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Tag: Amsterdam

Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller join ‘Madden’
(Left) Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) in Marvel Television’s ‘Agatha All Along’, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2024 Marvel. (Center) John Mulaney at Netflix’s Next on Netflix event. Photo: Netflix. (Right) Sienna Miller as Frances Kittredge in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:
- Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller are the latest recruits for ‘Madden.’
- David O. Russell wrote the script and will direct.
- Nicolas Cage is playing the football icon.
We learned in August last year that Nicolas Cage would be making an unusual move for him, and stepping up to play NFL coaching (and TV/video game) legend John Madden for a new movie from ‘American Hustle’s David O. Russell.

And, as seems typical with Russell’s projects, he’s now gathered a starry ensemble to support Cage in the film.

Per Deadline, Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller are the latest additions to the movie.

And the site’s story confirms word from reporter Jeff Sneider that Christian Bale, a perennial Russell performer, is also aboard the movie.

Related Article: Nicolas Cage Playing Football and Broadcasting Icon John Madden in ‘Madden’

What’s the story of ‘Madden’?

John Madden. Photo: NFL.com.

With a script by Russell (based on earlier work from Cambron Clark), the exact details of what ‘Madden’ will cover remain a little indistinct at the moment.

But there is certainly a lot to choose from. Madden was a star player in high school, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, only for injury to curtail his rookie season.

Instead, he went on to earn a degree in teaching and put his skills/experience to good use as a coach, going on to lead the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl and a win in 1977.

Madden became known as one of the best coaches in the sport’s history, but his all-consuming passion and commitment wore on him, and he retired for health reasons.

Still, a hugely successful second chapter dawned as courted by the fledgling gaming company Electronic Arts to be the front man for its Madden NFL multi-player video game. Madden had never played a video game, but it turned into an outlet where he could lend his knowledge and help the masses better understand the gridiron.

The game has long been a sensation –– even with its inspiration dying in 2021, it continues to this day as a favorite of players and fans.

And beyond even that, Madden also became famous as a beloved commentator on the game he loved so much, his enthusiasm pouring from the screen, and his habit of scribbling on the screen making him a firm favorite among viewers.

Who are the new recruits playing?

John Mulaney in ‘John Mulaney: Baby J’ Photo: Netflix.

Bale is playing late Raiders owner Al Davis, while Mulaney has the role of Trip Hawkins, who founded EA Sports and was a driving force in behind the Madden NFL video games.

Hahn will be Madden’s wife, Virginia; and Miller is on board to be Davis’ wife, Carol.

With the casting process in full swing, Russell is preparing to start shooting next month in Atlanta.

‘Madden’: David O. Russell talks Nicolas Cage

David O. Russell on the set of ‘American Hustle’. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing/Francois Duhamel. Copyright: © 2013 Annapurna Productions LLC All Rights Reserved.

Here’s what Russell said about the casting news in a statement:

“Nicolas Cage, one of our greatest and most original actors, will portray the best of the American spirit of originality, fun, and determination in which anything is possible as beloved national legend John Madden. Together with the ferocious style, focus, and inspired individualism of Al Davis, owner of the underdog Oakland Raiders, the feature will be about the joy, humanity and genius that was John Madden in a wildly inventive, cool world of the 1970s.”

Russell himself is something of a controversial figure, his successful directing career also marked by criticisms of his attitude to women and other groups. He’s also been known for his mercurial behavior on set, infamously clashing with George Clooney on ‘Three Kings’ and Lily Tomlin on ‘I Heart Huckabees‘.
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Bale, of course, clearly has no such issues, since he has worked with the director several times before, on ‘Amsterdam,’ ‘American Hustle’ and ‘The Fighter,’ which won him his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Where else have we seen Kathryn Hahn, John Mulaney and Sienna Miller?

(L to R) Kathryn Hahn and Chase Sui Wonders in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

Hahn has been busy lately with Disney+ and Marvel series ‘Agatha All Along,’ which has played well since it premiered in the fall. She can also be seen in the Apple TV+ series ‘The Studio,’ which has been a success for that streaming service.

On the movie front, she lent her voice to animated canine comedy ‘Fixed,’ directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, which has been in limbo until it was picked up by Netflix for release in August.

Mulaney, meanwhile, has been spending his time on Netflix talk show ‘Everyone’s Live with John Mulaney,’ and he’ll be back as Spider-Ham for ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,’ though that won’t be on screens until 2027.

He’s also a voice (and a producer) on animated coming-of-age comedy series ‘Big Mouth‘, which launches its final season on Netflix on May 23rd. ‘Madden’ marks one of his rare forays into bigger movie roles.

As for Miller, she was most recently seen in Kevin Costner’s Western ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ and assuming the second part moseys its way to theaters after the box office stumble of the first, she’ll be back in her role as Frances Kittredge.

Coming up, she’s back as Cathy Ryan for the ‘Jack Ryan’ movie, based on the John Krasinski-starring series that has been shooting and will likely be in theaters next year.

When will the new David O. Russell/Nicolas Cage movie ‘Madden’ be in theaters?

Amazon/MGM Studios is backing the drama, but it has yet to schedule a release date.

Nicolas Cage presents a nominee for Oscar® for Actor in a Leading Role during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

List of Football Movies:
- ‘Brian’s Song‘ (1971)
- ‘The Longest Yard‘ (1974)
- ‘Heaven Can Wait‘ (1978)
- ‘North Dallas Forty‘ (1979)
- ‘All the Right Moves‘ (1983)
- ‘Wildcats‘ (1986)
- ‘Necessary Roughness‘ (1991)
- ‘Rudy‘ (1993)
- ‘The Program‘ (1993)
- ‘Jerry Maguire‘ (1996)
- ‘Any Given Sunday‘ (1999)
- ‘Varsity Blues‘ (1999)
- ‘Remember the Titans‘ (2000)
- ‘The Replacements‘ (2000)
- ‘Friday Night Lights‘ (2004)
- ‘The Longest Yard‘ (2005)
- ‘Invincible‘ (2006)
- ‘We Are Marshall‘ (2006)
- ‘Gridiron Gang‘ (2006)
- ‘Leatherheads‘ (2008)
- ‘The Blind Side‘ (2009)
- ‘Draft Day‘ (2014)
- ‘Concussion‘ (2015)
- ‘American Underdog‘ (2021)
- ‘80 for Brady‘ (2023)
- ‘The Underdoggs‘ (2024)
Buy Nicolas Cage Movies On Amazon
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April 21, 2025
Taylor Swift to Make Her Feature Directorial Debut

Taylor Swift in the ‘Love Story’ video. Courtesy of Taylor Swift’s YouTube channel.

Though she’s long since proved herself as a powerhouse creator for songwriting and performance, Taylor Swift’s directorial career has so far stretched to music videos for her tracks and, more recently, short film ‘All Too Well’.

Now, she’s making the jump to full-fledged film director with an untitled movie for Searchlight.

“Taylor is a once in a generation artist and storyteller. It is a genuine joy and privilege to collaborate with her as she embarks on this exciting and new creative journey,” Searchlight presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield say in a statement.

The new movie is being kept quiet for now––all we really know is that it’ll draw from a script that Swift has written. Beyond that, we’ll have to wait for casting and other announcements. But we’d be shocked if the movie didn’t have some relationship element, given the usual emotional depth of the performer’s songs.

Swift made history at this year’s VMA Awards as the only solo artist ever to be honored with two Best Direction awards for her work on ‘All Too Well’ and ‘The Man’. She is the first artist ever to win three Video of the Year awards and only the second female to direct the winning video for Best Longform Video with ‘All Too Well’. The short is also eligible for an Oscar.

Taylor Swift in ‘All Too Well: The Short Film (Behind The Scenes).’ Courtesy of Taylor Swift’s YouTube channel.

And it’s not like she hasn’t been connected to movies in the past. A wealth of films and trailers have used her music, and she’s also shown up in front of the camera too.

Her first appearance (outside of acting as herself in ‘Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience’ and ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’ was in 2010’s ‘Valentine’s Day’, where she played Felicia, the girlfriend of Taylor Lautner’s track star Willy. The pair ended up dating briefly in real life.

She followed that up with a voice role in Illumination’s 2012 animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Lorax’, playing Audrey alongside the likes of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms and Betty White.

Next was ‘Cats’ (though she, along with many of her co-stars might rather wish to forget it), playing perky cat Bombalurina in the CG/live-action musical adaptation, for which she also collaborated on a new song, ‘Beautiful Ghosts’.

‘All Too Well’ saw her in front of the camera as well as behind it, and more recently, she had a small role in David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam’ as Liz Meekins, the worried daughter of a recently deceased military man who is convinced he was murdered. That saw her sharing scenes with the likes of Christian Bale and John David Washington and gave her the chance to sing on screen.

We don’t yet know whether she’ll appear in the new movie, but we’re fairly confident she will write music for it.

Taylor Swift in the ‘Anti-Hero’ video. Courtesy of Taylor Swift’s YouTube channel.
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December 9, 2022
Movie Review: ‘Amsterdam’

(L to R) Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in director David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.

Opening in theaters on October 7th, ‘Amsterdam’ reveals David O. Russell’s talent for attracting quality actors, but also comes across as his weakest script and resulting movie in quite some time.

‘Amsterdam’ certainly doesn’t lack for either star power or quality character actors: around a central trio of Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington, Russell has built an ensemble that includes Robert De Niro, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, Ed Begley Jr. and Taylor Swift.

It’s the sort of cast that most filmmakers would sell their grandmothers to acquire, but unfortunately it’s a lot of impressive people in service of an underbaked narrative that is more about quirks and screwball comedy – until it isn’t.

Bale plays Burt Berendsen, an idiosyncratic doctor with a glass eye and a complicated back brace who works to help World War I veterans like himself to feel whole again with prosthetics and other techniques.

(L-R): Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

John David Washington is Harold, Burt’s lawyer, but also his old war friend, who served with him in an integrated unit commanded by Ed Begley Jr. Immediately following the conflict Harold and Burt spent a few years in a bohemian throuple with a nurse named Valerie (Robbie), who also happened to be a rebellious trust fund hipster.

The three spent their time in an artists’ loft in Amsterdam, living, loving and, in Valerie’s case, making art. But it didn’t last once they returned home.

When Begley Jr.’s general dies – suspiciously, according to his daughter, played by Swift (who, yes, has the chance to sing briefly) – Burt and Harold are thrown into investigating what really happened to the military man. And that, in turn, brings them into contact with the likes of Saldana’s heroic nurse and a much wider conspiracy and fully reconnects them with Valerie.

Before too long, Burt and Harold are framed for a crime themselves, and must work to clear their own names. That mission leads to them meeting De Niro’s hero general, a friend of Begley Jr.’s. He’s the pawn in the bigger plot, but comes to play a much important part, even if it is late in the film.

Robert De Niro in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

With a seemingly compelling set-up, you might think that the movie would roll along merrily, bringing opportunities for slapstick humor, twists and turns. And it does – but there’s very little that is merry about this mess.

A big problem is one of clashing tones, even within the main cast. While Bale (never one to pass up the chance to throw himself into an odd character, shed some weight and adopt a make-up prosthetic) and Robbie go full tilt with their quirky personas, Washington appears to have been dropped in from another film all together. He puts the “dead” into “deadpan”.

Yes, people are not one type, yes, different personalities can work when portrayed on screen, but here it simply doesn’t blend, the oil/water combo leading to an awkward, distracting experience that clouds any possible benefit from the story.

It’s such a frustrating experience, putting weirdness and silliness before narrative.

As he weaves his mystery story, Russell loads up the movie with more and more side characters and only barely manages to make them all connect.

(L-R): Christian Bale and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Though the writer/director clearly has a lot on his mind – personal freedom vs. responsibility, the joy of expression through art, life in the interwar period and the necessity of standing up to fascism – but it’s all mashed together into an ungainly stew of messages and madness.

That final topic, the seemingly endless struggle against the forces of racist totalitarianism and power-hungry elites, is so watered down by everything that has come before that it lacks any real punch. It’s not so much a well-crafted allegory for life than it is a lesson driven home with all the subtlety of a carpenter using the world’s heaviest hammer.

The cast does their best to keep it all afloat – Bale commits, of course, and Robbie brings her considerable charm to bear on the role of Valerie. All that really serves to do, though, is push Washington further into the background, a waste of his own considerable (if straight arrow) charisma.

Others, such as Malik and Taylor-Joy barely get a chance to register, though there are a few who push through the noise, such as Alessandro Nivola as the confused, angry Detective Hiltz or Rock, who finds the funny in every line he’s given (his reaction upon discovering that Bale and Washington are looking to move a dead body is a fine example). Many are less real human beings and more collections of tics, such as Myers and Shannon as government agents.

(L-R): Rami Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Margot Robbie in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

In the movie’s defense, there are some typically superb examples of production and costume design, while cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki brings light and life to the whole thing. Russell and his editor Jay Cassidy try to keep the whole thing together, but the whole is most certainly less than the sum of its parts.

But if Russell was intending to blend farce with fact (a title card at the start announces that “some of this actually happened, which feels more like a lazy stab at meaning than a commitment to anything real), he’s way off with this one.

Coming from the director of ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, ‘Three Kings’ and ‘The Fighter’, it has the feeling of a filmmaker who never wants to be pigeonholed into one particular style or genre, but has this time settled for madcap and serious all at once. It doesn’t work.

‘Amsterdam’ is proof that even the highest wattage of star power can’t always supply the energy that a film needs. Especially once as poorly conceived and structured as this one.

‘Amsterdam’ receives 2.5 out of 5 stars.

(L-R): Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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October 8, 2022
‘Amsterdam’ Interview: Christian Bale Talks New Movie

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Opening in theaters on October 7th is the third movie from Oscar-nominated director David O. Russell and Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale following ‘The Fighter’ and ‘American Hustle,’ entitled ‘Amsterdam.’

Set in the 1930’s, the new movie stars Bale as Burt Berendsen, a doctor with a prosthetic eye, who along with his friends Harold Woodsman (John David Washington), a lawyer, and Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie), a nurse, become the prime suspects in the murder of US Senator Bill Meekins (Ed Begley Jr.).

In addition to Bale, Robbie, and Washington, the movie also features an all-star cast that includes Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alessandro Nivola, Rami Malek, Taylor Swift, and Robert De Niro.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Christian Bale about his work on ‘Amsterdam,’ why he likes collaborating with filmmaker David O. Russell, how he creates a character, and what ‘Amsterdam’ means to him.

(L to R) Christian Bale and his wife, Sibi Blažić at the Los Angeles premiere of director David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam.’

You can read the full interview below or click on the player above to watch a video of our interview with Christian Bale about ‘Amsterdam.’

Moviefone: To begin with, this is your third film with director David O. Russell, what is it about working with David that brings out the best in your performances?

Christian Bale: He’s a real circular thinker and I love the way that he does think. He doesn’t forget a thing. He’s very passionate about what he does. We just have a good dynamic. I think it’s a good yin and yang. We complement each other. On this one we decided to get much more involved than any other previous project. We started putting this together, it was five, six years ago, and just building it right from nothing. I just enjoy working with him so much, and it’s always fun.

You never know exactly what’s going to happen on the day. I wouldn’t call it improvisation so much, as he just likes you to know the character so much that he can chuck out different ideas. Sometimes I’d riff, but most of the time he’s chucking out lines or kicking me in the leg or something. It’s just something that creates a very lively, colorful, beautiful but unpolished look at humanity. He loves people. He loves people and characters and so do I, so telling stories with him is just a joy.

(L-R): Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Where does the creation of a character begin for you? Is it in the voice? Is it the hair, the facial hair, the accent? What is it?

CB: I don’t know what I do. I don’t have any particular way of doing it. I make it up each time with every job. I begin each job going, “Oh my God, someone hired me again.” I don’t even know what I’m doing. I never really trained, so I don’t really have a particular technique. People often say, “Oh, Bale, he’s a method actor.” I’m not a method actor. I would’ve had to train to do that. I just do whatever is necessary for each and every day.

But gradually all the bits and pieces come together. I don’t have a particular order. But, of course you’ve got the history, the mannerisms, the voice, the body language and the walk, and when you prep something as much as David and I did on this, that was what was great. David would suggest storylines and then ask me, “What do you think Burt would do with that?” I knew it well enough by that point that I’d be able to help him out. It really gives you a nice sense of freedom, of total ownership when you’re making the film.

(L-R): Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, in the movie, Amsterdam is a very important place for the characters. Where is your Amsterdam?

CB: Well, I mean, obviously in the film, Amsterdam is the halcyon days for these people, when life is as it is meant to be, and how they dreamed it to be, and what they’re striving for life to become like. For me it’s any moment when you’re totally dedicated to what you’re doing.

That’s when you’re so absorbed in what you’re doing that you can’t think of anything else. I get that kick out of acting. When I was allowed to before accidents, I used to get that out of motorcycles and racing them and stuff. I get that kick out of my family as well.

Christian Bale stars in director David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam.’
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October 3, 2022
Christian Bale Stars in First Trailer for David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam’

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David O. Russell is a man who can certainly attract eclectic, impressive ensembles for his movies – and his latest, ‘Amsterdam’, is no exception. When Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington are just the tip of the casting iceberg, you know you’re in for an acting treat.

Described as a ‘romantic crime epic’, Russell’s first film since 2015’s ‘Joy’ is a blend of fact and fiction as three close friends find themselves at the center of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history.

Bale, Robbie and Washington are those three friends, a doctor, a nurse and an attorney who meet in Belgium and form a strong bond. When they witness a murder, Bale’s Burt is accused of the crime and will need help from his buddies and others to clear his name. Beyond that, the story is mostly a mystery, though largely seems to be an excuse for Russell – who wrote the script as well as directing – to indulge in some quirky caper goodness.

It kicks off with the central trio wheeling a dead guy into a funeral home. “You have a dead white man in a box,” Chris Rock’s character says at the start of the trailer. “Not even a casket. It doesn’t even have a top on it.” As he wheels the container away, he laments: “Who do you think is going to get in trouble here?”

(L-R): Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The trio sets out to find someone, anyone (starting with Robert De Niro’s character, a friend of the victim who was killed “because of something monstrous he had seen”) to help them uncover the truth. Along the way, there are encounters with all sorts of odd characters and a quick-acting version of infamous painkiller morphine.

There are shades of TV’s ‘Fargo’ here (not least thanks to the presence of Rock, who starred in the show’s most recent season), but the big appeal is in the astonishingly stacked cast that the director has rounded up.

Bale, of course, is a repeat Russell collaborator, having appeared in ‘American Hustle’ and ‘The Fighter’, though he’s trumped by De Niro, who marks his fourth role in a movie for the director.

Alongside the veterans, there is a batch of actors who make their Russell debuts for the sprawling ensemble of ‘Amsterdam’. Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matthias Schoenaerts, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Zoe Saldaña, Rami Malek and even Taylor Swift showed up for this one (we’re hoping the latter had a good time shooting the movie, or there will be a very critical, well-written song in Russell’s future).

‘Amsterdam’ will make its way into theaters on November 4th.

(L-R): Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

(L-R): Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

(L-R): Rami Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Margot Robbie in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Zoe Saldana in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Robert De Niro in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

(L-R): Christian Bale and John David Washington in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

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July 6, 2022
Disney Unveils First Look At ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.

Though Disney didn’t come to CinemaCon with some giant sequel movie reveal the way Warner Bros. did, the company still had plenty of information (and footage) to share, including about one of the most anticipated sequels in quite some time.

Yes, James Cameron’s first follow-up to his sci-fi hit ‘Avatar’ has an official title and it is… ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’. Not the most inspiring title, but if the world of cinema has learned anything, it’s that you should never count out Cameron.

Though the director wasn’t at CinemaCon, he sent a video message from New Zealand thanking cinema owners for their support and pledging his own backing for the theatrical experience. “We set out to push the limits to what cinema can do,” he said, before adding, “Jon and I are here with you. We can do this.”

“Jon” in this case refers to producer (and longtime Cameron colleague) Jon Landau, who was in person at the event to hype up the movie. “We need to make sure audiences have an experience they can’t get anywhere else, and that needs to be exclusively in theaters,” Landau said, before cueing a teaser.

The impressive footage focuses on Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri and includes gorgeous shots of Pandora’s bright blue water — both above and below the surface; Toruk, the flying creatures introduced in the first film; and new whale-like creatures.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.

And the official synopsis for the movie also revealed a few more details: set more than a decade after the events of the first film, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Old friends and old foes will be back, including Joel David Moore’s friendly Norm Spellman and Giovanni Ribisi’s corporate stooge Parker Selfridge. Also returning? Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang, though we’ll have to wait and see exactly who they’re playing given that both their characters died in the original film. Which is not to say both Dr. Grace Augustine and Colonel Miles Quaritch can’t return, of course…
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New this time are Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, and Kate Winslet, who of course starred for the director in ‘Titanic’ and yet somehow agreed to come back and spend lots more hours in water.

And all this, of course, is just the first sequel – Cameron and co. are still hard at work on three sequels. ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is finally due to hit theaters on December 16th, followed by the third movie on December 20th, 2024, the fourth on December 18th, 2026, and the fifth on December 22nd, 2028. And to keep the story in our minds, the original film will be re-released in theaters on September 23rd with restored picture and sound.

Finally, backing up his and Cameron’s support for theatrical, Landau announced that the teaser will debut exclusively in theaters, attached before ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’.
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Talking of the good Doctor, Disney had Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige on hand to let slip that he and his team are strategizing about the next 10 years of movies and TV shows from the MCU, though (to no-one’s real surprise) offering no details about what that might entail.

He also brought roughly 15 minutes of footage from ‘Multiverse of Madness’ with him, and the action/cameo-packed footage wowed the crowd, providing a helpful boost for the movie, which arrives in theaters on May 6th (including, as mentioned above, that new ‘Avatar’ teaser).

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Poster. Photo Courtesy of Disney+.
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Team Pixar was present too, and had several minutes of ‘Lightyear’ to show. The movie, which features the “real” space hero Buzz whose cinematic adventures spawned the Buzz toy of the ‘Toy Story’ films, is a throwback to the sorts of sci-fi adventures that dominated the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Directed by longtime Pixar animator and filmmaker Angus MacLane, it stars Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew.

As they try to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

The voice cast also includes Uzo Aduba as Buzz’s commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, Peter Sohn as Sox, plus Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Efren Ramirez, and Keira Hairston. The movie flies into theaters on June 17th.

(L to R) Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and Alisha Hawthorne (voice of Uzo Aduba) in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

On a very different animated front was six minutes’ worth of footage from ‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’. The popular TV ‘toon is making the seemingly traditional leap from small screens to big with this outsize adventure featuring the family-run restaurant.

For the movie’s story, Bob’s (H. Jon Benjamin) plans for a profitable summer are upended when a giant sinkhole opens up in front of his property, and while the kids are delighted to venture within, Bob and wife Linda must explore other revenue avenues. The footage was up to the show’s regular blend of offbeat family interactions, musical moments, and weirdness.

The cast for this one is a blend of the show’s regular voices and some additions, though most have shown up on the series at one point or another. Alongside Benjamin, that includes Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Zach Galifianakis, and Kevin Kline.

‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ will head to theaters on May 27.
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Lastly, there was a first look at David O. Russell’s new movie, which finally has a confirmed name: ‘Amsterdam’. Described as a ‘romantic crime epic’, Russell’s first film since 2015’s ‘Joy’ is a blend of fact and fiction as three close friends find themselves at the center of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history.

‘Amsterdam’ reunites Russell with ‘American Hustle’ and ‘The Fighter’s Christian Bale, along with an even more veteran collaborator, Robert De Niro (who, including this one, has now appeared in four of the director’s movies). Other stars include Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldana, and Rami Malek.

Following a sizzle reel from the movie, Disney announced that it’ll open in theaters on November 4th.

Perhaps not as big a presentation from the company that dominates pop culture at the moment as one might have thought, but certainly big enough.

(L to R) Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington in director David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.
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April 27, 2022