Moviefone Editorial

Tag: atomic-blonde

  • Every David Leitch Movie, Ranked

    David Leitch in Paris for 'Bullet Train.'
    David Leitch in Paris for ‘Bullet Train.’ Credit: Oliver Vigerie/Sony Pictures.

    David Leitch is one of the most popular action directors working today.

    After beginning his career as a stunt performer and coordinator, Leitch’s first move behind the camera was as an unofficial co-director with Chad Stahelski on ‘John Wick‘. Eventually, he would go on to direct such popular films as ‘Atomic Blonde,’ ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,’ ‘Deadpool 2,’ and ‘Bullet Train,’ not to mention producing ‘Nobody‘ and ‘Violent Night.’

    His new movie, ‘The Fall Guy,’ which is an adaption of the 1980’s TV series and stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, opens in theaters on May 3rd.

    In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down every movie David Leitch has ever directed or produced, including his latest.

    Let’s begin!

    8. ‘Bullet Train‘ (2022)

    Brad Pitt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Sony's 'Bullet Train.' Photo: Scott Garfield.
    (L to R) Brad Pitt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Sony’s ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield.

    Unlucky assassin Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world’s fastest train.

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    7. ‘Violent Night‘ (2022)

    Alexis Louder, and David Harbour in 'Violent Night.' © Universal Studios.
    (L to R) Alexis Louder, and David Harbour in ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.

    When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour) is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.

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    6. ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw‘ (2019)

    Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson in 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.'
    (L to R) Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson in ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Ever since US Diplomatic Security Service Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and lawless outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) first faced off, they just have traded smack talk and body blows. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton’s ruthless actions threaten the future of humanity, they join forces to defeat him.

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    5. ‘Nobody‘ (2021)

    Bob Odenkirk in 'Nobody.'
    Bob Odenkirk in ‘Nobody.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), is an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’™s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (Alexey Serebryakov) and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.

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    4. ‘Atomic Blonde‘ (2017)

    Charlize Theron in 'Atomic Blonde.'
    Charlize Theron in 2017’s ‘Atomic Blonde.’

    An undercover MI6 agent (Charlize Theron) is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.

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    3. ‘The Fall Guy‘ (2024)

    Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers in 'The Fall Guy,' directed by David Leitch.
    Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers in ‘The Fall Guy,’ directed by David Leitch. © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    He’s a stuntman (Ryan Gosling), and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life (Emily Blunt) while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?

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    2. ‘John Wick‘ (2014)

    Keanu Reeves as John Wick in 2014's 'John Wick.'
    Keanu Reeves as John Wick in 2014’s ‘John Wick.’

    Ex-hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.

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    1. ‘Deadpool 2‘ (2018)

    Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Ryan Reynolds, Lewis Tan, and Terry Crews in 'Deadpool 2.'
    (L to R) Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Ryan Reynolds, Lewis Tan, and Terry Crews in ‘Deadpool 2.’

    Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) battles the evil and powerful Cable (Josh Brolin) and other bad guys to save a boy’s life.

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  • Charlize Theron’s Most Badass Characters, Ranked

    Charlize Theron’s Most Badass Characters, Ranked

    Warner Bros.

    In honor of Charlize Theron‘s birthday (she was born August 7, 1975 in South Africa), we’re going to whip out the black and silver spray paint and rewatch some of our favorite movies of hers.

    9. Anna, “A Million Ways to Die in the West” (2014)

    Universal Pictures

    In Seth MacFarlane’s uneven comedy western, it’s Charlize’s character who teaches his mild-mannered sheep farmer how to shoot, because, of course, she’s an ace shot.

    8. Stella Bridger, “The Italian Job” (2003)

    Paramount

    Not only is Stella the expert safe cracker of this crew, she also delivers a satisfyingly mean punch to villain Steve Frazelli (Edward Norton). She has to be held back so she won’t do more violence to the man who killed her father.

    7. Detective Emily Sanders, “In the Valley of Elah” (2007)

    Warner Independent Pictures

    Theron is a dogged cop who refuses to stop investigating the brutal murder of a soldier despite the military cover-up. It’s an ugly case with some very ugly turns, but she — and the soldier’s father (Tommy Lee Jones) — won’t rest until the truth comes out.

    6. Mary, “Hancock” (2008)

    Columbia Pictures

    Just your average immortal superhero, who can throw people through walls. NBD.

    5. Cipher, “The Fate of the Furious” (2017)

    Universal

    The franchise’s first female villain, cyberterrorist iCipher is pure evil. She kidnaps Dom’s baby and ex Elena (and cold-bloodedly kills Elena!) to blackmail him into helping her hijack a nuclear submarine. Also kissing Dom in front of Letty? That’s just cold.

    4. Aeon Flux,  “Aeon Flux” (2005)

    Paramount Pictures

    Theron’s first big action role after her Oscar win for “Monster.” (We loved her as Aileen Wuornos,  but real-life serial killers aren’t something we want to celebrate as “badass.”) This sci-fi revolutionary is her most balletic, graceful action hero, even if the movie itself is fairly forgettable. The costumes, though? Killer.

    3. Ravenna, “Snow White and the Huntsman” (2012)

    Universal

    Theron’s evil, soul-draining queen is deliciously diabolical. Yes, she is the fairest of them all, but also the most wicked and the most bloodthirsty … and the best reason to see this movie.

    2. Lorraine Broughton, “Atomic Blonde” (2017)

    Focus Features

    Oh, how we love this kickass ’80s spy. Theron’s action scenes were so intense, she cracked two teeth and bruised her ribs. And she kept filming in freezing cold Budapest despite a nasty case of the flu. Hardcore! She sparred with pal Keanu Reeves (John Wick himself) in prep for this film, which just makes us want them to team up on screen again. (The two costarred in “The Devil’s Advocate” and “Sweet November.”)

    1. Imperator Furiosa, “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015)

    Warner Bros.

    Furiosa is the centerpiece of one of the greatest action movies of the 20th century.  She drives like a boss, rescues enslaved women, takes down a brutal patriarchy and lives to tell. She ends the film bloodied but unbowed. Respect.

  • The 24 Best R-Rated Comic Book Movies Ever Made, Ranked

    The 24 Best R-Rated Comic Book Movies Ever Made, Ranked

  • Charlize Theron Talks ‘Atomic Blonde’ Sequel and How Much She Loves Frances McDormand

    Atomic BlondeWhile out promoting her new film “Tully,” Charlize Theron confirmed that a follow-up to her dynamite action film “Atomic Blonde” film is in the works.

    “We’re working on a sequel,” she said during a Q&A at the San Francisco Film Fest. Despite the punishing action sequences in the film she says that doing her own stunts was definitely worth all the pain.

    While we don’t have any more details on the sequel, we’ll be thrilled to see more of her ass-kicking spy, Lorraine Broughton. The 2017 action film was set in Berlin in 1989, so a follow-up would likely be set a year or two later.

    She also admitted she’s “stalking” director Lynne Ramsay, whose dark new film “You Were Never Really Here” is drawing critical acclaim.

    “People confuse this rich pool of [talented women] that we have with a cause, but when these people are playing at a level, why would we not want to be a part of that? Hopefully now there will be more opportunities given. I try with my company to provide many of those opportunities,” Theron said.

    (And hey, did you know that her production company, Denver and Delilah Productions, is behind Netflix’s “Mindhunter”? And that she’s the one who brought it to director David Fincher?)

    She also took a moment to honor Frances McDormand‘s “women stand up” Oscar speech, and the unusual present she sent the “Three Billboards” star:

    “Can I say how much I love that f***ing woman?” said Theron. “She is my f***ng hero. I sent her a pair of panties that day after she won, printed: ‘Yeah, I’m a f***ng woman.’ She took that moment, realizing the climate we’re in right now. It didn’t feel politicized or obnoxious; it felt real and raw and truthful. It was a tricky thing to do. She unified us and has now changed the thought process, me included. For anyone who has a production company or is making films, we have to start thinking differently. We have to.”

    “Tully,” which premiered at the Sundance Film fest, opens May 4. The movie reunites her with “Young Adult” director Jason Reitman.

    [Via IndieWire]

  • Box Office: ‘Annabelle: Creation’ Conjuring $36 Million Domestic Debut

    LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Annabelle: Creation” isn’t just fleshing out New Line Cinema’s self-proclaimed “Conjuring Universe,” it’s also helping to save the back half of the summer box office. The prequel to 2014’s “Annabelle” is conjuring up a $36 million domestic debut.

    According to estimates, Warner Bros.’ supernatural horror will easily win its opening weekend after taking in $15 million from 3,502 locations on Friday, including Thursday night previews. Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Stephanie Sigman, Miranda Otto, and Anthony LaPaglia star in the origin story behind the killer, antique doll from director David F. Sandberg.

    Also in the double digits for WB, “Dunkirk” continues to steamroll its blockbuster competition in second place. Despite being in its fourth frame, Christopher Nolan‘s World War II drama is expected to add just under $11 million to its total after making just over $3 million from 3,762 screens on Friday. That number is also expected to officially put “Dunkirk” over the $150 million marker domestically with $153 million.

    New entry “Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature” also managed to snag a spot in the top 3, despite only pulling off an $8 million heist. The sequel to 2014’s “The Nut Job” scored just shy of $3 million from 4,003 screens on Friday. Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Brendan Frasier, Katherine Heigl, Liam Neeson, and Jackie Chan lend their voices for the Open Road animation.

    Elsewhere, last week’s winner “The Dark Tower” falls from No. 1 to No. 4. It seems the negative word of mouth/press has halted Sony’s Stephen King adaptation in its second frame. After making just over $2 million from 3,451 locales on Friday, “The Dark Tower” is only expected to make $7.5 million this time around.

    Last but certainly not least, “Girls Trip” is still going strong. Universal’s Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish R-rated comedy took in another $2 million from just 2,303 venues on Friday. That number will translate to a solid $6 million fourth frame, bringing “Girls Trip” to a near-milestone — $96 million domestic.

    “The Emoji Movie,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Kidnap,” new entry “The Glass Castle,” and “Atomic Blonde” round out the rest of the top 10.

  • Here’s How ‘Dunkirk’ Crushed ‘Emoji Movie’ at the Box Office

    On paper — or maybe on a smart phone screen — “The Emoji Movie” may have looked like a sure thing. It’s a family-friendly cartoon based on the emoticons that every texting kid with opposable thumbs knows and loves. To attract parents, it has a voice cast of popular stars. And it’s from the studio that turned a phone game into a cartoon smash (“The Angry Birds Movie”) last summer.

    In fact, “Emoji” did surpass the modest expectations held by both its studio (Sony) and box office experts. Most predicted a debut of around $20 million for the cartoon, yet it premiered with an estimated $2.7 million. Among new wide releases, “Emoji” beat Charlize Theron‘s spy thriller “Atomic Blonde,” which underperformed slightly with an estimated $18.6 million and debuted in fourth place.

    Even so, “Emoji” wasn’t strong enough to overcome “Dunkirk,” a week-old movie aimed at much older audiences, with no box office stars. The World War II drama finished first again with an estimated $28.1 million. Bad reviews and less-than-okay audience ratings lead to “Emoji” striking out. Here are a few more reasons:

    1. Buzz
    Families can smell a bad movie, even a kid-oriented one, and stay away/not give it their box office. And the Friday to Saturday decline for “Emoji” looks like that’s exactly what happened.

    “Dunkirk” has some of the year’s best reviews (with a 93 percent fresh score from critics at Rotten Tomatoes) and audience word-of-mouth (an A- at CinemaScore). Critics also liked “Atomic Blonde” (75 percent at RT), but audiences were less thrilled (a B at CinemaScore).

    Viewers gave “Emoji” a B, which is a very weak grade for a cartoon. And critics absolutely hated it (8 percent “Rotten”). A kid-appeal movie like “Emoji” ought to be critic-proof, but the CinemaScore grade indicates that paying customers were as disappointed as reviewers were. And Sony must have known critics wouldn’t like it, since it withheld the film from them until the last minute. Hollywood has been complaining all summer that low scores on Rotten Tomatoes are hurting sales, but having no score at all doesn’t necessarily help.

    2. Audience
    Kids’ movies are not the automatic gold mine they once were. Look at this summer’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,” which topped out at $20.7 million, or Sony’s own recent “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” whose $45.0 million domestic take is by far the lowest for the three “Smurfs” movies. The reason? Kids don’t always make the ticket-buying decisions. Often, their parents do, and there was little about the film that appealed to grown-ups.

    3. Female Appeal
    Still, to the extent that it’s moms choosing which movie for the family to see, “Emoji” had a slight edge, drawing an audience that was 52 percent women and girls. Indeed female appeal has been the story of the summer, from “Wonder Woman” (at $395.4 million, it’s the summer’s biggest hit and the third biggest domestic hit of all time for Warner Bros., behind only Christopher Nolan‘s last two Batman movies) to “Girls Trip” (this weekend’s third place finisher, with a strong $20.1 million in its second weekend).

    4. Timing
    “Atomic Blonde” took some advantage of the girl-power trend, though it had to settle for sharing the female audience with “Girls Trip” and the action audience with “Dunkirk” and several other holdover hits. It might have done better had it opened a week or two later, or it might have struggled against Stephen King fantasy epic “The Dark Tower” and Halle Berry‘s “Kidnap.”

    “Emoji,” however, benefited from being released a full month after the last major kids’ cartoon, “Despicable Me 3,” so it pretty much had the marketplace to itself.

    5. Star Power Is a Big Deal
    For the second straight week, the biggest name at the box office wasn’t anyone in front of the camera; rather, it was “Dunkirk” director Nolan. Theron does well at the box office among ensemble casts — like this spring’s “Fate of the Furious,” or recent hits “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Prometheus.” She’s much less a draw on her own or as the biggest name in a cast (“The Huntsman: Winter’s War“).

    As for “Emoji,” many of the comedy-credentialed names in the voice cast (T.J. Miller, Maya Rudolph) don’t matter to kids and won’t necessarily impress adults. Casting a beloved Shakespearean thespian (Patrick Stewart) as the poop emoji isn’t going to fool grown-ups into thinking “Emoji” is a prestige picture.

    6. Social Media
    Of course, “Emoji” was made to be marketed on your kids’ phones. Sony partnered with numerous apps to release “Emoji”-branded content. And “Emoji” stars like Christina Aguilera and Sofia Vergara were able to leverage their large social media followings into interest in the movie.

    7. IMAX and Cool Fight Scenes > Emojis
    Style was part of the selling point for “Atomic Blonde,” thanks to both its period setting and director David Leitch’s (“John Wick“) ability to stage inventive action scenes on a small budget ($30 million). “Emoji” was also low-budget ($50 million, a pittance by animation standards), but its cheapness shows. “Dunkirk,” however, remains the current visual champ, with its wide-screen battle scenes. It’s currently hoarding the nation’s IMAX and large-format venues, resulting in a full $22 million of its $102.8 million earned to date coming from the giant screens and their ticket surcharges.

    To the extent that it takes eye-grabbing, immersive spectacle to draw moviegoers out of their living rooms and into the theaters, “Dunkirk” has a clear advantage.

    Adults may not be as fluent as kids are in the language of emojis, but a blank space at RT the day before a movie opens is a sign that smart, ticket-buying moms know how to read.

  • Box Office: ‘Dunkirk’ Destroys ‘The Emoji Movie’ and ‘Atomic Blonde’

    By Seth Kelley

    LOS ANGELES, June 25 (Variety.com) — An unlikely battle emerged at the box office this weekend between “The Emoji Movie” and “Dunkirk.” As of Saturday morning the animated feature and war epic seemed to be in a dead heat. But by Sunday morning, most of the dust had settled, and it appears “Dunkirk” will once again be the weekend’s first place film.

    Christopher Nolan’s latest from Warner Bros. over-performed last weekend when it opened to over $50 million, showing that the director, combined with positive critical reception, still has a strong draw — even for a movie lacking movie star power, and at risk of being written off as yet another World War II movie. This time around it looks to take in $28.1 million from 3,748 locations, for a strong hold.

    It’s the first time that a movie has been first place two weekends in a row since the same studio’s “Wonder Woman” in early June. Patty Jenkins’ movie has had a phenomenal run since, and is currently closing in on $400 million domestic (right now it’s at $395.4 million).

    That means Sony’s “Emoji Movie” is in second for the weekend with $25.7 million from 4,075 locations. The animated adventure took a lot of heat from critics — reaction ranged from meh to horrible, earning its current Rotten Tomatoes score of 8%. Its B CinemaScore is also quite low for an animated movie, meaning audiences aren’t particularly enjoying the movie either.

    T.J. Miller plays the central character, a “Meh” emoji who has “no filter,” meaning his expression can change. The same cannot be said for the rest of the cast, which includes James Corden, Anna Faris, Maya Rudolph, Christina Aguilera, and Sofia Vergara. Oh yeah, and Sir Patrick Stewart plays “Poop.”

    “We’re thrilled,” said Sony’s marketing chief Josh Greenstein. “The audience has spoken and made the ‘Emoji Movie’ a family event.”

    That leaves this week’s other major release, “Atomic Blonde” somewhat straggling. Focus Features and Sierra/Affinity is looking at a decent, but slightly below expectations launch for the Charlize Theron-starrer with $18.5 million from 3,304 locations. Earlier in the week “Blonde” was pegged at $20 million, but the opening weekend result is still solid considering its $30 million budget. It’s also one of the largest launches for Focus, behind only “Insidious Chapter 3” ($22.7 million); “London Has Fallen” ($21.6 million); and “Burn After Reading” ($19.1 million).

    The R-rated spy thriller has been compared to a female “Bond” or “John Wick.” After all, it shares DNA with the latter in stuntman-turned-director David Leitch, who will next helm the “Deadpool” sequel. “Blonde’s” launch is bigger than the first “Wick,” which opened in Fall 2014 to $14.4 million, but less than its sequel ($30.4 million).

    In “Blonde,” Theron plays a hardcore action star — the type of character that knocked out audiences in “Mad Max: Fury Road” — named Lorraine Broughton. The rest of the cast includes James McAvoy, John Goodman, and Sofia Boutella.

    “We’re very happy with the opening. I feel this movie is going to have legs to it,” said Lisa Bunnell, distribution chief at Focus Features.

    Bunnell also pointed to Focus’ commitment to putting women in and front and behind the camera with recent releases including “The Beguiled” and “The Zookeeper’s Wife.” “There’s always a thought process behind ‘Let’s see some diversity,’” she said. “This is definitely a movie where Charlize takes center stage … she can fight men, and she can beat men, so it’s a really empowering movie to go see.”

    “Blonde” will land just below the summer comedy event that “Girls Trip” has become. Universal’s release is posting $20.1 million during its second weekend from 2,648 theaters, for only a 36% drop from last weekend. Conversely, EuropaCorp and STX’s “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” flopped last weekend, and is falling off fast. This weekend, Luc Besson’s epic domestic dud should make $6.8 million from 3,553 locations.

    Annapurna showed Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” at 20 locations before its wide rollout next weekend. From those theaters, the critically approved crime drama took in $365,455 for a per screen average of $18,273.

    “We’re seeing that first and foremost, people are really into the movie,” said Annapurna’s distribution head Erik Lomis, who pointed to strong exit information, including 71% of the audience marked “definite recommend.” “It’s a Kathryn Bigelow film, so it’s for everybody,” he added.

    To treat the bigger picture, this weekend is not good news for the summer box office overall, which is now 8.1% behind last year.

    “We have been in a major struggle to compare favorably with last year’s summer season week after week and with yet another ‘down’ weekend on the books, the summer deficit just added another percentage point in the wrong direction,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore, who pointed out that this weekend’s crop could not compete with 2016’s “Jason Bourne” and “Bad Moms.” Looking ahead, the first weekend in August seems to signal even more gloom and doom, as several films will be measured up against “Suicide Squad’s” record breaking August 2016 tally.

  • ‘Atomic Blonde’ Unscripted

    Casting a kickass super spy? Hire Charlize Theron. Want a kickass episode of Moviefone’s “Unscripted“? Ask Theron and director David Leitch to sit down together … and let the sparks fly!

    That’s right, “Atomic Blonde” star Charlize Theron and director David Leitch (producer, “John Wick”) take your questions — and ask a few of their own — in Moviefone’s signature series. With topics ranging from an epic Lorraine Broughton vs. Furiosa showdown, the origin of the movie’s spectacular stairwell sequence, and Theron’s sober shoe size, you won’t want to miss it.

    “Atomic Blonde,” starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella, Toby Jones, and Daniel Bernhardt, and directed by David Leitch, opens in theaters everywhere Friday, July 28th.

  • Charlize Theron Reacts to Chris Hemsworth Suggesting Her as the Next Bond

    86th Annual Academy Awards - ShowWhat do you think: The New Bond, and her Bond Boy, right there? That’s what Chris Hemsworth wants, and he made a decent argument for it, even if Charlize Theron doesn’t sound fully convinced.

    Daniel Craig is reportedly returning for at least one more James Bond movie, but fans are still suggesting ideas for who should follow. Marvel’s Thor has endorsed “Atomic Blonde” star Theron as the next 007, and she just replied to Hemsworth’s “flattering” campaign video.

    W magazine posted a piece titled “Why Charlize Theron is the James Bond We Need Now,” including a video of Hemsworth explaining why he thinks Theron is the best choice:

    “Well, I’ve made the comment that Charlize Theron should be the next Bond. Because she scares the hell out of me, and I think she could beat the sh*t out of me and most villains out there. [laughs] Not saying I’m a villain. She embodies every sort of ounce of strength and nobility and dignity and integrity that that character should have. She’s smart as hell. She’s physically able. I worked with her on ‘Snow White and the Huntsman.’ Watching her in those fight scenes, doing it in high heels, by the way, and an eight-foot-long gown was even more impressive. And I just think why not? It’s time.”

    He said he could even be the “Bond man,” as a new version of the Bond girl.

    At the Berlin premiere of “Atomic Blonde,” Entertainment Tonight asked Theron about Hemsworth’s endorsement.

    “Chris – so, you got that check I sent you?” Theron joked. “Thanks, dude. I got your back.”

    On a more serious note, she said, “Oh wow. That’s so insanely generous and nice. I don’t even know what to do with that. That’s really sweet. Let’s hope ‘Atomic Blonde’ kicks some butt. I love this character [and] I would love to explore this character again. All of the talk around it I find very flattering, but it’s a little overwhelming, you know? All of it is really great, but a little overwhelming.”

    In Hollywood, the strongest argument is a strong box office run, so if “Atomic Blonde” does kick butt, Theron can probably write her own ticket to return for a sequel, or consider Bond duty, if that’s even something she’d want. We already have a blond Bond in Daniel Craig, so it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch.

    “Atomic Blonde” opens in theaters July 28th.

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  • Charlize Theron’s Punishing ‘Atomic Blonde’ Fight Scenes Caused Real Injuries

    Charlize TheronHow rough was Charlize Theron‘s physical training to play a kickass assassin in “Atomic Blonde”? We already learned she cracked two teeth so badly she needed dental surgery. Now she reveals she also twisted a knee, bruised her ribs, and didn’t stop filming in freezing cold Budapest despite coming down with a nasty case of the flu. Hardcore!

    As the Oscar winner told Variety, she trained for four hours a day to play ruthless British agent Lorraine. “I’m coordinated because I was a dancer, and I definitely have movement memory, but I’ve never been a fighter,” she said. “I’m also really tall and a girl. That tends to make you look like you’re Big Bird.”

    She staged many of her own stunts and she didn’t hold back. One the second day while rehearsing the spectacular staircase fight seen in the trailer, she badly twisted her knee. Director David Leitch (whom Theron chose after his brilliant work on “John Wick“), told her, “Why are you rehearsing?! We’ve got to get this on camera.”

    She didn’t let her injuries stop filming, nor did a fever slow her down: “Even when she was sick, she’s wearing a little miniskirt and kicking ass,” co-star James McAvoy told Variety.

    Theron also insisted on complete realism in showing the physical damage of the brutal fight scenes. We see Lorraine bleed and one eye swollen shut. “A lot of times studios or producers are not comfortable with seeing a woman with bruises,” she told Variety. “We really wanted to pay attention to that authenticity.”

    We can’t wait until “Atomic Blonde” opens on July 28.

    [Via Variety]