Moviefone Editorial

Category: Sci-Fi

  • 10 Things We Learned at the ‘Fallout’ Press Conference

    Prime Video has unveiled the first trailer for ‘Fallout,’ the long-awaited series based on the iconic post-apocalyptic video game franchise that first began publishing back in 1997, yielding four games in the main narrative and more than half a dozen spinoffs since then.

    In the games, nuclear war has rendered the United States (and the world at large) into what’s called the Wasteland, with pockets of survivors living underground in highly protected shelters known as Vaults. The games are set further and further in the future each time out, with inhabitants of the Vaults venturing out into the Wasteland on various missions and encountering dangerous creatures (such as the artificially created bioweapons known as Deathclaws), mutants, and irradiated humans.

    ‘Fallout,’ the streaming series, takes much of this premise and the popular ‘Fallout 3’ game – which is set 200 years after the war – as its starting point. Ella Purnell stars as Lucy, a character created for the show, who ventures outside her Vault and learns the hellish nature of life on the surface. Along the way she meets Maximus (Aaron Moten), a member of the militaristic technology cult The Brotherhood of Steel, and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), a mysterious figure with a connection to the past and the Vaults.

    Aaron Moten, Ella Purnell, Todd Howard, and Walter Goggin from 'Fallout' attend The Game Awards 2023 at the Peacock Theater on December 7, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Aaron Moten, Ella Purnell, Todd Howard, and Walter Goggin from ‘Fallout’ attend The Game Awards 2023 at the Peacock Theater on December 7, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup.

    After years of rumored films and false starts, ‘Fallout’ comes to streaming thanks to husband-and-wife team Jonathan (Jonah) Nolan and Lisa Joy, whose previous sci-fi series was HBO’s ‘Westworld.’ Joining Nolan and Joy as executive producers and showrunners are Geneva Robertson-Dworet (‘Captain Marvel’), Graham Wagner (‘Portlandia’) and Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios, along with James Altman for Bethesda Softworks.

    In conjunction with the arrival of the trailer, Prime Video held a virtual press conference featuring Nolan (who directed the first three episodes), Robertson-Dworet, Wagner, and Howard, along with Purnell, Moten, and surprise remote guest Walton Goggins.

    Here are 10 things we learned at that press conference, edited for clarity and length.

    1) Jonathan Nolan Is A Huge Fan of the Games

    Jonathan Nolan and Ella Purnell on the set of 'Fallout.'
    (L to R) Jonathan Nolan and Ella Purnell on the set of ‘Fallout.’ Credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Jonathan Nolan says that his obsession with ‘Fallout’ was so intense that, ironically enough, he spent more time early in his career playing the game than looking for writing opportunities.

    Jonathan Nolan: I think it started, for me, with ‘Fallout 3,’ which devoured about a year of my life. You know, I was an aspiring young writer at that point. It almost derailed my entire career. It’s so ludicrously playable and fun. I mean, seriously, the games were just incredible. It’s such a rare thing and such an unbelievable thing — and I’ve gotten to do it twice in my career — to take something that you love and get a chance to play in that universe, to create your own version, I guess, of that universe. The first go-round for me was Batman (Nolan co-wrote ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ with his brother, Christopher Nolan), and this time with ‘Fallout,’ a series of games that I absolutely loved. About five years ago, Todd and I went and had lunch together — it was a bit of a fanning-out moment for me — and just started talking about the possibilities of how you could take this incredible universe… we came out of lunch with a handshake deal that we’re going to try to make this work.

    2) The Series Tells A Whole New Story

    Ella Purnell as Lucy in 'Fallout.'
    Ella Purnell as Lucy in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Graham Wagner says that the show is a continuation of the mythology from the games but also a new story, not an adaptation of the existing games.

    Graham Wagner: It’s set in the world of ‘Fallout,’ but it’s a new story that comes, sort of, after the events we’ve seen. So the show is really built on 25 years of creativity and thinking and building. We sort of thought the best thing to do is to continue that [rather than] retread it. Because that’s sort of what has worked with ‘Fallout’ over the years. It’s traded hands, it’s changed, it’s been altered, and it’s a living thing. We kind of felt like we ought to take a swing at trying to build a new piece on top of all of that.

    3) What Canada Has to Do With A Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland

    Actors Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, Co-Showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and Actor Aaron Moten attends 'Fallout' Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Actors Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, Co-Showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and Actor Aaron Moten attends ‘Fallout’ Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video.

    According to Geneva Robertson-Dworet, a big factor in the appeal of adapting ‘Fallout’ was the underlying themes of the story.

    Geneva Robertson-Dworet: The themes of ‘Fallout’ are also what really drove us to want to adapt this with Jonah, and we were really especially drawn to the social commentary inherent to the idea of these Vaults. Graham is a citizen of Canada. I’m a dual citizen of the US and New Zealand, and we often talk about how those countries are sort of celebrated as these wonderful, peaceful utopias…But what would it mean if those countries were to open their borders and let everyone in, and everyone could have a better life? Well, they would change, right? We saw the Vaults as basically a mirror to that. This idea that, like, ‘What if we create a Vault that is very peaceful and wonderful?’ But what does it mean that not everyone gets to live there, and people suffer on the surface?

    4) Why It Took Years to Bring ‘Fallout’ to the Screen

    Power Suit and Aaron Moten as Maximus in 'Fallout.'
    (L to R) Power Suit and Aaron Moten as Maximus in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios says that the company was very deliberate in allowing ‘Fallout’ to be adapted to another medium.

    Todd Howard: People would approach us over, I would say, a 10-year period after ‘Fallout 3’ came out, from 2009 on, to adapt ‘Fallout’ to film or television. We took a very cautious approach, and Jonah was somebody [who] I was such a fan of the movies he did and the TV he was doing, and I actually had someone reach out. And when I first talked to Jonah, I mean, honestly, it was like someone I had known for a long time: [he] obviously played the games a ton, and his approach, right from the get-go, was in sync with what I was thinking.

    5) Why Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten Were Thrilled to Be Part of ‘Fallout’

    Actor Ella Purnell attends 'Fallout' Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Actor Ella Purnell attends ‘Fallout’ Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video.

    British actor Ella Purnell and ‘Emancipation’ star Aaron Moten described what made their characters so exciting to play.

    Ella Purnell: Lucy is a Vault Dweller, and what excited me about playing her was that she is so innocent and naive and obviously very privileged as well. It was exciting for me to start in that place. She’s essentially a newborn baby. She hasn’t had any real-life experiences. All she knows is what she was taught and what she’s read in books that she has in the Vault. It’s limited. Then you put her in the Wasteland, and what happens? What happens with that? That’s a really exciting place for me to start in.

    Actor Aaron Moten attends 'Fallout' Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Actor Aaron Moten attends ‘Fallout’ Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video.

    Aaron Moten: I play Maximus. He’s part of the Brotherhood of Steel. I guess what excited me was a little bit of what Ella’s talking about — that starting place, and where you go from there. [He’s] a person who’s lived in the Wasteland for his entire life, and he has to have a certain type of moral ambiguity that is forced upon him, living in the world that he lives in. Where do you go from there? How do you hold onto what is your unique, pure self, how does that change, and how do you discover what it is that you want?

    Related Article: Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan and More Feature in the First Images from the ‘Fallout’ TV Adaptation

    6) Who is The Ghoul?

    Walton Goggins as The Ghoul in 'Fallout.'
    Walton Goggins as The Ghoul in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Not able to participate in the press conference, acclaimed actor Walton Goggins (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’) beamed in with a pre-recorded message about his character. Alive since before the war and once known as Cooper Howard, he’s now a mutated bounty hunter called The Ghoul.

    Walton Goggins: The Ghoul is, in some ways, the poet Virgil in ‘Dante’s Inferno.’ He’s the guide, if you will, through this irradiated hellscape where we find ourselves in this post-apocalyptic world. He is a bounty hunter, an iconic bounty hunter. He is pragmatic, he is ruthless, he has his own set of moral codes, and he has a wicked sense of humor — much like me [laughs]. No, he’s a very, very, very complicated guy, and to understand him, you have to understand the person that he was before the war. He had a name. His name was Cooper Howard, and he was a vastly different person than the ghoul that you’ve seen so far. Over the course of the show, through his experience back in the world before the nuclear fallout, you will understand how the world was, and he is the bridge between both these worlds.

    7) The Level of Detail in ‘Fallout’ Is Off The Charts

    Brotherhood of Steel and Vertibirds in 'Fallout.'
    Brotherhood of Steel and Vertibirds in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Both executive producer Todd Howard and star Ella Purnell emphasize that there is an incredible amount of detail and world-building in the show, with Purnell adding that most of the show was done practically instead of digitally, as per the wishes of Jonathan Nolan.

    Todd Howard: The authenticity they brought to it [is] obsessive. We like to say when we make the games that we obsess over every pixel. And Jonah and crew, they obsessed over every pixel [laughs] of every frame, just to make it authentic. The other thing, watching that trailer, the trick with ‘Fallout’ is it has so many different tones. It goes between the serious, the dramatic, and the action, and some humor and nostalgic music and dramatic music…it weaves those different things together in a very unique blend that only ‘Fallout’ can bring, and they’ve done just an awesome job.

    Ella Purnell as Lucy in 'Fallout.'
    Ella Purnell as Lucy in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Ella Purnell: This was so much fun, working on this show. Every shoot is hard, not every shoot is fun, and this one was just so fun for an actor. No two days were the same. Every prop, every costume, every location, every set was just bonkers. One of the joys of working with Jonah is he loves to do everything, as much as he can, for real. So you’re not working with that much green screen or dudes in green leotards. You get to really work with practicals, and you don’t have to imagine so much. It’s real and you can really do it.

    8) The Most Challenging Thing To Get Right

    Power Armor Suits in 'Fallout.'
    Power Armor Suits in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Two completely different aspects of ‘Fallout’ – the physical protective suits known as power armor, worn by the Brotherhood of Steel, and the more elusive overall vibe of the show – are the two elements that Jonathan Nolan cites as difficult to pin down.

    Jonathan Nolan: We talked a lot about the power armor. The tone was a big thing. I think the tone was maybe the most challenging and the most intimidating thing for me. But working with Geneva and Graham, you knew that we were going to be in a really good place with that incredibly ambitious story. On a technical level, the scope of the world and the power armor in particular was one of those things where you go, ‘Oh, how on earth are we going to do that?’ But we got there.

    9) What Sets ‘Fallout’ Apart From a Million Other Shows

    Walton Goggins as The Ghoul in 'Fallout.'
    Walton Goggins as The Ghoul in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    There are tons of shows out there now on many different platforms competing for our eyes, and quite a number of them are actually set in post-apocalyptic landscapes. But ‘Fallout,’ says its creators, is different.

    Geneva Robertson-Dworet: It’s not just the incredible tone, which is, as people have talked about, this unbelievable blend of action and comedy and just weirdness. But I think it’s these incredibly prescient themes, factionalism being maybe the most obvious. When you play the game ‘Fallout,’ you go from settlement to settlement or from faction to faction. That was something we were really excited to manifest with our heroes.

    (L to R) Ella Purnell as Lucy and Kyle MacLachlan as Overseer Hank in 'Fallout.'
    (L to R) Ella Purnell as Lucy and Kyle MacLachlan as Overseer Hank in ‘Fallout.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

    Jonathan Nolan: I think you also have a moment that we’re in right now in which the world seems to be ever more frightening and dour. So [this is] an opportunity for us to work on a show that gets to look that in the eye, right, and we get to talk about the end of the world, but to do it with a sense of humor. I think, honestly, there’s a thread of optimism woven into the show as well, that I think for us, you know, is a bit of expiation to be able to work on this every day.

    10) Pleasing ‘Fallout’ Fans is Not the First Priority

    Actors Aaron Moten, Ella Purnell, and Walton Goggins speak onstage during 'Fallout' Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Actors Aaron Moten, Ella Purnell, and Walton Goggins speak onstage during ‘Fallout’ Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video.

    Video game adaptations are notoriously hard to get right – the filmmakers often try (and fail) to walk a tightrope between servicing the fans of the game and attracting new viewers who couldn’t care less about the game. Jonathan Nolan doesn’t think that’s the right approach.

    Jonathan Nolan: I don’t think you really can set out to please the fans of anything, or please anyone other than yourself. I think you have to come into this trying to make the show that you want to make, and trusting that as fans of the game, we would find the pieces that were essential to us about the games and try to do the best version of those that we can. I think it’s kind of a fool’s errand to try to figure out how to make people happy in that way. You’ve got to make yourself happy. And I’ve made myself very happy with the show.

    Actors Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, and Aaron Moten attend with 'Fallout' Cast and Creators at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Actors Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, and Aaron Moten attend with ‘Fallout’ Cast and Creators at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video.

    What is the Plot of ‘Fallout’?

    The show depicts the aftermath of an apocalyptic nuclear exchange in an alternate history where advances in nuclear technology after WWII led to the emergence of a retrofuturistic society and a subsequent resource war. The survivors took refuge in fallout bunkers known as Vaults, built to preserve humanity in the event of nuclear annihilation. Two centuries later, a young woman (Ella Purnell), a descendant of the original “Vault Dwellers” from one of many Vaults, leaves behind the only life she has ever known to venture out into the dangerously hostile and savage Wasteland of a devastated Los Angeles.

    Who is in the Cast of ‘Fallout’?

     

    Actors Aaron Moten, Ella Purnell, and Walton Goggins speak onstage during 'Fallout' Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Actors Aaron Moten, Ella Purnell, and Walton Goggins speak onstage during ‘Fallout’ Cast and Creators Presentation at The Game Awards at Peacock Theater on December 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video.

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  • Movie Review: ‘Code 8: Part II’

    Robbie Amell as Connor in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    Robbie Amell as Connor in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    On Netflix on Wednesday February 28th, ‘Code 8: Part II’ returns us to the world the fictional Lincoln City, a place where super-powered people are a dispossessed faction facing crackdowns from corrupt police officers and a wider population that either regards them with distrust or outright hatred.

    The first movie, released in 2019, was crowdfunded into existence off the back of an impressive short film. While the new one has increased financial backing from Netflix, it feels smaller scale in some ways, though its focus is sharper. Some of the issues still hold over from the original, however.

    Related Article: Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell Talk Netflix Sequel ‘Code 8: Part II’

    Does ‘Code 8: Part II’ Have Some Power To It?

    Robbie Amell as Connor, and Jean Yoon as Mina in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    (L to R) Robbie Amell as Connor, and Jean Yoon as Mina in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    The first test that the new movie really needs to pass is whether you can enjoy it without having seen the first film. And though we would of course advise watching the original (that film is not perfect, feeling in many ways a recycled take on genre stalwarts such as ‘Blade Runner’, ‘RoboCop’ and particularly ‘X-Men’, but it has some solid entertainment value once you get past that), ‘Part II’ does enough to justify its own existence. And it tells a story that, if it’s not completely distinct from the first by design, is watchable without having a Wikipedia page open in front of you to pick up on any character history etc.

    The opening expositional spiel, a more concise version of the first movie’s helps that, filling in a little extra about what happened in that film and why you should care about Robbie Amell’s gruff Connor.

    Script and Direction

    Robbie Amell as Connor in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    (Center) Robbie Amell as Connor in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Co-written and directed by Jeff Chan (working again with co-writer Chris Pare plus franchise newcomers Sherren Lee and Jesse LaVercombe), ‘Part II’s storyline has a few issues in that it sometimes feels like you’re watching another version of the first movie –– once more Amell’s Connor has someone to worry about who has powers that could help him (last time it was a healer, this time it’s Sirena Gulamgaus’ teenager Pav, whose powers are much more nebulous, and seemingly a convenient plot driver). Stephen Amell’s Garrett, meanwhile, has gone up in the world, building his own drug empire in Lincoln city after his immediate bosses were wiped out last time.

    Yet there’s enough here in the evolution of the world to have some added power –– the police are supposedly using less violent methods (a series of robotic police dogs), but the corruption level among the officers has increased.

    On the direction front, Chan makes a low-budget sci-fi look good, and mostly maintains the feel of the original. The pacing problems of ‘Code 8’ still remain, though; the action is never quite as zippy as it could be and there are stretches where it lags.

    ‘Code 8: Part II’: Performances

    Stephen Amell as Garrett, Robbie Amell as Connor in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    (L to R) Stephen Amell as Garrett, Robbie Amell as Connor in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Robbie Amell continues to put in a decent job as Connor, though he’s not really required to do more than scowl a lot and then stand holding his hand out and straining a bit while the VFX team does the heavy lifting of bringing his electricity powers to life on screen. While he’s not quite got the range of even his cousin (more on him in a moment), he’s certainly up to the task of playing Connor.

    As for Stephen Amell, it’s fun to see him playing more of a villain, and he brings some depth to the role, though Garrett perhaps has a little less to do this time around, since he was more of a focus last time around. But ‘Part II’ certainly offers him enough to bring out a decent performance.

    Stephen Amell as Garrett in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    Stephen Amell as Garrett in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Sirena Gulamgaus treads a fine line as young Pav, managing to be engaging without becoming precocious or annoying. She’s sometimes more a plot point than a character, but the young actor brings her to life effectively.

    Outside of the main trio, you have the likes of ‘Kim’s Convenience’ veteran Jean Yoon, who has some spark as the organizer of a run-down local community center, while a welcome Aaron Abrams returns as police detective Davis from the first movie, here doing his part to investigate his corrupt superiors.

    Final Thoughts

    A scene from 'Code 8: Part II.'
    A scene from ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    The ‘Code 8’ franchise will not win many awards for originality, primarily existing as a mash-up of other, superior sci-fi takes on the encroaching threat of technology, police brutality and how a minority group deals with the prejudices of wider society.

    There’s some fun action to be found, and the effects are solid for a lower-budget piece of entertainment. And as sequels go, it continues the story in decent fashion.

    ‘Code 8: Part II’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the Plot of ‘Code 8: Part II’?

    The film centers around the 4% of people living in fictional Lincoln City who possess special abilities. It follows the journey of a teenage girl (Sirena Gulamgaus) fighting to get justice for her slain brother at the hands of corrupt police officers. After becoming a witness to the cover-up, she becomes a target and enlists the help of an ex-con (Robbie Amell) and his former partner-in-crime (Stephen Amell).

    Who is in the Cast of ‘Code 8: Part II’?

    A scene from 'Code 8: Part II.'
    A scene from ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Stephen Amell Movies:

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  • Movie Review: ‘Spaceman’

    Adam Sandler as Jakub in 'Spaceman.'
    Adam Sandler as Jakub in ‘Spaceman.’ Photo: Larry Horricks/Netflix © 2023.

    Launching on Netflix on Friday, March 1st, ‘Spaceman’ represents Adam Sandler headlining a very different sort of movie, something more along the lines of ‘Solaris’ or ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, but though it reaches for the sort of emotional and intellectual depths explored by those movies, it ends up more stifling than inspiring.

    We’ll still give Sandler credit, though, for trying something different –– which he’s been fully exploring under his deal with Netflix, hopping from the sort of broad comedy that made his cinematic name to coming-of-age stories and animated work.

    Related Article: Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan Talk Director Johan Renck’s ‘Spaceman’

    Does ‘Spaceman’ explore new frontiers?

    Adam Sandler as Jakub in 'Spaceman.'
    Adam Sandler as Jakub in ‘Spaceman.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    Though its director has gone on record to say that ‘Spaceman’ doesn’t fall within the sci-fi genre, the hallmarks are certainly there –– a space exploration mission to a mysterious cloud of particles that has dominated the Earth’s night sky for the last few years. An astronaut (though in the movie, Sandler’s Jakub Prochazka describes himself as a cosmonaut) on a mission where emotional and philosophical issues are discussed. An alien creature.

    But while all of that is worthy of note, none of it really adds up to a truly satisfying experience. True, it doesn’t dig down into the technical minutiae of how the mission works, but the actual storyline for the most part doesn’t get the job done, leading to patches of cod-metaphysical journeys into Jakub’s past.

    Script and Direction

    Johan Renck (Director) and Adam Sandler as Jakub on the set of 'Spaceman.'
    (L to R) Johan Renck (Director) and Adam Sandler as Jakub on the set of ‘Spaceman.’ Photo: Jon Pack/Netflix © 2023.

    While Colby Day’s career has mostly been in the comedy sphere, he’s clearly on something of a speculative fiction kick of late, since as well as adapting Jaroslav Kalfar’s 2017 novel ‘Spaceman of Bohemia’, he’s also worked on original sci-fi script ‘In the Blink of an Eye’, which ‘Wall-E’ director Andrew Stanton is filming right now.

    Day takes the usual streamlining liberties with the book’s story, though it’s mostly faithful to the original. It offers quite the character for Sandler to take on –– Jakub Prochazka is more along the lines of his work in movies such as ‘Punch Drunk Love’ or ‘Uncut Gems’ (though it’s certainly not as intense as that Safdie brothers effort).

    Jakub is a morose, haunted man, one with a painful troubled past and a marriage that is disintegrating –– though it was already on life support even when he was on Earth.

    Hanus (voice by Paul Dano) in Spaceman.'
    Hanus (voice by Paul Dano) in Spaceman.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    On the positive front, the script does have some interesting, satirical things to say about the commercialization of space travel, with Jakub endorsing products and, at one point, required to spout a sponsor’s ad copy before he can use a pivotal part of his ship. And it’s not a joke that is run into the ground. Talking of jokes –– there really are not many in this film, which isn’t designed to be a laugh-fest, but if you’re a fan of classic Sandler, there is at least an early running gag about a toilet on board the ship.

    Director Johan Renck, who has worked on a variety of music videos, commercials, shorts and movies, scored acclaim for ‘Chernobyl’ on the small screen. Here, he brings a retro sensibility to both the spaceship and Earth-set scenes, while the effects team works to make sure that the arachnoid extraterrestrial Jakub meets on his journey doesn’t clash with the chunky, old school ship –– it feels practical and tactile.

    His work with the actors is perhaps less effective; Carey Mulligan in particular feeling like she’s left more adrift than Sandler.

    Performances

    Adam Sandler as Jakub and Carey Mulligan as Lenka in 'Spaceman.'
    (L to R) Adam Sandler as Jakub and Carey Mulligan as Lenka in ‘Spaceman.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    This is very much Sandler’s show, and he brings a heartbroken, deflated power to Jakub. This is a man who is carrying some very heavy weight from his past, both years ago (thanks to his father’s Communist background and fiery fate) and more current (his relationship to Mulligan’s Lenka, which has become distant in more ways than the miles across space).

    The actor has long proved he can handle dramatic roles, though Jakub doesn’t always give him the fuel he needs –– with the film spending chunks of time on silence and imagery that wants to be more meaningful than it is, it doesn’t always do his commitment justice.

    Adam Sandler as Jakub and Carey Mulligan as Lenka in 'Spaceman.'
    (L to R) Adam Sandler as Jakub and Carey Mulligan as Lenka in ‘Spaceman.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    As Lenka, Carey Mulligan does what she can with the role, but her whole character appears to be motivated by her feelings towards her husband and the impending birth of their child. She has little function outside of that, but the actor still proves that she’s one of the best at what she does.

    Paul Dano, meanwhile, is the voice of Hanuš, the spidery alien, eons old, who is fascinated by humanity. Dano brings a pleasingly calm authority to the voice, and makes you feel for the creature almost more than most of the humans in the story.

    Beyond those two, there are small roles for the likes of Isabella Rossellini (as the steely yet compassionate chief of the space program), Kunal Nyyar (playing Peter, who communicates with Jakub from Earth) and Lena Olin as Zdena, Lenka’s mother.

    Final Thoughts

    Adam Sandler as Jakub in 'Spaceman.'
    Adam Sandler as Jakub in ‘Spaceman.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    The movie thinks it has more on its mind than it does, leading to long meditations on marriage and metaphysics that are never as revelatory as it thinks it is.

    Still, it’s a mostly worthy showcase for Sandler and to a lesser degree Dano, even if the rest of the cast feel like they’re following in the two leads’ wake.

    ‘Spaceman’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the Plot of ‘Spaceman’?

    As an astronaut (Adam Sandler) is sent to the edge of the solar system to collect mysterious ancient dust finds his earthly life falling to pieces, he turns to the only voice who can help him try to put it back together. It just so happens to belong to a creature (Paul Dano) from the beginning of time lurking in the shadows of his ship.

    Who is in the Cast of ‘Spaceman’?

    Adam Sandler as Jakub and Hanus in 'Spaceman.'
    (L to R) Adam Sandler as Jakub and Hanus in ‘Spaceman.’ Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

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  • ‘Code 8: Part II’ Interview: Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell

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    Premiering on Netflix February 28th is the sequel to the 2019 sci-fi film ‘Code 8,’ which is entitled ‘Code 8: Part II’ and once again stars Robbie Amell (‘The Flash’) and Stephen Amell (‘Arrow’).

    Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell Talk 'Code 8: Part II.'
    (L to R) Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell Talk ‘Code 8: Part II.’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell about their new sequel, reprising their characters, how they’ve changed since the last movie, working together, collaborating with director Jeff Chan, and robotic dogs.

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

    Robbie Amell as Connor, and Jean Yoon as Mina in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    (L to R) Robbie Amell as Connor, and Jean Yoon as Mina in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Robbie, can you talk about reprising this role and what’s happening with Connor when the new movie begins?

    Robbie Amell: So, our movie picks up five years after ‘Code 8’ part one ends. Connor is just getting out of prison and he’s trying to get back to some semblance of a normal life. Stephen’s character has spent the last five years building a bit of an empire and working with some shady characters. Then after the first 10 minutes of the movie, it’s pretty much a chase movie and it moves fast, and it almost happens in real time. So, it’s tough to give too much away without really jumping right into the story.

    MF: Stephen, what was it like for you to play Garrett again and explore the character more with this sequel?

    Stephen Amell: I think that Jeff Chan, our director and Chris Paré, his writing partner, did a cool job. We really get to dive into Garrett and Connor a little bit more. They wrote us some great, wonderful scenes. There’s a diner scene that is, I think both of our favorites.

    Stephen Amell as Garrett, Robbie Amell as Connor in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    (L to R) Stephen Amell as Garrett, Robbie Amell as Connor in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Robbie, can you talk about that relationship and why Connor doesn’t trust Garrett?

    RA: I mean, they just don’t really see eye to eye in the first movie. Garrett is doing what he thinks is right and Connor is doing what he thinks is right, and I think that’s kind of life. Stephen always says Garrett’s the hero of his own story, and I think that’s true for life. People see themselves as the world’s main character and the hero of the story. In our world, everybody is not out for themselves, but decisions are being made and they’re in a gray area. It’s not necessarily right or wrong or black and white, it’s dependent on who’s making the decision and people do the wrong things for the right reasons and I like that. I think it’s interesting that at the end of the first movie Connor makes a decision that I think a lot of people didn’t agree with. I know a lot of people that did agree with it. I think that’s interesting that it sparks questions and life is about perspective.

    MF: Stephen, what’s it been like for you playing a darker type of character than most audiences are used to seeing you play?

    SA: Listen, I love it. I like being evil. I try to be nice in my real life. So, it’s fun to threaten people and to be evil. It’s a little bit of a release.

    Related Article: ‘Arrow’ Star Stephen Amell to Lead the Cast of Spin-Off ‘Suits L.A.’

    Stephen Amell as Garrett in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    Stephen Amell as Garrett in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Stephen, can you talk about having the opportunity to act opposite your cousin in these films?

    SA: Working with Robbie is great. I’ve learned a lot. I used to get very much in my head when it came to acting. Then I saw Rob and he had this very practical approach and that’s helped me in my career a lot to try to emulate him a little bit.

    MF: Robbie, what’s it been like for you making these movies with Stephen and sharing this experience?

    RA: It’s awesome. I mean, there’s nothing better than working with family and friends and you always hope that you have chemistry with the person you’re working opposite. When it’s family, you know you have that. Steve, he knows how to get under my skin, but he also knows how to make me laugh and he can twist the knife better than anybody. We’re so lucky and it’s not only with Steve, but the entire crew is also back from part one for part two. Everybody takes a lot of pride and ownership in this movie, and I think that’s really the reason for its success.

    A scene from 'Code 8: Part II.'
    A scene from ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Robbie, can you also talk about the robot dogs you fight in the movie and were those done with practical or visual effects?

    RA: So, Jeff and Chris, they do a ton of research before they start writing these movies. For this, there was a lot of looking at the Boston Dynamics and those dogs that have already been made. But there’s a lot of these YouTube videos about these incredible robotic dogs and they were like, “We got to use these.” It feels like it’s just around the corner. The dogs, when we were shooting, you had a guy in a green suit with a light on his head. We built a practical dog, but it couldn’t move and then sometimes there was nothing. So, you would do the scene multiple times and a lot of it is just for reference for our amazing visual effects company who then come in and put it in aftereffects. Our visual effects team is unbelievable, and they take so much pride and effort into what goes on screen.

    MF: Stephen, what was it like working with director Jeff Chan and watching him execute his vision for this movie?

    SA: Jeff is incredibly prepared. Rob was saying earlier that every scene that we do, he comes in with a very clear vision, but best idea wins. So, he’s a great director, works wonderfully with the actors. I can’t say enough good things about him.

    Robbie Amell as Connor in 'Code 8: Part II.'
    Robbie Amell as Connor in ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Robbie, what was your experience like collaborating with Jeff Chan on set?

    RA: I mean he’s really the driving force behind ‘Code 8.’ He lives and breathes it and he comes in like Steve said, so prepared, but he’s also very open and malleable to how it’s going to work on the day and the best way. He’s got no ego for a guy whose kind of built this from a short film to a Netflix sequel and the whole crew, the whole cast, we’re just very lucky. We got great people.

    MF: Finally, are you open to the idea of making a ‘Code 8: Part III’?

    RA: Hey man, if people turn out we’ll make a third one.

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    What is the Plot of ‘Code 8: Part II’?

    The film centers around the 4% of people living in fictional Lincoln City who possess special abilities. It follows the journey of a teenage girl (Sirena Gulamgaus) fighting to get justice for her slain brother at the hands of corrupt police officers. After becoming a witness to the cover-up, she becomes a target and enlists the help of an ex-con (Robbie Amell) and his former partner-in-crime (Stephen Amell).

    Who is in the Cast of ‘Code 8: Part II’?

    A scene from 'Code 8: Part II.'
    A scene from ‘Code 8: Part II.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Stephen Amell Movies:

    Buy Stephen Amell Movies On Amazon

  • ‘Parallel’ Exclusive Interview: Aldis Hodge

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    Opening in theaters and On Demand February 27th is the new sci-fi thriller ‘Parallel,’ which was written, produced and stars Aldis Hodge (‘Black Adam’) and his brother Edwin Hodge (‘Bumblebee’). The film also stars Danielle Deadwyler (‘Till’) and was directed by Kourosh Ahari (‘The Night’).

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Aldis Hodge about his work on ‘Parallel,’ developing the screenplay, creating a realistic multiverse, playing multiple versions of his character, working with his brother, and Danielle Deadwyler’s strong performance.

    Aldis Hodge in 'Parallel.'
    Aldis Hodge in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

    The actor also discussed his possible future in James Gunn’s new DC Universe, confirmed that he is not in talks to play Green Lantern John Stewart, and looks back at playing Hawkman in ‘Black Adam.’

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Aldis Hodge, Edwin Hodge, and director Kourosh Ahari.

    Aldis Hodge talks 'Parallel.'
    Aldis Hodge talks ‘Parallel.’

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about developing the screenplay, the themes you wanted to explore, and creating a realistic multiverse?

    Aldis Hodge: It’s weird, we didn’t even think about the term multiverse, and now, it’s becoming more and more apparent to me that that’s exactly what we were doing. We were just working based off the original film ‘Parallel Forest,’ the Chinese version that we saw, that we were inspired by, and it really came down to the complexities of the relationships. The way they approached it in the original film, I think that they had a genius approach to the emotional depth and subtleties there. We just wanted to do our version of that, but in a way, something that paid homage, or honored the original film, and how it inspired us. The film was brought to my brother and I by Jaylen Moore, from Rumble Riot. Jaylen is a good buddy of ours, and he brought us a really great opportunity, then introduced us to Jonathon Keasey, who was another writer on the project. My brother and I, we got up and we talked to John, and the process between my brother and I, going back and forth, was easy. We know how we work; we just want to get the job done. We had the same goal, the same intention moving forward with this project. Anytime you’re working on anything with anybody, if it’s your family, your partner, your business partners, if everybody has the same goal in mind, everybody has a different route to get there, but if you have the same goal in mind, you’re going to get there. Where my brother had a different approach to certain things, that opened my mind to being able to see different options, and where I had a different approach to certain things, that opened his mind, and we just complimented each other on the journey. I call this a great education. This was school for us, and it was wonderful.

    Aldis Hodge and Edwin Hodge in 'Parallel.'
    (L to R) Aldis Hodge and Edwin Hodge in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

    MF: What was it like for you to get write, produce and act in this project with your brother and really share this experience with him?

    AH: This was our first time as writers and producers, but we’ve acted together in many projects before, from ‘Sesame Street,’ when we were kids, to ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance,’ to ‘Big Momma’s House.’ We’ve done ‘Showboat,’ we did a run of ‘Showboat’ on Broadway for a long time together. We’re used to working with each other, and we’ve always been looking forward to getting an opportunity to work together again. Here, we just learned a lot on the producing side, how to manage a team, how to really stay in your lane, and figure out how to get people to understand how to approach you, and how to see you. For us, that was the new experience, where we were learning together, and we would go home and just talk about it. We’d talk about the day, and figure out, “All right, this didn’t go so well over here. How do we want to attack that tomorrow? This went right, and how do we keep it going well?” It was constant check-ins, and making sure that we were up to date on everything that we needed to get done.

    Aldis Hodge in 'Parallel.'
    Aldis Hodge in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

    MF: Can you talk about the first version of Alex that we see in this movie, his relationship with his wife Vanessa, and how he is dealing with her grief?

    AH: Alex number one? I don’t want to give away the cookies, but he is a grieving husband. Him and his wife are dealing with a situation they can’t control. He doesn’t really know how to deal with her, or handle her on it, so he’s just trying to figure it out. He’s at a loss as well, and he is hurting in a way where he needs somebody to be there for him, but he needs to be there for somebody else, and he must figure out what that balance is. He’s going through it, but the relationship between him and Vanessa is very much layered. It’s not easy, because there’s a lot of doubt, a lot of blame, a lot of guilt that they’re dealing with as husband and wife, and they don’t know how to get back to being husband and wife. They’re lost in their grief, and it becomes suffocating.

    Danielle Deadwyler in 'Parallel.'
    Danielle Deadwyler in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

    MF: What was it like working with Danielle Deadwyler and building that relationship with her?

    AH: She’s amazing, man. I keep repeating myself, but she was a gift, and she blessed us with her gifts, and I’m just so grateful. For my brother and I’s first time out, venturing into this space, rookies, we couldn’t have gotten luckier having somebody with this talent of this magnitude, and being able to come with so much humility, grace, poise, and just kindness. She’s a sweet person, a sweetheart, and she just also happens to be very brilliant at what she does, so we were very lucky. She’s a rockstar, you know what I mean? Again, we got lucky.

    Aldis Hodge and Danielle Deadwyler in 'Parallel.'
    (L to R) Aldis Hodge and Danielle Deadwyler in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

    MF: Can you talk about the challenges of playing multiple versions of the same character, and was there one version that you really enjoyed playing?

    AH: That is the challenge, and that’s the thing that drew me to it. That’s the biggest opportunity presented as an actor, from just that isolated lane, being able to figure out how to, in the same space, in the same film, make these several different people, and make them as obviously different as possible. That’s really where the fun lies, because for me, I just chose different emotional groups, and applied them to different versions, to say, “You represent this, and you represent that.” It was the easiest way, because I’m not going to lie, there were some days where I’ll be on set, and I’d get confused. I’m like, “Which version am I playing now?” Someone is like, “Didn’t you write it?” I’m like, “Yeah, I wrote it, but don’t worry about it. Help me figure it out.” I wanted to make sure that I got that right, because just in my career, that’s always been something that I aim for. To play a bunch of different roles as varied and vast as possible and have such a body of work that is just so diverse it cannot be compared or quantified in any similar space, and this is as obvious of an opportunity, and a challenge to do so. I was happy about that. I didn’t have a favorite, but the idea of Alex is just my favorite because the thing that I loved about this was playing the differences, being able to challenge myself with having to be as familiar and equally unique in the same space as possible. I look at films as opportunities to go to the gym, flex my muscles a little bit, and to work out. For this film, what I was trying to work out, or work on was, how sharp and distinct can I be when it comes to really trying to build out this whole person? Usually, you’re on set, you only must worry about playing one person. Even if they’re pretending to be somebody else, it’s still the same person. You only must worry about one perspective. This one, you have a few very different versions, with very different perspectives, and I just wanted to make sure I hit that as much as possible. It’s really the whole idea of Alex that is my favorite.

    'Green Lantern: Beware My Power.'
    ‘Green Lantern: Beware My Power.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Animation.

    MF: Recently there was an online rumor that you might play Green Lantern John Stewart in the new DCU. Is that true? Have you had any talks with James Gunn or DC Studios about it, and would that mean that you won’t return as Hawkman?

    AH: I want to set the record straight. I was doing an interview, and someone asked me about my future in DC. I told them, I don’t know, because that’s above my pay grade. They asked me if I wasn’t coming back to reprise my role as Hawkman, is there anybody else I’d want to be? “What about John Stewart?” I said, well, I’ve been voicing John Stewart in the animated space for a few years now. I always had an affinity for that character, and I think that would be cool, but I’m not having conversations about it. Someone asked me, and I just said, yeah, that would be a cool idea. If that was on their mind, and they picked up the phone, I’d be open to it. Again, that’s above my pay grade. You’re going to have to go talk to DC about that. Ain’t nobody called me about nothing, so we can calm that chatter right there.

    Related Article: Dwayne Johnson Talks ‘Black Adam’ and Why He Wanted to Play the Character

    Aldis Hodge as Hawkman in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Black Adam.'
    Aldis Hodge as Hawkman in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Black Adam,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, looking back at your role as Hawkman in ‘Black Adam’ and making that movie, was it a positive experience for you personally?

    AH: Honestly, it was one of the best sets I’ve ever worked on. The cast was incredible. I have so many great memories from that film, from that film family. Shout outs to everybody. Honestly, we had a great time. DJ (Dwayne Johnson) is great, him and his whole camp are great. I miss my people, from Noah (Centineo) to Quintessa (Swindell) to Mr. Pierce Brosnan, the coolest brother in the room, Mo (Mohammed Amer), and Sarah Shahi. Everybody was dope on that set. I’m happy that we got a chance to get at it, because it was one of the best experiences of my career.

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    What is the Plot of ‘Parallel’?

    Parallel follows the story of Vanessa (Danielle Deadwyler) who takes refuge at her family’s lake house to grieve after suffering the loss of her child. Accompanied by her husband, Alex (Aldis Hodge), and his brother, Martel (Edwin Hodge), Vanessa attempts to regain her sense of normalcy after the tragedy. But soon after their arrival, she experiences an aberration when she is attacked by a parallel universe’s version of herself. Faced with the reality that multiverses exist, she must reconcile the fact that these parallel gates will either hold the key to releasing her grief or trapping her forever.

    Who is in the Cast of ‘Parallel’?

    • Danielle Deadwyler as Vanessa
    • Aldis Hodge as Alex
    • Edwin Hodge as Martel
    Aldis Hodge, Danielle Deadwyler and Edwin Hodge in 'Parallel.'
    (L to R) Aldis Hodge, Danielle Deadwyler and Edwin Hodge in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Parallel’:

    Buy Aldis Hodge Movies on Amazon

     

  • Movie Review: ‘Dune: Part Two’

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    In theaters March 1st is ‘Dune: Part Two,’ starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Léa Seydoux, Javier Bardem, and Christopher Walken.

    Related Article: Denis Villeneuve says a Third ‘Dune’ Movie Should be His “Last”

    Initial Thoughts

    Just when you thought that director Denis Villeneuve couldn’t make a bigger science fiction epic than 2021’s ‘Dune’ (aka ‘Dune: Part One’), he completes his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel in spectacular, often mind-blowing fashion. Everything about ‘Dune: Part Two’ expands the scope of the story, which can be confusing from time to time but still manages to be both rousing and unsettling.

    Story and Direction

    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    At the end of ‘Dune: Part One,’ the House Atreides – stewards of the planet Arrakis and its valuable, consciousness-altering ‘spice’ – was destroyed and Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) murdered by the grotesque Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his evil minions. Only Leto’s son Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Paul’s mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) have seemingly survived, fleeing into the desert where they fall into the hands of the planet’s Indigenous people, the Fremen.

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ picks up these story strands immediately, and as a result it might take you a bit of the first act to get up to speed (a quick rewatch of the first movie might help as well). As Paul and his mother learn the ways of the Fremen, and Paul grows close to a Fremen warrior named Chani (Zendaya), the Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) grows more and more convinced that Paul is the messiah of the Fremen people foretold by an ancient prophecy.

    What Stilgar doesn’t know — or denies — is that the prophecy was seeded on Arrakis by the Bene Gesserit, an all-female religious order that has practiced selective breeding for eons to produce the messiah, known to the Bene Gesserit as the Kwisatz Haderach. Beset by increasingly dire visions thanks to his consumption of spice, Paul does not want to embrace the role seemingly given to him: not only does he know that his mother, a member of the Bene Gesserit, was involved in the order’s machinations, but he sees a future in which his leadership leads to billions of deaths across the universe.

    Dave Bautista as “Beast” Rabban Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Dave Bautista as “Beast” Rabban Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    At the same time, as the Fremen under Paul’s leadership strike the Harkonnens’ operations and bring spice production to a standstill, the Emperor of the Universe (Christopher Walken) puts pressure on Baron Harkonnen to find the Fremen leader and destroy him. Frustrated with his nephew Rabban’s (Dave Bautista) failed attempts, Harkonnen enlists his other nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), a psychotic human malignancy who intends to destroy Paul and the Fremen with him, with higher ambitions on his diseased mind as well.

    The summary above doesn’t even quite scratch the surface of the complexity of the story in ‘Dune: Part Two,’ and if this massively immersive and entertaining film does have a flaw, it’s probably that the movie occasionally suffers from some pacing and editing issues that can make the plot confusing from time to time. But this is a relatively minor issue: ‘Dune: Part Two’ and its mix of far future sci-fi, mysticism, political intrigue, and ecological themes is gripping from the start.

    Like the novel itself (a dense, multilayered read), the screen version of ‘Dune’ doesn’t operate on simple levels of good and evil. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides is truly conflicted about the future he sees for himself and the universe, and only a series of shocking revelations toward the end of the film push him to finally accept his destiny – but when he does, there are unsettling hints that the Fremen and the Bene Gesserit should have been careful what they wished for all these centuries.

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    In the end, even though it’s set more than 8,000 years in the future (when humankind now lives among the stars), ‘Dune’ can depressingly remind us that even millennia from now, the human race could still be subject to the same weaknesses and actions that seemingly doom us now: insatiable greed, lust for power, hedonistic impulses that border on the depraved, and our apparently indefatigable urge to subjugate not just other humans but the very world we share and live on (some sequences chillingly echo events happening in the world today).

    But don’t get us wrong: this is a sober, grandiose film, but not a somber meditation on the evils of men. ‘Dune: Part Two’ is at its heart a space opera, and a magnificent one. The viewer is completely drawn into the world of Arrakis and the other planets from the first frame. There has perhaps never been a science fiction film that so completely transports the viewer across time and space like this one (and its predecessor) does.

    Villeneuve’s direction is assured throughout – even if certain plots strands aren’t quite as fleshed out as they should be – aided by Greig Fraser’s cinematography, the sound and production design, and Hans Zimmer’s powerful score. The battles are staged on a massive scale, and if you enjoyed your glimpse of the sandworms in the first movie, you’ll get your money’s worth here. This is a film that demands to be seen on the big screen, even in its most surreal, intimate moments.

    A Cast To Be Reckoned With

    Zendaya as Chani and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Zendaya as Chani and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Much of the cast of ‘Dune: Part One’ returns for the sequel, with the notable exceptions of Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa, both of whose characters died in the first film. As Paul, Timothée Chalamet truly comes into his own just as the character does; the scenes in which Paul accepts that he is the ’Lisan al-Gaib’ (the Fremen terms for ‘offworld messiah’) are absolutely electric. Chalamet sells both Paul’s physical prowess and expanding mental abilities with gravitas and strength.

    Just as electrifying is Rebecca Ferguson, who excels in film after film (see her in ‘Doctor Sleep’ sometime) and yet doesn’t seem to get the recognition she constantly deserves. Her Lady Jessica also undergoes a transformation of her own here, although on a different level than that of her son, and Ferguson portrays this powerful woman with nuance and subtlety.

    Javier Bardem’s Stilgar is considerably fleshed out in this film, both as a passionate follower in the grip of religious fervor and as a surprisingly and welcome harbinger of some sly comic relief. Zendaya’s Chani also gets more to do this time, with the character both softening as she slowly falls for Paul and yet hardening at the same time as she realizes what his ascent could portend for Arrakis.

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    The new addition to the cast who will undoubtedly get quite a lot of ink is Austin Butler, fresh off his Oscar win for ‘Elvis’ and going in a completely different direction here, with his pale, corpse-like pallor, completely hairless head, and black, soulless eyes. Feyd-Rautha is so vicious that his brother Rabban and his uncle Baron Harkonnen – not to mention Emperor Shaddam IV (played as an exhausted yet still merciless tyrant by Christopher Walken) – are rightly afraid of him, and Butler projects a reptilian cold-bloodedness that is unnerving.

    All the other returning and new players in the star-studded ensemble – Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Josh Brolin, and more – have smaller roles but all bring their A-game. Long gone are the days when science fiction movies didn’t demand top-notch acting all around.

    Final Thoughts

    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Timothee Chalamet on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Timothee Chalamet on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    As directors like Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan, Alex Garland, and others push both original sci-fi projects and adaptations of landmark genre works to the screen, we may be living in a mini-Golden Age for science fiction cinema. And with ‘Arrival,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and now both parts of ‘Dune’ taking up much of his last decade of work, Villeneuve is unquestionably leading the charge with more to come (‘Dune: Part Two’ ends on a note that all but confirms that he will complete the tale with ‘Dune Messiah’).

    With ‘Dune’ especially, not only does he respect the source material and is largely faithful to it, but he understands why the story itself has hung around for decades: it has a mythological potency and universal themes even as it expands our view of what the far future could look like. The entire ‘Dune’ project is serious filmmaking that embraces the scale and depth of a genre that wasn’t taken very seriously by Hollywood for years. ‘Dune: Part Two’ will challenge you intellectually and emotionally — even as its colossal and often genuinely weird imagery blows your mind clear out of your skull.

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    With the planet Arrakis and its valuable spice now firmly in the grip of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his depraved minions, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) seek revenge against the Harkonnens for the destruction of the Atreides family. Striking from the hidden depths of the desert alongside the planet’s native people, the Fremen, Paul also begins to realize that he may be the powerful leader foretold in ancient prophecies.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    • Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
    • Zendaya as Chani
    • Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
    • Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
    • Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
    • Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
    • Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen
    • Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
    • Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring
    • Javier Bardem as Stilgar
    • Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV
    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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  • James Cameron Says He Has Ideas for ‘Avatar’ 6 & 7

    Director James Cameron for 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Director James Cameron for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    Preview:

    • James Cameron has talked about the future of ‘Avatar’.
    • He is working on the third now and has ideas for sixth and seventh entries.
    • The third movie is due in theaters in 2025.

    James Cameron is still going full speed ahead on his ‘Avatar’ franchise. The sci-fi films, whose first two entries sit on the list of the first and third highest-grossing movies of all time, have sequels planned for years to come, with the third currently being shepherded through post-production.

    And now, talking to People magazine at the Saturn Awards, Cameron has talked up the even further potential future of the movies.

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    James Cameron talks future ‘Avatar’ movies.

    James Cameron, Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, Achievement in Directing and Best Adapted Screenplay for ÒAvatar," arrives with his wife Suzy Amis at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, March 7, 2010.
    James Cameron, Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, Achievement in Directing and Best Adapted Screenplay for ÒAvatar,” arrives with his wife Suzy Amis at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S.

    Cameron is clearly committed to making more movies, but even he has his limits.

    This is what he told the magazine about future entries…

    “We’re fully written through movie five, and I’ve got ideas for six and seven, although I’ll probably be handing the baton on at that point. I mean, mortality catches up. But I mean, we’re enjoying what we’re doing. We’re loving it. We get to work with great people.”

    Given that Cameron will be 76 by the time the fifth movie hits theaters, not to mention the long production process each entry requires, he’d likely be into his 80s by the time a sixth or seventh movie arrived.

    Which is not to say he won’t somehow find a way to download his consciousness into a robotic body (though that might get a little too close to ‘Terminator’ for comfort) and keep going.

    Still, Cameron has shown willingness to hand over projects in the past –– he was developing ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ for years but had Robert Rodriguez direct it as he was focusing on ‘Avatar’s sequels. So we’re sure he’s already started the process of looking for an heir to the ‘Avatar’ empire.

    James Cameron on why he keeps making ‘Avatar’ movies

    Jake Sully and Neteyam in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    (L to R): Jake Sully and Neteyam in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Cameron was his typically candid self when addressing the issue of fan concerns that he’s effectively dedicated the rest of his life to one franchise (even if the movies themselves do end up being wildly successful). He referenced other famous movie and TV series as his explanation.

    Here’s what he said:

    “People are always asking us, ‘So why did you just keep working in the same…’ Why did Lucas keep working in the same thing? Why did Roddenberry keep working in the same thing? Because when you connect with people, why would you squander that? Why would you start over with something else that might not connect?”

    When will the next ‘Avatar’ movies be in theaters?

    ‘Avatar 3’ is set to be released on December 19th, 2025. The fourth is scheduled for December 21st, 2029, and ‘Avatar 5’ on December 19th, 2031.

    James Cameron (left) and Ivan Reitman (right) during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Oscar¨ Nominees Luncheon Beverly Hills, California, Monday, February 2, 2009.
    James Cameron (left) and Ivan Reitman (right) during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscar¨ Nominees Luncheon Beverly Hills, California, Monday, February 2, 2009. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S.

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  • Timothy Olyphant Joins the ‘Alien’ TV Series

    (Left) Timothy Olyphant in FX's 'Justified.' (Right) 2012's 'Prometheus.'
    (Left) Timothy Olyphant in FX’s ‘Justified.’ (Right) 2012’s ‘Prometheus.’

    Preview:

    • Timothy Olyphant will reunite with ‘Fargo’s Noah Hawley for his ‘Alien’ TV series.
    • The show will resume filming early next year.
    • On the big screen front, Cailee Spaeny has offered an update on Fede Alvarez’ ‘Alien’ movie.

    Not content with ‘Fargo’ returning for a fifth season, Noah Hawley has been working on his ‘Alien’ prequel TV series for cable channel FX.

    And it appears he’s recruited someone who has previously on the darkly comic crime series, as Timothy Olyphant is, according to Deadline, set to take one of the lead roles.

    Olyphant, of course, appeared in Season 4 of ‘Fargo’, playing Dick ‘Deafy’ Wickware.

    Related Article: Fede Alvarez’s ‘Alien’ Movie Gets Seal Of Approval From Ridley Scott

    What’s the Story of the ‘Alien’ Series?

    Prometheus Alien
    2012’s ‘Prometheus.’

    So far, very few details have been revealed about the new show. We do know that it’ll factor into the main ‘Alien’ storyline (so has no connection to the ‘Alien Vs. Predator’ movies, which were set on Earth and closer to present day) but located on Earth and taking place roughly 70 years in the future.

    Thanks to the Deadline story, we now know that Olyphant is reportedly playing Kirsh, a synth who acts as a mentor and trainer for Sydney Chandler’s Wendy who is a hybrid, a meta-human who has the brain and consciousness of a child but the body of an adult. We’d caution that no official confirmation has arrived for that.

    Who Else is in the ‘Alien’ Series?

    Timothy Olyphant with feet up
    Timothy Olyphant in FX’s ‘Justified.’

    Olyphant joins a cast that also includes Alex Lawther as a soldier named CJ, Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier, a CEO, as well as Essie Davis as Dame Silvia, Adarsh Gourav as Slightly and Kit Young as Tootles.

    And just now, Deadline also reported that fellow ‘Fargo’ veteran (albeit from the current fifth season) David Rysdahl is also aboard for an unknown role.

    What’s Happening with the ‘Alien’ Series?

    Ridley Scott on the set of 1979's 'Alien.'
    Ridley Scott on the set of 1979’s ‘Alien.’

    With ‘Alien’ director (and franchise overseer) Ridley Scott giving his stamp of approval as executive producer, the series kicked off shooting in Thailand on July 19th, just four days into the actors’ strike.

    It initially got around the SAG-AFTRA shutdown film utilizing members of the cast who are affiliated with the British actors’ union Equity. But after a little more than a month, it had to stop.

    Now, Hawley and his team will apparently gear the cameras back up in early 2024.

    ‘Alien’ On the Big Screen

    Cailee Spaeny in 'Priscilla.'
    (L to R) Cailee Spaeny in ‘Priscilla.’ Credit: Sabrina Lantos.

    Our TV screens are not the only places those crafty xenomorphs are invading. Fede Alvarez has been hard at work on ‘Alien: Romulus’, the latest movie in the franchise.

    Now, according to lead Cailee Spaeny (who was back on the press circuit for ‘Priscilla’), we now know when the movie will take place.

    Here’s what Spaeny told Variety:

    “It’s supposed to slot in between the first movie and the second movie. They brought the same team from ‘Aliens,’ the James Cameron film. The same people who built those xenomorphs actually came on and built ours. So, getting to see the original design with the original people who have been working on these films for 45-plus years and has been so much of their life has been really incredible.”

    ‘Alien: Romulus’ will be in theaters on August 16 next year.

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  • ‘The Creator’ Interview: Director Gareth Edwards

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    Opening in theaters on September 29th is the new sci-fi action thriller ‘The Creator,’ which was directed by Gareth Edwards (‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,’ ‘Godzilla’).

    What is the plot of ‘The Creator’?

    Amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua (John David Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).

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    Who is in the cast of ‘The Creator’?

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Gareth Edwards about his work on ‘The Creator,’ what fans can expect from the new movie, the themes of AI that he wanted to explore, the friendship Joshua and Alfie form, and working with actors John David Washington and Madeleine Yuna Voyles.

    'The Creator' director Gareth Edwards.
    ‘The Creator’ director Gareth Edwards.

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

    Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to audiences sitting down to watch this film to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?

    Gareth Edwards: If They’ve already decided to go and they bought their ticket, I would say nothing at all. If they haven’t, I would say, it’s very hard to talk about a film without doing any spoilers whatsoever. I’d just say, “It’s not what you think It’s going to be.” The title of this movie, when we were making it, was called ‘True Love.’ It’s a very emotional journey, I hope. That is the thing. The thing I’m most hearing about now as we’re starting to show the film to people, is how they are surprised about how they were affected, emotionally, watching the film. I mean, I love robots and explosions and spaceships, and that’s why I started making the film, but it’s all for nothing if it doesn’t give you the feels.

    A still on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'The Creator.'
    A still on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Creator.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Related Article: ‘The Creator’ Trailer

    MF: Can you talk about developing the story and the themes of Artificial intelligence that you wanted to explore with this movie?

    GE: I think when you sit down and go, “I want to make a movie about prejudice,” or whatever the theme is, if you do that, you’re going to make a terrible film. You lock onto something that super interests you. For me, it was the idea of, essentially, if you’ve seen the materials, there’s a little AI child at the heart of this movie. John David Washington’s character is essentially sent to kill it. He can win the war and save humanity if he just kills this kid. In the process of taking the kid to be assassinated, he starts to question everything he believes and gets very torn, and everyone is pursuing them and all those things. When you land on something that interests you like that, as you’re writing it, it starts to tell you what the theme is. You get themes about prejudice and about xenophobia or whatever, and then you try to help that, like a child who grows up and tells you what it wants to be when it’s older. It’s like a story does that too. You try to encourage it. But I hate films that preach to you and I love films with gray morally. I am going to be fascinated what people think when they come out and how it makes them feel about AI and everything, because I try to take people on quite a journey and I’m not sure everyone fully appreciates. I think they think they know what the movie’s going to do and I hope it doesn’t do that.

    John David Washington as Joshua and Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie in 20th Century Studios' 'The Creator.'
    (L to R) John David Washington as Joshua and Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Creator.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about the very “human relationship” that Joshua and Alfie form together and creating that chemistry with John David Washington and Madeleine Yuna Voyles?

    GE: Yeah, it was super important that the two of them had that chemistry. It was fundamental to the entire movie. Madeleine, she is beyond her years. She’s like a reincarnated brilliant actress from some other era, I think, because a six-year-old girl should not be able to do that kind of performance she did. Basically, she’s very introverted. You know what I mean? She’s very shy, and so it was hard to get into her bubble and become a friend of hers. She keeps everyone at a distance in a good way. Also, we were in the middle of nowhere in the jungles of Thailand shooting this movie. I couldn’t blame her. But then John David worked really hard to become her best friend and he cracked it. It was really hilarious to watch, because when you do a take and an actor needs to stay in the zone, they’re doing something emotional or something, and what happens, you say, “Cut,” and they go off into the corner and they won’t talk to anyone. They need their little space. He would go off into the corner. Madeleine would just get up, follow him, hold his hand, and start talking about some toy she really liked at home and that she played with, or tell him some random story, the way kids do, that’s completely just something only a kid can say. You’d be hearing this cracking up. John David was such a nice guy. He’d lean down and talk to her, and play, and get all enthusiastic with her. He became her big brother and best friend. They had had a long period of not seeing each other. It was her birthday the other week. We went to Disneyland with her and with John David. Her eyes, just the whole day, it was like she’d been reunited with her best mate. It was beautiful.

    Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie, Gemma Chan as Maya, and Director Gareth Edwards on the set of 20th Century Studios' 'The Creator.'
    (L to R) Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie, Gemma Chan as Maya, and Director Gareth Edwards on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Creator.’ Photo by Glen Milner. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

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    ‘The Creator’ is produced by New Regency Pictures, 20th Century Studios, McFarland Entertainment, and Entertainment One, and will be in theaters on September 29th.

     

  • ‘Invasion’ Season 2 Interview: Director Alik Sakharov

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    Premiering on Apple TV+ on August 23rd is the second season of the popular sci-fi series ‘Invasion,’ which was created by Simon Kinberg (‘Dark Phoenix’) and David Well (‘Hunters’).

    ‘Invasion’ Season 1 Recap

    An alien invasion is seen through the different perspectives of various people on different continents across the world.

    What is the plot of ‘Invasion’ season 2?

    Season 2 picks up just months after the events of season 1, with the aliens escalating their attacks in an all-out war against the humans. As the aliens continue their land grab, pockets of resistance across the world join the World Defense Coalition searching for ways to destroy the enemy, including the grassroots vigilante alien hunters, The Movement, and the experiments being done at the Alien Research Facility.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Invasion’ season 2?

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure speaking with director Alik Sakharov (‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Witcher’) about his work on season 2 of ‘Invasion,’ where he directed the first three episode as well as episode five. Sakharov discussed the pressure of joining a series in the second season, how his previous work as a cinematographer informs his work as a director, the most challenging aspect of directing ‘Invasion,’ and bringing something fresh to the genre.

    Shioli Kutsuna in 'Invasion,' premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Shioli Kutsuna in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.

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

    Moviefone: To begin with, as a director, when you join a series that is already in progress, do you feel pressure to continue the success of the show, or is that something that you’ve gotten use to at this point in your career?

    Alik Sakharov: I don’t think I had the pressure, to be honest with you. I mean, as a seasoned pro, I didn’t feel pressure. I just felt responsibility of delivering good product. I had a very wonderful set of meetings with Simon Kinberg, and (executive producer) Audrey Chon, and with Apple executives. I felt, it was a wonderful dynamic, if you will, it was very friendly atmosphere, and very encouraging. Obviously, I read the scripts beforehand. So, we started talking about concept, about this and that, and the design, and it all felt very natural. The reason why it felt natural to me is because, although it’s sci-fi, it’s based on character and based on drama. It’s based on very important universal things that virtually everyone can relate to. We’re talking about, if Anisha is on the run with her kids, trying to protect them and save them, then we understand what that is. So the universality of it is very palatable and very palpable. So, relating to it wasn’t very complicated. For me personally, it was great to have this drama against the sweeping backdrop of this huge canvas of aliens invading.

    Golshifteh Farahani in 'Invasion,' premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Golshifteh Farahani in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    MF: You began your career as a cinematographer, how does that experience inform your work as a director?

    AS: To answer your question, as a director of photography, coming to directing, is really, for me, a crucial thing, because you understand the language, you understand how to tell the story, by way of where the camera is going to be. It’s not to say that every director has to do that, not at all. But, most accomplished directors that I really respect, Stanley Kubrick, David Fincher, the Coen Brothers, Christopher Nolan, they understand what lenses can do. They understand what photography can do. So, you don’t usually want to give way for someone to set up the shot. You either bring them on board, the director of photography, the camera operators, and discuss what needs to get accomplished, as opposed to just farming it all out, because then, you’re immediately losing a bit of the language that you’ve been designing to tell the story. So, very important to engage everybody, to bring everybody together, and to set shots up, such that, everyone’s happy. So usually, I know exactly what the lens is going to be. I know exactly what the camera angle is going to be. I don’t try to be fascistic about it, but I would suggest where it would be, and then I’d say to my crew, “Guys, go crazy. Enhance it. Make it great.” So, everyone participates in it, and finds their own, and they’re all fulfilled. That’s, to me, key to a great collaboration on set. So, if I communicate my ideas to the director of photography and he communicates his ideas to his lighting crew, and grip department, and his camera operator, and then we’re all discussing how it’s going to resolve itself on the screen, then the resulting image, or images, or set of storylines through visuals can invoke some reaction from you as a viewer. So if the camera is too high, you go, “Guys, the camera is too high.” If the verticals are not correct, you go, “Verticals are not correct.” If the camera is too low, “It’s too expressive. Let’s bring it up to the human perspective.” You have to choose all those things. You have to, not dictate it, but propose it, such that, it’s much more humanized.

    Related Article: Director Cory Finley Talks ‘Landscape with Invisible Hand’

    Cache Vanderpuye, India Brown and Louis Toghill in 'Invasion,' premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Cache Vanderpuye, India Brown and Louis Toghill in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    MF: ‘Invasion’ is a series that is very large in scope and told from several different perspectives. How did your work on shows like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Rome’ prepare you to direct this series?

    AS: Well, because of the scope, I could see why you are comparing it to ‘Game of Thrones.’ But, I mean, I was involved in big scope shows like ‘Rome’ for instance, and ‘Marco Polo’ for instance. Those are very scopey shows. I mean, the dictate of this particular show, of this particular parameters is grand scale. So, you need to approach it in grand scale. It’s not so much a TV mentality. You have to approach it like a cinematic event, because of the cinematic event, it could be compared to these shows that you’re proposing.

    Azhy Robertson, Tara Moayedi and Golshifteh Farahani in 'Invasion,' premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Azhy Robertson, Tara Moayedi and Golshifteh Farahani in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    MF: You directed the first three episodes of season 2, what was the most challenging scene to shoot in those first couple of episodes?

    AS: The most challenging was, believe it or not, was the very first scene of episode one, where we’re just thrown into the invasion. The challenge of it was basically that we needed to shoot it fast. I mean, it’s a huge scene. Initially, we planned to shoot it over the course of five days. We needed to find a location which would be able to guide us through, basically the timeline of the scene. In order for us to do that, we needed to find a particular set of streets that one street would lead into the other, into the other, and into the other. So, it’s all making sense, because it was not a backlight. We found a little section in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, where it was basically one and two-story buildings with tin roofs. From a bird’s eye view, it felt like the right way of approaching the scene. So, our production designer, Simon Rogers, was basically instrumental in dressing the streets. Then, I started discussing with my crew how are we going to approach it, and how we’re going to break down the scene, such that, we would have absolutely everything, broken down into, not only just shots, but also into little segments that would segue from one to the other because there’s a very propulsive energy throughout that scene. So, the challenge was to accomplish everything in set time and the allotted time to rehearse everything. It was involving 200 extras. We had six cameras. We had to deal with the weather. We had to deal with a helicopter landing. We had to deal with so many elements. It became like a feature film, yet, we needed to do it as a television schedule. I think we actually did tremendously well. We shot the whole thing that was designed to be shot in five days, in four days, and we were able to accomplish everything.

    Shamier Anderson in 'Invasion,' premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    Shamier Anderson in ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about finding a way to bring something fresh to a genre that has seen a lot of entries? How did you go about finding something fresh, even for season two compared to season one?

    AS: I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think about that. What I think about is the human perspective, the drama. Look, if I sit in my chair, and I react to the acting, and it works, and it feels right, then your audience is going to react that way too. If you feel that it’s false, you go for another take. Because, if you’re going to move on and you have a false take, your audience is not going to buy it. So, I always come from a perspective of it’s not to design the most fresh, the most interesting, the most this, and that, look, we’re not going to be reinventing the wheel. It’s been invented. So, what you’re going to go for is the performance. What you’re going to go for is for the trueness. The value of whether or not it is good. It has a capability to hook you, to appeal to you, to convince you that this is what’s happening, and this is the right thing, and it’s the honesty.

    'Invasion,' premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.
    ‘Invasion,’ premiering August 23, 2023 on Apple TV+.

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