Moviefone Editorial

Category: Blu-ray DVDs

  • ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Digital Release Cast Interview

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    Debuting on digital March 31st and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD on May 19th, is the box office blockbuster ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which is the third film in the popular franchise and was once again directed by Oscar winner James Cameron (‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day‘).

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    The film stars Sam Worthington (‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’), Zoe Saldaña (‘Emilia Pérez’), Sigourney Weaver (‘Aliens’), Stephen Lang (‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’), Oona Chaplin (‘Game of Thrones’), Jack Champion (‘Trap House’), Giovanni Ribisi (‘Saving Private Ryan’), Edie Falco (‘The Sopranos’), and Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’).

    (L to R) Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang star in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', which will be available on digital March 31st.
    (L to R) Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang star in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which will be available on digital March 31st.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of visiting James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment offices to sit down and speak with actors Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang about their work on ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, what it was like for Chaplin to join the franchise and her approach to her character, Lang’s experience working on the films and his character’s arc, collaborating with James Cameron on set, and why Cameron reminds Chaplin of her grandfather, Charlie Chaplin.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Chaplin, Lang, and producer Rae Sanchini.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

    Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Oona, what was it like for you to join this franchise and did you understand right away how you wanted to play your character, or did you find it when you were working on set?

    Oona Chaplin: Joining the franchise, I mean, it’s still kind of like, I’m pinching myself. It’s a very strange thing to feel like it was a dream I didn’t even know I had, and it came true. I remember watching ‘Avatar’ and falling in love with the world, but it felt so far away from me. So, I’m speechless to be a part of it, and to not just be a part of the franchise, but to have really felt welcomed in by a family, and to feel so much love, intimacy, connection, respect, and care for the people. So, it’s special and it’s a unique feeling. Then the second part of the question is, did I find the character right away? I think a part of me did. I kind of connected with her anger quickly. At the time I was angry about the state of the world, and I could connect with the visceral injustice of, why is this happening? But weirdly, through playing her, I learned to come to a greater place of peace within myself because I don’t want to be like Varang, especially before my first coffee in the morning, my husband can attest it. There are some striking similarities. There’s a little bit in there wanting to get out.

    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Stephen, what has it been like for you to be part of this franchise and play this incredible character over three films?

    Stephen Lang: Well, first, it validates my career choices. I would say I’m delighted that I became an actor, and it’s the kind of thing that you do dream about. I think when you talk about the arc of the character, that really is the key to me. I started in this one place, and he’s moved into completely different realms. So, much of it has been surprising to me, even though I know the story, and I’ve read it, I know where it goes. But to experience it, and to share it with my amazing colleagues that I’ve had starting with Sam (Worthington) at the beginning, and then to be gifted to be working within Oona Chaplin, has been just a great experience. So, no matter whatever happens from now on, it’s like I’m always a part of this. It’s funny, ‘Avatar’, in some aspect, enters my life every day. You know what I mean? Something happens that’s Pandora-ish to me. I meet someone who’s doing a little Varang kind of a thing on me, or whatever it is. It’s just being part of this family, it’s just always there. I mean, my life was good before but since ‘Avatar’, it’s just so enriched by the relationships that I have.

    (L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Stephen, can you talk about working with James Cameron on these three films and watching him execute his unique vision for this world?

    SL: I mean, my respect and affection for Jim are boundless because he gave me the role. But it goes well beyond that to me. I just have an appreciation for him as a visionary guy in so many respects. To me, I’ve said this before, and I stand by it, he really is the Leonardo (da Vinci) of our age, and by that, I mean not just an artistic visionary, but an engineer, an inventor, and an explorer. The thing is, every character in this franchise is a manifestation of Jim, and a part of him. He is a guy, I believe, who runs towards danger. Why else would you go to the deepest part of the planet in a submarine that you yourself have designed? But working with him, we have a lot of fun together. We’re tough on each other, I think. But I just feel such support and mutual respect and affection.

    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, Oona, can you talk about working with James Cameron and what have you learned from watching the specific way he makes movies?

    OC: It was just a master class every single day. Because this universe wouldn’t have existed without his brain, but also his heart. He cares so much about this world, about Pandora, about the people in it, and he’s so curious. He really treasures questions, and he will do everything in his power to answer the good questions. He’s got this incredible rigor, and it’s incredible to live in, because he brings the best out of everybody. I could go on for hours and hours because it is boundless, and to work with that love, that breadth of genius is very humbling and inspiring. He’s the person that reminds me the most, of my grandfather, Charlie Chaplin, because of the way that he is pushing the boundaries of cinema, technology, and storytelling.

    'Avatar: Fire and Ash' will be available on digital March 31st.
    ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be available on digital March 31st.

    What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

    A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

    'Avatar: Fire and Ash' will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD May 19th.
    ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD May 19th.

    List of James Cameron Movies:

    Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Predator: Badlands’ Interview: Director Dan Trachtenberg

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    Available on Hulu and 4K Ultra HD February 12th, and on Blu-ray and DVD February 17th is ‘Predator: Badlands’, which is the seventh film in the popular franchise and once again directed by Dan Trachtenberg following his work on ‘Prey’ and ‘Predator: Killer of Killers’, and stars Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (‘Red, White & Brass’) and Elle Fanning (‘Sentimental Value’).

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    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Dan Trachtenberg about his work on ‘Predator: Badlands’, coming up with the new story, connecting it to the larger ‘Alien vs. Predator’ series, making the Predator the protagonist, creating the Predator language, casting Elle Fanning in her dual roles, and what fans can expect from future installments of the franchise.

    (L to R) Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, director Dan Trachtenberg, and Elle Fanning at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 Hall H panel for 'Predator: Badlands'. Photo: Disney.
    (L to R) Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, director Dan Trachtenberg, and Elle Fanning at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 Hall H panel for ‘Predator: Badlands’. Photo: Disney.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Related Article: Dan Trachtenberg Talks ‘Prey’ Blu-ray and the ‘Predator’ Franchise

    Director Dan Trachtenberg at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 Hall H panel for 'Predator: Badlands'. Photo: Disney.
    Director Dan Trachtenberg at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 Hall H panel for ‘Predator: Badlands’. Photo: Disney.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about breaking the story for this film, and was it something that you were thinking about while you were making ‘Prey’?

    Dan Trachtenberg: It came at the tail end of ‘Prey’. I just started thinking about, what would we do next if we were to do another one? I really felt like, if the next thing is just part two of what we just did, then the movie doesn’t get to stand on its own merits. Sometimes, you make a special thing and then part two is just the sequel to the special thing, not a special thing in and of itself. So, it was like, what would be another idea if I was making a first Predator movie again? There was this fan sentiment about the Predator of like, “Why does he always lose?” So that sparked the idea of, “Okay, if the Predator wins, what would be a story in which I could be rooting for the Predator? That led to the Predator as the protagonist and being thrust into the gauntlet like Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Naru (Amber Midthunder), and Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover). You know, like all the protagonists go through. What if the Predator was going through that gauntlet? Then really wanting to find a story where you could emotionally connect with this monster and have a great time with. I did not want to put any humans in the movie because if we put in a human, then it would just become a two-hander again and the human would feel like a protagonist so that’s why it became a robot. The idea of a broken robot, like Chewbacca and C-3PO, and then Weyland-Yutani and Synths, so it all spiraled from thinking of “what hasn’t been done” in Predator movies and what hasn’t been done in sci-fi.

    MF: The film has several references to other Predator movies but also contains Easter Eggs for the ‘Alien’ series and the larger ‘Alien vs. Predator’ franchise. Can you talk about the choice to include those references in this movie?

    DT: With ‘Alien’ and ‘Predator’, it’s not taking the big action figures and throwing them together, but instead, taking a little portion from one franchise and have that interwoven into the other, to say that’s another way of universe unifying and building it. That felt exciting to me. Frankly, it was born out of what the story wanted anyway. If the ‘Alien’ franchise was at another studio, we still would have made this movie. It just wouldn’t have been Weyland-Yutani as the company, but because it could be Wayland, it meant that then we could include MU/TH/UR and have it reflected in the father dynamic that Dek has. So, all of that made the movie richer but it wasn’t like, “We need to do ‘Alien vs. Predator’ How are we going to do that?” It didn’t come from that; it came from the narrative needs.

    Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in 20th Century Studios' 'Predator: Badlands' film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Predator: Badlands’ film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Can you also talk about the choice to make the Predator the protagonist of this movie and show his home planet for the first time?

    DT: It was incredibly challenging. The language, obviously had to be developed whole cloth, both written and spoken. His face, which was deliciously designed by Stan Winston with James Cameron‘s input to include the mandibles back in the 80s, is so cool for being a frightening and intimidating creature. But not at all conducive to having a wide range of emotion like we needed in the film. So, it was a great challenge to have to translate what Demetrius was performing into a face that has no nose, no lips, and teeth that don’t even let the mouth close. There was a temptation to cover his face up more and have him wear the mask. But I really didn’t want to soften our attempt at saying, “It’s a monster and you’re going to care.” So, we faced the challenge head on.

    MF: Can you also talk about the challenges of creating the Predator’s language for this movie?

    DT: We worked with a language expert, Britton Watkins, who’s both a language expert and sci-fi fan and really developed an entire grammar structure and dictionary, all based off of the physiology of the Yautja from ‘Predator’. So, it all comes from the way that we assume the throat works and the mandibles and all of that. It was an entirely custom-made language for the movie that Demetrius and Elle had to learn. I had a script that I could look at, but I really paid more attention to rhythm and emotion, and that things felt authentic rather than needing to know the pronunciations.

    Thia (Elle Fanning) in 20th Century Studios' 'Predator: Badlands' film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Thia (Elle Fanning) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Predator: Badlands’ film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Can you talk about casting Elle Fanning as both Thia and Tessa, and her specific and separate performances?

    DT: That was the exciting thing. We’ve seen a lot of twin portrayals in movies throughout the years and characters doing dual roles, but being the funny sidekick, as well as the villain, typically requires two different actors. What Elle did is tremendous, and I got a lot of inspiration in watching ‘The Great’, where she was funny and there was an innocence to her character when it starts, then she must get really intense and that’s what clicked a nerve for me in casting her.

    MF: Finally, have you started thinking about ideas for another installment yet? If so, would it be another original story, or would it include returning characters from ‘Prey’ or ‘Badlands’?

    DT: I’m really developing both. I’m in this moment now where I was after ‘Prey’, where I was just trying to get excited about a path to take. I came up with a bunch of different paths and in that case, making both at the same time with ‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ and ‘Badlands’. So, now we are figuring out what the next step of some of the characters are. We’re also figuring out and have been quite stoked about some other ways into the franchise that we haven’t seen before So, all things are being developed.

    ‘Predator: Badlands’ will be available February 12th on Hulu and on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD February 17th.

    Dan Trachtenberg on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'Predator: Badlands' film. Photo by Nicola Dove. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Dan Trachtenberg on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Predator: Badlands’ film. Photo by Nicola Dove. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    What is the plot of ‘Predator: Badlands’?

    Cast out from his clan, a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) finds an unlikely ally in a damaged android (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Predator: Badlands’?

    • Elle Fanning as Thia and Tessa
    • Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek and as the voice of Njohrr
    • Reuben de Jong as Njohrr
    • Michael Homik as Kwei
    • Stefan Grube as the voice of Kwei
    • Rohinal Narayan as Bud
    • Cameron Brown as Smyth
    • Alison Wright as the voice of MU/TH/UR
    'Predator: Badlands' will be available 2/12 on Hulu and on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD 2/17.
    ‘Predator: Badlands’ will be available 2/12 on Hulu and on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD 2/17.

    List of Movies in the ‘Predator’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘Predator’ Movies on Amazon

  • ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ Digital Release Interview

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    Available on premium digital from Lionsgate December 16th is the box office hit ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’, which is the third film in the popular franchise and was directed by Ruben Fleischer (‘Venom’).

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    The movie stars returning cast members Jesse Eisenberg (‘Zombieland’), Woody Harrelson (‘Zombieland: Double Tap’), Dave Franco (‘Together’), Isla Fisher (‘Rango’), Lizzy Caplan (‘Cloverfield’), and Morgan Freeman (‘The Dark Knight’), as well as new cast members Justice Smith (‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’), Dominic Sessa (‘The Holdovers’), Ariana Greenblatt (‘Barbie’), and Rosamund Pike (‘Saltburn’).

    (L to R) Dave Franco as Jack Wilder, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, and Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves in 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t'. Photo: Katalin Vermes.
    (L to R) Dave Franco as Jack Wilder, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, and Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’. Photo: Katalin Vermes.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Ruben Fleischer about his work on ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’, joining the franchise, reuniting with his ‘Zombieland’ actors Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, Rosamund Pike’s hilarious performance, the new cast members, creating the illusions on screen, and if he would return to helm a fourth movie.

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’

    'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' director Ruben Fleischer.
    ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ director Ruben Fleischer.

    Moviefone: To begin with, as a filmmaker, can you talk about the challenges of joining a successful series to direct the third installment of a franchise?

    Ruben Fleisher: I approach this movie as a fan of the franchise. I love the first two movies. So, for me, the pressure of trying to make it as good as the previous two was so much self-imposed because I didn’t want to disappoint my fellow fans of the franchise. So, I did everything in my power to carry on the spirit of the original and clean up some of the things that happened in the past. For example, Henley (Isla Fisher) was in the first movie and then was replaced by Lulu (Lizzy Caplan) without much explanation. So, it was important to me that both be in the film, just because as a fan, I wanted to see those two women together, because they’re both so great. So, just carrying forward all the magic, all the fun, the banter, the relationships and everything else. So, the big challenge was just feeling the pressure not to disappoint fans.

    (L to R) Justice Smith as Charlie, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, and Woody Harrelson as Merrit McKinney in 'Now You See Me: Now You Don't'. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.
    (L to R) Justice Smith as Charlie, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, and Woody Harrelson as Merrit McKinney in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.

    MF: Did it help that you already had a good working relationship with Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson from making the ‘Zombieland’ movies?

    RF: I was lucky because I had a pre-existing relationship with Woody and Jesse, so I had a familiarity and a comfort level and that’s what drew me to the project in the first place. I was lucky to have the help of two longtime collaborators to make sure that we did our best work. This was my fourth movie with each of them. We all did the two ‘Zombieland’ movies together and then Jesse and I did ‘30 minutes or Less’ and Woody was in the tease at the end of ‘Venom’. But I love working with those two guys, and I also knew that they loved working with the rest of the cast. I was a huge fan of Dave Franco, Isla Fisher and Lizzie Caplan. So, for me, it was just an opportunity to work with more actors that I really love, but I had also heard from Jesse and Woody about what a great dynamic everybody had on set and how they felt like a family among themselves. So, I was just happy to join the family.

    Rosamund Pike as Veronika in 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t'. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.
    Rosamund Pike as Veronika in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.

    MF: Actress Rosmund Pike gives a fantastic performance in the movie. Can you talk about casting and working with her?

    RF: I have been a fan of hers for a long time. I mean, she’s so good going back to ‘Die Another Day’ or ‘Gone Girl’, but it was really seeing her recently in ‘Saltburn’, where I felt like she just stole every scene that she was in, and she was so funny. In addition to being a challenging character, I think movies to a degree are only as good as the villains. You need someone formidable, and especially when you have such a strong ensemble as we have, with such incredible actors, you need someone who feels equally weighted in terms of screen presence, threat, charisma and everything that makes a great movie character. So, Rosamund’s somebody who, beyond her dramatic ability, beyond her obvious beauty, she just tends to make her characters delicious and more than what’s expected. So, it was exciting for me to. She brought so much to it. She has an incredible, natural aptitude for accents, and the South African accent is very specific and challenging. I’m so proud of the fact that when South Africans have watched the movie, and I’ve talked to them about it, they have told me they’ve never heard a non-South African have such a perfect accent as that. So that was really gratifying to learn. But she’s just got this inherent intelligence. She seems like she’s from this lofted heiress status, and she seems smart and like she could be dangerous or somebody not to mess with. So, it was a great experience from beginning to end working with her.

    (L to R) Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Justice Smith as Charlie, and Ariana Greenblatt as June in 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t'. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Justice Smith as Charlie, and Ariana Greenblatt as June in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    MF: Can you talk about bringing in new cast members like Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt and having them mix it up with the returning cast?

    RF: That was also a great challenge just because when you have such beloved, established actors, and you got to find, younger, less established actors who you expect to be as compelling and charismatic, so they just don’t get completely blown away by these movie stars. It’s challenging, but for all three of them, I had been fans of their work. With Dominic, ‘The Holdovers’ was his first movie, but he was so compelling in it. I think it was an incredible launch for his career. But I was proud to have cast him in his first ever studio movie, and I think he more than performed at a level we needed in terms of just being funny and he turned out to be good with both the magic and the action. He’s just got this cool kind of swag. Justice is somebody who we’ve all seen whether it’s ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ or the ‘Jurassic World’ movies, but also super cool indies as well. He’s always interesting and so I’ve been a fan, and it was exciting to get to cast him. Then Ariana was just a force of nature. She was 16 when she first came to Budapest and celebrated her 17th birthday while we were there. So, she was literally a child relative to these adults, and she’s just so wise beyond her years, so capable physically, obviously a great actress and just really brought so much cool to June that she just inherently has as a person. Casting’s one of my favorite parts of the process and I think if you look at the original ‘Zombieland’ or other movies I made, casting seems to be a signature of the films just discovering people who have gone on to great things. Not to say I discovered these people, but just giving them maybe perhaps a bigger platform. I think they all have exceeded beyond my wildest hopes and dreams, and I think they’re just so compelling as a triad.

    (L to R) Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Justice Smith as Charlie in 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t'. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.
    (L to R) Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Justice Smith as Charlie in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.

    MF: Can you talk about designing the illusions for the film and how you wanted them to look on screen?

    RF: The first two movies are terrific, and I love them, but there were moments as a fan where I felt like they relied perhaps a little too heavily on VFX or CGI. So, it was very important to me for our movie that we do everything as practical as possible and do everything as much in cameras as possible. One of the things I’m most proud of is that all those illusion rooms that take place in the château are all physical sets that we built. So, whether it was the upside-down room where we literally spun a room upside down, which is a Hollywood convention going back to Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling. Or it’s the Ames room, which we probably all seen versions of in various museums of Illusion throughout the world, where one person’s very big and one person’s very small on the other side of frame. We built that, and that was all in camera and practical, and that was just so cool to experience when you walk to that room. It really did look like a normal room and then as soon as you walk in, the proportions shift. So, that was just neat and to be able to create something like that with that level of detail. The infinity staircase, which is what we call the room that Woody was in with all the mirrors going in a million different directions. I talked to the production designer about trying to figure out how we could do a practical version of M.C. Escher’s painting, where the stairs are going in all different directions and you’re not quite sure what’s up and down or anything else. So, through a trial and error, we arrived at the design for that room, which kind of does provide that feeling of you don’t know which way is up or down and you don’t know which reflections are real and which is Woody. Then there was a hall of mirrors, which we’ve seen in movies before, but that was all in camera. Truthfully, the only VFX effects in any of these environments was just when there were mirrors. We had to paint out the camera because he inherently shot his own reflection, but we put him in a skintight form fitting blue screen suit. So, it was easy to find him in all the reflections, and then we could just erase him. But I’m proud of how we committed to this concept of it having to be as practical as we could make it, and then holding true to it, and not ultimately bailing or relying on VFX, which is always a possibility.

    (L to R) Woody Harrelson as Merrit McKinney, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Dave Franco as Jack Wilder, Justice Smith as Charlie, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Ariana Greenblatt as June in 'Now You See Me, Now You Don’t'. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.
    (L to R) Woody Harrelson as Merrit McKinney, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Dave Franco as Jack Wilder, Justice Smith as Charlie, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Ariana Greenblatt as June in ‘Now You See Me, Now You Don’t’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.

    MF: Finally, the ending of the film hints at more adventures for the main characters, is returning for a ‘’Now You See Me 4’ something you would be interested in doing?

    RF: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that’s why we left it off on that ellipsis of more potential adventures to go on. I’m thrilled with the reaction that the audience has had to the film, and I’d be absolutely thrilled to go back into this world with these actors and devise a new magical adventure for them to go on. So, fingers crossed.

    (L to R) Justice Smith as Charlie, Ariana Greenblatt as June, Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Dave Franco as Jack Wilder in 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t'. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.
    (L to R) Justice Smith as Charlie, Ariana Greenblatt as June, Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Dave Franco as Jack Wilder in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.

    What is the plot of ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’?

    The original Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco) reunite with a new generation of illusionists to take on powerful diamond heiress Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), who leads a criminal empire built on money laundering and trafficking. The new and old magicians must overcome their differences to work together on their most ambitious heist yet.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’?

    • Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas
    • Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney
    • Dave Franco as Jack Wilder
    • Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves
    • Justice Smith as Charlie Vanderberg
    • Dominic Sessa as Bosco LeRoy
    • Ariana Greenblatt as June Rouclere
    • Lizzy Caplan as Lula May
    • Rosamund Pike as Veronika Vanderberg
    • Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley
    • Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Shrike
    'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t' opens in theaters on November 14th.
    ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ opens in theaters on November 14th.

    List of Movies in the ‘Now You See Me’ Franchise:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t‘ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Now You See Me’ Movies On Amazon

  • ‘Clue’ 40th Anniversary: Lesley Ann Warren and Colleen Camp

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    Available to buy or rent now is the 4K Ultra-HD Digital release of the classic comedy ‘Clue’, which celebrates its 40th anniversary on December 13th.

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    Directed by Jonathan Lynn (‘My Cousin Vinny’) and based on the popular board game, ‘Clue’ features an all-star cast that includes Tm Curry (‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’), Eileen Brennan (‘Private Benjamin’), Madeline Kahn (‘Blazing Saddles’), Christopher Lloyd (‘Back to the Future’), Michael McKean (‘This Is Spinal Tap’), Martin Mull (‘Mr. Mom’), Lesley Ann Warren (‘The Limey’), and Colleen Camp (‘Apocalypse Now’).

    (L to R) Lesley Ann Warren and Colleen Camp talk 1985's 'Clue'.
    (L to R) Lesley Ann Warren and Colleen Camp talk 1985’s ‘Clue’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with icons Lesley Ann Warren and Colleen Camp about the 40th anniversary of the classic film, their first reaction to the screenplay, their approach to their characters, working with the all-star cast and director Jonathan Lynn, and the film’s groundbreaking alternate endings.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Related Article: ‘Clue’ and ‘Arrested Development’ Actor Martin Mull Dies Aged 80

    Lesley Ann Warren in 1985's 'Clue'. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
    Lesley Ann Warren in 1985’s ‘Clue’. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Lesley, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what were your thoughts on adapting a board game into a movie, which is common now but very unusual in the 1980s?

    Lesley Ann Warren: Well, the good news in a strange way is that I read it as a script for a film. I had not ever played the board game. So, I was not familiar with the characters. I didn’t know anything about the story of Clue. I was also asked to play Mrs. White because Carrie Fisher was playing Miss Scarlet. The cast was beginning to come together, and I was excited, some of them were on board already. Then Carrie had to drop out because she had personal issues she had to deal with. They came back to me and said, would you like to play Miss Scarlet? Well, I’ve always thought I was better Miss Scarlet than Mrs. White. So, I was thrilled to be able to step into the very high heels of Miss Scarlett.

    MF: Just to follow up, the film’s multiple endings was also groundbreaking at the time, but again something that is quite common now. What was it like shooting the different endings and was that something that director Jonathan Lynn had to really fight for?

    LAW: I don’t know whether he did have to fight the studio, but we did not know that there were going to be multiple endings until about two thirds of the way through the script, which was kind of great because we didn’t know where the murderer was. So, we were able to play those scenes really having no clue. If we had known, we would have been playing it very differently. So, when it was revealed to us, then we were able to embrace whoever was the murderer, and I was glad I was one of them. But it was it was a surprise to us as well.

    Colleen Camp in 1985's 'Clue'. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
    Colleen Camp in 1985’s ‘Clue’. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Colleen, Yvette was not a character in the board game, do you think that gave you a certain freedom in playing the character?

    Colleen Camp: I think it did, and I was a clue fanatic. I loved that board game. I thought it was such a phenomenal board game. I had so much reverence for the board game that I never even imagined who could play all these characters. When I was faced with these icons playing these characters, I thought, I’ve hit pay dirt. I always loved the game. Now if I go back and play that game, I really believe they should have a game with every one of their faces on the board. I think there should be a year of ‘Clue’ anniversary celebrations. I think we should have ‘Clue’ parties. That’s not easy, when you have a board game and then these characters in the movie are so brilliant. There is no one that could have played Miss Scarlett but Lesley Ann Warren. So, for me, being a character that was not part of that initial board game, in one sense, I was apart from the group. But then it also gave me an opportunity to have a depth that may not seem on the surface of this French maid. I’m there taking a big view of what’s going on, and I’m much more calculated than you would expect. That was exciting because it did give me more freedom. In terms of the endings, no, we did not know. So, for me, all a sudden, to find out that I’m one of Miss Scarlet’s girls and I’m being strangled by the pool table was very interesting. Because at the time, we weren’t sure about those endings. We thought it was a great idea, but they thought that maybe it impacted the box office, that people were confused and what version they were watching.

    MF: Lesley, the film features an all-star cast, what was it like working with them and was there anyone that you really bonded with?

    LAW: Colleen! No lie. We really did, bond. We were talking a lot about our relationships, but we just did, and we hung out in each other’s trailers. But the other person that I personally bonded with was Martin Mull. I adored him beyond. We were put together, Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlett a lot. But then we went on to do four or five different movie and television projects together. We stayed very much in contact. I was devastated at his passing. You know, you hear this a lot, but this is really the truth, we were so compatible as a group, both artistically compatible and emotionally compatible. There was no drama, no acting out, we supported each other’s work and were rolling in the aisles when somebody would do something. It was an amazing experience. One of the things that I say a lot, and I really mean it is that each one of these actors had such a specific perspective on comedy and character, and yet, the work blended, which is very unusual. We were all very different, and unique in our way of creating these characters that are now indelible. But it never got in the way of the ensemble rhythm and just ability to bring these moments to life.

    The cast of 1985's 'Clue'. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
    The cast of 1985’s ‘Clue’. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Colleen, what was your experience like working with the cast?

    CC: Amazing. And what she just said is that there was such a love and generosity from the actors as see great work. Somebody would do “The flames” like Madeline Kahn or Eileen Brennan with the feathers or any of the other actors. You were so thrilled and so excited that you were cheering them on. Fortunately for me, I worked with Michael McKeon, and then I worked with Christopher Lloyd four times. When I start to think about the movies that we all did together, that were different films, that we were in, that created a bonding as well. So, that’s what was also exciting.

    MF: Finally, Colleen, can you talk about collaborating with director Jonathan Lynn on set and his unique vision for this project?

    CC: He’s a genius. He had a theater background, and he was a genius at direction. He understood humor and he understood the nuance and the rhythm. Jonathan Lynn had a style, and he was very brilliant. He’s an intellectual. So, I think it was a very smart script and I was very fortunate to work with Jonathan again in ‘Greedy’. Jonathan always had a great casting sense. The casting was very interesting, and I think that that’s the genius of ‘Clue’ because it’s great acting and big stars, but stars on a level that are also character actors.

    'Clue' is now available to buy or rent on 4K Ultra-HD Digital in honor of the film's 40th anniversary.
    ‘Clue’ is now available to buy or rent on 4K Ultra-HD Digital in honor of the film’s 40th anniversary.

    What is the plot of ‘Clue’?

    ‘Clue’ finds six colorful dinner guests (Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kline, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren) gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the killer among them, the guests and Boddy’s chatty butler (Tim Curry) must discover out the culprit before the body count rises.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Clue’?

    • Tim Curry as Wadsworth
    • Eileen Brennan as Mrs. Peacock
    • Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White
    • Christopher Lloyd as Professor Plum
    • Michael McKean as Mr. Green
    • Martin Mull as Colonel Mustard
    • Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet
    • Colleen Camp as Yvette
    • Lee Ving as Mr. Boddy
    • Bill Henderson as The Cop
    • Jane Wiedlin as The Singing Telegram Girl
    • Jeffrey Kramer as The Motorist
    • Kellye Nakahara as The Cook (Mrs. Ho)
    • Howard Hesseman as the Chief of Police
    Director Jonathan Lynn on the set of 1985's 'Clue'. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
    Director Jonathan Lynn on the set of 1985’s ‘Clue’. Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    List of Jonathan Lynn Movies:

    Buy ‘Clue’ Movies on Amazon

  • ‘Roofman’ Interview: Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst

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    Available now on digital from Paramount Pictures is the new crime film ‘Roofman’, which was directed by Derek Cianfrance (‘The Place Beyond the Pines’) and based on a true story.

    The movie stars Channing Tatum (‘Deadpool and Wolverine’), Kirsten Dunst (‘Spider-Man’), LaKeith Stanfield (‘Knives Out’), Juno Temple (‘Venom: The Last Dance’), Peter Dinklage (‘Avengers: Infinity War’), Uzo Aduba (‘Lightyear’), and Ben Mendelsohn (‘Captain Marvel’).

    (L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in 'Roofman'.
    (L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in ‘Roofman’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst about their work on ‘Roofman’, the true story it is based on, Tatum’s first reaction to the screenplay, Dunst’s research into her role, and what it was like working with director Derek Cianfrance.

    You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Roofman’

    Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures 'Roofman'.
    Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Channing, how aware were you of the true story the film is based on, and what was your first reaction to reading the screenplay?

    Channing Tatum: I was not aware of the actual story. He’s 10 years older than me, so I was probably young when it came up. I asked my parents as well, and they didn’t really know of it. But in talking to Derek about it, the script is incredible. The script feels like fiction and it’s just not. You go, “How could this guy have made this many decisions or this many things even happen?” There’s one thing to want to do it, and there’s another thing to pull it off. Talking to him, you realize he’s very, very smart. The first time I ever talked to him, I had all these questions, and I didn’t have to ask any of them because he kind of took care of me on the phone. By the end of it, you just end up loving the guy. I genuinely like this man, and I care about him, and I hope he gets out earlier than what he should. I personally don’t think he should have gotten that many years. That’s my first conversation with him after reading the script. I just liked this man, and I had some sort of connection to him that I can’t really explain.

    MF: Kirsten, can you talk about the research you did to play Leigh, and did you come to understand how she could fall for Jeffrey Manchester?

    Kirsten Dunst: I mean, that’s really what happened. This was a true love story. They really fell in love, so I wanted to tell that in a very authentic way with having two girls to worry about and knowing that this experience for her was truly an adventure. You don’t really see that in people anymore, that they have that grace to look and step back and not have animosity towards each other or anything like that. They both have a very high spiritual understanding of what’s important in life, and I think that she could understand and overlook the obvious lies and see a man that was really who she wished she could have been with.

    (L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures' 'Roofman'.
    (L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.

    MF: Kirsten, I’ve heard you say that working with director Derek Cianfrance was a “dream”. What did you love about working with him?

    KD: He loves actors so much, and whenever you’re in a place that someone is championing you to do your best work and your most authentic, like the way he sets the tone on set for you, he just cares so much and there’s no ego in that relationship. So, it lends itself to an honest, real performance, and that’s why with his movies and shows you feel it deeply. It doesn’t feel like acting in my opinion.

    MF: Finally, Channing, was Derek a filmmaker that you’ve been wanting to work with for a while and what was the experience like working with him on this movie?

    CT: I mean, absolutely. I stupidly turned down ‘Blue Valentine’ like 19 years ago. He’d seen a movie that I was in at Sundance, offered me the movie, I read it, and it was just so sad. At that time in my life, I didn’t understand how to be in a relationship like that, I guess. I didn’t have a real perspective of it and really believed that I could have pulled it off and I said, no, stupidly. That was Ryan Gosling’s movie, I guess. It was all serendipitous and this one was what we were supposed to end up connecting on and this many years later. I just went for a walk with him, and I just genuinely love him as a human and as a creator, but if we never make another movie, I hope we just get to hang out a lot because I learn something every time that I’m around him. But I would also come and just hang out on set with him. I love him as a brother. He’s a special human.

    Theatrical one-sheet for Paramount Pictures' 'Roofman'.
    Theatrical one-sheet for Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Roofman’?

    • Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester
    • Kirsten Dunst as Leigh Wainscott
    • Ben Mendelsohn as Ron Smith
    • Peter Dinklage as Mitch
    • Uzo Aduba as Eileen
    • Juno Temple as Michelle
    • Emory Cohen as Otis
    • LaKeith Stanfield as Steve
    Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures 'Roofman'.
    Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.

    List of Movies Featuring Channing Tatum:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Roofman’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Channing Tatum Movies on Amazon

     

  • ‘Good Fortune’ Digital and Blu-ray Interview: Aziz Ansari

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    Available on premium digital November 7th before releasing on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on December 9th from Lionsgate is the new comedy ‘Good Fortune’, which was written, directed and stars Aziz Ansari (‘Master of None’).

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    In addition to Ansari, the movie also stars Seth Rogen (‘The Studio’), Keke Palmer (‘The Pickup’), Sandra Oh (‘Sideways’), and Keanu Reeves (‘John Wick’).

    'Good Fortune' director, writer, producer and actor Aziz Ansari.
    ‘Good Fortune’ director, writer, producer and actor Aziz Ansari.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director, writer, producer, and actor Aziz Ansari about his work on ‘Good Fortune’, developing the screenplay, the themes he wanted to explore, directing himself and his friend Seth Rogen, casting Keanu Reeves, working with his cinematographer and editor, the Blu-ray and DVD extras, and if he will direct again.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Related Article: Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger Talk Roku Docuseries ‘Visionaries’

    (L to R) Keanu Reeves and Aziz Ansari in 'Good Fortune'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Keanu Reeves and Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about having the idea for the film, developing the screenplay and the themes that you wanted to explore as a director?

    Aziz Ansari: Well, I spent a lot of time in L.A. To me, the ideas of this movie are in your face when you’re here in L.A., whether it’s wealth disparity or whatever. The goal with the movie was to do a film that explored those things in a funny way. That was a challenge in writing the screenplay. It was, how do you talk about the stuff, but also make it entertaining and funny?

    MF: I know you directed episodes of ‘Master of None’, but did you always plan on directing a movie someday and what are the challenges of directing yourself in a film?

    AA: In Netflix’s ‘Master of None’, I directed, acted and wrote, and I loved doing that. I loved that process and working that way. I’d always wanted to take that and do that same thing in a film. ‘Good Fortune’ was my first shot at doing it, and it was similar in ways that I expected and challenging in ways that I didn’t expect, but I learned so much and I’m excited to try it again.

    Aziz Ansari in 'Good Fortune'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    MF: What were some of the unexpected challenges and how did you overcome them?

    AA: I guess just how different the editing process was. When you’re editing a TV episode, it’s 30 minutes. It’s just so much more contained and you’re also working from a canvas that’s starting from a TV show, so things have already been set up and you kind of have a world. Whereas in a film, you’re setting everything up and it’s a much different canvas in several ways.

    MF: I know you have been friends and colleagues with Seth Rogen for a long time. What is it like directing your friend in a movie?

    AA: You know, it’s not that different. I mean hopefully you become friendly with everybody, and that’s kind of what you’re doing all the time. But we’ve known each other for a long time, and he has a lot of trust in me and has always been really kind with his advice and everything. It was great having him as a partner on this.

    Seth Rogen in 'Good Fortune'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    Seth Rogen in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    MF: Was there a shorthand between the two of you on set, and since Seth is an accomplished filmmaker in his own right, did he give you any advice while making the movie?

    AA: I think there is, and he knew what I was trying to do, and he knew how to help me and how to be there for me. I mean, he was the first person I showed the script to, and the script changed over time, and we would talk about the ending and talk about, what does the movie need? What’s great is that he was able to collaborate not just on his character, but he was thinking about the movie.

    MF: Did you write the role of the angel Gabriel for Keanu Reeves, and did you have any idea he would be that funny in the film?

    AA: I didn’t know who was going to play the angel, and then his name came up, and I thought, wow, that would be incredible if that’s possible. We had a meeting and he read the script, and he liked it, and he signed up and he was so generous with his time. We talked a lot about the character, worked on his scenes a lot, rehearsed a lot, and once he signed up, I tried to really tailor the role to him and really play to his strength as an actor, specifically with his comedy. He’s so funny playing a guy that’s very sweet and innocent, but kind of dumb and it just felt perfect for this part. As soon as the trailer dropped, people were like, “Oh my God, this is the most perfect casting! Keanu is an angel.” I’m so happy that he was the guy and that it all worked out.

    Keanu Reeves in 'Good Fortune'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    Keanu Reeves in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    MF: Did Keanu bring anything unexpected to the role?

    AA: He’s just such an iconic screen presence, and there’s things he brought that you can’t put in a script. He’s just such a wonderful actor and he knows his craft so well that he brought things to it that I don’t know how to verbalize, but it’s on screen. I remember when we did our first preview screening and when his face comes up on the big screen, you’re like, “There’s a reason this guy’s been a movie star for many decades. He has something.”

    MF: Can you talk about working with your DP to choose lenses and decide on the composition of shots?

    AA: Our DP was Adam Newport-Berra, who’s incredible. He won an Emmy for his work on ‘The Studio’ with Seth. He and I talked a lot about, just how did we want to show LA? I talked to him a lot about showing the LA that you see in strip malls and just this neon L.A. We talked a lot about ‘Paris, Texas’. If you watch ‘Paris, Texas’, there’s a lot of green and it was how those fluorescent lights would react to film back in the day. I thought that look would be cool to have in this movie, so that was a reference point for us. I didn’t want a lot of flashy camera work. I wanted it to be simple. I didn’t want to move the camera around too much. I kind of wanted it to be straightforward. He was just a great collaborator and partner, and another guy that also was always thinking about the film, not just his job and his role as a DP. But he did a wonderful job, and I can’t say enough about him.

    (L to R) Aziz Ansari and Keanu Reeves in 'Good Fortune'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Aziz Ansari and Keanu Reeves in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    MF: What was the post-production process like for you? Did you enjoy working with your editor to assemble the film?

    AA: Well, Daniel (Haworth) is a friend and he worked with me on ‘Master of None’ Season 2, and I was excited to collaborate with him on this. Look, when you’re editing a movie, you’re locked in a little dark room with this person for many weeks and it’s an interesting relationship. But you start with the first cut of the movie, which is probably two hours and change and you wash it down and then you start chipping away at it and you figure out what’s the story here. You know, what do we need to lose? How do we get to this faster? It becomes a lot of problem solving and he was a great partner to have, and we got it there.

    MF: Was there anything you had to cut that was heartbreaking for you?

    AA: Nothing heartbreaking. It’s just like the writing process. You lose things as you evolve the project and, in the edit, it evolves again and certain things go.

    (L to R) Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari in 'Good Fortune'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    MF: The house featured in the film is an amazing location. How did you find it and has it been use in any other movies of TV shows?

    AA: I don’t know about any other films or TV, but I think it was in a Travis Scott video or something, and maybe a Beyonce video? I can’t remember. But that was our location manager, Jay Trainer. He found that place and we fought for it because that location is so central to the film, and it is a character in the movie. He found that for us and made it work.

    MF: Can you talk about the Blu-ray and DVD release? Are there deleted scenes or a commentary to look forward to?

    AA: I did a commentary track. I think there’s bloopers, and there’s some behind the scenes docs. I love physical media and I hope if people have a ‘Good Fortune’ Blu-ray on their shelf, that’d be awesome.

    (L to R) Keanu Reeves and Aziz Ansari in 'Good Fortune'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Keanu Reeves and Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    MF: Finally, do you plan on directing again in the future?

    AA: I have a couple other movies I’ve been thinking about, and I’d love to make another film soon. It was such a great experience. I feel like I learned a lot and I’d love to do it again.

    'Good Fortune' will be available on premium digital November 7th before releasing on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on December 9th. Photo: Lionsgate.
    ‘Good Fortune’ will be available on premium digital November 7th before releasing on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on December 9th. Photo: Lionsgate.

    What’s the plot of ‘Good Fortune’?

    A well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy capitalist (Seth Rogen).

    Who is in the cast of ‘Good Fortune’?

    'Good Fortune' will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on December 9th. Photo: Lionsgate.
    ‘Good Fortune’ will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on December 9th. Photo: Lionsgate.

    List of Aziz Ansari Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Good Fortune’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Aziz Ansari Movies on Amazon

  • ‘HIM’ Digital Release Interview: Tyriq Withers

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    Available on digital now and debuting on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on November 11th is the new horror movie ‘HIM’, which was co-written and directed by Justin Tipping (‘Kicks’) and produced by Jordan Peele (‘Get Out’), and stars Tyriq Withers (‘I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)’), Marlon Wayans (‘Requiem for a Dream’), Julia Fox (‘Uncut Gems’), Tim Heidecker (‘Us’), and Jim Jefferies (‘Killing Hasselhoff’).

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    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tyriq Withers about his work on ‘HIM’, his first reaction to the screenplay, how he related to the character, quarterback bootcamp, Cam and Isaiah’s relationship and working with Marlon Wayans, director Justin Tipping’s vision for the project, and finding out he won his role from producer Jordan Peele.

    Marlon Wayans is Isaiah (back, pointing) and Tyriq Withers is Cam (foreground) in 'HIM', directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Marlon Wayans is Isaiah (back, pointing) and Tyriq Withers is Cam (foreground) in ‘HIM’, directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Related Article: 30 Best Football Movies of All Time!

    Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade in 'HIM', directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade in ‘HIM’, directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and the way it blends professional football with the horror genre?

    Tyriq Withers: I think it’s a script that I couldn’t put down. Coming from sports, whether it was soccer and transitioning into college football, it was a dream come true to be able to pick up a script that paid its respects to the sport of football. I think it talked about an athlete that was in pursuit of greatness and I think it just transcends sports in a way where it talks to us all who want to pursue greatness. I think that that road to that can get a little hectic and scary in real life. I think that’s the beauty of horror, where you can really exaggerate or hyperbolize themes and the obstacles it takes to reach that level of greatness.

    MF: As a former athlete yourself, could you relate to the pressure on Cam and his dedication and sacrifice to pursue greatness on the field?

    TW: I think chasing greatness in the world of sports as Tyriq, it was always rooted in love and family and who I was doing it for was my mom. I think Cam’s story is rooted in that with his parents and specifically his father, that he lost. I think that grief of losing his father pushed him even further because there is no literal validation he could get after his father passed and, “This is what my dad would want.” As an athlete, that’s where I lived and as an artist now, that’s where I live, where I want to prove something to my brother that I lost. I think the world of sports and of college football, the crazy interactions with players or coaches, that is a direct reflection within this movie. Obviously, things are heightened in the film, but I think there are certain feelings. There is a beautiful scene where Marlon’s yelling in my face. He’s saying, “What are you willing to sacrifice?” One of the lines was, “Your father didn’t love you.” I think I’ve come from a world of sports where whether it’s middle school, high school or college, where coaches say things to invoke certain emotions to get a certain performance. That’s not a great way to coach. But I pulled from those experiences and in that scene where I’m saying I want to sacrifice everything; you can hear it in my voice because I’m really triggered and frustrated. I think that’s the beauty of art, the catharsis of art, if you will.

    (from left) Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) and Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) in 'HIM', directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (from left) Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) and Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) in ‘HIM’, directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Can you talk about Cam and Isaiah’s mentor/mentee relationship, and did you have a bit of that with Marlon Wayans off screen? Was he an actor that you admired growing up, and if so, what was it like working with him on this project?

    TW: Yeah, Marlon is an actor who I have looked up to all my life and not only on screen, but him as a human being, and his comedy. So, there was a mentor/mentee relationship developed initially coming on the set. It didn’t get weird like Cameron and Isaiah. I think watching Cameron’s journey between the respect of his idol and pulling back the layers of who Isaiah White is, allowed him to really see Isaiah for who he truly was and really understand, your idol becomes your rival. You know, that’s the beauty and ugliness of sports, where people you look up to will become your rivals. Where Allen Iverson had to crossover Michael Jordan, and AI grew up loving Jordan, but we must do what we must do. So that was a fun thing to play with and Marlon took me under his wing as a younger brother, or an honorary Wayans, I always say. I’m grateful for that brotherhood.

    MF: How did you physically prepare to play this role? Did you go to a quarterback bootcamp or have any type of football training before shooting?

    TW: I just kind of went to set and showed up. No, I’m kidding. I went in the gym. I had to get physically in shape. So, I was working out six days a week, twice a day. eating 4,000 calories while going to a football camp with Jordan Palmer training with actual QBs prepping for the NFL draft. So, I got to see the training, but also the interview process, the playwriting process, the studying process, and we had Joe Milton there, who currently plays for the Cowboys. Then, Josh Allen popped through to give some words. So, it was a real authentic football experience to really bring to the character and I carried that on screen. Hopefully that resonates with everyone, because I took it serious coming from football. I played wide receiver, so it was a bit of a transition to learn the quarterback position.

    (from left) Marlon Wayans, director Justin Tipping and Tyriq Withers on the set of 'HIM', directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (from left) Marlon Wayans, director Justin Tipping and Tyriq Withers on the set of ‘HIM’, directed by Justin Tipping. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: What was director Justin Tipping like to collaborate with on set?

    TW: Justin was a beauty to have as a director where he allowed us the freedom to bring ourselves to the role, but also pushing us to places that we couldn’t even imagine. I think his vision, his eye for story, is immaculate and I think there’s certain themes and writing aspects of this film that he fought for that I’m grateful to have. He paid his respects to the sport of football, even though he came from soccer. I think that’s a testament to him as a director, where he’s able to find the common themes and create specific stories. I feel like the more specific a story is, the more universal and relatable it will become, and he created a piece that I think will be studied for generations. I think it will age like fine wine.

    MF: Finally, how much interaction did you have with producer Jordan Peele on this project? Was he on set during production and what were some of his contributions while filming?

    TW: Yeah, he was on my initial casting Zoom when they told me I got the part. They were like, “Jordan Peele is hopping on the call. Do you know who Jordan Peele is?” I’m like, “Do I know who Jordan Peele is?” He was there to share the news and we had a couple meetings and we got to hang. He came to set a few days, but wasn’t there every day because as a producer, you put the right people in the right positions to curate the art that you want to tell. I think that’s the genius of Jordan Peele, where he knows exactly who to put where. He gave me some words of affirmation and really gave me the extra added confidence to walk on set and really do my thing as Cameron Cade.

    (L to R) Director Justin Tipping, Tyriq Withers (as Cam), Producer Jordan Peele, and Marlon Wayans (as Isaiah) on the set of 'HIM', from Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Director Justin Tipping, Tyriq Withers (as Cam), Producer Jordan Peele, and Marlon Wayans (as Isaiah) on the set of ‘HIM’, from Universal Pictures.

    What is the plot of ‘Him’?

    When rising quarterback Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) is attacked by an unhinged fan and suffers a potentially career-ending brain trauma, legendary championship quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) offers to train Cam at his isolated compound. But Cam’s training and Isaiah’s charisma soon begin to curdle into something darker, which may cost Cam more than he ever bargained for.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Him’?

    Jordan Peele attends the Academy’s 2019 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom on Sunday, October 27, 2019, in Hollywood, CA. Credit/Provider: Troy Harvey / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
    Jordan Peele attends the Academy’s 2019 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom on Sunday, October 27, 2019, in Hollywood, CA. Credit/Provider: Troy Harvey / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

    List of Films Directed Or Produced By Jordan Peele:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Him’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Jordan Peele Movies On Amazon

  • ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Interview: Director Gareth Edwards

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    Available on digital beginning August 5th, before arriving on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 9th is the box office hit ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, which is the seventh movie in the series and begins a whole new chapter for the beloved franchise.

    Directed by Gareth Edwards (‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ and ‘The Creator’), the film stars Scarlett Johansson (‘Black Widow’), Jonathan Bailey (‘Wicked’), Rupert Friend (‘Asteroid City’), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (‘The Lincoln Lawyer’), and two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (‘Moonlight’ and ‘Green Book‘).

    Related Article: Director Gareth Edwards Talks ‘The Creator’ and Artificial Intelligence

    'Jurassic World Rebirth' director Gareth Edwards.
    ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ director Gareth Edwards.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Gareth Edwards from Thailand about the ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’s digital and home entertainment release. Edwards discussed his love for the original movie, taking the franchise in a new direction, the alternate opening, the deleted scenes and why they were cut, and designing the look of the dinosaurs and other creatures for the film.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Edwards, and actors Luna Blaise, David Iacono and Audrina Miranda.

    Director Gareth Edwards on the set of 'Jurassic World Rebirth', directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Director Gareth Edwards on the set of ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, were you a fan of the ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Jurassic World’ movies before making this film, and what does it mean to you personally to be leading this new chapter of the franchise?

    Gareth Edwards: I think on the fan front, so basically New Year’s Eve 2024, which is when I was offered the gig, my girlfriend was like, “What do you want to do?” I said, “I don’t really want to go out. Let’s just go down the road. We live near Universal Studios.” I was like, “Let’s just go on the ‘Jurassic World’ ride, and that’s how we’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve.” So, I took a picture of myself and I’m friends with Colin Trevorrow who did the ‘Jurassic World’ movies, and I sent it to them as sort of an embarrassing, like this is how rock and roll I am, that we’re going on a ‘Jurassic World’ theme park ride for our New Year’s Eve. But I didn’t expect in my wildest dreams that two months later, I was going to be in a room with Steven Spielberg pitching him my take on that screenplay. So, it’s been a surreal, crazy journey, to be honest with you.

    Director Gareth Edwards on the set of 'Jurassic World Rebirth', directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Director Gareth Edwards on the set of ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: I understand there will be an alternate opening as well as deleted scenes available with the digital release. Can you talk about what the alternate opening is, as well as the deleted scenes and why they didn’t make the final theatrical cut?

    GE: So, there’s an alternative opening. ‘Jurassic Park’ basically has a lot of strong themes within it, and one of them is man versus nature, obviously. So, I started the movie with basically the rainforest getting destroyed a little bit, by these giant machines were building this lab where the movie opens. It just took a little too long visually to get there in time. So, as we were just trying to tighten the movie, it was just one of the things that came out. But I always missed it not being in the film. So, it doesn’t have all finished VFX, but you really see all the temporary previs of that. Then there’s two deleted scenes, one that people might recognize who saw the trailer, which is a velociraptor scene that got removed. The reason for that was because if you imagined it in the actual film, it was like a double beat moment where you have this reveal of raptors in the beginning of the third act in the film at night, and then suddenly the Mutadons appear, and it just felt like a hat on a hat a little bit. So, we’re going to be putting that on the digital extras. Then also my favorite scene that got cut out that I was just sad about and wanted it to be in the movie, but it basically just stopped the momentum at one point. But it’s a scene, without getting into too much information, it’s basically when Scarlett sees a payphone and tries to make a call and it all goes a bit wrong from there.

    (L to R) Luna Blaise and the T-Rex in 'Jurassic World Rebirth', directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Luna Blaise and the T-Rex in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about designing the look of the dinosaurs and the new mutated creatures?

    GE: Well, when I started the film, I walked into this empty office and they go, “Okay, your first meeting is in a few days with Mattel, the toy company.” I was like, “Okay, why?” They said, “Well, they want to see all the designs for the dinosaurs. They need a year to build the factories to make the toys.” I’m like, “We don’t have any designs.” So basically, I put out this bat signal to all my favorite concept artists that I’d worked with that could do creature designs. We did this massive Zoom session where I just said everything I could possibly think of. Dozens and dozens of the top people in the world just went away that night and within about two or three days we had about 300 designs and it was fast to nail the look of the dinosaurs. The only problem ones were the mutant dinosaurs because obviously the canvas is so large. There was one called the D-Rex, which was really, I felt like I could see it in my peripheral vision if there was a crime and you were trying to explain it to the police. I felt like I got a good look at that one. The one I didn’t quite see was the Mutadon, which is the smaller, more raptor-like mutant dinosaur. There are no toys of those for a reason because we took nine months to figure that one out. So sorry, kids, maybe at Christmas, if you pester your mom and Mattel, you might get one.

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    What’s the story of ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’?

    Five years after the events of ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

    Scarlett Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’?

    • Scarlett Johansson as Zora Bennett
    • Jonathan Bailey as Dr. Henry Loomis
    • Rupert Friend as Martin Krebs
    • Mahershala Ali as Duncan Kincaid
    • Ed Skrein as Atwater
    • Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Reuben Delgado
    • Luna Blaise as Teresa Delgado
    • David Iacono as Xavier Dobbs
    'Jurassic World Rebirth' will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray™ and DVD September 9, 2025.
    ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray™ and DVD September 9, 2025.

    EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES AVAILABLE WHEN YOU BUY AT PARTICIPATING DIGITAL RETAILERS:

    • ALTERNATE OPENING 
    • DELETED SCENES: 

    MUTADON ATTACK – Featuring Scarlett Johansson, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, David Iacono, Rupert Friend, Luna Blaise and Audrina Miranda.

    RAPTORS – Featuring Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, David Iacono, Luna Blaise and Audrina Miranda.

    • JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH: HATCHING A NEW ERA DOCUMENTARY

    THE WORLD EVOLVES – Journey into a reimagined Jurassic World with
    Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali and the rest of the cast
    and filmmakers.

    OFF THE DEEP END – Dive into the thrilling ocean sequence and learn about the challenges of shooting on open water, the one-of-a-kind gimbal used to toss around the Essex and Mariposa, and the VFX wizardry that brought the Mosasaurus and Spinosaurs to life.

    TREKKING THROUGH THAILAND – Follow the cast and crewʼs footsteps as they navigate the challenges of shooting in exotic jungles, beaches, and tall grass fields that become home to the Titanosaurs.

    REX IN THE RAPIDS – Brace for a TRex encounter thatʼs different than anything experienced before with a nail-biting river chase recreated from Michael Crichtonʼs original Jurassic Park novel.

    DONʼT LOOK DOWN – Soar into the Quetzalcoatlus sequence with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Bechir Sylvain as they train for and shoot their cliff rappelling scenes.

    MINI-MART MAYHEM – Go inside the heart-stopping third act of Jurassic World Rebirth and witness the process of crafting sets that allow the movieʼs mutant dinosaurs to step out of nightmare-inspired designs and stop on an exhilarating rampage. Featuring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Audrina Miranda, David Iacono, Luna Blaise, Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

    • GAG REEL
    • MEET DOLORES – Meet the animatronic Aquilops with an extraordinarily lifelike personality.
    • MUNCHED: BECOMING DINO FOOD – Get a victim’s firsthand view inside the frightening jaws of deadly dinosaurs that munch, chomp, and chew their way into creating unforgettable death sequences.
    • A DAY AT SKYWALKER SOUND – Actress Audrina Miranda guides a personal tour of Skywalker Sound in California to meet the audio editors, foley artists, and mixers who design the movie’s wide array of sounds.
    • HUNTING FOR EASTER EGGS – Find out where to look for cleverly hidden Easter eggs that pay homage to everything from the first Jurassic Park film to other Steven Spielberg classics.
    • FEATURE COMMENTARY with Director Gareth Edwards, Production Designer James Clyne, and First Assistant Director Jack Ravenscroft.
    • FEATURE COMMENTARY with Director Gareth Edwards, Editor Jabez Olssen, and Visual Effects Supervisior David Vickery.
    'Jurassic World Rebirth' will be available exclusively on digital platforms to own or rent starting August 5th.
    ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ will be available exclusively on digital platforms to own or rent starting August 5th.

    Other Movies in the ‘Jurassic Park’ Franchise:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Jurassic Park’ Movies On Amazon

     

  • ‘Thunderbolts*’ Digital Release Interview: Jake Schreier

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    Available on digital now and 4K and Blu-ray July 29th is Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*’, which was directed by Jake Schreier (‘Beef’).

    The film stars several MCU regulars including Florence Pugh (‘Hawkeye’) as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan (‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’) as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell (‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’) as John Walker, David Harbour (‘Black Widow’) as Alexei Shostakov, Hannah John-Kamen (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’) as Ava Starr, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’) as Valentina Aleegra de Fontaine, as well as Marvel newbies Geraldine Viswanathan (‘Drive-Away Dolls’) as Mel, and Lewis Pullman (‘Top Gun: Maverick’) as Bob.

    Related Article: How Will ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Tie Into ‘Thunderbolts*’?

    Florence Pugh and Jake Schreier on the set of Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts*'. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2025 Marvel.
    Florence Pugh and Jake Schreier on the set of Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*’. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2025 Marvel.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Jake Schreier about the ‘Thunderbolts*’ digital release and his work on the film. The director discussed his initial pitch to Marvel, selecting the characters, the asterisk in the title, the ‘New Avengers’ reveal, the ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ cameo in the second end credit scene, deleted scenes, and Florence Pugh’s opening scene stunt, as well as addressing the rumors that he will direct the MCU’s upcoming new ‘X-Men’ movie.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    'Thunderbolts*' director Jake Schreier.
    ‘Thunderbolts*’ director Jake Schreier.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first meeting with Marvel Studios and the pitch that got you the job directing ‘Thunderbolts*’?

    Jake Schreier: Well, know the pitching process at Marvel takes a long time. I think there were maybe seven meetings over the course of seven months. So, the first meeting was just me talking to Brian Chapek and just having a very loose conversation about the idea for the movie, which I thought was neat. Eric Pearson and he had come up with this great setup where it was about a set of contract killers being sent to kill each other and to be disposed as opposed to being put together in some sort of team, which was a neat slip on the expectation. I just talked about my favorite movies that related to that and that sense of tension and what you would want to bring to a movie like that. Then the conversation grew month after month. Each time I would bring something a little bit new. I like to pitch on things, show people, if we were already making the movie together, this is the sort of stuff that I would start doing. I think the second one is that I did make a kind of reference reel of movies. Not that the movie should be like this movie, but these are kind of moments of tension within other movies about groups of people that don’t trust each other, and how important that was to what we were building here. I think that included ‘Ronin’, and it included ‘Toy Story 3’, a very disparate group of movies and ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’, all kinds of different stuff. Then at subsequent meetings, there was concept art for what the void could look like, and then a storyboard in certain sequences from the film. We had talked about the elevator sequence, this funny idea of if it was all about trust or a trust fall, if they must climb up back-to-back, which is an idea that Brian had, that was fun. I took that and storyboarded it just to show what that might feel like. So yeah, it was more of a long beat by beat process. I think, one thing about working at Marvel was, Kevin (Feige) always says, “Always be fussing.” The movie is never really done until they kind of pry it out of your hands and you must release it. You’re always looking to improve it. So, to some degree, it’s not so much about the specific pitch or everything kept changing after I came on board, but it’s about will this work out as a working relationship? Are the ideas flowing and will you push each other to make it better? It felt like Brian, and I worked so well together in this movie, and that felt like a really strong core to build from.

    MF: Was the core cast of characters already selected when you came on board and were there characters you wanted to include but were unable to?

    JS: They were mostly chosen. I attempted to give input, which was quickly shot down, which I think on the first one I was like, “What if Man-Thing was involved,” which has now been picked up by the internet as though that was ever going to happen, which it wasn’t. They quickly and politely were like, “He was in ‘Werewolf by Night’, which I didn’t know. So that didn’t happen. But then I think before I came on board, they added Robert Reynolds to the mix. That was the biggest change. Then once that was part of it, I mean even in our pitch conversation, everything really ran towards thinking about what it meant to have a character like Sentry and the Void in this movie, and how that tied into Yelena and what she’s going through, and how important that was to build that kind of connection and have that drive the story.

    'Thunderbolts*' is available on digital now and 4K and Blu-ray on July 29th.
    ‘Thunderbolts*’ is available on digital now and 4K and Blu-ray on July 29th.

    MF: Was the asterisk in the title your idea, and at what point was it decided that the team would really become the ‘New Avengers’?

    JS: So, they were always introduced as the New Avengers. Even in the first draft that I read before I came on board. I did pitch the asterisk thing. I think in my last pitch meeting before I got the movie, but I did not expect it to be in the actual title. I thought, “Oh, maybe there could be a billboard somewhere with an asterisk, and they’ll say, “Until we come up with something better.” But yeah, I mean that was the fun thing about working with those guys, and everyone in marketing. They’re very open and collaborative, and they would take ideas like that and really run with them and put their own spin on it. There was just a lot of openness on this movie, I think, to kind of take risks and try to do something different.

    MF: So, this was always going to be a ‘New Avengers’ movie, is that right?

    JS: Yes, it was always ended. That moment was always baked in. I mean, at least from the time I met on it, that was always where the story landed.

    (L to R) Director Jake Schreier and Wyatt Russel on the set of Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts*'. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 Marvel.
    (L to R) Director Jake Schreier and Wyatt Russel on the set of Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*’. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 Marvel.

    MF: Did you feel added pressure knowing that this was secretly an ‘Avengers’ movie?

    JS: I mean, look, there’s enough pressure on these movies no matter what you’re doing. I think obviously it meant that we felt we had to build a story that at one time was this kind of very different story within the MCU about different characters, but it did need in its own way to live up. It was never going to be at the scale of a normal ‘Avengers’ film. But to the legacy of these kinds of great movies that had been made in the MCU, that when you get to that moment, even if it’s through a route that you never expected, you can kind of splint. Even if at first, you’re like, “Wait, what?” You kind of think about it and you’re like, “Okay, no, maybe this could work.” Or at least I want to see them try and see what happens going forward.

    MF: Can you talk about the second end-credit scene that teases ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’? What was your involvement in that scene and when and where was it shot?

    JS: That was late. I mean, I was there, I went to London. So that’s on the set, I think of the new ‘Avengers’ movie (‘Avengers: Doomsday’) that the Russo’s are directing. I think that might’ve been, it was one of the first scenes they shot for it. So, the idea was going to be part of that movie, and then also our end credits scene. So, there were things that it kind of had to do for where our story went, but we also wanted it in a way to be this handoff. It was fun to watch them directed and directed in that context and have it been this sort of, leap of seeing. I think Florence said it was like “Being dropped off at school by your parent, and you look back and like, all right, we’ll have fun guys. Good luck out there. You’re in a new grade now.” So yeah, it was just fun to have everyone kind of collaborate on that and get to see them take that next step on their next journey.

    (L to R) Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bob (Lewis Pullman), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) in Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts*'. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2025 Marvel.
    (L to R) Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bob (Lewis Pullman), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) in Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*’. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2025 Marvel.

    MF: Will there be deleted scenes available on the digital and home entertainment releases, and if so, can you talk about why those scenes were ultimately cut?

    JS: Yes. I mean, I must be honest, there’s not a lot that was left on the cutting room floor of this movie. There are little things that got cut out. In the edit, we trimmed things down, but it was more really kind of honing the scenes than it was dropping a lot of full scenes. At first, I was like, “I don’t want any deleted scenes.” Then they were like, “You have to have a few.” So, I put them in there. What I can say is that there’s a very extensive behind the scenes featurette, and a very funny gag reel, which mostly is just cute. But I think the behind-the-scenes stuff, again, we did so much practically on this movie and in camera, and practical effects and returning to this old school style of filmmaking. I think I had a lot of fun, and they really did a great job of capturing that stuff, getting to watch the way those things were put together. I think, again, it’s just a testament to how hard everyone works on these movies, and I think that is fun to see.

    MF: I understand that Florence Pugh insisted on doing the stunt in the opening scene where she jumps off a skyscraper herself. Can you talk about working with her and the stunt team to make that possible?

    JS: I mean, we had this idea for it, Lee Sung Jin, who wrote multiple drafts of the script, had written in this stunt. That was sort of our version of a Bond opening, but it’s more of an emotional stunt, in a way, where it’s like, it almost seems like it could be a suicide. Then it’s just her kind of malaise in her job, but it takes you into this real character beat that then becomes an action sequence. But again, it’s our spin on it, because it’s what the depressed spy would do. So, I think what was exciting about it was obviously the stunt itself and going somewhere and really doing something like that, because it’s Florence having this great acting beat at the start of that shot. In the same take, we watch her step off the second-tallest building in the world. So, she had to take that on because we can’t really ask her to do that. We could say it was an idea we had. We didn’t even know we were going to shoot it. She was like, “I love heights. Let’s do it.” So, through the whole production, it was kind of finding a place that would make sense. Then, Malaysia seemed promising, but Jason Tamez, our incredible line producer, had to do months of work to coordinate getting up there. Then I think it took three different engineering firms to sign off on the rig, and (Stunt Coordinator) Michael Huggins and our entire rigging team. I mean, the amount of trust that Florence had to have in our team, and you can see how much she trusts them. They are the best at what they do. I can’t believe she did that. Florence is amazing, but also the amount of coordination and work that it takes from everyone else involved to pull something like that off and to be able to stand by it and say, “We could do this.” Because again, at first, Disney Health and Safety quite reasonably just said, “No.” So, it took a lot of pushing and a lot of groundwork on everyone’s part to make it happen.

    Florence Pugh on the set of Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts*'. Photo by Steve Swisher. © 2025 Marvel.
    Florence Pugh on the set of Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*’. Photo by Steve Swisher. © 2025 Marvel.

    MF: Finally, there have been several online rumors recently that you will be directing the upcoming ‘X-Men’ movie that Marvel Studios is planning for after ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’. Without confirming the rumors, do you have a particular take on those characters and is that a world you would be interested in exploring as a director if given the chance?

    JS: I think just knowing the way the internet works, for right now, if it’s okay, I’m going to plead the fifth on that question. But I can say that I would be very excited. I had a great time working at Marvel, and I’d be very excited to work with them again.

    NOTE: After this interview took place it was confirmed by Marvel Studio’s Kevin Feige that Jake Schreier will in fact be directing the upcoming ‘X-Men’ movie.

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    What is the plot of ‘Thunderbolts*’’?

    A group of dangerous, unstable antiheroes and castoffs are set up on a doomed mission by a government operative (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), only to find themselves confronting a powerful new menace that threatens Earth.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Thunderbolts*’?

    • Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
    • Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
    • Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
    • David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
    • Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
    • Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
    • Lewis Pullman as Robert “Bob” Reynolds
    • Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
    'Thunderbolts*' is available on digital now and 4K and Blu-ray on July 29th.
    ‘Thunderbolts*’ is available on digital now and 4K and Blu-ray on July 29th.

    List of Movies and TV Shows Featuring ‘Thunderbolts*’ Characters:

    Buy Marvel Movies On Amazon

     

  • ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025) Home Entertainment Interviews

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    Available on digital July 15th and on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray August 12th is the live action remake and box office smash ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.

    Directed by original franchise filmmaker Dean DeBlois, the film stars Gerard Butler (‘Den of Thieves’) reprising his role as Stoick, as well as new cast members Mason Thames (‘The Black Phone’), Nico Parker (‘Dumbo’), and Nick Frost (‘Shaun of the Dead’).

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)

    (L to R) 2025's 'How to Train Your Dragon' director Dean DeBlois, and actors Nico Parker and Mason Thames.
    (L to R) 2025’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ director Dean DeBlois, and actors Nico Parker and Mason Thames.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of traveling to Oslo, Norway, home of the Vikings, to speak exclusively with writer and director Dean DeBlois, as well as young actors Mason Thames and Nico Parker about their work on 2025’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and the home entertainment release.

    DeBlois discussed adapting his own animated movie into live action, the design of the dragons, and deleted scenes, while Thames and Parker talked about joining the beloved franchise, their experience working with DeBlois and Gerard Butler, and the home release’s gag reel.

    You can read our full interviews below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    (from left) Writer-Director Dean DeBlois (left), Gabriel Howell (center) and Nico Parker (right) on the set of Universal Pictures’ live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon', written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (from left) Writer-Director Dean DeBlois (left), Gabriel Howell (center) and Nico Parker (right) on the set of Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Dean, can you talk about the challenges of remaking a live action version of your own animated movie?

    Dean DeBlois: Well, I think the biggest challenge is I’m very close to it, so the benefit I think, is the distance. It was 15 years ago. I tend never to watch movies that I’ve worked on again. By the time we get through the whole process of mixing and coloring it and putting it out in the world, I’m kind of done. So, I had the benefit of sense memory of the movie and then revisiting the script and looking for opportunities where we could go deeper with character relationships or with mythology and leaning into even more so into the aesthetic of live action. I think those were all directions that were set in place from the very beginning. So, it meant revisiting old material through a new lens.

    MF: Mason, what was it like for you to join this franchise and bring the character of Hiccup to life in live action?

    Mason Thames: I mean, Hiccup is a character that means so much to me. He’s always meant so much to me, so it’s kind of a factor of going into it that, what can I do differently? But also keep the character the same and respect what Jay (Baruchel) did, and Hiccup’s sarcasm, his wittiness, and his kind of awkward loneliness is something that makes him Hiccup. But going into it, me and Dean had a lot of time to talk about new colors that we wanted to explore. So, it was fun.

    (from left) Astrid (Nico Parker) and Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon', written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (from left) Astrid (Nico Parker) and Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Nico, were you a fan of the franchise before making this film and what was it like for you to step into this incredible world Dean has created?

    Nico Parker: Yes. Me and Mason both were huge fans of the animated movies. Such a huge fan. I feel like anyone in our age demographic grew up with these movies and so to get to be a part of it is amazing. I remember even just in the audition process meeting Dean and, regardless of getting the part or anything, just meeting Dean was entirely surreal because this is a person who has so much responsibility in something that has been such a huge part of my childhood. There’s something kind of strange about meeting someone that has that kind of weight in your life. But he is just the loveliest and such a brilliant director and a wonderful person. So, to get to be here and doing all of this is kind of still constantly a pinch-me moment, but is very exciting. He’s literally the best person on the planet.

    MF: Mason, what was it like for you collaborating with Dean on set?

    MT: Dean is my favorite human being ever. He’s like, the sweetest. No, genuinely. You just want to hug him all the time and it’s like, “Oh, personal space, Mason, remember”. But he genuinely is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and such a fantastic director and filmmaker and artist. I love him so much and I trust him, which is something I value so much. He’s great.

    Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon', written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Dean, can you talk about the deleted scenes available on the home entertainment release and why those scenes didn’t make the final cut?

    DD: The two deleted scenes that we included are “Beach Break”, which is the moment that follows “Test Drive”. So, when Hiccup and Toothless are up flying in the clouds, they become detached and then reattach and fly on intuition. In the animated movie, there’s a scene where they’re now taking a break, just kind of relaxing, cooking some fish, and they get accosted by Terrible Terrors who try to steal the fish. It’s a moment where Hiccup realizes A, dragons aren’t so fireproof on the inside and B, everything we know about them is wrong. We had our live action version of that. We shot it, but we found in the edit, it was in an area of the movie where you could feel the lag, and something was weighing it down. So experimentally, we tried snipping that out thinking we’re kind of telling that story anyway with other scenes and just visually through the narrative, and it survived without it. So, it allowed the pace to increase, but it also just allowed us to move on. Another one is where Astrid almost catches Hiccup red-handed at night in the blacksmith stall with Toothless. Similar, it’s a cute little moment, nice little interaction, but at the end of the day, no real new information was being given to the audience and it helped with the overall pacing to remove it.

    MF: Nico, I understand that there will also be a gag reel on the home entertainment release. How much fun was it being on the set, and was it hard not to laugh in between scenes?

    NP: It was. I mean, Mason’s so funny, and all the recruits are so funny, and the crew is so funny. I can’t even believe that we made a cohesive movie with how much everyone was laughing. I remember the first time going into the arena. I remember, we turned to Mason and everyone started being like, “Who let you in?” Like belittling him, and I remember they were shooting from behind Mason’s head and the whole time everyone was so funny. Harry (Trevaldwyn) is so funny, Gabe (Howell) is so funny, and Julian (Dennison). Everyone’s so funny. I honestly am surprised that we even had a movie at the end of it because of how much we were breaking.

    Universal Pictures’ live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon', written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Dean, can you talk about the design of the dragons, particularly Toothless? Did you want them to look like the animated versions, or more realistic?

    DD: Both. We wanted to try to keep the overall silhouettes and coloring and personality traits, certainly from the animated movie, and migrate them into a more naturalistic photoreal world where these creatures feel like they could have been part of our animal kingdom. So, I think in every case, except for Toothless, we were able to go back much more to the animal references, whether it was a crocodile or a tropical bird or a big walrus or so on and so forth. But I think when it came to Toothless, he’s meant to be a black panther meets a salamander, but the more we went toward black panther, the more we were losing his character. So, we found that we had to keep the big eyes and the big mouth and the ear plates as part of his personality.

    MF: What was it like working with Gerard Butler again and watching him bring his animated character to life in live action?

    DD: Well, I think when Gerard Butler was finally able to join us, because at first, he couldn’t do it due to his own schedule, I had such a breath of relief because I know Gerry well even off camera. So, I think we just have this free-flowing energy between us, and I credit him as co-creator of the character. He brought so much to it, the emotion, the nuance, the arc, even in the animated form. So being able to hand that to him and then let him use all his physicality, everything he can bring to the camera as an actor, embodying Stoick with all this mass and that costume. I knew it was going to be great from the start. He completely delivers. He’s a force of nature.

    Gerard Butler in 'How to Train Your Dragon'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Gerard Butler in ‘How to Train Your Dragon’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Finally, Mason, what was your experience like acting opposite Gerard Butler on this movie?

    MT: He’s very funny, but what I love about him is, the energy he brings to set. I mean, he is Stoick the Vast, through and through. Nobody else could play that character like him. When he gets on set and he brings this raw energy to each scene, and whenever we’re in that room, it’s Stoick and Hiccup. Running through the scene repeatedly, it really brings something to it. He’s so amazing and such an incredible actor that I love him so much. But in between takes and stuff, we all joke around and he’s a prankster.

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    What’s the story of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)?

    As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.

    Who is in the cast of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)?

    • Mason Thames as Hiccup
    • Nico Parker as Astrid
    • Gerard Butler as Stoick
    • Nick Frost as Gobber
    • Gabriel Howell as Snotlout
    • Julian Dennison as Fishlegs
    • Bronwyn James as Ruffnut
    • Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut
    • Murray McArthur as Hoark
    • Peter Serafinowicz as Spitelout
    2025's 'How To Train Your Dragon' will be available to own at home beginning July 15th.
    2025’s ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ will be available to own at home beginning July 15th.

    Exclusive Bonus Features When Purchasing at Participating Retailers:

    • Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Writer/Director Dean DeBlois
    • Gag Reel
    • Love and Legacy: Making ‘How To Train Your Dragon’  – Go behind the scenes to see how the beloved characters and intricate fantasy world were brought to the live-action medium.
    • Building Berk – Walk onto the set of ‘How To Train Your Dragon‘ and take in the scale, detail, and heart that went into building Berk.
    • Dreaming Up the Dragons – A glimpse at the technology, artistry, and imagination involved in bringing life-like dragons to the screen.
    • Fit for a Viking – Witness the elaborate transformations the cast made to embody the Vikings we see in the film.
    • Forbidden Friendship with Introductions by Writer/Director Dean DeBlois – Watch Mason Thames perform the full Forbidden Friendship sequence with a puppeteer in the early stages of creating one of the film’s most iconic scenes.
    • Test Drive with Introduction by Writer/Director Dean DeBlois – Hold on tight as we join Hiccup on his first flight with Toothless, and see the various elements that came together to construct the thrilling scene.
    • Exploring the Isle of Berk at Epic Universe – Explore ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ – Isle of Berk and discover an island where Vikings and fire-breathing dragons exist together in harmony.
    • Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Dean DeBlois

    Buy Tickets: ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025) Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘How to Train your Dragon’ Movies On Amazon