Austin Butler at the New York premiere of ‘Dune: Part Two’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
Austin Butler has landed the lead in crime thriller ‘Caught Stealing’.
Darren Aronofsky is behind the new movie.
Sony is behind the new movie.
Austin Butler is definitely one of the stars of the moment, in demand thanks to his work on ‘Elvis’ and ‘Dune: Part Two’, plus other recent roles.
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So it’s perhaps not all that surprising that he’d choose to work with the likes of Darren Aronofsky, who last made ‘The Whale’, which saw Brendan Fraser win an Oscar.
According to Deadline, Butler will star for Aronofsky in a new crime thriller called ‘Caught Stealing’.
The film will be based on Charlie Huston’s novel, which follows burned out former baseball pro Hank Thompson.
Hank’s neighbor, Russ, has to leave town in a rush and hands over his cat, named Bud, in a carrier. But it isn’t until two Russians in tracksuits drag Hank over the bar at the joint where he works and beat him to a pulp that he starts to get the idea: someone wants something from him. He just doesn’t know what it is, where it is, or how to make them understand he doesn’t have it. Within twenty-four hours Hank is running over rooftops, swinging his old aluminum bat for the sweet spot of a guy’s head, playing hide and seek with the NYPD, riding the subway with a dead man at his side, and counting a whole lot of cash on a concrete floor…
Aronofsky has Huston aboard to adapt the book for the screen.
Director Darren Aronofsky on the set of ‘The Whale’ from A24.
The new movie finds Aronofsky in business with Sony, which picked up the book package and got the director interested.
Here’s what Aronofsky had to say:
“I am excited to be teaming up with my old friends at Sony Pictures to bring Charlie’s adrenaline-soaked roller coaster ride to life. I can’t wait to start working with Austin and my family of NYC filmmakers,” said Aronofsky.
And here’s what Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group president Sanford Panitch commented:
“Darren is one of the most brilliant audiovisual storytellers in the world and adapting these wonderful books by Charlie Huston for Austin to star was too exciting an opportunity to not be a part of.”
It’s also another Sony project for Butler, who is attached to star in and produce the company’s adaptation of Don Winslow’s book ‘City on Fire’. Next up, he’ll star in Focus Features drama ‘The Bikeriders’ directed by Jeff Nichols.
When will ‘Caught Stealing’ head to theaters?
Sony has yet to reveal when Aronofsky’s latest will be in cinemas. But if you want to see his work, he recently created the immersive experience ‘Postcard from Earth’, which is playing ay MSG’s Sphere in Las Vegas.
Austin Butler in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and more have joined Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’
The movie reunites Aster with his ‘Beau is Afraid’ star Joaquin Phoenix.
Austin Butler, Clifton Collins Jr., Luke Grimes and Micheal Ward are all aboard.
Given how strange, divisive and –– probably most crucially –– unsuccessful at the box office ($11.9 million worldwide gross on a $35 million budget) Ari Aster’s ‘Beau is Afraid’ proved to be last year, you might suspect that Aster would be languishing in the darkest depths of director jail.
And yet studio A24, which produced ‘Beau’, is clearly ready to believe in his vision again, and the fate of that movie did not detract from Aster’s ability to attract solid talent, as he’s got an excellent cast lined up for his new movie.
‘Eddington’, which has cameras now rolling, will feature recent Oscar winner (for the second time) Emma Stone, ‘The Last of Us’ Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix, who reunites with the director after starring as ‘Beau’s twitchy protagonist.
(L to R) Joaquin Phoenix and director Ari Aster on the set of ‘Beau Is Afraid.’
As is his way, Aster –– who also brought us the nightmarish visions of ‘Hereditary’ and ‘Midsommar’ –– is keeping much of the detail close for now.
But with a script once more by the director, ‘Eddington’ reportedly focuses on a small-town New Mexico sheriff with lofty aspirations. And it’ll be in the Western genre, as confirmed by A24’s Instagram post on the start of production.
Behind the camera, Aster has legendary cinematographer Darius Khondji ready to shoot whatever warped concepts he’s cooked up this time.
Stone, of course, is no stranger to offbeat directors, having seen success (including that second Oscar, for her role in ‘Poor Things’) working with Yorgos Lanthimos, with whom she has another movie, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ due this year.
When will ‘Eddington’ be in theaters?
A24 has yet to announce when Aster’s latest movie will make it to theaters. ‘Beau’ took a couple of years from filming to hit screens, but with luck the director will have this one ready for next year.
Joaquin Phoenix in director Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with acclaimed filmmaker Denis Villeneuve about his work on ‘Dune: Part Two,’ the decision to split the book into two movies, pacing challenges, changes he made to the source material, shooting the sandworm scenes, utilizing black and white imagery, and casting Austin Butler and Florence Pugh in their pivotal roles.
Moviefone: To begin with, even after making the decision to split the first book in half and make two different movies, there is a lot of Frank Herbert’s story left to tell. Can you talk about the challenges of finding the right tone and pacing for this sequel, especially with the addition of new characters this time around?
Denis Villeneuve: I think it’s a good question. First, it was important for me that the movie would be kind of autonomous, meaning that someone who has not seen ‘Dune’ could still enjoy ‘Part Two.’ So, we gave enough hints at the beginning of the story to make sure that it was kind of autonomous. Of course, it’s a better journey if you have seen ‘Dune,’ but I tried that. That was one of the first challenges. Then it’s a story that is quite different than the last movie. In ‘Dune,’ we follow a boy that is discovering a world and is getting in contact with a new culture. It’s a boy that will be victim of the events, that will try to survive an attack, but he doesn’t have any control. It’s a much more contemplative, meditative movie. ‘Part Two,’ that boy becomes a man, a leader, a fighter, and he wants to avenge his father. It’s more of an action movie, so it has a different rhythm, a different pacing that I had to find in the screen writing at first. But still, it was very important for me to take the time to put on the screen as much of the Fremen culture as possible. That’s my favorite thing about the book. That is one of the main reasons I insisted making two movies instead of one, because I wanted to have the necessary amount of time to dig a little in the culture to see the rituals, to see the way the people are praying, the way they are eating, the way that they train, the way the people are and their survival techniques in the desert. I’m grateful that I had enough time at the beginning of the film to express that.
MF: Can you talk about some of the changes you made to the source material, particularly expanding the role of the female characters?
DV: Yeah, it’s fundamental. It’s crucial to the success of the movie. The idea here is that it all starts with Frank Herbert being disappointed by the way people perceived the first book. He realized that people thought that the first book was a celebration of a hero, a celebration of Paul Atreides and he wanted to do the opposite. He wanted the first book to be a cautionary tale, a warning against charismatic figures and to correct that, to bring precisions about his intentions, he wrote a tiny book called ‘Dune Messiah’ that is a kind of an epilogue that is like a last chapter of Paul Atreides’ journey. Knowing that fact about Frank Herbert and having read of course ‘Dune Messiah,’ I decided to make my live adaptation. I decided to be more faithful to Frank Herbert than to the book and what I did is I used both the two female characters which are Chani and the mother, Jessica. Both characters in the second part of the book disappear, they go more in the background. They are under the shadow of Paul, and they disappear. I gave both strong lines, a dramatic arc and a precise agenda, making them two eminent characters. That’s one of the big differences. Chani is a very important character. She allows me to have a critical distance with Paul. She allows me to have perspective on Paul’s transformation and from Chani’s perspective. The movie goes in the direction that Frank Herbert wanted his book to.
MF: Can you talk about casting Austin Butler and Florence Pugh in their pivotal roles?
DV: First, Florence, of course I knew Florence from her work and I’m a big fan of Florence. I thought of her first for it and when I met her, it was clear, after a few minutes of our meeting that I was in front of Princess Irulan. I wanted to create a character that will have inner strength and that will never be perceived as a victim. I wanted an actress that could convey only with the way she’s listening. I wanted someone with a strong presence that the audience could see just in the way she was witnessing events or listening to other characters, that they feel her presence on her own journey, but she’s more of a witness in this story. Of course, if there’s a ‘Dune Messiah’ as we plan, she’ll become one of the prominent characters of that whole series. I’m doing a bit of what I did with Zendaya in the first movie. I introduced Chani in ‘Dune’ and then she becomes one of the main characters in ‘Part Two.’ I do the same with Florence, I just introduced her in ‘Part Two’ and if there’s a ‘Dune Messiah,’ she becomes one of the main characters. For Austin, I was very curious about Austin, having seen him in a few movies, specifically the Quentin Tarantino movie, ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,’ and learning more about this actor that I found quite riveting. Baz Luhrmann shared with me some scenes from ‘Elvis’ and was raving about him. I met with Austin, and I was very impressed by him. I knew that someone who could bring Elvis to the screen the way he did could almost do anything and what he did for that movie is incredibly difficult. So, I knew that he could have all the qualities that I was looking for Feyd-Rautha, but it was a gamble. When I saw him, with all the makeup and in costume, I knew I had made the right choice, but casting, it’s all about very strong intuitions. You do a camera test, but no matter how much we are sold on it, it’s always when you start rolling camera on the first take that you know. With both actors, I was floored, like, “Oh, they nailed it.” They had big shoes to fill because I think those characters are iconic characters in the novel, both Princess Irulan and Feyd-Rautha and they had tremendous pressure on their shoulders. I’m very proud of them.
MF: Can you talk about the choice to introduce the Harkonnen home world and in particular Feyed-Rautha in black and white?
DV: The idea came from the book. One of the aspects that I love in the book is the idea that, the book is a study of the impact of the ecosystem on human beings, all from the nature of the ecosystem, the human developed religions, techniques, and ways of survival, all their culture, we are the product of our environment and when you want to know about the Fremen, you just look at the desert and it will inform you about the native people. I love this idea and I tried, for Giedi Prime, the home world of Harkonnen, there’s less information in the book and it’s a world that is disconnected from nature. It’s a plastic world. So, I thought that it could be interesting if the light, the sunlight could give us some insight on their psyche. What if instead of revealing colors, the sunlight was killing them and creating a very eerie black and white world, that will give us information about how these people perceive reality, about their political system, about how that primitive brutalist culture and it was in the screenplay. (Cinematographer) Greig (Fraser) was tremendously inspired by that, and we were making tests. I wanted a black and white that would seem alien and coming from another world, a sunlight that we have not seen in cinema. Greig came up with this idea of infrared which I absolutely loved, and we shot the movie that way. The only thing is that when you film this way, there’s no way back. I said, “You have to know that. Okay, we are doing this and there will be no way back. So, we cannot put color after it’s over.” That’s the thing I love about (producer) Mary Parent is that she’s good, she does not operate by fear, and she supported the idea one hundred percent.
MF: Finally, can you talk about executing your vision for the sandworm riding scenes and did the final version end up looking the way you had imagined?
DV: Absolutely. It’s a scene that I didn’t want to make any compromises. I really wanted to bring the images that were in my mind when I was a boy reading the book. I put a lot of pressure on my crew too and we took the time, but it was very challenging. It’s the most difficult scene I’ve ever done technically, but I’m very lucky I was able to find the right tools to first figure out the Fremen technique. How do you jump on the worm actually? Because it’s very basic, the book does not really explain how to do it, so I wanted to find a way that will look plausible. Then once I found the technique, I had to figure out for myself how to bring that to life. I came up with a theory of how to shoot this and that to my great relief it worked out. The thing is that I wanted to shoot everything as much as possible on camera with natural light. So, it meant that it really required a tenuous amount of time, and it required also some technology that we had to design to create different worms. I was very keen to the fact that the studio embraced my ambition.
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What is the plot of ‘Dune: Part Two’?
With the planet Arrakis and its valuable spice now firmly in the grip of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his depraved minions, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) seek revenge against the Harkonnens for the destruction of the Atreides family. Striking from the hidden depths of the desert alongside the planet’s native people, the Fremen, Paul also begins to realize that he may be the powerful leader foretold in ancient prophecies.
Just when you thought that director Denis Villeneuve couldn’t make a bigger science fiction epic than 2021’s ‘Dune’ (aka ‘Dune: Part One’), he completes his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel in spectacular, often mind-blowing fashion. Everything about ‘Dune: Part Two’ expands the scope of the story, which can be confusing from time to time but still manages to be both rousing and unsettling.
At the end of ‘Dune: Part One,’ the House Atreides – stewards of the planet Arrakis and its valuable, consciousness-altering ‘spice’ – was destroyed and Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) murdered by the grotesque Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his evil minions. Only Leto’s son Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Paul’s mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) have seemingly survived, fleeing into the desert where they fall into the hands of the planet’s Indigenous people, the Fremen.
‘Dune: Part Two’ picks up these story strands immediately, and as a result it might take you a bit of the first act to get up to speed (a quick rewatch of the first movie might help as well). As Paul and his mother learn the ways of the Fremen, and Paul grows close to a Fremen warrior named Chani (Zendaya), the Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) grows more and more convinced that Paul is the messiah of the Fremen people foretold by an ancient prophecy.
What Stilgar doesn’t know — or denies — is that the prophecy was seeded on Arrakis by the Bene Gesserit, an all-female religious order that has practiced selective breeding for eons to produce the messiah, known to the Bene Gesserit as the Kwisatz Haderach. Beset by increasingly dire visions thanks to his consumption of spice, Paul does not want to embrace the role seemingly given to him: not only does he know that his mother, a member of the Bene Gesserit, was involved in the order’s machinations, but he sees a future in which his leadership leads to billions of deaths across the universe.
At the same time, as the Fremen under Paul’s leadership strike the Harkonnens’ operations and bring spice production to a standstill, the Emperor of the Universe (Christopher Walken) puts pressure on Baron Harkonnen to find the Fremen leader and destroy him. Frustrated with his nephew Rabban’s (Dave Bautista) failed attempts, Harkonnen enlists his other nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), a psychotic human malignancy who intends to destroy Paul and the Fremen with him, with higher ambitions on his diseased mind as well.
The summary above doesn’t even quite scratch the surface of the complexity of the story in ‘Dune: Part Two,’ and if this massively immersive and entertaining film does have a flaw, it’s probably that the movie occasionally suffers from some pacing and editing issues that can make the plot confusing from time to time. But this is a relatively minor issue: ‘Dune: Part Two’ and its mix of far future sci-fi, mysticism, political intrigue, and ecological themes is gripping from the start.
Like the novel itself (a dense, multilayered read), the screen version of ‘Dune’ doesn’t operate on simple levels of good and evil. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides is truly conflicted about the future he sees for himself and the universe, and only a series of shocking revelations toward the end of the film push him to finally accept his destiny – but when he does, there are unsettling hints that the Fremen and the Bene Gesserit should have been careful what they wished for all these centuries.
In the end, even though it’s set more than 8,000 years in the future (when humankind now lives among the stars), ‘Dune’ can depressingly remind us that even millennia from now, the human race could still be subject to the same weaknesses and actions that seemingly doom us now: insatiable greed, lust for power, hedonistic impulses that border on the depraved, and our apparently indefatigable urge to subjugate not just other humans but the very world we share and live on (some sequences chillingly echo events happening in the world today).
But don’t get us wrong: this is a sober, grandiose film, but not a somber meditation on the evils of men. ‘Dune: Part Two’ is at its heart a space opera, and a magnificent one. The viewer is completely drawn into the world of Arrakis and the other planets from the first frame. There has perhaps never been a science fiction film that so completely transports the viewer across time and space like this one (and its predecessor) does.
Villeneuve’s direction is assured throughout – even if certain plots strands aren’t quite as fleshed out as they should be – aided by Greig Fraser’s cinematography, the sound and production design, and Hans Zimmer’s powerful score. The battles are staged on a massive scale, and if you enjoyed your glimpse of the sandworms in the first movie, you’ll get your money’s worth here. This is a film that demands to be seen on the big screen, even in its most surreal, intimate moments.
Much of the cast of ‘Dune: Part One’ returns for the sequel, with the notable exceptions of Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa, both of whose characters died in the first film. As Paul, Timothée Chalamet truly comes into his own just as the character does; the scenes in which Paul accepts that he is the ’Lisan al-Gaib’ (the Fremen terms for ‘offworld messiah’) are absolutely electric. Chalamet sells both Paul’s physical prowess and expanding mental abilities with gravitas and strength.
Just as electrifying is Rebecca Ferguson, who excels in film after film (see her in ‘Doctor Sleep’ sometime) and yet doesn’t seem to get the recognition she constantly deserves. Her Lady Jessica also undergoes a transformation of her own here, although on a different level than that of her son, and Ferguson portrays this powerful woman with nuance and subtlety.
Javier Bardem’s Stilgar is considerably fleshed out in this film, both as a passionate follower in the grip of religious fervor and as a surprisingly and welcome harbinger of some sly comic relief. Zendaya’s Chani also gets more to do this time, with the character both softening as she slowly falls for Paul and yet hardening at the same time as she realizes what his ascent could portend for Arrakis.
The new addition to the cast who will undoubtedly get quite a lot of ink is Austin Butler, fresh off his Oscar win for ‘Elvis’ and going in a completely different direction here, with his pale, corpse-like pallor, completely hairless head, and black, soulless eyes. Feyd-Rautha is so vicious that his brother Rabban and his uncle Baron Harkonnen – not to mention Emperor Shaddam IV (played as an exhausted yet still merciless tyrant by Christopher Walken) – are rightly afraid of him, and Butler projects a reptilian cold-bloodedness that is unnerving.
All the other returning and new players in the star-studded ensemble – Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Josh Brolin, and more – have smaller roles but all bring their A-game. Long gone are the days when science fiction movies didn’t demand top-notch acting all around.
As directors like Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan, Alex Garland, and others push both original sci-fi projects and adaptations of landmark genre works to the screen, we may be living in a mini-Golden Age for science fiction cinema. And with ‘Arrival,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and now both parts of ‘Dune’ taking up much of his last decade of work, Villeneuve is unquestionably leading the charge with more to come (‘Dune: Part Two’ ends on a note that all but confirms that he will complete the tale with ‘Dune Messiah’).
With ‘Dune’ especially, not only does he respect the source material and is largely faithful to it, but he understands why the story itself has hung around for decades: it has a mythological potency and universal themes even as it expands our view of what the far future could look like. The entire ‘Dune’ project is serious filmmaking that embraces the scale and depth of a genre that wasn’t taken very seriously by Hollywood for years. ‘Dune: Part Two’ will challenge you intellectually and emotionally — even as its colossal and often genuinely weird imagery blows your mind clear out of your skull.
‘Dune: Part Two’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Dune: Part Two’?
With the planet Arrakis and its valuable spice now firmly in the grip of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his depraved minions, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) seek revenge against the Harkonnens for the destruction of the Atreides family. Striking from the hidden depths of the desert alongside the planet’s native people, the Fremen, Paul also begins to realize that he may be the powerful leader foretold in ancient prophecies.
(L to R) Callum Turner and Austin Butler in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Launching on Apple TV+ on January 26th with two episodes (and then one weekly for seven weeks), ‘Masters of the Air’ represents the latest series from executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who have seen success with their previous two efforts, ‘The Pacific’ and ‘Band of Brothers’.
But after two primarily land-based series, the team –– which also includes writers John Orloff and Graham Yost and directors Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees and Tim Van Patten –– have turned their attention to adapting Donald L. Miller’s non-fiction tome about one of the most famous bombing groups of the war.
Does ‘Masters of the Air’ take flight successfully?
(L to R) Sawyer Spielberg and Austin Butler in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Though the past two limited series were on HBO, you probably won’t notice much of a difference given the expansive budget Apple offers its prestige shows. Of course it looks slick and impressive (though the screeners we saw had the occasional odd visual effect that we can chalk up to the show being at an earlier stage of post-production) and the cast is fine blend of young rising stars who commit to their parts.
There will, of course, be comparisons to its forerunners, and while it might not reach the heights of particularly ‘Band of Brothers’, it’s still a solid effort and worth watching if you’re a fan of the previous shows (or have a thing for based-on-truth World War II tales).
Initially there is some concern that the show will fall into repetitive patterns of bombing runs (not that they aren’t tense/thrilling in their own way) but once it opens out the story to chronicle the crews’ downtime and what happens once some of them are shot down over enemy territory. A visit with the Tuskegee airmen feels welcome, if given slightly short shrift.
‘Masters of the Air’: Script and Direction
‘Masters of the Air’ premieres globally January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
The team behind the show knows what they’re doing when it comes to this sort of series, the scripts weaving personal stories in with the overarching narrative of the bombing runs and beyond. It takes a little time to truly get off the air, but once the plot truly kicks in, it finds a healthy balance between the various characters (some are more compelling than others).
On the directorial front, the style is very much what we’ve come to expect –– some beauty shots of planes lifting off against sunrises or sunsets, carefully crafted visuals than crawl around the inside of the aircraft and bombing sequences designed to help you feel the pressure the crews are under.
‘Masters of the Air’: Performances
(L to R) Austin Butler and Callum Turner in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
While the initial focus is on the likes of Austin Butler’s Major Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven, Callum Turner’s Major John ‘Bucky’ Egan and Anthony Boyle’s Major Harry Crosby, the show expands out to follow several other characters who have their own experiences, both good and bad.
Butler, mostly putting ‘Elvis’ in the rearview, is solid as Buck, who guides us through the early bombing runs, takes somewhat of a backseat in the mid-section and then returns to prominence later on. Likewise Turner (having something of a period drama moment between this and ‘The Boys in the Boat’) does good work as Egan, whose war experience takes a seriously dark turn at times.
If there’s a true standout, though, it might be Boyle as Crosby, who evolves from nervy, airsick navigator to a crucial job on the ground planning sorties. It’s his character who narrates the show, and Boyle is excellent, keeping the character believable and watchable.
And the show doesn’t neglect other characters, even though there isn’t the scope to give everyone as rounded a story as the main trio. Ncuti Gatwa (who just took over the lead role in ‘Doctor Who’ after years stealing scenes in ‘Sex Education’) is typically great here as 2nd Lieutenant. Robert H. Daniels, shining in a relatively smaller role.
Ncuti Gatwa in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
There are also the more established likes of Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan as Lieutenant Curtis Biddick, a charming sort whose love of a good time on the ground is matched by his skill in the air. Keoghan is, as we’ve come to expect, excellent.
As is natural in a story like this, female roles tend to take a backseat, though there is particularly sterling work from Bel Powley as British officer Alexandra Wingate, who becomes involved with one of the characters. Powley is charm incarnate, coloring far outside the lines of a character who has more limited screentime.
As you might expect, you shouldn’t get too attached to every character; this is war and not everyone makes it out alive (as those who have read the book will know). But the well-rounded cast means you’ll care about every flyer and more, no matter their fate.
‘Masters of the Air’: Final Thoughts
Barry Keoghan in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
It could have been a glossy, factory-tooled re-run of its predecessors, but the ‘Masters’ team has taken the care and time to make sure that while the series carries the hallmarks of what has gone before, it also feels like its own thing.
It’s a fairly straightforward account of wartime heroism which won’t appeal to everyone, but for those who enjoy such chronicles, it’ll certainly fly.
‘Masters of the Air’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Austin Butler and Callum Turner in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
What’s the story of ‘Masters of the Air’?
Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, ‘Masters of the Air’ follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air.
Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.
The first full teaser for ‘Masters of the Air’ has landed.
This is the new series from producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
Austin Butler, Callum Turner and Barry Keoghan lead the cast.
If you’re already a fan of the previous World War II dramas produced by (among others) Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, you’ll no doubt be happy to learn that a third show is on its way to screens.
Yes, following ‘Band of Brothers’ and ‘The Pacific’, the focus now turns to the skies as the new trailer for ‘Masters of the Air’ reveals. It’ll tell the story of heroic bombing crews (and associated air force types) who, in the words of pilot Major Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven (Austin Butler), looked to “bring the war to Hitler’s doorstep.”
With Apple having snatched the chance to make this show from the fingers of HBO (which backed the last couple of series), the budgets and production values look to still be of the highest order.
What’s the story of ‘Masters of the Air’?
‘Masters of the Air’ premieres globally January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, ‘Masters of the Air’ follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air.
Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of the series.
Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.
Who else stars in ‘Masters of the Air’?
Barry Keoghan in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Austin Butler in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Butler, who worked with Hanks on Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’, recalling to The Times of London that his co-star’s concern for his mental health after the grueling movie shoot led to him offering the young actor a role here:
“‘You have immersed yourself so deeply in Elvis that, for your mental health, it would be wise to go straight into something else. If you just jump off the train, you might have emotional whiplash… And, you know, I’ve got this thing I’m producing…’”
Of course, being thrown into the tumult of war (even one created for television) surely put different pressures on him!
When will ‘Masters of the Air’ take off?
Apple TV+ is launching the new nine-episode series with the first two installments on January 26th next year.
Austin Butler and Callum Turner in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, the movie is inspired by the photo and interview book by Danny Lyons. It was published in 1968 and is filled with black-and-white photographs and interviews with members of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club.
The official synopsis for the movie:
“The Bikeriders” is a furious drama following the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members. Inspired by Danny Lyon’s iconic book of photography, “The Bikeriders” immerses you in the look, feel, and sounds of the bare-knuckled, grease-covered subculture of ’60s motorcycle riders. Kathy (Jodie Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who’s married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Austin Butler), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Tom Hardy). Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.”
According to Variety, even though the film is based on Lyons’ book of the same name, the WGA has classified it as original work, and the studio will campaign for Best Original Screenplay for the awards season.
The SAG-AFTRA Strike Cite As Reason For Date Change
SAG-AFTRA on strike. Photo courtesy of SAG-AFTRA.
The studio is citing the actors’ strike for the change in the movie’s release schedule, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. As actors are prohibited from doing any sort of promotional work or publicity during the strike, perhaps the right decision is to wait for the strike to end so the star-studded cast can talk about the movie.
However, with the talks between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP halting, there’s no telling when this strike will be over.
‘The Bikeriders’ would have also shared an opening weekend with Beyoncé’s concert movie ‘Renaissance’, and given how successful Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ movie is at the box office, it gives an additional reason for moving the film off its original release date.
20th Century Studios’ ‘The Bikeriders’ opens in theaters on December 1st.
Austin Butler in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
They might be more known for their movies, but Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have made a huge impact on smaller screens too, with their World War II dramas ‘Band of Brothers’ (in 2001) and ‘The Pacific’ (in 2010).
Featuring lavish production values and deeply affecting stories, the two dramas followed troops and Marines in the fields of Europe and the Pacific Theatre during the conflict, launching many a young star in the process.
Now they’re back with new series ‘Masters of the Air’, but this time, the show comes from Apple TV+ instead of their previous home at HBO.
Starring Austin Butler (whom Hanks personally selected after starring with him in ‘Elvis’), it’ll hitch a ride with the brave airmen and others who went on bombing runs during the war.
What’s the story of ‘Masters of the Air’?
Austin Butler and Callum Turner in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, ‘Masters of the Air’ follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air.
Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of the series.
Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.
Who else stars in ‘Masters of the Air’?
Barry Keoghan in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Rafferty Law in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Executive producer Gary Goetzman, who works closely with Hanks and has produced both the previous series, had this to say about their latest collaboration:
“‘Masters of the Air’ is a salute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force, who, through their courage and brotherhood, helped defeat Nazi Germany in World War II. Tom and Steven have always wanted to visualize cinematically what our author Don Miller has called, this ‘singular event in the history of warfare.’ We’re thrilled that Apple TV+ has given us the opportunity to combine the efforts of so many talented people, on-screen and behind the camera, to tell this important story.”
When will ‘Masters of the Air’ take off on screens?
Callum Turner in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ is launching the new nine-episode series with the first two installments on January 26th next year.
‘Masters of the Air’ premieres globally January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.Nate Mann in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.Anthony Boyle in ‘Masters of the Air,’ premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Yet director Denis Villeneuve remains confident in his follow-up to 2021’s ambitious science fiction epic and is in fact making early plans for a third movie.
Which is perhaps not too shocking since there is plenty of material. Author Frank Herbert, on whose ‘Dune’ the movies are based, continued the story of Arrakis in a series of subsequent novels, before his son Brian took over to continue it even further. The sand, therefore, is far from running out.
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What did Villeneuve say about a potential third Dune?
‘Dune Part Two’ CinemaCon 2023 Presentation and Press Line, April 25th. Photos By Eric Charbonneau.
While the first two movies adapt the original ‘Dune’ book, a third would target ‘Dune Messiah’.
“If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream. Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of ‘Dune’] is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning. After that the books become more… esoteric.”
Sounds like he’ll be done with ‘Dune’ after any third film. Which, given the time and effort he put into the first two, is understandable, especially given all the delays (pandemic for the first, strikes for the second).
And in case you’re wondering whether this is just a filmmaker speculating, Villeneuve confirms that there are “words on paper” for a third movie. Likely not a script (given the writers’ strike) but at least an idea.
‘Dune: Part Two’ adapts the second half of Herbert’s novel and keeps the focus on Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). He is, as you recall, the scion of House Atreides, whose father Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) was ordered by the Emperor of the galaxy to take over running Arrakis, the desert planet from where the various space-going people mine valuable spice to help their navigators guide vessels.
It was, of course, part of a plan between the violent, cruel Harkonnen (led by Stellan Skarsgård’s Baron) and the Emperor to destroy the Atreides.
The new movie picks up the story after Paul and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) flee into the desert following the devastating attack on the Atreides base by Harkonnen and Imperial forces. Paul is destined to rise as a spiritual and military leader of the native Fremen and lead an attack against the Harkonnen and the scheming Emperor.
Alongside Chalamet and Ferguson, we’ll see the return of Josh Brolin (who plays Atreides war master Gurney Halleck, another survivor of the attack) and Skarsgård, along with Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen, AKA “The Beast”.
On the Fremen side, we’ll get to properly meet Zendaya’s Chani, a Fremen warrior who haunted Paul’s dreams and visions long before he ever met her, and who is destined to become the great love of his life. And Javier Bardem’s Stilgar, leader of the Fremen people, who will work with Paul to attack the Harkonnen.
New this time? Florence Pugh, who plays Princess Irulan and Christopher Walken as her father, Emperor Shaddam IV.
On the Harkonnen side, there is the cunning, weapon happy Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, played by ‘Elvis’ Austin Butler.
‘Dune: Part Two’ will (hopefully) be in theaters on March 15th, 2024.
The impact of the writers and actors’ strikes continue to be felt in Hollywood. As studio representatives and the Writers Guild/SAG-AFTRA (the latter of which represents performers) argue in the press and over social media about fair contracts, the big companies are facing the prospect of releasing expensive titles without name stars available to promote them.
So, what are they doing? Delaying the movies, of course! The latest to push their plans back to next year is Warner Bros., which has just announced a big shift for ‘Dune: Part Two’ to March next year.
Director Denis Villeneuve’s giant science fiction action epic, the follow-up to 2021’s successful first entry, and the continued adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sprawling tome, had been set for a November 3rd theatrical release.
And it positions ‘Dune: Part Two’ as an awards player, hoping to replicate the success of the first part –– which scored 10 Oscar nominations and won six.
With a shift to March 15th, 2024, it’s unlikely to qualify for next year’s Oscars (that, though, remains to be seen, since, like TV awards the Emmys, the Oscars could shift themselves if the strikes continue).
‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ is in production right now and will be in theaters on March 15th next year. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures.
And ‘Dune’s shift means some moving around for movies that had already claimed 2024 release slots on Warner Bros.’ calendar: ‘Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire’ had been sitting on the March 15th date but will now stomp off to April 12th.
The Warner Bros. titles join a long list of films that have seen their release dates moved –– Sony is shifting the strategy for based-on-truth GameStop stock comedy drama ‘Dumb Money’, going from a single wide release to a platform that ramps up starting in Los Aneles and New York on September 15th, while the likes of ‘Kraven the Hunter’ and animated sequel ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ are also moving (though the latter is likely due more to its creators finessing the story and animation rather than strike concerns).
