somner, Jerome Lance, Ashley Liao, Knox Gibson, Mackenzie Lansing, Aamer Husain, Vaughan Reilly, Nick Benson, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples, Hiroki Berrecloth,
Max Raphael, Zoe Renee, Ayomide Adegun, Kaitlyn Akinpelumi, Sofia Sanchez and Amélie Hoeferle.

‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ will be in theaters on November 17th next year.
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July 18, 2022
Chris Pratt Says He Won’t Play Indiana Jones

Chris Pratt in Prime Video’s ‘The Terminal List’

There was a time when Chris Pratt was rumored to be taking on a wide variety of roles.

That time was during his peak career moment, around the first ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movie and ‘Jurassic World’, where he’d successfully made the leap from character actor and TV sitcom star to bona fide action hero.

One of the biggest rumors was a Deadline story that had Pratt under consideration by Disney to take over playing Indiana Jones were Harrison Ford to decide he didn’t want the job going forward. The rumors persisted, though cooled off more recently after Pratt’s clout began to wane slightly.

Add to that, the general reaction online to anyone – but Pratt in particular – picking up the whip was negative, which probably didn’t help move anything along.

Now, in an interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Pratt has shot down the idea of playing Indy – but for an unexpected reason.

Asked about the concept, Pratt initially brushed it off with a joke about never having talked to one of the main people who would be making the decision as to the next fedora wearing hero.

“I don’t even know who Steven Spielberg is. Who? Steven Who?” laughed the actor. “No, aren’t they doing Indiana Jones with Harrison Ford?” (Given his role in the ‘Jurassic’ movies, we’re fairly sure he has Spielberg’s phone number, since the latter is one of the producers).

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’

“All I know,” Pratt adds, “is once I saw a quote from Harrison Ford and I don’t even know if it was really him but it was enough to scare me, that was like, ‘When I die, Indiana Jones dies.’ And I’m like, am I gonna get haunted by the ghost of Harrison Ford one day when he dies if I play… ?”

Ford – who just turned 80 this week – is still going strong, so Pratt seems not to have to worry too much about that for the moment. Though we have seen him in ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ as a Force Ghost, so perhaps there’s something to this.

And Ford, of course (with the help of a stunt team and other filmmaking techniques) is still playing Dr. Jones – the next ‘Indiana Jones’ film, the fifth in the franchise has wrapped shooting.

The first not to be directed by Steven Spielberg, the new movie is in fact from James Mangold.

Much about the next movie is still unknown, including the adventure that Indy will be going on, or what it’ll even be titled. Still, we do at least have confirmation that legendary composer John Williams is writing the score again.

And the cast around Ford includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Antonio Banderas and Toby Jones.

Whatever it ends up being called, the next ‘Indiana Jones’ movie will be in theaters on June 30th next year.

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July 15, 2022
Adam Scott Joins the Cast of ‘Madame Web’

Adam Scott in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

There’s a new piece of casting for Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ spin-off ‘Madame Web’, with ‘Severance’ star Adam Scott joining the cast.

Naturally, this being a big superhero movie, Scott’s role is a mystery for now, but we could see him playing a loyal friend or some tech bro villain. He’s been solid in both types of roles in the past. The possibilities, though, are endless.

Scott is the latest recruit for an ensemble that already includes Dakota Johnson (who has the lead role, and presumably plays a version of the title character), Emma Roberts, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, Mike Epps, Isabela Merced and Tahar Rahim.

SJ Clarkson, who has worked on shows including ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘Succession’, is making her film directing debut here, with Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless writing from the script and replacing an earlier draft by Kerem Sanga.

Originally created by writer Denny O’Neil and artist John Romita Jr., Madame Web first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #210, which was published in November 1980.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Entertainment.

Known as Cassandra Webb, she is usually depicted as an elderly blind woman suffering from a chronic neuromuscular disease that makes it difficult to move and breathe, and as such, she’s connected to a life support system that looks like a spider web. The clairvoyant character has telepathic, precognitive, and astral projection abilities and once helped Spider-Man find a kidnap victim.

It doesn’t exactly sound like the basis for a thrilling superhero outing, but Madame Web’s history has crossed path with various heroes. Plus, as you might expect from a comic book character, there has been more than one holder of the title.

In Amazing Spider-Man #636, Madame Web transfers her powers into a younger woman, Julia Carpenter, who takes over the role and oversees storylines such as Spider-Island, which finds all of Manhattan’s population developing Spider powers. We don’t expect Peter Parker – played by Tom Holland or anyone else – to show up, despite the comic-book connection.

Scott, who was previously more known for his comedy work in movies such as ‘Step Brothers’, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and ‘Knocked Up’ alongside TV series including ‘Parks & Recreation’ and ‘The Good Place’ has also kept his hand in with drama on screens both big and small on movies including ‘Black Mass’ and ‘August’.

With ‘Severance’, he’s enjoyed his biggest success to date, earning an Emmy nomination this week for his critically lauded role in the Ben Stiller-directed series. While ‘Madame Web’ would mark his first superhero genre movie, he’s no stranger to horror or sci-fi, having appeared in ‘Piranha 3D’, ‘Hellraiser: Bloodline’ and in a small role in ‘Star Trek: First Contact’.

‘Madame Web’ is in production now and will swing into theaters on July 7th next year.
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July 15, 2022
Channing Tatum Boards ‘Project Artemis’

Channing Tatum in ‘Dog,’ A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. Photo credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/SMPSP. © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

‘Project Artemis’ is one of those movies that, despite initially attracting big-name stars and filmmaking talent, has had a few struggles on its voyage to screens.

Yet the space movie’s fortunes appear to be shifting for the better as Channing Tatum is making a deal to co-star alongside Scarlett Johansson, and Greg Berlanti has locked in to direct.

Let’s explore the history a little, shall we? This movie was developed by Johansson alongside her These Pictures company partners Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn. Rose Gilroy wrote the script, and the concept clearly excited Apple, which splashed out more than $100 million to pick it up.

Chris Evans quickly boarded the film to co-star alongside Johansson, and Jason Bateman – who has so far made a couple of smaller, character-based movies since kicking off his directorial career – agreed to call the shots.

All seemed to be flying smoothly until creative differences reared their head between Bateman and the studio, and he left the director’s chair.

Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images.

That, in turn, created a domino effect as Evans had to vacate his lead role, since the delayed production schedule created a clash with his future plans – the actor also has Netflix’s ‘Pain Hustlers’ opposite Emily Blunt and Amazon’s ‘Red One’ with Dwayne Johnson on his to-do list.

With Tatum aboard (assuming his deal closes), that should help boost the movie into the next stage and kick off pre-production.

“We are thrilled to welcome Greg Berlanti and Channing Tatum to ‘Project Artemis,’” says Lia. “Greg’s passion for character and storytelling has driven his decades-long career in film & TV. We couldn’t be more excited for him to lead our team on this journey. We have been huge fans of Channing’s for a long time and are so honored to finally have the opportunity to work with him.”

Still a mystery at this point is the actual plot for the movie, which is rumored to revolve around the Space Race and the moon landings in the 1960s (the current title, which might change, certainly points to that, since Artemis is a lunar goddess). NASA’s current efforts to return humans to the lunar surface is, not-so-coincidentally, named the Artemis Program.

As for Berlanti, he might be better known as a busy producer of TV series – his company oversees a variety of shows at the CW, HBO and elsewhere – but he has movies such as ‘The Broken Hearts Club’, ‘Life as We Know It’ and ‘Love, Simon’ on his directing resume.

And though that, like Bateman, points to more experience with smaller character dramas and comedies, his roster of superhero TV means he’s had plenty of experience with effects work, and that will come in handy for a movie about the space race.

(L to R) Lulu the Belgian Malinois and Channing Tatum ‘Dog.’ A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. Photo credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/SMPSP. © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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July 14, 2022
What ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Reveals About the MCU’s Future

(L to R) Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth in Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ Photo courtesy of Disney Studios.

With the release of ‘Thor Love & Thunder’ we are once again pushed deeper into phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Each film before it has given us little hints and glimpses into what’s next, but Taika Waititi’s brightly colored and rock-filled sequel may have been our most important glimpse into the future, and we have the end credits, little references and new characters in the film itself to thank.

During the movie, it’s revealed that actual gods have existed in the universe for centuries. I mean ‘real gods,’ I’m not talking about Celestials (though more on that later). I’m talking about Zeus, Ra, etc. Pantheons from all over the world existing and instilling fear in humans for millennia. But we’re also shown that they use humanity as grounds for worship, sacrifice … and not much else.

As the film ends, we’re shown Zeus recovering from a fight with Thor earlier in the movie. He talks about how humans don’t even think of them anymore, only seeing the costumed heroes as gods. He laments on the days when they were feared by humanity. He looks to his son, Hercules played by Brett Goldstein (‘Ted Lasso’), to send him after Thor in revenge. But what does this all mean for the future?

Marvel Comics’ Hercules. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.

The pantheon of gods has existed in Marvel comics for decades now, first appearing all the way back in 1948 with the character of Venus in the self-titled comic published by Timely, which would eventually become Marvel Comics in the 1960s. They have many iterations in the comics, some being Inhumans or Eternals, and many others just being actual gods. But this is the first time in the MCU we have seen them appear.

Obviously, the gods are angry. Superheroes have taken their place and the jealously is boiling over. The one place we can easily see this going is a war between the gods and humanity, with Hercules being the jumping off point. First appearing in 1965, he’s not exactly a villain as the movie makes him out to be.

Hercules was a hero, even becoming a part of the Avengers at one point. But using him as a villain for Thor could spark the gods versus humans war, leading to him most likely changing sides. But that’s not all the reveal of the gods and Hercules could lead towards.

On top of the gods, ‘Love & Thunder’ gives us our first look at Eternity, literally. A being that is the embodiment of the universe. The film reveals that Eternity manifests itself as a being of pure energy. This opens the door for way more crazy cosmic stuff, as well as one-character people have been asking for forever.

Marvel Comics’ Galactus. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.

Alongside Eternity sits Infinity … and Galactus. That’s right, something I also brought up in my ‘Eternals’ deep dive. Throughout ‘Love & Thunder’ we see subtle hints of the Planet-eater in statues and visions. Beings like him do exist in the MCU, so what’s taking him so long to show up?

Let’s be real, Galactus isn’t some one-time villain you throw in a single movie and never see again. If they were to bring the entity into the movies, he would be a Thanos-level enemy. Just way more powerful and even deadlier. And besides, we just started this new Phase.

So far, movie wise, we have ‘Black Widow’, ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’ ‘Eternals’, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ and now ‘Thor Love & Thunder’. Many of these films hinting towards the MCU going full on cosmic.

Looking ahead, the upcoming roster screams just that. While we know next to nothing about ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, we know that ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is going to bring in Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). In the comics, Warlock becomes a being called the Living Tribunal, a being so powerful he could take on Galactus.

Marvel Comics’ Adam Warlock. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.

Introducing Adam would give the MCU a being strong enough to destroy Galactus. Without him, I honestly don’t know how Marvel can write their way out of it. Thankfully, just calling Warlock the Living Tribunal from the get-go is the best way to do this and would forego confusion from casual fans.

One last element that ‘Love and Thunder’ introduced is the character of Love, the (reincarnated) daughter of Gorr. The god of Thunder promised him he would take care of her before his death. Love was very fun for the few minutes we saw her and her personality, but while also being Chris Hemsworth’s daughter in real life, her role in the future could be huge.

We know Love was brought back to life by Eternity. Meaning she is a child with infinite potential of power. We see this already with her crazy eye beams and the fact she can control Stormbreaker like it’s nothing. This shows now, through her, just how powerful the ethereal cosmic beings of the MCU are.

What they did with Love is just a precursor to what they can do. They brought a literal child back to life, they can apparently do anything! But this one act could also show a bit of compassion from these ‘gods,’ much more than the likes of Zeus.

Christian Bale in Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ Photo courtesy of Disney Studios.

They can do whatever they want and could have easily brought Love back as something twisted and nightmarish. But they followed Gorr’s wish to a tee and gave him back the one thing that mattered. This act is a huge reminder that Galactus may be the literal embodiment of hungering evil, but the other cosmic beings are not like him.

Phase 4 of the MCU is looking to be way bigger than the previous, especially on a cosmic scale, with ‘Thor Love & Thunder’ having so many different paths for this universe to travel. But seeing how everything connects to past films, and how it could also connect to the future, makes the threads a lot stronger and less dangling.

Personally, I think Marvel is killing it so far, and once they find that solid footing, this is going to be one phase of Marvel movies that is really going to resonate with both the casual and hardcore audiences in the years to come.

(L to R) Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth in Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ Photo courtesy of Disney Studios.
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July 14, 2022
‘Sopranos’ Actor Tony Sirico Dies at 79

Tony Sirico on HBO’s ‘The Sopranos.’

Actor Tony Sirico, who will forever be remembered as gangster Peter Paul “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri on ‘The Sopranos’ has died. He was 79.

Sirico, born Gennaro Anthony Sirico in 1942 to an Italian family in New York City, almost seemed to be preparing for his future role early in his life. He fell in with the Colombo crime family and had many run-ins with the law, first arrested at the age of 7 for stealing nickels from a newsstand.

He ended being collared by the police more than 28 times and was sent to prison twice. In 1989, he took part in a documentary called ‘The Big Bang’, in which he discussed his past and how it informed he outlook on life.

Yet Sirico managed to channel his impulses into performance, making his film debut as an extra in 1974’s mobster drama ‘Crazy Joe’. He made a career out of playing gangsters and other criminals but found other work too. His movies included ‘Hoodlums’, ‘The Pick-Up Artist’, ‘Cookie’, ‘Innocent Blood’, ‘Romeo is Bleeding’, ‘Dead Presidents’ ‘Cop Land’, ‘Mickey Blue Eyes’, and, perhaps crucially, ‘Goodfellas’.
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He formed a regular working relationship with Woody Allen, appearing in a number of the director’s movies, including ‘Celebrity’, ‘Deconstructing Harry’, ‘Bullets over Broadway’, ‘Everyone Says I Love You’, ‘Mighty Aphrodite’, ‘Wonder Wheel’ and ‘Café Society’.

On the TV side, he had a healthy line in guest roles, including the voice of temporary Griffin family dog Vinny on ‘Family Guy’ and Enzo Perotti on ‘American Dad’.

Originally auditioning to play Uncle Junior on ‘The Sopranos’ he landed the role of Paulie Walnuts and became a regular for all dix seasons of the show, quickly establishing himself as a fan favorite on a show that was full of memorable characters.

It was Sirico’s ‘Sopranos’ co-star Michael Imperioli who first broke the news of his colleague and friend’s passing on social media. “It pains me to say that my dear friend, colleague and partner in crime, the great Tony Sirico has passed away today,” Imperioli wrote on Instagram. “Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone I’ve ever known. I was at his side through so much: through good times and bad. But mostly good. And we had a lot of laughs.”

“We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I am proud to say I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony,” he continued. “I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable. I send love to his family, friends and his many, many fans. He was beloved and will never be forgotten. Heartbroken today.”

Sirico is survived by his two children, Joanne Sirico Bello and Richard Sirico, as well as grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Tony Sirico on HBO’s ‘The Sopranos.’

July 10, 2022
‘Daredevil’s Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Returning for ‘Echo’

(L to R) Charlie Cox as Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin on Netflix/Marvel’s ‘Daredevil.’

The link between the defunct Netflix Marvel TV series and the current MCU is growing even closer. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, who have both returned as their ‘Daredevil’ characters in Marvel Studios productions, are now reuniting for ‘Echo’, the spin-off from ‘Hawkeye’ that stars Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, according to The Weekly Planet podcast.

Cox played Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who boasts echo-location abilities and dons a costume to fight crime as the vigilante known as Daredevil in three seasons of the show named for the character, plus crossover miniseries ‘The Defenders’. D’Onofrio, meanwhile, was hulking villain Wilson Fisk, AKA The Kingpin, Daredevil’s arch enemy, in the first and third seasons of the show. ‘Daredevil’, along with other Netflix shows, was added to Disney+ this year.

D’Onofrio showed up as one of the antagonists in ‘Hawkeye’, and clashed with Lopez, so it makes sense for him to be back in ‘Echo’, especially as their confrontation ended in a cliffhanger.

As for Cox, he appeared in a cameo as Murdock in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, and a new ‘Daredevil’ series is in development for Disney+.

‘Echo’ will explore more of Maya Lopez’s life as her time in New York as a gang leader catches up to her. She returns to her hometown and looks to reconnect with her Native American roots. But of course, it won’t be as easy as that.

Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez in Disney+’s ‘Echo.’

Zahn McClarnon will once again play her uncle, William Lopez (though in flashback, since Kingpin murdered him before the events of ‘Hawkeye’) while Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs and Cody Lightning and Graham Greene are all part of the cast.

Marion Dayre is head writer on the show, while Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie are directing the series, which is filming now and expected to arrive on Disney+ next year.

Marvel has naturally yet to officially comment on the return of Cox and D’Onofrio, but according to The Weekly Planet, part of Murdock’s story on ‘Echo’ will have him seeking out “a former ally” which is speculated to be fellow Marvel/Netflix veteran Jessica Jones, played by Krysten Ritter.

The super-powered private detective appeared in three seasons of her own show, along with ‘The Defenders’, and was one of the most popular characters from the Netflix run. If she does indeed return, the only characters left to bring over (or turn into MCU versions) would be Luke Cage and The Punisher.

Oh, and Iron Fist. But does anyone really want to see him back? We’d happily see Coleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) from that show return, though.

Regardless, it’s exciting to speculate on whether the entire Netflix superhero team could one day reunite on Disney+.

Marvel Studios and Disney+’s ‘Echo.’

July 7, 2022
‘Stranger Things’ Creators Launch New Production Company

Upside Down Pictures Logo. Photo Courtesy of imaginaryforces.com.

You might think that co-creating and overseeing one of the biggest shows in Netflix – and pop culture – history with ‘Stranger Things’ would be enough work for one lifetime.

Yet writers/directors/producers Matt and Ross Duffer, who guide the hit series, are certainly not planning to rest on their considerable laurels. They’ve formed a new production company called Upside Down Pictures in partnership with Netflix to figure out new ‘Stranger’-based projects plus other shows, movies and more.

The duo naturally needs some help to wrangle all of this, so they’ve hired Hilary Levitt, an executive who has experience with shows such as ‘Orphan Black’, ‘The Great’ and ‘Ozark’, to run the new company.

“It didn’t take long into our first meeting with Hilary, where we bonded over films like ‘Jaws,’ ‘Home Alone,’ and ‘Speed,’ to know we had found a kindred spirit,” say the brothers in a statement. “Hilary’s passion for storytelling is perhaps matched only by her passion for the storytellers themselves, for whom she is fiercely protective. No wonder so many writers and directors are drawn to working with her. She is a rare talent indeed, and we feel extremely grateful to have her at our side as we build Upside Down Pictures.”

“I remember the first movie I saw in the theater, the first VHS tape I got for Christmas, the first international one-sheet I bid for on eBay because it was cooler than the domestic,” adds Leavitt. “And the first time I met Matt and Ross. All of these seminal moments have led to this ridiculously cool opportunity to build a company with the Duffer Brothers where we produce movies and television because we love movies and television. This love is at the core of Upside Down Pictures, where we’re able to collaborate with other artists on projects across the full spectrum of genre. We all love what we do and are excited to do more and more.”

(L to R) Matt and Ross Duffer on the set of ‘Stranger Things.’ Photo courtesy of Netflix.

According to the release about the new company, the aim is “to create the kind of stories that inspired the Duffers growing up – stories that take place at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where big spectacle co-exists with intimate character work, where heart wins out over cynicism.”

Among the projects they’ll be generating or shepherding include the planned ‘Stranger Things’ spin-off, which they’ve said will have a very different focus to the main show, and, more intriguingly, a stage play set within the ‘Stranger’ world and mythology that has Stephen Daldry directing and producing. All this in addition to cracking on with the work to make Season 5 of the show.

And that’s not all. Outside of ‘Stranger’ stories, they have a live-action series adaptation of manga and anime hit ‘Death Note’ in the works (Netflix previously turned the tale into a 2017 movie with Adam Wingard directing) and are moving their planned series version of Stephen King’s ‘The Talisman’ (which has Steven Spielberg’s Amblin company involved) to the new company.

Outside of their own efforts, they’re also collaborating with Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews – who ran ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ – on a new, untitled series.

It’s safe to say, then that the Upside Down will be good for more than just weird ash flakes and creepy monsters.

(L to R) Eduardo Franco as Argyle, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, and Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4. Photo Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

July 7, 2022
James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Unveils New Images and Character Details

Kate Winslet as Ronal in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.

It’s not a stretch to say that ‘Avatar’ sequel ‘The Way of Water’ stands as one of the most anticipated follow-ups of recent years. And not just because the original film landed in 2009 and we’ve been waiting more than a decade for the next chapter of sci-fi action set on the moon of Pandora.

So far, all we’ve really had is a couple of pictures, some concept art and the first teaser. But thanks to an incoming issue of Empire magazine, James Cameron has shared some new imagery and intriguing details.

First up is more information on the character played by Kate Winslet – who first worked with Cameron on the long, arduous shoot for ‘Titanic’, playing Rose. Here, she’s someone very different: a member of the alien race known as the Na’vi, who are native to Pandora and face conflict with the humans who want to mine the place for its natural resources.

Winslet will be seen, via the magic of performance capture, as Ronal (pronounced ‘Ro-nail’), who along with Cliff Curtis’ Tonowari, leads the Metkayina clan. They dwell in the shallows of Pandora’s vast oceans, and will play a major part in the upcoming adventure.

“She is deeply loyal and a fearless leader,” Winslet tells Empire. “She is strong. A warrior. Even in the face of grave danger, and with an unborn baby on board, she still joins her people and fights for what she holds most dear. Her family and their home.”

Her reunion with Cameron is a long time coming, and she acknowledges how the years in between have altered them both. “Jim and I are both totally different people now to who we were 26 years ago,” she says. “He is calmer, and I am definitely more hyperactive now!”

Sigourney Weaver plays Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage Na’vi daughter In ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.

Sigourney Weaver, meanwhile, is even more of an old hand at working with the director, since they first collaborated together for 1986’s ‘Aliens’ and, following a few documentaries, Weaver played Dr. Grace Augustine in the first ‘Avatar’.

When it was announced that Weaver would be back for the second film, there was surprise since Augustine died helping the Na’vi. So how is she returning? Turns out, Weaver will play a different character… And the surprising angle is that it’s Kiri, the teenage daughter of Sam Worthington’s Jake and Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri.

The joy of performance capture, of course, is just this sort of switch-up, with actors able to play any age – or anything. Still, it wasn’t as simple as having Weaver act younger, as Cameron explains. “As an acting challenge, it’s big,” he says. “We’re gonna have a 60-something actor playing a character decades younger than her actual biological age. Sig thought it was all kinds of fun.”

According to the director, Weaver workshopped the role with a group of teenage girls to figure out mannerisms and posture. “Sigourney just became younger,” recalls Cameron. “She looked younger, she had more energy, and she never quite stepped out of Kiri for our whole capture period. She had a glow on her face and lightness in her step and a fun spirit.”

Let’s not forget, this is the first of a planned ‘Avatar’ onslaught, with three more movies planned in the coming years. For now, though, we can look to ‘The Way of Water’ arriving in theaters on December 16th.

Kate Winslet as Ronal in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.

July 1, 2022
‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ TV Adaptation Adds Paul Dano, John Turturro and Michaela Coel

Paul Dano at London Special Screening of ‘The Batman.’

There is new intelligence to be found about ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’, the TV adaptation of Doug Liman’s spy caper thriller that has Donald Glover co-starring and co-creating.

The cast is growing by three as Paul Dano, John Turturro and Michaela Coel are all joining as guest stars, according to Variety.

Originally released in 2005 and written by Simon Kinberg, the movie of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith, a married couple whose relationship has succumbed to ennui. They’re a little surprised, then, to learn that they’re both assassins and that they’ve just been hired by competing agencies to take each other out – and not in a date night sense of the word.

Exact story details of the TV version – which will show up on Prime Video – are still being kept largely confidential, though it sounds like the series will follow the characters from a younger age to their movie counterparts, tracking as they’re hired by a spy agency and figuring out both married life and espionage.

Maya Erskine, one of the creators and stars of Hulu’s ‘Pen15’ is co-starring as Jane Smith, but the character assignments for the new recruits have yet to be revealed.

John Turturro at New York premiere of ‘The Batman.’ Photo Credit: Dave Allocca/Starpix.

Turturro needs little introduction, having carved a successful career as a character for years, appearing in a wide swathe of movies and directing some. Though he’s primarily been known for his big screen work, he’s recently been receiving praise for his performance on the Apple TV+ series ‘Severance’.

Dano, meanwhile, was most recently seen playing the Riddler in ‘The Batman’, facing off against Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader (the film also featured Turturro, though they didn’t share a scene). He’ll next show up in Steven Spielberg’s much-anticipated, semi-autobiographical drama ‘The Fabelmans’, playing a character loosely based on the director’s father.

He’s also appeared in movies including ‘There Will be Blood’, ‘Swiss Army Man’, ’12 Years a Slave’, ‘Ruby Sparks’ and ‘Looper’

Coel, who is a rising star, might be best known for creating and starring in the limited series ‘I May Destroy You’. She pulled double duty on TV series ‘Chewing Gum’. Movie-wise, she has a role in Marvel’s upcoming ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, in theaters on November 11th.

Though it originally intended to reunite Glover with his ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and she jumped aboard to co-write with him, creative differences led to an amicable split and Waller-Bridge departing the series.

Francesca Sloane is aboard to run the show, having worked on the scripts with Glover, but there’s no word on who might be directing it just yet. And given that ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ is still in pre-production, Amazon is yet to assign it a premiere date.

(L to R) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2005’s ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith.’
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July 1, 2022