Projects dreamed up by actors who really want to work together can run the risk of becoming bloated vanity projects. Yet ‘The Wrecking Crew,’ spawned from an idea by leads Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa, manages to avoid most of those traps by being exactly what you might expect.
Front-loaded with action and powered by the charisma of its main men, ‘The Wrecking Crew’ harbors no illusions as to what it is –– dumb, fun and full of chaos.
Writer Jonathan Tropper (‘This is Where I Leave You’), is more normally known for his cinematic work alongside Shawn Levy, but while his movies have been more emotional and spiritual, his TV work, especially ‘Banshee’ has more of a connection to this film.
The style here is adrenaline-fueled action comedy with a healthy dollop of comedy to leaven our heroes slaughtering squads of henchmen as they investigate their father’s suspicious death.
Though you could probably guess the entire plot before the credits have finished, it’s entirely disposable and not the selling point.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto keeps things light and nimble, and if it ends up a little overstuffed for such a slim premise, it doesn’t suffer.
This really is the Bautista and Momoa show, the pair sharing some crackling chemistry as long-estranged brothers –– one a taciturn Navy SEAL who prefers to go by the book, the other a maverick cop with a penchant for leather jackets and throwing empty beer bottles.
They really do pull this thing along on their shared shoulders, but the likes of Jacob Batalon, Stephen Root and Morena Baccarin all get decent material to work.
It’s often vulgar, violent and has a storyline you could note on a napkin, but ‘The Wrecking Crew’ also has throwback charm and action bedlam that adds up to decent entertainment value.
Two estranged half-brothers, Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) are forced to reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they set out to uncover the truth, buried secrets resurface and loyalties are tested, unveiling a conspiracy that can tear their family apart.
Together, they are ready to wreck anything that gets in their way.
(L to R) Jacob Batalon, Morena Baccarin and director Ángel Manuel Soto discuss ‘The Wrecking Crew’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Morena Baccarin, Jacob Batalon, and director Ángel Manuel Soto about their work on ‘The Wrecking Crew’, Soto’s first reaction to the screenplay and the challenges of balancing the action and comedy, how Baccarin prepared for her action sequences, and Batalon’s experience improvising with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Moviefone: To begin with, Ángel, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the challenges of balancing the right tone beteween comedy and action?
Ángel Manuel Soto: I think the first reaction when I read this screenplay was that the action and the comedy was very well laid out. Jonathan Tropper is an amazing writer, he has mastered that, but what really convinced me to take this movie on was that the action and the comedy, the way I saw it, those were honestly masks that our characters were putting on to hide their childhood trauma. I saw that as an interesting approach to add some subtext to the humor and the action. Also, given that I love of these high testosterone, alpha male driven action movies that avoid emotion, with this movie, the cathartic moment between the brothers, it embraced their vulnerability. I felt like it’s an important aspect of human nature that needs to be further exploited so that we can see that yes, you can be a bad ass, you can be funny, and you can be crass, but you can also have a heart. For me, that was very important because in this world that we’re living in, being able to find points of connection, even within our differences, I think it’s an important topic to tackle. But also finding a story that might inspire people to make amends with other folks or their family members. I feel like that was cool and just the fact that on a different level, it also talked about the displacements of the indigenous people of Hawaii, which is something that I can talk personally about as well because we face the same issues in Puerto Rico. It felt like a great excuse to be able to talk about a topic that affects millions of people worldwide.
MF: Morena, can you talk about preparing for your action sequences and having the chance to go toe to toe with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista in those scenes?
Morena Baccarin: It was so fun. It was one of the things that really attracted me to this part was she’s so bad ass in her own way and they don’t expect it or nor do you see it coming. In the preparation for this movie and how she dressed. We wanted to make sure to not reveal that she had a ton of tattoos, or she was as bad ass as she was until the moment it comes out. I was a little surprise. But I have to say prep wise, it was minimal in the sense that we shot all my driving action sequences in a studio in a car that was static, which had its own challenges. I didn’t know simple things like your thumbs stay up when you’re driving that fast because you don’t ever want the wheel to really turn and break your thumbs. I had an amazing stunt performer who was a driver, and she taught me so much about making it look like I was really driving. It’s counterintuitive, but if you’re in a car and you’re turning, you got to remember that your body goes the opposite direction when you’re driving then when you’re in the passenger side. So, little things like that were helpful, and I could have used maybe five more days for that, but I didn’t have it. So, if you see something that looks wrong, it’s not my fault.
MF: Finally, Jacob, can you talk about your onscreen chemistry with Jason and Dave, and did you improvise a lot in those scenes? What was it like riffing with the two of them on set?
Jacob Batalon: I think we improvised a lot. I think I barely said anything on the page. But at the same time, Ángel allowed us to go off and they’re fun. I am literally like their little brother in a literal sense because I’m short compared to them. But they also love to get into the game and play around and joke with each other. I think that made it easy. Again, everyone’s so professional and so fun that it just seemed very simple to go in, do our thing and just make it fun.
Two half-brothers, a loose cannon cop (Jason Momoa) and a disciplined Navy SEAL (Dave Bautista), must work together to unravel a conspiracy behind their father’s murder in Hawaii.
(Left) Sophie Turner in ‘Another Me.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox. (Right) Lara Croft from the ‘Tomb Raider’ video game.
Launched in 1996 on Sony’s PlayStation console, the ‘Tomb Raider’ series has gone on to be a huge selling title across various platforms, earning more than $95 million by last year and spawning a massive amount of merchandising.
The series gives the player control of fictional British archaeologist Lara Croft, who travels around the world searching for lost artefacts and infiltrating dangerous tombs and ruins.
That most recent title came from MGM and Warner Bros., but though there had been talk of a sequel, with first ‘Meg 2: The Trench‘s Ben Wheatley and then ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green attached to make it, development stalled.
Amazon, of course, bought MGM, but the rights to the ‘Tomb Raider’ games had already lapsed from the studio because of the lack of forward movement on the new movie.
With the rights firmly in Amazon’s grip, the plans have now shifted to building out an interconnected Lara Croft universe boasting a new game release and what will probably be another movie reboot but is currently focused on a TV series (unrelated to the one already on Netflix).
Who is who in the new ‘Tomb Raider’ TV series?
Jason Isaacs in ‘Words of War’. Photo: Decal.
Martin Bobb-Semple is Zip, Lara Croft’s long-standing tech support and friend, while Isaacs is Atlas DeMornay, Laura’s uncle. Bill Paterson is playing Winston, the longstanding Croft family butler.
Weaver, meanwhile, will be Evelyn Wallis, a mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara’s talents and Paterson Joseph is Thomas Warner, a senior government official brought in to clean up an almighty mess.
The rest of the cast includes Jack Bannon, John Heffernan, Celia Imrie, Sasha Luss, Juliette Motamed and August Wittgenstein.
When will the ‘Tomb Raider’ series hit screens?
With production just now kicking off, there’s a chance the show could be ready for late this year, but 2027 seems more likely.
(Left) Sigourney Weaver stars in ‘Call Jane.’ (Right) Sophie Turner stars in ‘Trust’.
Preview:
Sigourney Weaver is in talks to join the ‘Tomb Raider TV series.
Sophie Turner is playing Lara Croft.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is co-showrunner.
While she’ll be back on big screens next week with ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’Sigourney Weaver also has her eyes on TV –– and another big, popular property to boot.
(Left) Sophie Turner in ‘Another Me.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox. (Right) Lara Croft from the ‘Tomb Raider’ video game.
Launched in 1996 on Sony’s PlayStation console, the ‘Tomb Raider’ series has gone on to be a huge selling title across various platforms, earning more than $95 million by last year and spawning a massive amount of merchandising.
The series gives the player control of fictional British archaeologist Lara Croft, who travels around the world searching for lost artefacts and infiltrating dangerous tombs and ruins.
That most recent title came from MGM and Warner Bros., but though there had been talk of a sequel, with first ‘Meg 2: The Trench‘s Ben Wheatley and then ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green attached to make it, development stalled.
Amazon, of course, bought MGM, but the rights to the ‘Tomb Raider’ games had already lapsed from the studio because of the lack of forward movement on the new movie.
With the rights firmly in Amazon’s grip, the plans have now shifted to building out an interconnected Lara Croft universe boasting a new game release and what will probably be another movie reboot but is currently focused on a TV series (unrelated to the one already on Netflix).
What has Phoebe Waller-Bridge said about ‘Tomb Raider’?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge from ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Here’s what ‘Raider’ fan Waller-Bridge had to say:
“Lara Croft means a lot to me, as she does to many, and I can’t wait to go on this adventure. Bats ‘n all.”
When will the ‘Tomb Raider’ series hit screens?
With the show still in the development phase and casting not yet complete, we wouldn’t expect this one on screens much before late next year or at some point in 2027.
Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in 2018’s ‘Tomb Raider.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Tomb Raider’ Franchise:
Assuming he does end up signing on –– and a reunion with Mann is certainly an intriguing concept –– Bale would likely end up co-starring with Leonardo DiCaprio, though no deals are complete yet.
Still, it certainly appears Mann is aiming to build a leading ensemble to match the star power and awards haul of the original, famously led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
Robert De Niro on the set of ‘Heat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Mann’s original film follows Neil McCauley (De Niro), who leads a group of professional bank robbers, taking down major scores around Los Angeles. But after their latest heist goes terribly wrong and ends up in homicide, detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino) finds a clue and becomes obsessed with the case, determined to stop McCauley’s crew.
Hanna and McCauley are competing against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Although they are on different sides of the law, they still find huge respect, recognition in each other’s troubled personal lives and they understand their competing motivations –– yet they won’t hesitate to do whatever they can to win the battle.
How does ‘Heat 2’ tie in?
(L to R) Director Michael Mann, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro on the set of ‘Heat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
‘Heat 2’ (written by Mann alongside Meg Gardiner) in book form tells the story of everything that happens before and after to the principal characters. The book jumps between two time periods, the first following Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer in the original film) as he tries to evade the LAPD and Hanna following the bank robbery gone bad and moves forward into new territory in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.
The second storyline takes readers back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the U.S.–Mexico border, and in Chicago. At the same time, Hanna is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.
The fallout from McCauley’s scores and Hanna’s pursuit cause unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative.
DiCaprio is reportedly interested in the role of Shiherlis, and the likes of Austin Butler and Bradley Cooper have also had meetings about potential parts. Driver is still apparently part of the mix too –– essentially anyone with a profile is circling this one. We don’t yet know who Bale might play.
When will ‘Heat 2’ be on screens?
Amazon MGM has yet to confirm a release date for the movie, but Mann is aiming to have cameras rolling next year.
Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.
(Left) Cameron Monaghan in ‘Paradise Highway’. Photo: Lionsgate. (Right) Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy.’ Photo Credit: Warrick Page.
Preview:
Cameron Monaghan will play Detective Harry Bosch in a new prequel series.
‘Start of Watch’ will be set in 1991.
Omari Hardwick co-stars.
Amazon is continuing to visit the ‘Bosch’ well. With two shows featuring author Michael Connelly‘s LAPD detective character Harry Bosch, played by Titus Welliver and a spin-off around the character of Renée Ballard (Maggie Q), the company now has a third in the works.
A prequel series that will explore Harry Bosch’s younger days with the LAPD is has the greenlight, with Cameron Monaghan (‘TRON: Ares’) as Bosch and Omari Hardwick (‘Army of the Dead‘) portraying his training officer, police veteran Eli Bridges.
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Monaghan makes the latest person to play a younger Harry –– both of Welliver’s sons have appeared in the role on ‘Bosch’ in the past.
And just in case you weren’t already confused where to find Bosch’s cases (since Amazon has released the main show to Prime Video and spin-off ‘Bosch: Legacy’ to the since-defunct Freevee, ‘Bosch: Start of Watch’ will debut on MGM+.
Omari Hardwick in ‘Xeno’. Photo: Blue Fox Entertainment.
The new series, which is not based directly on any of Connelly’s books, sets the clock back to 1991 Los Angeles and follows 26-year-old Harry Bosch during his earliest days as a rookie cop.
The series will explore a city on the edge, teeming with racial tension, gang violence and a fractured LAPD. Amid routine calls and growing unrest, Bosch finds himself drawn into a high-profile heist and a web of criminal corruption that will test his loyalty to the badge and shape his future as the detective who lives by the code, “Everybody counts or nobody counts.”
‘Bosch: Start of Watch’: his creator talks
Author and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ Season 2 executive producer Michael Connelly.
This was Connelly’s statement on the new series:
“I’m deeply grateful to Michael Wright and the team at MGM+ for championing this next chapter in Bosch’s journey with such remarkable care and integrity. Being able to see how Harry Bosch became the man we have loved for 10 seasons is a gift to me and his many fans. I can’t wait to dig in with Cameron and the writers to explore this uncharted character territory.”
When will ‘Bosch: Start of Watch’ be on screens?
MGM+ has yet to specify when the show will debut, but like its sibling series, it will shoot in Los Angeles, especially having received a tax credit from the California Film Commission.
(Left) Sophie Turner in ‘Another Me.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox. (Right) Lara Croft from the ‘Tomb Raider’ video game.
Preview:
Amazon MGM has confirmed that Turner is officially aboard.
Chad Hodge is joining Phoebe Waller-Bridge to run the show.
The show will run on Prime Video.
We’ve known for nearly two years now that Amazon has plans for treasure hunting character Lara Croft and the series of ‘Tomb Raider’ games in which she appears.
Now, from the sounds of it, Waller-Bridge and Amazon have made their choice, as Deadline reports that Turner, who played Sansa Stark in the huge HBO fantasy series, will be strapping on a utility belt and shorts as Croft.
Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Launched in 1996 on Sony’s PlayStation console, the ‘Tomb Raider’ series has gone on to be a huge selling title across various platforms, earning more than $95 million by last year and spawning a massive amount of merchandising.
The series gives the player control of fictional British archaeologist Lara Croft, who travels around the world searching for lost artefacts and infiltrating dangerous tombs and ruins.
That most recent title came from MGM and Warner Bros., but though there had been talk of a sequel, with first ‘Meg 2: The Trench‘s Ben Wheatley and then ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green attached to make it, development stalled.
Amazon, of course, bought MGM last year, but the rights to the ‘Tomb Raider’ games had already lapsed from the studio because of the lack of forward movement on the new movie.
With the rights in Amazon’s grip, the plans have now shifted to building out an interconnected Lara Croft universe boasting a new game release and what will probably be another movie reboot but is currently focused on a TV series (unrelated to the one already on Netflix).
What has Phoebe Waller-Bridge said about ‘Tomb Raider’?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge from ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While Amazon MGM Studios Head Jennifer Salke has described the company’s plans for the show and other ventures as “epic” and “globe-trotting,” here’s what ‘Raider’ fan Waller-Bridge had to say:
“Lara Croft means a lot to me, as she does to many, and I can’t wait to go on this adventure. Bats ‘n all.”
When will the ‘Tomb Raider’ series hit screens?
With the show still at the casting stage (and Amazon as yet unwilling to officially confirm Turner, pointing to a deal that hasn’t closed right now), it’s far too early to speculate when it might be on Prime Video’s servers.
But we’ll go ahead anyway: 2026 at the earliest!
Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in 2018’s ‘Tomb Raider.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Tomb Raider’ Franchise:
Michael B. Jordan announces ‘Creed’ spin-off ‘Delphi’ at the Amazon Upfront on May 13th, 2025. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Amazon
Preview:
Michael B. Jordan is developing a ‘Creed’ TV spin-off.
‘Delphi’ would be set in the movies’ boxing gym.
Marco Ramirez is aboard to run the show.
With the success of the ‘Creed’ movies so far –– as kicked off back in 2015 with Ryan Coogler co-writing and directing the original –– it was only a matter of time before we got to see it expand beyond the big screen.
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Leading man (and executive producer) Michael B. Jordan made no secret of the fact that he wanted the ‘Creed’ universe to keep on developing –– around the release of ‘Creed III,’ which Jordan stepped up to also direct, he made mention of ruminating future plans.
Those have become reality with Jordan announcing at the Amazon Upfronts that a new spin-off TV series called ‘Delphi’ is in the works for Prime Video. So we can expect plenty more pugilism in our small screen future.
(L to R) Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in ‘Creed II.’ Photo: MGM.
The ‘Creed’ story begins with that original movie, itself a spin-off from the iconic ‘Rocky’ franchise, and introducing us to Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Jordan), the illegitimate son of the late fighter Apollo Creed (played in the original films by Carl Weathers).
Reconnecting with his legacy, Adonis starts training to box in more advanced matches, and ends up working with Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) himself.
Donnie also forges a relationship with musician Bianca (Tessa Thompson), who has her own challenges, including a worsening hearing issue.
Through the movies, Donnie faces various challenges (and challengers), including in ‘Creed II,’ the formidable son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren reprising his iconic role from ‘Rocky IV’) and, in ‘Creed III,’ old neighborhood friend Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), who went to prison years ago and has returned burning with a vengeful spirit.
The Delphi Boxing Academy is the Los Angeles-based boxing gym founded by Tony “Duke” Evers where Apollo Creed trained for many years.
Now run by Evers’ son, Tony “Little Duke” Evers (played by Wood Harris in the movies), the Delphi gym is home to Adonis.
Here’s what Jordan had to say about the show at the Amazon Upfront:
“The series that takes us back to where it all began. What I love about this story is that it stays true to what the ‘Rocky’ and ‘Creed’ franchise is all about: hard work, determination, fighting for something bigger than yourself. It’s about family, the ones we’re born into and the ones that we created. We’re building something special here, and I’m excited to introduce you to new fighters that will walk into the Delphi. As always, in ‘Creed’ we say, one step, one round, one punch at a time.”
Marco Ramirez will serve as showrunner and executive producer on the series. He’s no stranger to the world of boxing, as he recently created and served as showrunner on the Hulu boxing drama ‘La Máquina’ starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna and Eiza González.
Jordan will executive produce under his Outlier Society banner along with Liz Raposo. Winkler Films’ Irwin Winkler, David Winkler, and Charles Winkler also executive produce.
Whether Jordan shows up as Adonis on screen remains to be seen, but we’d bet good money that he’ll at least grace the show in the pilot to kick things off.
And notable by his absence? Stallone, who has increasingly moved away from the ‘Creed’ franchise and doesn’t seem to want to be as closely connected as he once was.
He’s currently in movie theaters leading Coogler’s ‘Sinners,’ which has been doing great business at the box office. The story of twin brothers (both played by Jordan) who look to start a juke joint in their old home town in 1930s Mississippi, only to discover a lurking threat from some fanged fiends.
‘Sinners’ has so far earned more than $280 million at the worldwide box office, and has been showing incredible staying power, especially for an original movie.
The actor/filmmaker has several projects in development, including a ‘Rainbow Six’ film that will see him return as special forces operative John Clark.
He’s also, to no-one’s surprise working up a fourth ‘Creed’ movie, which he’s expressed a desire to direct following his success with the third.
Before that, though, he’s preparing to direct a new take on 1968 heist movie ‘The Thomas Crown Affair,’ which he’ll also lead and appear opposite Taylor Russell.
Jordan told Variety last year that he felt like he had plenty of work still to do:
“I still feel like an underdog. I feel like I just got here, like I’ve just arrived, and I have the tools and the things around me to really be on the offensive a little bit.”
When will ‘Delphi’ be on our screens?
Prime Video has yet to announce a premiere date for the show. Since we have zero casting details or anything else on it yet, we’d be shocked if it arrived on the service much before 2026, and likely later in that year as it stands.
Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers in ‘Another Simple Favor’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
‘Another Simple Favor’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Arriving globally on Prime Video on May 1st, ‘Another Simple Favor’ throws us back into the knotty dynamic of mommy vlogger-turned-crime sleuth Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and mysterious, murderous fashion plate Emily Nelson (Blake Lively).
This sequel to the 2018 murder mystery brought to screens by director Paul Feig, looks to amp up the mystery even further, throwing in new family members and some luxurious Italian island locations.
On television, there’s a common trick of sitcoms and other shows usually anchored to one place to goose things up by taking the characters on holiday. ‘The Brady Bunch’ went to Hawaii. ‘Friends’ brought us “The One in Barbados” and the usually hospital-bound ‘Scrubs’ splashed out for a destination wedding in the Bahamas.
‘Another Simple Favor’ tries a similar trick, albeit in movie form (though it is premiering on Prime Video), moving its murder mystery machinations to the picturesque isle of Capri in Italy. But is it enough to elevate everything? That’s a more complicated question, one whose answer is both yes and no.
Script and Direction
Paul Feig attends the Amazon MGM Studios ‘Another Simple Favor’ New York Special Screening on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York City. Photo: Prime Video.
Together, they have concocted something that feels as though it has a similar energy to the original movie, while looking to heighten things to an even more absurd degree. Which is saying something, given that the 2018 effort had more turns than a corkscrew.
‘A Simple Favor’ effectively blended its mystery and comedy tones together, and while the follow-up attempts the same trick with some new complications, it mostly manages it, while sometimes tipping too far into ridiculousness.
Still, there are the requisite laughs to be found here, and enough twists to keep you guessing. Once the new main mystery is revealed, it does rather start to deflate, and there is some egregious sequel baiting towards the end.
Feig, returning as director, proves he can adeptly hop between genres, and being let loose in the beautiful island of Capri certainly allows him to up the visual interest of the movie. He also capably manages the new cast recruits while keeping the focus squarely where it should be: the winning, sometimes overly catty dynamic between Kendrick’s Stephanie and Lively’s Emily.
Lively might be the superstar here, but it’s Anna Kendrick who really keeps the movie grounded and funny. As Stephanie, who is awkwardly trying to enjoy her newfound fame following the events of the original film (and capitalize on them by writing a book about the case), Kendrick remains the comic powerhouse of the film, whether she’s effectively narrating the movie through her video channel or trading barbs with Lively’s Emily (or, er, Hope, as she should really be called.)
As for Lively, she’s back in full-on comic-inflected femme fatale mode, as she struts around in outrageous clothing and gets passive-aggressive with Kendrick’s character. She once more makes an impact, whether she’s plotting her next move or proving more of a friend to Stephanie than she might have suspected.
There’s also a healthy vein of vulnerability in both the leads, which makes the characters as relatable in the past, even as the screwball murder mystery is dialed up into ever more frenzied levels of complexity.
Around them, a collection of returning and new performers add extra layers to the story.
Henry Golding is able to let loose more as Sean, Emily’s ex-husband (who had a dalliance with Stephanie in the original), and here is a drunken, sarcastic mess, throwing endless shade at his ex.
Of the newcomers, the highlights are Alex Newell, who steals moments and scenes as Stephanie’s enthusiastic assistant/book tour manager Vicky and Elena Sofia Ricci as Portia Versano, the powerful, calculating mother of Emily’s new fiancé Dante (Michele Morrone), neither of whom show up on google searches, but are clearly very rich and powerful –– it won’t take you long to guess why.
Less present, but still entertaining are Detective Summervile (Bashir Salahuddin, returning from the original) and FBI agent Irene Walker (Taylor Ortega), who help drive the plot while not forgetting to bring the laughs.
The really nutritious additions to the cast are Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins, who consume whole sections of scenery playing Emily’s grasping aunt and drunken mother.
‘A Simple Favor’ sometimes coasted on the power of its stars and some fun plot turns, and ‘Another Simple Favor’ falls into a similar trap.
Still, the idyllic countryside helps it feel different enough, and though it can’t quite keep the momentum up towards the end, watching it is not too much of an ask.
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What’s the plot of ‘Another Simple Favor’?
Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman.
Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.
With ‘Red One,’ stars Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, along with director Jake Kasdan (‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’), hope to create a modern Christmas classic infused with the sensibility of a large-scale action film and the heart of a family comedy. Johnson plays Callum Drift, the head of security for Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), whose annual mission to deliver gifts around the world is run with the precision of a military operation out of his massive, well-hidden complex at the North Pole.
But a security breach allows Santa to be kidnapped right out from under Drift’s nose, with the breach traced to Jack O’Malley (Evans), a dark web tracker and bounty hunter who is forcibly recruited to help Drift locate Santa and his kidnappers. The trail leads them to Gryla (Kiernan Shipka), a winter witch out of Icelandic folklore who plans to use Santa’s own magical powers to rid the world of naughty children forever – unless Drift and O’Malley can stop her and rescue the man who Drift simply knows as “Nick.”
With ‘Red One’ scheduled to open in theaters on November 15 as an early holiday present for moviegoers, members of the cast and crew – including Evans, Johnson, Shipka, Simmons, Lucy Liu (Zoe Harlow), Kristofer Hivju (Krampus), Bonnie Hunt (Mrs. Claus), Kasdan, producer Hiram Garcia, and others — participated in a virtual global press conference that Moviefone had the opportunity to attend (minus the egg nog and cookies).
Director Jake Kasdan revealed that the initial impetus for ‘Red One’ was to bring audiences a whole new vision of Santa Claus – as an action hero who trains hard to get in shape for Christmas, and who leads a vast, well-organized, and tightly-secured operation.
Jake Kasdan: That was absolutely one of the most exciting aspects of this movie, was sort of looking at a way that we could tell Santa’s story that we’ve never quite seen before. You’ve seen him a certain way your whole life, and we always thought that the great exciting idea for this was, what if you could sort of pull back the curtain and see what he’s really like? So all of those aspects of this came from that sort of seed idea.
Producer Hiram Garcia, who also came up with the original story for the movie, said he wanted to create the “definitive” Santa onscreen and make him cool again.
Hiram Garcia: I think when we did start working on this, one of the goals was, and actually when we were going around pitching it, we always ended the pitch with saying our hope was to tell a story that really inspired people, turn Christmas on its head in the mythology, but also to create the definitive Santa Claus. There’s been so many good Santa Clauses, but to find one that really took a connection with the audience to the next level and brought a coolness out in Santa that as a big Christmas fan, I always knew Santa’s got. I feel like we did that with J.K. and especially the way Jake envisioned him on screen. J.K.’s performance as Santa is everything we dreamed and more.
Chris Evans said that making an action movie based around Christmas was easier than it might seem because the folklore around the world is full of such fantastical legends and creations.
Chris Evans: We had a whole team of people who [were] trying to crack that code. I mean, I think it actually provides a lot of fun. There’s such great Christmas lore, folklore, not just the stories we all grew up with, but internationally…When you hear about some of these creatures and stories and mythology, it almost begs for some sort of action-adventure movie. So it’s not quite as hard as you think.
4) The Secret Ingredient To This Christmas Confection
(L to R) Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in ‘Red One.’ Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
Dwayne Johnson said that director Jake Kasdan brought something to ‘Red One’ that makes the movie special.
Dwayne Johnson: Something that Jake inherently does in his films — and I’ve had the privilege of working with him now three times, on the first two ‘Jumanji’ movies and now ‘Red One’ — is heart. There’s so much heart in this movie. That’s often an overstatement, I think, in storytelling in Hollywood, but it’s true. One of my favorite parts of the movie is where J.K. as Santa Claus reminds me that it’s our job to see the best in people and look beyond if they’re on the naughty list, and look at the kid in everybody.
5) Lucy Liu Didn’t Know At First She Had A Big Action Scene
Lucy Liu plays Zoe Harlow, the director of MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority), an agency charged with keeping track of the world’s mythological beings. Although initially it didn’t seem like she’d participate in any of the action, things took a different turn during filming.
Lucy Liu: Well, it was impromptu. I had spoken to Jake and I said, “Is there any training or do you need me to prep anything?” He said, “No, I think maybe she’s going to throw a kick and maybe a punch. Maybe that’s it. You’re just the boss lady and then that’s all it’s going to be.” I said, “Okay, great. No problem.” I show up to the set, we’re doing the costume fittings and everything, and then the stunt coordinator comes in and he says, “I just want to give you a little bit of a previs of what we’re going to do.” He shows me this entire action scene. And my face just turned white. But then I was like, “Okay, let’s do this.” As soon as I got the sticks in my hands, it was like muscle memory kicked in. It was like I was alive again…I hadn’t done it in a long time, but it just came back to me. I love watching action movies. I grew up watching them, and actually being on the screen doing action is so exciting. I think that it gets kids excited, it gets girls excited, it gets women excited. So it’s nice that you still got it.
6) Kiernan Shipka Got Her Villain On For The First Time
Kiernan Shipka (‘Longlegs’) appears as Gryla, the legendary winter witch who masterminds Santa’s kidnapping, and said she relished her first opportunity to play the main villain in a movie.
Kiernan Shipka: It was really fun. I loved it. I’ve never really played a proper villain before. I’ve definitely played people who were dark and twisted, but the film kind of hinges on this kidnapping. It was really cool to feel like I had a part in the movie that was sort of moving things in any sort of direction. That was really fun. I liked those stakes. I love that this movie’s so fun. I mean, there’s a lot of heart in it, there’s a lot of action in it, but at the end of the day, I think you sit down and it’s a really fun watch. So playing someone who is a villain, but also maintaining a sense of levity and fun with the whole thing was also really lovely. So it was great. I’ll play a villain anytime. It was fun.
7) Kristofer Hivju Went A Different Way Playing Krampus
The figure of Krampus, in European Alpine folklore, is said to accompany Santa/St. Nicholas on his rounds and punish the children who have been naughty. Although wearing a full, practical costume complete with horns, actor Kristofer Hivju (‘Game of Thrones’) decided to play him not as a horrific monster but as Santa’s estranged, self-absorbed brother, who indulges in wild parties and slapping contests with his obedient guests.
Kristofer Hivju: For me it was like the character is more or less the suit, right? So I tried to play against the suit, and actually play him as feminine, as narcissistic, and self-indulging as possible. Suddenly that mixture became a bit disturbing. But the funny thing about Krampus is that he has the same objective as Nick. They want the same thing. It’s just the method [that’s different] — punishing or rewarding. Sometimes you need a bit of slapping.
Dwayne Johnson said that having Krampus played by an actor in a suit on the set was a huge advantage over the character being created via CG.
Dwayne Johnson: For Chris and I, when we step on set and we had the privilege of obviously being on set for many, many days with Kristofer as Krampus, it is one of the most impressive things we had ever seen. He’s massive and he really does such a spectacular job as Krampus. In our story the mythology is that he’s the brother of Santa, and the prosthetics that he was wearing are from Joel Harlow, who’s an Academy Award winner, and you really see it. But the challenge is that there has to be so much life going on in his eyes because everything else is just these incredible prosthetics. Because he’s such a superior actor, you feel that in the movie.
Chris Evans added that working with practical effects and creatures like Krampus on set brought back memories of the movies he loved growing up.
Chris Evans: I grew up on movies like ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘NeverEnding Story’ where it was all practical and it was real. Those things stuck with you as a kid because it was things that you never saw in your normal life. I know now that every other movie is just loaded with CG. In a way there’s so much of it that when you do get a film that goes practical, it still sticks with you in that same way because it’s still rare like it was when I was a kid. That’s what makes it feel like a real character, a real performance. It’s not common anymore, which is nice.
Dwayne Johnson shared what was most important for him about the Christmas holidays.
Dwayne Johnson: Just getting family together would be our #1 greatest family tradition. I know it’s simplistic, but a lot of times when I was growing up, my dad was always on the road and he wasn’t always home for Christmas. In the business that we’re in, sometimes it requires us to work over the holidays. So for me, just to have the entire family together, that’s the most important thing.
Santa himself, J.K. Simmons, shared a story about his family during the holidays and how Christmas taught him and his sister a valuable lesson.
J.K. Simmons: I have an older sister, two years older. She was probably six and I was four, and my little brother was a baby. Of course on Christmas morning we’re up before the crack of dawn, bothering our parents and getting them out of bed and they’re dragging their butts out of bed. But I think that was the Christmas that my mom just said, “Go make some oatmeal.” My sister, she’s the oldest, so she’s the assistant mom. So from every Christmas from then on, my sister and I would get up, we would make the oatmeal, and after we ate the oatmeal, then we were allowed to open the stockings from Santa. Then we waited for mom and dad to wake up to open all the rest of the presents. So it taught us a real kind of self-sufficiency, and it gave my sister, especially, a sense of responsibility.
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What is the plot of ‘Red One’?
After a villain kidnaps Santa from the North Pole, an E.L.F (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative (Dwayne Johnson) must partner with the world’s most accomplished tracker (Chris Evans) to find Santa and save Christmas.
