(L to R) Maya Erskine and Donald Glover in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Premiering on Prime Video this week, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ loosely –– very loosely –– adapts the 2005 Doug Limanmovie that saw Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie playing married assassins unaware of each other’s secret job whose stale relationship is re-ignited when they’re assigned by their competing agencies to take each other out (and we don’t mean on a date).
But the new series shares really only the title and the most basic concept with the movie. Instead, here we have two strangers who apply for a job that sees them partnered up and moving through the various stages of relationships in their fake coupledom even as real feelings develop and the missions become more perilous.
Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ deployed monsters as metaphor for teenage angst, body changes, and concerns. ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ tries a similar trick (though hopefully without the problematic future Joss Whedon of it all), utilizing the central couple’s various experiences as a mirror for a developing relationship.
It’s not a completely 1:1 situation, though some episodes play to that much more than others (episode 5, for example, sees the duo forced into a situation where their charge, played wonderfully by a superbly grumpy Ron Perlman is effectively a substitute child) but in general, the idea works.
Sometimes the balance of character work to action can be off-kilter, and not everything about the main dynamic works (Donald Glover and Maya Erskine have decent chemistry, though it takes some time to find its groove). Which, we suppose is how all relationships start and end up working.
But on the whole, it’s an entertaining peek into the various marker points of the relationship and the series format certainly offers more scope to explore the character levels than anything in the movie.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’: Script and Direction
(L to R) Maya Erskine and Donald Glover in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Though Glover originally developed the show with ‘Fleabag’ creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creative differences saw Waller-Bridge depart and Glover instead create the show with his ‘Atlanta’ cohort Francesca Sloane (who runs the show here).
The writing for the series carries some of the hallmarks of Glover and Sloane’s past work (though none of its experimental, random nature which probably wouldn’t have worked for this). This time around, their focus is on the burgeoning relationships and using the spy missions/job as a giant metaphor for an evolving connection between two people is one that largely works well, even if it does mean there tends to be a larger focus on interaction between the two main characters rather than the action side of things. Jane and John are written decently, though they may end up testing the patience of some audiences.
As for the metaphors, they run the gamut from excellent to exhausting. One episode, where our main pair meet and spend time with another “John” and “Jane” is at times interminable (no fault of the actors involved). But the mission-of-the-week format means that if you don’t spark to one episode, you may well enjoy another.
Directors Hiro Murai, Christian Sprenger and Karena Evans (the first two have ‘Atlanta’ experience on their busy resumes, the latter has focused more on music videos and other TV series) bring a fresh, dynamic look to the show, and if the action moments aren’t quite up there with the likes of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ or ‘Bond’ franchises, that’s because it isn’t the main point here. This is a relationship drama with a side of set-pieces.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’: Performances
(L to R) Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
With the guest cast almost constantly changing (only one or two people beyond the leads appear in more than a single episode), the weight is very much on Glover and Erskine. As people who have both been the focus of TV series they co-created, they’re both more than able to carry the load of leading roles.
Of the two, Erskine comes off better, getting to show more development than the slightly more disconnected Glover. She’s excited for the opportunity to begin with, but you can really see the weight settle upon her as the season moves on. Keeping the metaphor of the relationship going, she becomes more and more disenfranchised as she realizes she’s holding up more of her end in terms both missions and personal life.
Which is not to say that Glover is bad –– his John Smith is a man who seems far less willing to leave his old life behind (a nod towards the usual commitment issues found more often in men than women) –– and he has some superb moments as the relationship develops and, at times, sours.
(L to R) Maya Erskine and Donald Glover in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Neither of the main pair are natural action stars, but they do their best, aided with a decent stunt team.
Around them is an ever-changing roster of others: Paul Dano is a good-looking neighbor who Jane takes a shine to, while Wagner Moura and Parker Posey are the other John and Jane who share the double date that ends awkwardly (and dangerously). Again, as mentioned above, the actors are perfectly fine in their roles, they’re just let down a little by the episode’s script.
Perlman, meanwhile, is wonderful in his role as the mysterious man that John and Jane are assigned to protect.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’: Final Thoughts
(L to R) Maya Erskine and Donald Glover in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
If it sometimes stretches the concept a little thin, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ is an effective mix of spy thriller and marriage drama with the emphasis on the latter.
Those seeking the next ‘Atlanta’ won’t find that here, but then, that wasn’t the point –– and as adaptations of movies go, this at least has the confidence to truly be its own thing.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
(L to R) Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
What’s the story of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’?
Two lonely strangers land jobs working for a mysterious spy agency that offers them a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travel, and a dream brownstone in Manhattan.
The catch? New identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. Now hitched, John (Donald Glover) and Jane (Maya Erskine) navigate a high-risk mission every week while also facing a new relationship milestone.
Their complex cover story becomes even more complicated when they catch real feelings for each other. What’s riskier: espionage or marriage?
But is it a format that works in a sphere where such comedies aren’t as prevalent (even with the success of movies such as ‘Joy Ride’ last year)? And even with a jokey disclaimer at the start that advises you to chill about the language because children aren’t supposed to watch anyway, does that justify this essentially being a kids’ underdog sports movie with liberal use of the F-word?
If you’ve watched any of the ‘Mighty Ducks’ movies (or something in its underdog sports comedy genre), you’ll know instantly what you’re in for here, albeit with a joint-toking, f-bomb-dropping Snoop Dogg at its core.
In its defense, ‘The Underdoggs’ does fully nod towards where it is “drawing inspiration” (wholeheartedly stealing) from, with all sorts of ‘Mighty Ducks’ references, but the biggest question here is whether that’s enough to justify the lackluster other jokes.
Written by Isaac Schamis and Danny Segal from a pitch by Snoop and Constance Schwartz-Morini, ‘The Underdoggs’ offers little in the way of surprises beyond the main character. If you’ve seen any movie in this genre, the various stories and plot turns are not going to provide much that is fresh.
The trick to scripting something like this finding something new to say, and when you have a basic structure that is as well-used as this one, that’s an even bigger hurdle. It’s not one that ‘The Underdoggs’ always manages.
As per usual, we have an arrogant, dismissive former sports star who unwillingly takes on coaching a rag-tag group of kids. Making the Jaycen character played by Snoop such an unlikeable moron at first is certainly a choice, though not one that naturally fits with his usual style.
There’s also usually a female lead so that the main character has a romantic target, and here ‘The Underdoggs’ does at least layer in some extra interest by having the Cherise character (played by Tika Sumpter) be an old flame –– but only that can do so much.
As for the kids, they’re the usual collection of bratty, nerdy or shy types, with little touches such as one being obsessed with ‘Game of Thrones’ or one being ashamed of his trailer park home. They feel interesting, but hardly revelatory.
On the directing side, Charles Stone III (a veteran of movies such as ‘Drumline’, ‘Mr. 3000’ and more recent underdogs sports comedy ‘Uncle Drew’ wrangles his cast entertainingly enough and stages the games in watchable ways. It doesn’t need flashy cinematography, but it certainly doesn’t exactly push any visual boundaries.
Snoop is obviously the focus here, and as mentioned his Jaycen is something of a challenge for the usually chilled-out performer. No one would accuse him of being an Oscar-caliber actor, but he certainly does his best to bring out the sense of frustration and entitlement in the character. And yes, given that the plot revolves around him being on court-ordered community service, there is a naturally crack about getting “Martha Stewart treatment”, a sly wink towards Snoop’s real life, unlikely friend.
But he certainly does his best to carry the film, even stretching at times during more emotional moments (such as with one of the more troubled kids or a reconnection with his old coach, played by an underused George Lopez).
The less said about his interplay with Mike Epps’ Kareem, an old acquaintance of Jaycen who is re-introduced into his life by trying to carjack him, the better. Epps is mostly on farcical autopilot here, making a fool of himself, but rarely providing much in the way of real comedy value.
Tika Sumpter, meanwhile, is somewhat locked into the old-flame-new-potential-love-interest role, saddled also with a predictable single mom storyline. Unless looking disapproving at Snoop, she’s largely sidelined.
How much you enjoy the movie might well depend on your level of Snoop Dogg fandom? Can’t get enough of his laidback style –– albeit channeled here through a sweary, arrogant, foolish main character who essential goes through a Scrooge-like revelation and changes his ways (a bit) –– then you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
Looking for a foul-mouthed comedy that wears its R-rating like a badge of honor? This could be one to watch. But like other recent Prime Video offerings, it all comes across as a budget version of better comedies.
It scores on some levels, but on many others, it fumbles.
‘The Underdoggs’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘The Underdoggs’?
Former NFL player Jaycen Jennings (Snoop Dogg) agrees to coach a youth football team to avoid going to prison, as he tries to relaunch his career.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Underdoggs’?
Snoop Dogg (‘Training Day‘) as Jaycen “2 J’s” Jennings
(L to R) Tika Sumpter and Snoop Dogg talk ‘The Underdoggs.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Snoop Dogg and Tika Sumpter to talk about their work on ‘The Underdoggs,’ why Snoop wanted to make this movie as a producer, Sumpter’s experience working with Snoop, the relationship between their characters, and how Snoop is similar and different from his character.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Snoop, Sumpter, Kal Penn and director Charles Stone III.
Moviefone: To begin with, Snoop, as a producer, can you talk about having the idea for this film, developing the project, and what was it like for you to make this movie?
Snoop Dogg: Well, as a producer, the first thing I wanted to do was make sure that we had the script right. Once we had the script right, I wanted to go find the right director. Then getting the right director and then casting it. Then some of the things that I wanted to add to it was making sure that it had a real feel to it, that it had a real dynamic of what’s going on in the world today on the football field, in the communities, and just in life in general. So as a producer, I wanted to make sure I didn’t just come in here and just have a name, but have my hands involved, do some things, make some mistakes and get it right along the way.
MF: Tika, is it fun making a movie with Snoop Dogg?
Tika Sumpter: Well, I worked with Snoop Dogg at the beginning of my career, on my first show, ‘One Life to Live.’ He was a guest star. For those who don’t know, it was a soap opera in New York, and it was my first job. Snoop, he came on to do one of his songs and I got to interact with him, and I’ve known him since. So, we’ve had a friendship since then. First, I love him. He’s one of the most gracious people you would ever know. People are like, “Is he nice?” I’m like, “He’s extra nice.” His wife is kind and everybody around him is so kind. Snoop has my heart forever and ever. He always did, and I’m still a fan.
MF: Snoop, what was it like for you to work with Tika again?
SD: This is my sis right here, man. You got to understand about me in the industry. I was raised by a woman, a Black woman. So, she taught me anytime you come across a queen is to treat her with respect. So, she’s always been my sister. She’s always been held high in regards when it comes to acting. So, when I had an opportunity to see if she could be in something with me, it was a no-brainer.
MF: Snoop, can you talk about the similarities and the differences between the real Snoop Dogg and your character Jaycen “2 J’s” Jennings?
SD: 2 J’s is an a**hole. He’s an egotistical maniac. He’s selfish. He doesn’t understand. Snoop Dogg is understanding, loving, and caring. 2 J’s becomes Snoop Dogg at the end of the movie, way at the end of the movie, like the last three minutes of the movie. The whole hour whatnot, that is not me. It’s a character. Then at the end of the movie, I was able to become who I am because I grew into that. 2 J’s grew into the person that I am. That’s one thing about life. You must be willing to make that change, you got to be willing to listen. He learned so much from his coach, from his girl, from the kids, from life in general, that he took that, and he made himself a better person at the end of the movie.
MF: Tika, Cherise has a history with Jaycen because they went to high school together. How would you describe their relationship when the movie begins?
TS: Well, she knew him since high school. She knows that he could be the person who he is at the end because he was that person. But life happened to him and hit him in the face, and he became this egotistical maniac who she did not like. But yeah, he came around.
MF: Finally, Snoop, how would you describe Jaycen and Cherise’s relationship in the movie?
SD: She never gave up. No matter what, she never gave up. She stayed there and he stayed there. I think that’s the beautiful love story. I like love stories that don’t involve contact, but they involve feelings. Our characters don’t have physical contact, but the feeling, you can feel it. That’s great acting when you can feel something through watching it rather than seeing actual contact.
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What is the plot of ‘The Underdoggs’?
Former NFL player Jaycen Jennings (Snoop Dogg) agrees to coach a youth football team to avoid going to prison, as he tries to relaunch his career.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Underdoggs’?
Snoop Dogg (‘Training Day‘) as Jaycen “2 J’s” Jennings
Luke Wilson stars in Prime Video’s ‘Merry Little Batman.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Luke Wilson about his work on ‘Merry Little Batman,’ playing the Dark Knight, his specific version of the character, his relationship to his son, Damian Wayne, and why this Batman has a beard.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Wilson and director Mike Roth.
Moviefone: To begin with, Luke, you’re Batman! What was it like to voice the iconic character and what was your approach to playing this specific version of the Caped Crusader?
Luke Wilson: Well, that’s what I was just going to say, is I’m a very different version of Batman. I mean, you can tell by just the title of the movie, ‘Little Batman,’ that it’s not going to be this kind of dark dystopian take on it like the most recent ‘The Batman,’ and then the Christian Bale versions, which were so good. But my approach to it was just thinking about friends I have that have smaller kids, and you watch them watch something, and they are very dialed in, in a way that I feel like even you and I as adults, with movies even that we like, we’re just kind of watching and happy. But you watch a little kid, and they’re not even blinking while they watch it. So, I was just trying to put a little energy and fun in my voice, which it’s not that kind of gruff voice. I was just trying to take a fun approach to it.
MF: Can you talk about Bruce Wayne’s overprotective parenting skills and his relationship with his son, Damian Wayne?
LW: I mean, I think my Bruce Wayne as a parent, he’s like a lot of parents, trying to be a good dad, but trying to also be the cool dad, while also having to be the disciplinarian at times. So, I think he’s kind of, at times seems like he can handle crime, he can handle villains, but sometimes with his own son, he can have his hands full and not quite know how to handle it. Like, the idea of I’m going off to fight crime, so I leave Damian behind at the Wayne Mansion, and I’ve left him with the special bracelet so that he can get in touch with me. I was just trying to do a fun version of it. He’s a little overprotective and bumbling at the same time.
MF: Finally, Batman has a beard in this movie, which could be very controversial with hardcore Batman fans. What is your opinion on the Bat-Beard?
LW: I don’t want to say I didn’t get it, but it’s a choice. I certainly hope it wasn’t affected by me going in there for one of the recording sessions and being bearded. But I didn’t quite get the Bat-Beard, because when I first saw the preview, I thought, “Okay, Batman’s got a beard. He’s eventually going to shave this off, or maybe he’s undercover.” But that was a choice by the people that are above me in this process, so I don’t want to put my own job in jeopardy by questioning their artistic choices. I don’t know about the Bat-Beard, but maybe it could become a thing. It’s like I saw the progression from Adam West to Michael Keaton to getting darker with Christian Bale and then the most recent one with Robert Pattinson, so maybe it’s just the way things go.
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What is the plot of ‘Merry Little Batman’?
After Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) is left alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he transforms himself into “Little Batman” to safeguard his home and the rest of Gotham City from supervillains during the holiday season.
Prime Video’s ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ has launched its first trailer.
The show stars Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.
The series launches on February 2nd.
Once upon a time, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith‘ were Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, playing married assassins whose relationship had begun to feel stale. But when they discover their shared, hidden sides, things spice back up –– even if neither might survive it.
In taking that idea, ‘Atlanta’ creator and co-star Donald Glover has given it a slight twist (see below), recruiting Maya Erskine to play Mrs. Smith to his Mr.
From the looks of the first teaser, the show certainly manages to bring both the funny and the action levels, so this is one we’re anticipating.
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What’s the story of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’?
(L to R) Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
While it has a similar basic concept to the 2005 Doug Liman movie (famously the project where Pitt met and ended up married to co-star Jolie), the new series puts a fresh spin on the story.
Here, Glover and Erskine play two lonely strangers who land jobs working for a mysterious spy agency that offers them a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travel, and a dream brownstone in Manhattan.
The catch? New identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. Now hitched, John and Jane navigate a high-risk mission every week while also facing a new relationship milestone. Their complex cover story becomes even more complicated when they catch real feelings for each other. What’s riskier: espionage or marriage?
Who also appears in ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’?
Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Donald Glover in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Glover co-created the series with Francesca Sloane, one of his ‘Atlanta’ colleagues. Christian Sprenger, a fallow ‘Atlanta’ veteran, is the main director.
Originally, ‘Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge was aboard to co-write and co-star, but because of creative differences, she left the show in 2021.
“I worked on that show for six months fully in heart and mind and really cared about it — still care about it. And I know it’s gonna be brilliant. But sometimes it’s about knowing when to leave the party. You don’t want to get in the way of a vision. Creative collaboration is like a marriage, and some marriages don’t work out.”
When will ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ be on our screens?
All eight episodes of the show will debut on Prime Video on February 2nd.
(L to R) Maya Erskine and Donald Glover in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.(L to R) Maya Erskine and Donald Glover in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.(L to R) Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ Credit: David Lee/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
‘Merry Little Batman’ premieres on Prime Video December 8th.
‘Merry Little Batman’ is a cute and fun Christmas themed superhero story that places the Dark Knight’s parenting skills front and center and focuses on his relationship with his son and future Robin, Damian Wayne. While the animation is odd and messy, its punk-style and the rock n’ roll soundtrack fits the project well and meshes with Damian’s rebellious attitude. The movie falls into some holiday cliches but is otherwise a fun new take on the Caped Crusader.
The movie begins on Christmas Eve in a new crime free Gotham where Bruce Wayne (Luke Wilson) and his butler Alfred (James Cromwell) are raising Bruce’s 8-year-old son, Damian Wayne. (Yonas Kibreab) With all the super-villains either retired or behind bars, Bruce has hung up the cape and cowl, and is now focusing on being a single dad. But Damian, who also goes by the name “Little Batman” desperately wants to be a superhero like his dad and secretly wishes crime would come back to Gotham. While Bruce does not think Damian is ready for that, he does give him a gift on Christmas Eve, which is his very own utility belt. However, the belt is absent of any of the cool Bat-Gadgets, and Damian is tired of his father treating him like a child.
When a Justice League emergency calls Batman away on Christmas Eve, Damian is left behind with Alfred. But while Alfred runs out to grab hot coco, Damian ends up home alone when burglars attack Wayne Maynor. Damien attempts to protect his home, but soon loses his utility belt and goes on a journey throughout Gotham to retrieve his Christmas gift. However, Damian and Batman both soon realize that it was all a trap set by some of the Dark Knight’s most dangerous enemies to get Batman out of town and take advantage of Damian. Now, the future Robin must protect Gotham and save Christmas before it’s too late, and Bruce must learn to trust his young son.
Director Mike Roth wisely keeps the focus on Damian and his journey while also commenting on Batman’s parenting skills and his relationship with his son. Roth’s use of punk and hip-hop music blends well with the unique animation, to create a fresh look at the Caped Crusader. Working off a strong script from screenwriters Morgan Evans, Jase Ricci, and Etan Cohen, Roth succeeds in creating an unusual, family friendly Christmas-themed Batman movie.
Young actor Yonas Kibreab’s voice is perfect to play this specific version of Damian Wayne, who unlike the comics, was not trained by his grandfather (Ra’s al Ghul) to be an assassin. While there are references to his mother (Talia al Ghul), she does not seem to be part of Damian’s life, as Bruce and Alfred are raising him by themselves. So, this version of Damian is much more of a “normal” kid than the comic book version fans may be used to, and in that sense, Kibreab superbly captures the youth and excitement of this Damian.
Luke Wilson brings his signature charm to the voice role of Batman, and in doing so, shows us a side of the Dark Knight we usually do not see: Batman as a father. This version of Batman is an overprotective parent, and while Wilson’s performance reinforces that idea, the actor never loses the recognizable elements of the character that has made him so popular over the years. James Cromwell lends his voice to an older and wiser Alfred Pennyworth, while Reid Scott plays a bumbling version of Commissioner Gordon.
Brian George voices The Penguin and gives us a familiar interpretation of the character, while Dolph Adomian is clearly channeling Arnold Schwarzenegger from ‘Batman and Robin’ for his voice work. But it’s David Hornsby’s work as The Joker that really makes the character equally intimidating and fun. The Clown Prince of Crime’s masterplan is to convince Robin that he is really a super-villain, and the character almost succeeds, coming across as both creepy and hilarious.
The animation is purposely messy and avant-garde, not unlike ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ or ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.’ While at times it can be jarring, the animation does have a punk youthfulness to it and mostly fits well with the story. Speaking of which, the story does skew very young and while this is a family movie, very young audiences will probably relate to it best.
But the biggest problem with ‘Merry Little Batman’ for Batman purists will be the fact that this version of the character sports a beard. It makes sense, since this Bruce Wayne has been retired from crime fighting for years, the beard helps illustrate the passing of time and Batman’s retired status. But something just doesn’t look right about facial hair poking out of the iconic cowl, and it’s a choice by the filmmakers that just doesn’t work.
In the end, ‘Merry Little Batman’ features a fresh look at Batman as a dad, and a version of Damian Wayne seldomly seen. While the animation is purposely rough and the movie is intended for very young audiences, it still features enough holiday fun for the whole family and a different look at the Batman mythology.
‘Merry Little Batman’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Merry Little Batman’?
After Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) is left alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he transforms himself into “Little Batman” to safeguard his home and the rest of Gotham City from supervillains during the holiday season.
The first teaser for ‘The Boys’ Season 4 is online.
It’ll be set shortly after events of spin-off ‘Gen V’.
‘The Boys’ returns in 2024.
‘The Boys’ universe continues to expand ever outwards, with recent college-set spin-off ‘Gen V’ successfully ending its first season (and already renewed for a second), animated series ‘Diabolical’ out in the world and a potential new spin-off set in Mexico in very early development (with Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal attached to produce and potentially take small roles).
But we know that fans are eager to know what’s going on with Billy Butcher, Homelander and the rest. So now we have a look at the sort of madness we can expect via the first teaser for ‘The Boys’ next season.
Antony Starr as John Gillman / Homelander in Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ season 4. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
In Season Four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.
Who is in ‘The Boys’ Season 4?
Karl Urban as Billy Butcher in Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ season 4. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Susan Heyward as Sister Sage in Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ season 4. Supersuit Designer: Laura Jean Shannon. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
For those who have yet to see the first season finale of ‘Gen V’, a quick spoiler alert!
Otherwise, carry on to read what series overseer Eric Kripke had to say to Variety about the links between the ‘Gen V’ season finale and the fourth season of the main series:
“For Butcher, by the time they were making the finale, we were pretty deep into breaking Season 4. We knew that we wanted that virus to be a pretty big part of Season 4, and we knew that we wanted Butcher to be aware of it. It seems crazy that he wouldn’t be aware of it. It became kind of tricky, because how do we show that he knows about it without it just being dialogue? This idea came up that it probably shouldn’t even happen in The Boys, it should happen in Gen V. The value of having the [two shows’ writers] rooms be in coordination is, our room took it to Michele and her room and said, ‘Can we put Butcher in the end, so we can show that he’s really hot on the tail of the virus?’ It was really cool because it does a nice little preamble to what’s coming next. And Karl and Ant both were willing to come in on their days off to go work on the other show. But the Homelander part was Michele’s team.”
When will ‘The Boys’ be back on our TV screens?
According to Prime Video, ‘The Boys’ doesn’t have a locked in return date, but that it will be on screens next year.
Valorie Curry as Firecracker in Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ season 4. Supersuit Designer: Laura Jean Shannon. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Following the first images, the ‘Fallout’ trailer is online.
The series is set in a post-apocalyptic world of brutality and chaos.
Prime Video launches the show in April.
Prime Video is hoping that its ambitious adaptation of the ‘Fallout’ series of video games will be drawn into the current success trend of games turned into movies and shows.
Adapted from the massively popular video game ‘Fallout’ is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have.
Two-hundred years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind—and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.
While this first look offers glimpses at iconic ‘Fallout’ elements such as the Vaults, airborne carriers the Vertibirds and Power Suits, it’s also focused on some of the characters, including:
Ella Purnell as Lucy, an optimistic Vault Dweller with an all-American, can-do spirit. Her peaceful and idealistic nature is tested when people harm her loved ones.
Aaron Moten as Maximus, A young soldier who hides his tragic past as he serves in a militaristic faction called Brotherhood of Steel. He believes in the nobility of the Brotherhood’s mission to bring law and order to the Wasteland — and will do anything to further their goals.
Walton Goggins as The Ghoul. The Ghoul survives the Wasteland as a bounty hunter. He is pragmatic, ruthless, and hides a mysterious past.
Kyle MacLachlan as Hank, the Overseer of Vault 33 and Lucy’s father. He is eager to change the world for the better.
Jonathan Nolan on the differences between the game and the show
’It’s a very different mode of storytelling. One of the things I’m most excited about is telling an ensemble story and coming at it from these three perspectives. It was, to me, kind a brilliant hack for how you present that role-playing game mechanic of the games, which is you, as that vault dweller, can be anyone. They can look like anyone and can make any choices they want, which is not a luxury you can afford the audience when you’re telling them a linear story. So, having three perspectives, having Ella’s character and Aaron’s character and Walton’s characters occupy these very different corners of the fallout universe gave us a chance to encompass some of the ambition of the games, not just in terms of world building, but in terms of morality and in terms of the gray area. We talked a lot about ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,’ which is one of my very favorite films, and so that was a great touchstone for us as we sort of embarked on the journey.”
When will ‘Fallout’ be on our TV screens?
Prime Video has announced that ‘Fallout’ will launch on April 12 next year.
‘Candy Cane Lane’ is a comedy adventure for the family, filled with holiday cheers, hilarious hijinks, and the importance of communicating and working together as a family. What starts off as a friendly neighborhood Christmas decorating contest quickly turns into chaos as Chris Carver crosses paths with a mischievous elf with a naughty agenda.
Yes, this movie is technically Eddie Murphy’s first Christmas movie. While the actor’s expansive filmography includes titles such as ‘Coming To America’ and ‘Trading Places,’ in which both movies take place during the holiday season, ‘Candy Cane Lane’ fully embraces everything surrounding the holiday and its themes.
When asked what it is about this Christmas movie that he loves so much, Murphy said:
Eddie Murphy: I thought that script was unique, and I thought that it had all the elements that you’re supposed to have in a Christmas movie where you could watch it over and over again. I know the movies that I watched, the Christmas movies, we watched them every year all the time, and I thought this could be one of those kinds of movies that families could revisit.
2. Eddie Murphy and Reginald Hudlin reunite 30 years later for ‘Candy Cane Lane’
(L to R) Reginald Hudlin and Eddie Murphy attend Amazon Studios Candy ‘Cane Lane World’ Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
The pair first worked together on the 1992 rom-com ‘Boomerang.’ Hudlin had been interested in making a Christmas movie and learned during a meeting with Amazon that Murphy was also interested. Everything aligned for the actor and director to reunion 30 years after their first collaboration.
Reginald Hudlin: Yeah, we had been talking, we would connect and we would throw ideas back and forth. And then, I was meeting with Amazon and I was like, “I really want to do a Christmas movie.” “We have a Christmas movie and Eddie Murphy wants to do it.” I’m like, “Let’s start Monday.” It’s not complicated.
Eddie Murphy attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Eddie Murphy: But actually, he put together this great presentation, the best I’d ever seen anybody put together, and how he would do the movie and stuff. It was like, “Hey, this is a no-brainer. He just saw the whole thing from the beginning.”
3. Tracee Ellis Ross on ‘Candy Cane Lane’ capturing all the elements of a Christmas movie
Tracee Ellis Ross attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Playing opposite Eddie Murphy’s Chris Carver is Tracee Ellis Ross as Carol Carver. During the press conference, Ross talks about what defines an iconic Christmas movie for her.
Tracee Ellis Ross: I think love, family, and a message that’s at the center of it, which we have in this movie, that the family comes together to conquer a bad elf, a rogue elf, so to speak. I think the thing that’s special about this movie is it’s an adventure comedy Christmas movie. It’s funny, there’s adventure. As I said, there’s hijinks, action, children, lots of lights and decorations, special effects, Eddie Murphy. These are a lot of the elements, but it’s a good story that has all these elements on it, and we hope that it becomes a holiday classic.
4. The younger cast was horrified on their first day on set, for the best reasons possible
Genneya Walton attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Rounding out the Carver family are Thaddeus J. Mixson as Nick Carver, Genneya Walton as Joy Carver, and Madison Thomas as Holly Carver. ‘Candy Cane Lane’ isn’t their first acting job, but it is their first time working with a legend such as Eddie Murphy.
Genneya Walton: First of all, I was horrified for the best reasons possible. I was like, “Girl, you better have your stuff together.’ I think my first day was on the track scene.
Speaking to Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross, she says:
“I look up to you guys so much, and I’m inspired by all of your work, so getting to work with you guys is wonderful, and I learned so much truly, just from watching you guys do what you do, so it was freaking sick.”
Co-stars Mixson and Thomas express the same sentiment.
Thaddeus J. Mixon: I’ll tell you right now, boy, I was nervous. I was nervous. I ain’t know what, I was just like, man, I was just watching y’all on TV. Now, I’m about to actually share the screen with y’all. It is truly an honor for real. I’m blessed to even have the opportunity to even work with y’all. And also, work with Reggie as well. I worked with him on my first ever movie, so it’s always fun when I work with him, so it’s a blessing.
Thaddeus J. Mixson attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Madison Thomas: Yeah, I was very nervous because I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know anything. I’m going to be honest. I didn’t know anybody. But then, we started working more on set and then I kind of felt comfortable, and then that’s how we started building a relationship.
Madison Thomas attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
5. Jillian Bell as the mischievous elf, Pepper
Jillian Bell attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
When Eddie Murphy’s character Chris comes across a mysterious Christmas decor store, he is enthralled by the elaborate and magical items. However, the store was run by Pepper- a mischievous elf who liked to play tricks on unsuspecting customers.
Bell elaborates on what drew her to the character.
Jillian Bell: The first time I read the script, I just kept talking like her out loud, which is a good sign. It’s a bad sign if you’re not an actor. As an actor, it was a good sign to me because I just kept doing her voice. And I was like, “Oh, there’s something here.” And I just fell in love with the world of it. I was so excited for the opportunity to get to work with everybody that was involved and I just think Reggie is one of the kindest, most wonderful directors, and — you guys can attest this too, like, if you have a creative idea and you’re nervous about it. There’s no nerves attached, approaching Reggie with it. So I think I think after our first meeting, I was like, oh, no, I really want to do this film.
Tracee Ellis Ross and Robin Thede chimes in about Bell’s performance in the film:
Robin Thede: The brilliant thing about Jillian Bell is that she does bring that humanity to these characters and exactly what Kelly [Younger] had envisioned, which is that she’s not just a one-note evil person. She truly believes in what she’s doing and like, you get it like. I don’t think that I thought I was rooting against Pepper. I was just like, “Oh, well, obviously you can’t win, but like you’re kind of like misguided. She’s also really fun, and evil and violent, and all of that. But there’s just some really epic acting moments, too.
Robin Thede attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Tracee Ellis Ross: Jillian Bell is… Yes. Seriously, that moment when she appears in this, you’re just like, “What is happening? And why does that twinkle in her eye actually look like evil in her eye?”
And as Pepper says in the movie, “What’s Christmas without a little terror?”
Nick Offerman (‘The Last of Us’) plays Pip, a man who’s been turned into a porcelain miniature figure by Pepper. He stars alongside Robin Thede’s Cordelia and Chris Redd’s Lamplighter Gary, who have also fallen to the same fate.
Offerman was not present at the press conference, but his co-stars praised his performance.
Robin Thede: Nick Offerman talks, everything stops.
According to Hudlin, it was Offerman’s idea to keep his character British.
Reginald Hudlin: First of all, Nick was just like, “You know, there’s always British actors and play American parts. I’m gonna play a British part.” I was like, “Oh, that’s great.” Because again, I just wanted the three village people, as we call you guys as different as possible, right? And it’s just like, I’m like, “Okay, I don’t know, my son’s gonna take this because like, he’s so ‘Parks and Rec.’ He’s so locked in.” I’m like, “But, you know, Nick Offerman’s a genius. We’re gonna let him do this.” And he just found a new hilarious character and the way he played off the two of you was exquisite.
Jillian Bell: His first line was very reminiscent of ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles.’ And my heart broke for him. And I’m like, he literally has been on screen for 10 seconds. I’m in I’m invested. I mean, I was invested in the tiny version of it, but I’m saying just his face too, like, he is an incredible actor, and he should be in so many.
7. The script is inspired by a personal story, minus the evil elf
(L to R) Eddie Murphy and Kelly Younger attend Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Writer Kelly Younger based the story on his personal experience as well as the location.
Kelly Younger: It is a personal true story. My parents live on the street that leads into Candy Cane Lane and El Segundo. They’ve lived there for many years. My dad over-decorates every year, goes over the top, much to my mother’s dismay.
He continues:
Kelly Younger: I wanted to bring in magic and mischief and to have lot of fun, but it was really important to me that it was grounded in a real family. And I think especially what Eddie and Tracee did, how they captured what felt like a very real relationship. And this family felt very, really real. To have these folks bring it to life is just wonderful.
8. The process of blending live-action and CGI together
Inside Pepper’s shop, Chris Carver comes across a miniature Christmas town, along with miniature figures – Pip, Cordelia, and Lamplighter Gary, who come to life. The cast talks about the process of making those scenes come together.
It took the special effects team from ILM and teamwork from the cast and crew to blend the human actors and the porcelain figures together in the final product. Hudlin talks about working with ILM:
Reginald Hudlin: They had face references but not body references, and [the actors] came up with all this fantastic physical comedy on top of the great verbal comedy, and that was amazing. It was a great collaboration working with them on that.
Eddie Murphy: Yeah, when you see the special effects shots and stuff like that, those things are really time-consuming and it’s awkward, and it’s just a lot of work doing a sequence like that. It’s really putting a jigsaw puzzle together when you’re doing those sequences, so it was just long and frustrating.
(L to R) Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross attend Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Tracee Ellis Ross: Yeah, because you’re acting with an imaginary thing, and it requires a different kind of acting.
Although Offerman, Thede, and Redd are playing CGI characters, Murphy wanted everyone on set together for every scene to make it more authentic.
Reginald Hudlin: The very fact that I didn’t intend for us to have to invent some technology, but we did. We had this reindeer system so that the actors, the villagers, and the live-action actors could act in the same scene at the same time and improvise.
Reginald Hudlin attends Amazon Studios Candy ‘Cane Lane World’ Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Chris Redd: We were in these little booths. And like, so the animators could create, like, animate while we talked, and that was some different ways to see each other, so we were just riffing the whole time.
Chris Redd attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Robin Thede: The cool thing about the process, which was so fun, is that Eddie was really like, “No, I want them on stage with us rehearsing in person”, right in our full size, although I’ve not much taller than my ornament. But that was really fun. So I was saying earlier, like, we were really involved in most of the scenes in the movie, even if you don’t see us on screen, because it was really important to Eddie and Tracy and the kids and everybody that we were there and bouncing off of them just in case we were going to jump in. So all those conversations where we’re at the house or they were at their house or whatever, we were there for months because it was important to really get that vibe, and I think you feel it because they were looking at just lights or like little monopoly pieces. So we would rehearse in person, and then we would be banished to our little sound booths, but we could see them on a monitor, and they could hear us in their IEMs. And then they would shoot our faces with like a GoPro.
9. The cast on working with Eddie Murphy
(L to R) Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross attend Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
The cast talks about being fans of his work and about their experience working with him on ‘Candy Cane Lane.’
Tracee Ellis Ross: The thing about Eddie is he’s hilarious. But, what makes everyone hilarious around him is he’s a really generous actor. For Eddie, it’s about the groundedness, which is the reason that I have loved his comedy for so long. It’s not based in being funny. It’s based in being real. And so, there’s a connection that has to be there for it to come across in the right way, and that’s what he does. He’s not sitting there trying to get you to set up his funny and his jokes. He’s actually in a scene playing with you. That’s what makes it fun, and that’s what makes it work. I think, I mean, I don’t know about you guys, but that’s what I experienced, and what a treat and an honor at this point in my career to be able to work with somebody that you’ve admired, whose work you’ve known and grown up with to a certain extent.
Tracee Ellis Ross attends Amazon Studios ‘Candy Cane Lane’ World Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
Reginald Hudlin: This is the thing. The thing is, I’ve always said that Eddie deserved an Oscar for his performance in ‘The Nutty Professor.’ Because it’s like there’s no acting school that says this is how to act against a tennis ball, but he did that. He played two different women that were completely different women, but because people go, “Oh, it’s just laughs. It’s not funny. That’s not hard.” It’s incredibly hard. He was a pioneer in that style of performance, which he doesn’t get credit for.
D.C. Young Fly attends Amazon Studios Candy ‘Cane Lane World’ Premiere in Los Angeles on Nov 28, 2023.
D. C. Young Fly: If you sit back and watch all the different elements and understand like, just Christmas, and specials, and understanding that Eddie is an icon. It’s just being around that it brings that out of us, you know what I’m saying? I feel like everybody was just trying to be on their A-game because this is an Eddie Murphy movie. Why wouldn’t we come here and not be on our A-game?
Chris Redd: I swear to God, the first day, I think I wrote fifteen jokes on the way to set, just like “I might use them.”
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What is the Plot of ‘Candy Cane Lane’?
A local neighborhood hosts an annual contest over who has the best decorated home for Christmas; desperate to win, Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy) makes a deal with a charismatic stranger, Pepper (Jillian Bell), for the use of magic to make his home the most festive. He soon learns that Pepper is an evil elf who has made similar deals in the past, with her victims being transformed into plastic dolls. Chris must rally his family to stop Pepper from unleashing misery upon his friends and neighbors and break the deal before he loses everything.
‘Candy Cane Lane’ starring Eddie Murphy premieres on Prime Video on December 1st.
Premiering on Prime Video December 1st, ‘Candy Cane Lane’ sees Eddie Murphy leading a Christmas story with a magical twist. This fitfully funny comedy represents the company’s attempt to keep tapping the festive family movie market, something that competitors such as Netflix and Disney+ are also targeting.
Yet there’s a certain something missing here, and it isn’t Christmas spirit. It’s Eddie Murphy’s subversive brand of comedy.
There is, as mentioned, a lot of competition in Christmas movies these days for those who don’t want the saccharine romantic antics of Hallmark and Lifetime’s concoctions or dig through apps to find classics to watch.
Amazon Studios, which has a deal with Eddie Murphy to make at least three movies (long-awaited comedy sequel ‘Coming 2 America’ was the first), has well and truly hopped on that holly-festooned bandwagon with this new offering.
But while it’s looking to channel the likes of ‘Deck the Halls’, it never quite hits the right gear. Though certainly better than some of the turgid family-friendly output Murphy has been part of in the past, it’s still lacking some of that essential magic. And that’s because the leading man tones down his wackier side to mostly play a stalwart family man who gets wrapped up in comedic Christmas oddness.
Written by Kelly Younger, a veteran of Disney and Pixar animated movies and live-action Muppet outings, ‘Candy Cane Lane’ takes some fairly obvious routes to its predictable conclusion. There are some well-used themes such as learning that family is more important than shiny gifts or winning competitions.
Murphy’s character is written as a fairly straight-ahead guy, dealing with kids of different ages and facing a big new problem in that he’s been let go from his job.
Younger has a good time writing for Pepper, who is mischievous and odd when the moment calls for it, and the magical creatures who appear from the 12 Days of Christmas tree that forms the major McGuffin here do offer some entertainment value (the concept of six geese carpet bombing unsuspecting pedestrians with eggs from the sky is a good one, and plays well into the finale, for example.)
And there are, at least some fun diversions, including a group of characters who have previously fallen foul of Pepper.
It’s just whenever the story cuts back to family time, the feeling is of Christmas joy leeching from the movie, no matter how much the script or actors try to enliven them.
Director Reginald Hudlin, meanwhile –– working with Murphy for the first time since 1992’s ‘Boomerang’ –– largely leans on his cast effects team to do the work, finding and few solid shots here and there.
As mentioned, this is Eddie Murphy on all-audiences autopilot, bringing another staid parental man to life who sees his carefully curated world start to unravel. There are lessons to be learned, and chaotic elves to deal with, but Murphy largely treats it all like another day at the office.
Of course, he’s fun, but it’s not the sort of passion he displayed in the past, coming across more as a “one for them” performance. You might try to point to a legendary comedy creator slowing down as he ages, but he put more drive into the likes of recent movies such as ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ and ‘Coming 2 America’ than he does here.
If there is a comedy MVP of the movie, it’s Jillian Bell, who has the role of miscreant magic user Pepper, who after being banished from the North Pole, is convinced she has to punish mankind’s wicked ways, and does it through dodgy deals. Bell, who has been good in the likes of ‘Godmothered’, ‘Rough Night’ and ‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’ and runs with the character, breathing real life into Pepper.
Alongside her are the poor, unfortunate souls who have agreed to her deals in the past and are reduced to being living figurines in the village display in her Christmas shop, who all make small supporting roles work. That includes the likes of Nick Offerman, a proven comedy talent who is inexplicably lumbered with (or perhaps he chose to try) a cod-British accent. Still, he generates some good laughs.
Around Murphy is his family unit, played by Tracee Ellis Ross, Genneya Walton, Thaddeus J. Mixson and Madison Thomas, who are all perfectly fine in their roles but (aside from Thomas) are mostly there to be stock characters in a movie like this. Ross in particular did so much with a driven career woman in ‘Black-ish’ on TV but is saddled with a much less impressive part here.
While its delights are of the strictly standard variety, ‘Candy Cane Lane’ ends up a suitably enjoyable Christmas movie if you’re not particularly demanding.
Boosted by Bell and her comedy support in particular, it’s watchable enough, and is seemingly made for the family to watch on the sofa with mugs of hot cocoa in hand.
‘Candy Cane Lane’ receives 7out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Candy Cane Lane’?
After Chris (Eddie Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life and wreaks havoc on the whole town.
At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.
