John Krasinski and Prime Video changed all that with TV series ‘Jack Ryan,’ which aired four seasons between 2018 and 2023. It offered the chance for longer, more nuanced adventures for Ryan (well, as nuanced as a show based on a Tom Clancy character truly gets) and was a big success.
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Amazon MGM Studios is looking to keep that going but is switching tracks to send Ryan back to movie form (likely so that Krasinski can keep playing him but doesn’t have to commit to another season).
What’s the story of the ‘Jack Ryan’ movie?
John Krasinski as Jack Ryan in Prime Video’s ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ Season 4. Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
There are zero details on what Ryan might be up to in the movie, though it’s a fair guess that it’ll involve some big, probably terrorist or rogue state-sponsored threat that Ryan has to A) figure out and B) take down.
Given that Amazon also owns the rights to the Ryan-adjacent John Clark character (as portrayed by Michael B. Jordan in ‘Without Remorse’, and aboard to return for ‘Rainbow Six,’ might we get a fan-pleasing crossover, if only for one scene?
Who else is working on the ‘Jack Ryan’ movie?
Wendell Pierce as James Greer in ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.’ Credit: Sarah Shatz. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
With Krasinski starring and producing, we’ll also see the return of Wendell Pierce, who plays James Greer, Ryan’s superior in the series.
And Michael Kelly, who had a sizeable roles as Mike November, is in talks.
Behind the scenes, Andrew Bernstein, who served as an executive producer and director on Season 2 of the series, is directing the film from a script by Aaron Rabin, who served as a co-executive producer and writer on Season 4.
John Krasinski as Dr. Jack Ryan in Prime Video’s ‘Jack Ryan.’
There is no word on when the movie will land on the big screen. And it might also be an “if” situation –– Amazon could still decide to release it via streaming to keep the Prime Video audience watching.
Still, with Krasinski in the lead, the studio may well decide to leverage his film star status to turn this into more of an event.
(L to R) John Krasinski as Dr. Jack Ryan and Wendell Pierce as James Greer in Prime Video’s ‘Jack Ryan.’
(Left) Henry Cavill in ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’. Photo: Daniel Smith (Right) ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender.’ Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Henry Cavill will star in the ‘Voltron’ live-action movie.
‘Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber is directing.
It’ll adapt the iconic anime series.
We all know Henry Cavill loves working in genre films and shows. He’s played Superman on the big screen, and on TV, he was the star of ‘The Witcher’ for three seasons.
And in his off-screen life, he’s into plenty of geek-tastic pursuits, including video games and table-top gaming.
Details on Cavill’s role in the movie are unknown for now, but we can imagine him either playing a heroic mentor, or, to change things up, a scheming villain.
‘Voltron’ has its roots in the Japanese sci-fi series ‘Beast King GoLion’ and ‘Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV’.
American production World Events bought the rights for the States, then edited and dubbed the series as a syndicated show, titling it ‘Voltron: Defender of the Universe’, which ran in the mid-1980s.
The premise focused on five young pilots in a battalion named the Robot Lions, which are vehicles that merge to form a mega robot known as Voltron and take on a variety of enemies.
The show in animated form has already been rebooted twice, once for the NickToon channel in 2011, while the current version is on Netflix.
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It’s a compelling concept (one that has been referenced and parodied endlessly since its heyday) and a-live action version has been in development at different terms since the early 2000s.
The plot for the new movie, which Thurber wrote with Ellen Shanman, is a mystery for now, but we can expect a fair amount of giant robot combat. The director has been developing this one since at least 2022.
Who else will appear in ‘Voltron’?
‘Voltron: Legendary Defender.’ Photo: Netflix.
Cavill is not the first person cast in the new movie. He joins Daniel Quinn-Toye, a relative newcomer whose previous screen credit was a tiny role in a BBC sitcom called ‘Badults’ that ran in 2013 and 2014.
But Quinn-Toye has one other job that caught the eye of Thurber and Amazon MGM studios: the 21-year old actor, who attended London’s Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts as well as the Dance School of Scotland, was the understudy to Tom Holland in the ‘Spider-Man’ actor’s big return to the theater world this past spring in the West End production of ‘Romeo & Juliet.’ He also had small roles in the play itself.
When will ‘Voltron’ be on screens?
Amazon MGM Studios has yet to confirm a release date for the movie, though Thurber will kick off production this fall in Australia, so it could conceivably be with us next year. Given the likely post-production/effects workload, however, 2026 would be a more sensible target.
Henry Cavill as Superman in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are aboard a new crime thriller.
Joe Carnahan will direct the movie, titled ‘RIP’.
The project is seeking a distributor.
It’s not quite such an event these days for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to work together; after all, their most recent shared effort, ‘Air’ (starring Damon, which Affleck directed and co-starred in), was only released last year.
They had been considering working together again –– on kidnap thriller ‘Animals’, which we reported on here –– but schedules couldn’t be worked out following shooting changes for Affleck on the ‘Accountant’ sequel.
Now, however, they have found their next joint gig, a crime thriller called ‘RIP’.
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What’s the story of ‘RIP’?
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on HBO’s ‘Project Greenlight.’
According to Deadline, the plot details beyond that basic genre description, are being kept quiet.
The title doesn’t exactly promise sunshine and kittens, and we do know that the movie’s concept was dreamt up by director Joe Carnahan along with Mike McGrale, and Carnahan is looking to start calling the shots in the fall.
Affleck and Damon’s Artists Equity will produce. Carnahan, of course, has a solid history with crime films, having made the likes of ‘Narc’ and ‘Smokin’ Aces’ (in which Affleck had a role).
‘RIP’ is currently without a distributor, but given the star power and director, we’d expect this one to be snapped up quickly. Netflix may pivot from working on ‘Animals’, or Amazon MGM may well step up.
Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff in ‘The Accountant.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
As mentioned earlier, Affleck has reprised the character of Christian Wolff for a sequel to Gavin O’Connor’s 2016 action thriller ‘The Accountant’, which is in post-production now.
Damon has Apple’s ‘The Instigators’ on the way (which he’s starring in, and producing alongside Affleck), and that will land on Apple TV+ on August 9th, with Doug Liman in the director’s chair.
He’s also a producer (without Artists Equity this time) on Netflix comedy series ‘Green Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse’.
Beyond those upcoming acting/producing gigs, the pair’s company is also backing projects such as an updated ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ and sports drama ‘Unstoppable’.
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon win Best Original Screenplay for ‘Good Will Hunting’ during the 70th Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.
Other Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Movies and TV Shows:
Kristen Stewart is attached to a new TV series about astronaut Sally Ride.
It’ll follow the story of a diverse group of astronaut candidates.
Amazon is locking down a deal to produce the series.
Since her big movie break with the ‘Twilight’ franchise, Kristen Stewart has rarely dabbled in TV, producing a couple of series and making small appearances.
Now, though, she’s found a project that she’s all in on, agreeing so star as astronaut Sally Ride in a new series that Amazon is looking to pick up.
The new series will adapt Meredith E. Bagby’s book ‘The New Guys’, which follows the NASA space shuttle astronaut class of 1978, the first to be comprised of a diverse group including women and minorities.
They were labelled ‘The F*****g New Guys’ by their predecessors. Ride was the first woman and the first member of the LGBTQ+ community to fly into space. Also in that program were the first Black and Asian American astronauts, and a married couple. They passed all the rigorous tests to become top of the class, and egos, ambition and romance were part of the cultural clash.
In 1983, Ride became the third woman, and first American woman, to fly into space on the shuttle Challenger, heading into orbit twice. She became an instant celebrity.
That joy was short-lived, however, when the space shuttle Challenger blew apart 73 seconds into its ascent on another mission without Ride, killing all seven members of the crew in 1986. Ride then became the only astronaut to become part of the Rogers Commission, a presidential commission to investigate the disaster, and it later came out that she pinpointed the problems with O-rings that became stiff at low temperature, and that turned out to be the reason for the explosion. Ride died from cancer at age 61 in 2012.
Who is making ‘The Challenger’?
(L to R) J.K. Simmons and Kyra Sedgwick in ‘The Closer’. Photo: Warner Bros. Television.
This is a passion project for Kyra Sedgwick, who has been developing it via her Big Swing Productions for years.
Here’s what Sedgwick told Deadline about the series.
“This is something we’ve worked on at Big Swing since 2017, me, Meredith and Valerie, about this new class of astronaut recruited by NASA in the early 1970s. Sally Ride was among them, and the focus is this newly recruited wild, feral group of astronauts who were all very diverse. And then on an ‘Oppenheimer’ track, it also tells the story of the Rogers Commission that investigated the Challenger disaster that Ride took part in. Growing up in Florida, Meredith Bagby was obsessed with space and the shuttle, and she also watched the Challenger explode. Meredith got hundreds of hours of interviews with the members of that class, and we have relationships with all those living astronauts and they will be part of our brain trust on the show.”
It was Sedgwick who opted to bring in Steven Spielberg to help produce the show via his Amblin company.
“We thought, what better than to bring in Steven Spielberg to help tell this awe-inspiring story of the astronauts who inspired space travel for a new generation? Amblin helped us prepare the pitch that went out to the marketplace, and it has been extremely competitive, and we are close to a deal.”
When will ‘The Challenger’ be on screens?
While there are no other cast or creatives attached yet, the plan is apparently to have this one on screens by 2026, the 30th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy.
Kristen Stewart arrives on the red carpet of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022. Photo: Michael Baker / A.M.P.A.S.
Other Movies and TV Shows Similar to ‘The Challenger’:
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with director George Clooney and actor Joel Edgerton to talk about their work on ‘The Boys in the Boat.’
They discussed the new movie, why Clooney wanted to adapt the book and the themes he wanted to explore, Edgerton’s approach to his character, the challenges of shooting the rowing sequences, what Edgerton learned about filmmaking from watching Clooney direct, and what Clooney was looking from the young actors he cast for the rowing team.
(L to R) Director George Clooney and Joel Edgerton talk ‘The Boys in the Boat.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Clooney and Edgerton, as well as Callum Turner and Hadley Robinson.
Moviefone: To begin with, George, can you talk about developing this project? What intrigued you about the real story it’s based on, and what were the themes you wanted to explore as a director with this movie?
George Clooney: The book was one of my favorite books. I read the book, we went after it, we didn’t get it. It took a long time. We hired a terrific screenwriter named Mark Smith, who I’d worked with before, who I loved. He wrote a beautiful screenplay for us. Well, first, it’s an underdog story. I love sports films, I always have. I wanted to tell a story about people coming together. I love the idea of people, even the depression obviously drew people together, but it was more than that. It was just about, by yourself you can’t do it, with everybody is the only way you can do it, and I like that.
MF: Joel, can you talk about your approach to playing Al Ulbrickson and did you draw any inspiration from coaches, teachers or mentors that you’ve had in your life?
Joel Edgerton: So many coaches I had in my life that I watch on television, and with a certain naivety, you look at them and go, why are you even doing this? You look like you have no joy in your life whatsoever. You just look so bitter and close to a heart attack. I think it’s because of how much they care, and they will show their enjoyment usually when there’s a big trophy around. But more than anything, those relationships remind me of certain father-son dynamics. Every coach I ever had, created that energy to me where I was like, I want to impress you because I feel like you’re not impressed by what I was doing. Probably because I was a terrible athlete, so I was really excited about playing that rather than some overly warm, fuzzy coach who probably never wins, because he’s like, it doesn’t matter, you’re doing great.
MF: George, can you talk about the challenges of shooting on the water and creating the rowing sequences?
GC: Yeah, they were fun to do. Listen, it’s hard to shoot on water. Anybody who has any understanding of shooting would understand why water is so tricky. The wind blows and all the boats ended up in 15 different directions, and you’re trying to get all these young men who’d never rowed before to row and look good, and then they’re rowing against a bunch of people who really know what they’re doing. There’s historical accuracy, so you must have the boats in the right order all the time. There’s constantly a battle of like, hang on a minute, you can’t be ahead of Hungary at this point. It was all very complicated, but we just had to be prepared, that’s all. If you’re prepared, you can kind of cover almost anything.
MF: What type of preparation was needed to execute those shots?
GC: Well, everything. I mean, we had photographs of the races at each quarter, so we would know where they were, where they’re staying. We had radio broadcasts of some of them, but then you must spend the days and nights figuring out, okay, we were shooting one reservoir that was shallow because of the boats, you couldn’t anchor them, so we would have scuba divers underwater holding the boats steady before they started just to get things off. You just had to have that kind of thing.
MF: Joel, in addition to being an actor, you’re also a director. In addition to being a director, Mr. Clooney is also an actor. What was it like for you working with him and specifically what did you learn about filmmaking from watching the way that George makes movies?
JE: I’m sure George has felt this too, but the sacred awesomeness of being an actor and deciding at some point you’re going to direct, or when you do, is that you’ve had a front row seat watching so many different directors conduct themselves over a month’s long shoot, and you get to learn and kind of observe. You see someone do a certain thing, even if it’s like the way they run a rehearsal or I love learning about conduct as well, just going, oh, that’s learning gratitude from a director. The way they appreciate a crew. Anyway, I mean, I think George obviously has understood all that stuff, plus this incredible ability to tell a story well. I’ve been a huge fan of the movies he’s made since the very beginning, and it was great to pick his brain about some of the creative resourcefulness that he put into some of his earlier films too, kind of in-camera tricks, which are just so awesome to hear about. Stuff that you don’t get to know unless you’re sort of sitting side-by-side having a chat. I had a great time.
MF: George, as a director that is also an actor, what is it like for you directing an actor who is also a director?
GC: I have to say, when you work with an actor who has directed and has directed beautifully, what you get with that is, you get all the shortcuts, he understands we’re losing the light and we’ve got to get this. He’ll say, “If I walk over from here to here, I can shorten that issue,” and you go, that would really be nice if you could do that. For us, I think it was a real shorthand in that way, because I could just say, well, we’re trying to do this, and he’d go, “Got it”. It’s a big deal. It makes a big difference when you work with an actor who also happens to be a wonderful filmmaker.
MF: Finally, George, can you talk about casting the actors that play the rowing team and what were you looking for from them in terms of emotionality and physicality for these roles?
GC: Well, physicality was important because these guys are all giants. That was one of the parts of it that was important. But then you must have actors. We did that stupid thing where we asked them all if they were athletic, because I said, “If you’re not athletic, we won’t be able to keep you on.” But every actor would lie about that. We lie about everything on our resumes always. Do you juggle? Certainly, I juggle. I juggle a lot of balls. But they ended up training hard and doing a spectacular job of rowing.
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What is the plot of ‘The Boys in the Boat’?
The non-fiction novel describes the University of Washington crew that represented the United States in the men’s eight at the 1936 Summer Olympic games in Berlin, including the coaches, boatbuilder George Pocock (Peter Guinness), and the working-class student athletes involved, especially rower Joe Rantz (Callum Turner), who was effectively abandoned by his family and left to fend for himself at a young age.
Having pummeled the competition at the box office this past weekend, with a $58 million opening weekend and $110 million globally after less than a week on release, ‘Creed III’ has certainly confirmed that the sports franchise that grew from the ‘Rocky’ movies is alive, well and punching above its weight (the third movie, in fact, earned more in three days than its two predecessors did across five-day holiday launches).
So when Michael B. Jordan told Deadline last week that he’s “excited” about building a universe around boxer Adonis Creed, his family, friends and colleagues, it certainly sounds like we’re getting closer to that becoming a reality.
It’s still early days on all of this, and neither Jordan, MGM nor Amazon (which owns MGM) are officially commenting, but word is that we could see an anime series based on the ‘Creed’ movies that would allow the team to tell more stories set in his world.
And, following on from ‘Creed III’, there is also talk of a show based around Adonis and Bianca (Tessa Thompson)’s daughter Amara, as played by deaf actress Mila Davis-Kent in the movie. What exactly that might be remains to be seen –– whether it follows her now or perhaps even in her adult life.
There’s also mention of a live-action series, but again, that’s still nebulous at this point.
There hasn’t been much word of it for now, though we’re sure Amazon would want Lundgren back on screens.
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in ‘Creed II.’
Will Sylvester Stallone be involved in the spin-offs?
Any new ‘Creed’ Development appears unlikely to feature involvement from Sylvester Stallone, who let’s not forget, is the progenitor and star of the entire ‘Rocky’ film franchise, without which there would be no ‘Creed’ in the first place.
Sly has been outspoken in his dissatisfaction with the lack of reciprocity when it comes to rights between himself and producer Irwin Winkler. The producer refused to hand the rights back to Stallone and the actor/writer has cut ties with the franchise.
And Sly’s issues extend to not even watching ‘Creed III’, in which he does not appear as Rocky. “You can’t make peace with someone who’s been so, so nefarious, in my opinion,” he told Jessica Shaw on Sirius XM.
Which means we’re unlikely to see ‘Rocky & Friends’ as one of the big new offerings from the Creed-verse. Though if the success of the latest movie has proved, Adonis Creed’s world has moved on from Rocky.
‘Creed III’ is produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Outlier Society Productions, Proximity Media, and Balboa Productions, and is scheduled for release on March 3rd.
(L to R) Nazanin Boniadi (Bronwyn), and Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) wakes up to find the Southlands decimated, and the people she traveled the world to save dead or dying. Cut off from each other, the people of Numenor rush to rescue those they can, regardless of the consequences. When the queen regent and Isildur (Maxim Baldry) enter a burning house to rescue a family trapped in the blaze, the roof collapses on Isildur.
Stumbling through the decimated Southlands, Galadriel finds Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) among the few survivors, and the two find a curious connection in the guilt they bear over their inadvertent role in the enemy’s victory. Galadriel lends him her sword, and the two begin making their way back to their friends and family. Though there’s no such luck for Elendil (Lloyd Owen), who’s distraught to find his son is among the missing Numenoreans. Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), to her credit, does a much better job of hiding her despair, when she discovers that she’s been blinded by the volcanic blast.
(L to R) Morfydd Clark (Galadriel), and Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Elsewhere in Middle-earth, the ever-optimistic Harfoots reach their next encampment, only to find it scorched by the fires of Mount Doom. The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) tries using his magic to bring a dead tree back to life. But as he speaks to it (further convincing us he’s Gandalf) a large branch falls from the tree and almost kills a Harfoot child. Once more, the Stranger’s a pariah to the Harfoots, who finally send him packing. After Nori (Markella Kavenagh) says her goodbyes to her newfound friend, she tells her mother that she never should have helped him, and, like a good Harfoot, should accept her meager place in the world.
In Khazad-dum, Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) try to convince Durin’s father, the dwarf king, to resume mining Mithril in order to share it with the dying elves. But their words fall on death ears, as the king forbids any further digging. Back at home, Disa (Sophia Nomvete) is enraged by the news, and proclaims the king a shortsighted fool. Wishing to avoid splintering the Durin family, Elrond agrees to leave. As soon as he does, During finds Elrond’s dying elf leaf is restored to life by a Mithril shard, and resumes the excavation.
The two friends find a cavern rich overflowing with the ore. We learn the depths of their bromance when Durin calls him his brother, though Elrond stops him from sharing his “secret” dwarf name. Unfortunately, the King interrupts them, and throws Elrond out of Khazad-dum (though he retains one shard of Mithril).
(L to R) Markella Kavenagh (Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot), and Lenny Henry (Sadoc Burrows) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Furious with his son, the king strips Durin of his title, and accuses him of betraying his people. The prince, in turn, accuses his father of leaving their allies to die, and of being blind to the future and his own son’s vision for progress. Disa, however, is fully supportive of that vision, and reminds her husband that no matter what occurs they will one day rule Khazad-dum.
Alone in the mine, the dwarf king sees Elrond’s rejuvenated leaf, tosses it into the cavern, and orders the mine sealed. As the leaf falls deep within, we see it burst into flame as it lands next to a roaring Balrog.
Nori wakes up to find the Harfoot encampment’s land has healed overnight, and the apple trees are bursting with fruit. But she and her kin are confronted by the three witches who’ve been hunting the Stranger since he arrived in Middle-earth. Nori’s father Largo (Dylan Smith) waves a torch in their faces and warns them not to harm his family. In response, they burn the encampment’s wagons down. Nori then decides to go after the Stranger and warn him of the witches. Her stepmother (Sara Zwangobani), Poppy (Megan Richards), and the Harfoot elder Sadoc (Lenny Henry) join her.
Daniel Weyman (The Stranger) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
In the Numenorean camp on the Southlands’ perimeter, Isildur, still grieving over his lost son, is determined to leave Middle-earth and never return. Yet when Galadriel and Theo reach the camp, a still proud Miriel swears to the elf warrior that they will return. In the meantime, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) tells Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) and Galadriel of a new land to which they can bring her people. Galadriel finds King Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) is wounded but still alive, and the two ride together once more, to win support from the High King in Eregion.
Within the Southlands, Adar (Joseph Mawle) tells the orcs that their new home will no longer be known by this name – and we see the name dissolve on screen, replaced with the word “Mordor”…
This week’s episode is understandably a quiet one after last week’s battle-soaked epic, and one is left wondering if there’s an opportunity for more action in next week’s season finale. Will Gil-galad heed Galadriel’s warnings this time? And just what do the witches want with the Stranger?
Meet us back here in seven days, Ringers!
Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
(L to R) Charlie Vickers (Halbrand), and Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
This week’s episode of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ continues to make viewers question their assumptions about who the show’s most enigmatic characters actually are.
Take the opening scene of “Partings,” in which Nori (Markella Kavenagh), in the process of explaining death to the still out-of-it Stranger (Daniel Weyman), tells him that he’s a good person. He repeats her words to himself as though he, and the audience, shouldn’t be quite so sure. On the other hand, the group of sinister-looking cultists that investigate his crashdown site can’t possibly be up to any good.
Things aren’t much better in the Southlands. Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) tries to rally her people against Sauron’s forces. But Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) shouts over her and takes half of them to join the orcs.
In Numenor, Elendil (Lloyd Owen) refuses to allow his son Isildur (Maxim Baldry) to join the army journeying to Middle-earth with Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), arguing that the boy hasn’t proven himself as a servant of their people. Meanwhile, his daughter Earien (Ema Morvath) tries to sweet talk Chancellor Pharazon’s son Kemen (Leon Wadham) into getting his father (Trystan Gravelle) to talk Queen Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) out of helping Galadriel.
(L to R) Trystan Gravelle (Pharazôn), and Leon Wadham (Kemen) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
But the queen is now fully supporting the elf warrior, granting her 500 of her troops and five ships. Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), however, is still not interested in joining them. In fact, we learn he tried to sabotage Galadriel’s impromptu meeting with the king in last week’s episode – by informing Miriel of her intentions in exchange for a guild crest.
As the Harfoots continue their migration, Malva (Thusitha Jayasundera) tells Sadoc (Lenny Henry) she doesn’t trust the Stranger. That is until he saves her, Poppy, and Nori from a pack of hungry wolves. The Stranger stops them by punching the ground with superhuman force, and in the process injures his arm. He freezes it in order to heal it, and winds up freezing Nori’s hand when she interrupts him. He breaks her icy grip, but not before she sees a fiery vision that terrifies her.
Back in Numenor, Kemen tries to convince Pharozon to stop the fleet from leaving, reminding him that he’s said he’ll never take orders from an elf. “When all this has ended,” replies the chancellor, “elves will take orders from us.” He explains to his son that he has a plan to win the support of the Southlands.
Miriel visits her father, and the King tells his daughter that darkness awaits her in Middle-earth. While in the streets of the city, Isildur begs his friends to take him with them on their voyage, but they too refuse him. Fortunately, fate intervenes. Kemen tries to set one of the ships on fire, but he’s confronted by Isildur, who rescues him and is henceforth rewarded with a post in the army.
(L to R) Benjamin Walker (High King Gil-galad), and Robert Aramayo (Elrond) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
In Lindon, Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), and the elves entertain Durin (Owain Arthur) at dinner. The dwarf questions the High King as to his plans. But Gil-galad only reveals his true intentions to Elrond after they eat, telling him he wants to acquire Mithril from the dwarves. It seems the elves’ light is dying, and the only thing that can save them is the ore, which contains the light of a lost Silmaril. Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) concurs, revealing to Elrond that he knows of Gil-galad’s plan, has tested Mithril, and learned that they could save every elf with it.
Galadriel has one last talk with Halbrand. It turns out he’s afraid his fellow men won’t forgive him when they learn just how he survived Sauron’s wrath. She at last tells him the story of her brother, and how she faced the darkness within herself.
In the Southlands, Adar (Joseph Mawle) is displeased that the renegade Southlanders believe he is Sauron, but accepts their loyalty nonetheless. He makes Waldreg prove that loyalty by killing one of his own people.
In the refugees’ tower camp, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) teaches Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) archery, and Theo shows him the broken sword he stole from Waldreg. Arondir tells Bronwyn that Theo’s sword is a key to giving the orcs a home in their lands. Believing they’re already finished, she too considers surrendering to Adar. But her thoughts are interrupted by the orcs’ chants of “Nampat!” as they march on the tower.
(L to R) Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo), and Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Elrond tells Durin of the elves’ need for Mithril, expecting his friend will feel betrayed. But Durin surprises him by agreeing to help. In return, he only wants to hear Elrond tell him repeatedly that he holds the fate of all elves in his hands. Gil-galad quietly observes their banter.
Galadriel and her army leave Numenor at last, with Halbrand at her side…
The highlight of ‘Partings’ finds Galadriel giving sword-fighting lessons to the new recruits in her army. Her fighting style is more than a little reminiscent of ‘The Matrix.’ Which is fitting, since Halbrand’s technique – as we saw two episodes ago – calls to mind ‘John Wick.’
If Adar is no longer suspected to be Sauron, that leaves the Stranger and Halbrand as the next most popular fan theories. I’m leaning on the Stranger, given Nori’s vision in this episode and the fact that Halbrand looks right at home in his new armor. Of course, Gil-galad now looks like he’s up to no good either.
Next week: Galadriel rides into battle. But will she save the Southland in time?
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
And to remind us all that the series is finally on its way, there is a huge new trailer online that shows off some of the epic scope of the show.
For the remaining few who may not be aware following a swathe of pictures, teasers, and Comic-Con panels, ‘The Rings of Power’ brings to screens the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.
This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ books (so memorably turned into movies by Peter Jackson and his team), and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
(L to R) Charlie Vickers (Halbrand) and Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
This new adaptation of Tolkien’s sprawling fantasy novels comes courtesy of J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, who have writing credits on movies including ‘Star Trek Beyond’. ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s J.A. Bayona is involved as an executive producer and director along with fellow director Charlotte Brändström.
A key focal point here is Galadriel (who you’ll recall was played by Cate Blanchett in Jackson’s movies), and in ‘Rings of Power’ is a much younger, more headstrong elf who goes against the commands of her people in seeking allies to battle the return of the villainous Sauron. Brought to life here by Morfydd Clark, she’s a driven warrior willing to risk everything for a quest and a battle she knows is right.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ debuts with its first two episodes on Prime Video on Friday September 2nd.
Owain Arthur (Prince Durin IV) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Premiering on Prime Video beginning August 26th is the new original superhero movie ‘Samaritan,’ from director Julius Avery (‘Overlord’).
The movie stars Javon Walton as Sam Cleary, a young boy living with his single mother (Dascha Polanco) trying to survive in a rough neighborhood. Sam looks up to a superhero named Samaritan, who went missing decades ago after an epic battle with his archrival.
When a gangster named Cyrus (Pilou Asbaek) starts threatening Sam and his mother, he turns to a neighbor named Joe Smith (Sylvester Stallone) for help, who Sam believes might be the real Samaritan.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending a virtual press conference, along with several other members of the press, to hear what Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone had to say about his work on ‘Samaritan.’
You can read the interview below or click on the video player above to watch interviews with Stallone, Javon Walton, Dascha Polanco, and Pilou Asbaek.
Stallone began the press conference by discussing why he wanted to make an original superhero movie. “Well, it’s very reflective of what’s going on” he said. “Quite often, people say, we’re basically good people who can take care of ourselves. Let’s be on the honor system, and quite often it backfires. Then they go, how do we get rid of all this violence and fear?”
“In the movies, it’s always this mythic character,” Stallone continued. “But in the end, I say to the people, you have to take care of yourself, that’s what it’s all about. So, it’s kind of a cautionary tale, that when you get rid of your hero, then maybe you need a hero back, because you’re just not ready to take on the responsibility. But in this particular case, he had an issue that is so personal, that he couldn’t face the facts. That’s why he disappeared.”
The actor also talked about the challenges of creating a new superhero universe. “There has been a tremendous accomplishment by certain directors and certain companies in Marvel and DC, that have really pushed the universe to the max,” Stallone said. “I mean, everything that you could possibly imagine has been created.”
“I always feel there is nothing quite as relatable as almost getting hit by a car, or walking down a dark alley,” he continued. “That’s very relatable. So, we try to make the events and the danger plausible, in a sense, and identifiable. This could happen to you. It’s something that’s very tangible. It’s not from another universe, it’s from right here in the streets.”
Stallone was also asked to talk about the relationship in the film between his character and Sam, played by Javon Walton. “I hate the fact that he’s making me face reality quite often,” Stallone joked. “I think one of the main assets people have is a fading memory. Every day my character tries to forget something new because he doesn’t want to remember. It’s bad times, it’s mistakes, it’s this and that. This kid is dragging me back into my memories, and he’s making me face who I was.”
Having appeared in franchises like ‘Rocky,’ ‘Rambo,’ and ‘The Expendables,’ Stallone is no stranger to physically training for a movie, and the actor talked about how he prepared differently for this role. “I think there is a point where you say okay, you can’t do a 29-year-old ‘Rambo’ thing because you also have to honor who you at your age,” he said. “That’s the part of it that you’re not who you were, but you’re still there.”
“Actually, there’s a line in the movie about how you start to fall apart when you stop caring about everything, meaning life, and yourself.” Stallone explained. “So, I thought that this guy, his trait would be in his resolve. He still has great physical power as opposed to speed and he’s not jumping through the air. He’s not that kind of guy.”
“He’s like a very powerful individual that is still in the world of reality, a little bit,” the actor continued. “He can’t fly, and fire doesn’t come out of his mouth. He’s just a unique superhero. He’s almost a modern-day Hercules. He’s that kind of a mythic hero. I think those are ones that you can identify with. He can die. I mean, if he gets hit enough, he’s gone.”
Finally, Stallone was asked what superhero fans can expect from ‘Samaritan.’ “Because this guy is much more pedestrian, you could be standing next to him on a bus and not even know you’re standing next to some guy that can literally lift the bus up,’ he said. “There’s a kind of simplicity to it, and it’s a simmering boil. It eventually erupts as opposed to triumphant music, special effects and guys hitting the ground with their fists like a seismic wave.”
“So, you can expect a hero that is very regular, and does irregular things,” Stallone continued. “That’s what it is. It’s not like if ‘Rocky’ was a superhero. It’s something that is identifiable and street-like. It’s not set in some super fantastic universe. It’s set among brick and concrete, and identifiable situations about the neighborhoods we live in. That’s what I liked about it.”
