(Left) ‘The Batman’ director Matt Reeves at CinemaCon 2022. Photos: Eric Chardonneau. (Right) Melanie Griffith and Tom Hanks in ‘The Bonfire of the Vanities’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Preview:
David E. Kelley is adapting ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ into a series.
While we would assume Reeves would be spending all his time preparing to shoot ‘The Batman’ sequel, he seems to have the bandwidth to work on another project –– and chances are the show might not be ready to go before cameras until he’s done with the main production on the movie.
What’s the story of ‘The Bonfire of the Vanities’?
(L to R) Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis in ‘The Bonfire of the Vanities’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Wolfe’s 1987 novel follows a Wall Street bond trader named Sherman McCoy, the quintessential master of the universe, who lives a charmed life until he takes a wrong turn, ends up in the Bronx, and his frightened mistress takes the wheel and runs over a Black man who approached the couple. Cue chaos!
What else are David E. Kelley and Matt Reeves working on?
Kelley is still aboard ‘Presumed Innocent’, which is going the anthology route for its second season, switching up the story and cast to include Rachel Brosnahan as the lead.
Reeves, as mentioned, is in pre-production on his ‘Batman’ follow-up, but he’s also a prolific producer, attached to various DC properties and others.
(L to R) Director Matt Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson on the set of ‘The Batman’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Lilith (Cate Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Edgar Ramírez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland (Kevin Hart), a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound protector; Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), the oddball scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Jack Black), a wiseass robot. Together, these unlikely heroes must battle an alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.
2013’s ‘The Green Inferno.’ Photo: Open Road Films.
A group of student activists travel from New York City to the Amazon to save the rainforest. However, once they arrive in this vast green landscape, they soon discover that they are not alone… and that no good deed goes unpunished.
Jack Black in ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
When ten-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) is suddenly orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) in a creaky (and creepy) old mansion with a mysterious ticking noise that emanates from the walls. Upon discovering that his uncle is a warlock, Lewis begins learning magic, but when he rebelliously resurrects an evil warlock he must find the secret of the house and save the world from destruction.
(L to R) Lorenza Izzo, Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas in ‘Knock Knock.’ Photo: Lionsgate.
When a devoted husband and father (Keanu Reeves) is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women (Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas) unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.
A group of five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.
Amanda Barker “Lizzie”in Thanksgiving’ from TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group, LLC Thanksgiving.
After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a larger, sinister holiday plan.
After four seasons of serving as director and showrunner on the Apple TV+ series ‘Servant,’ Shyamalan returns to the big screen with his latest thriller ‘Trap,’ which stars Josh Hartnett and opens in theaters on August 2nd.
In honor of its release, Moviefone has ranked every movie filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has ever directed, including his latest.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘After Earth’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind’s new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai (Jaden Smith).
When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai’s craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Last Airbender’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The story follows the adventures of Aang (Noah Ringer), a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Happening’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
When a deadly airborne virus threatens to wipe out the northeastern United States, teacher Elliott Moore (Mark Wahlberg) and his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) flee from contaminated cities into the countryside in a fight to discover the truth. Is it terrorism, the accidental release of some toxic military bio weapon — or something even more sinister?
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Praying with Anger’. Photo: Cinevistaas.
An alienated, Americanized teenager (Shyamalan) of East Indian heritage is sent back to India where he discovers not only his roots but a lot about himself.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Visit’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A brother (Ed Oxenbould) and sister (Olivia DeJonge) are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a week, where they discover that the elderly couple (Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie) is involved in something deeply disturbing.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Lady in the Water’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Apartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) rescues what he thinks is a young woman (Bryce Dallas Howard) from the pool he maintains. When he discovers that she is actually a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the journey back to her home, he works with his tenants to protect his new friend from the creatures that are determined to keep her in our world.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Wide Awake’. Photo: Miramax Films.
The tale of a ten-year-old boy (Joseph Cross) in a Catholic school who, following the death of his beloved grandfather (Robert Loggia), embarks on a quest to discover the meaning of life.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A group of families on a tropical holiday discover that the secluded beach where they are staying is somehow causing them to age rapidly – reducing their entire lives into a single day.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Villiage’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
When a willful young man (Joaquin Phoenix) tries to venture beyond his sequestered Pennsylvania hamlet, his actions set off a chain of chilling incidents that will alter the community forever.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Glass’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
In a series of escalating encounters, former security guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities. Meanwhile, the shadowy presence of Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.
A father (Josh Hartnett) and teen daughter (Ariel Donoghue) attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Knock at the Cabin’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl (Kristen Cui) and her parents (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge) are taken hostage by four armed strangers (Dave Bautista, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint) who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Signs’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
A family (Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin) living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Sixth Sense’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Following an unexpected tragedy, a child psychologist named Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) meets a nine year old boy named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), who is hiding a dark secret.
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Unbreakable’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
An ordinary man (Bruce Willis) makes an extraordinary discovery when a train accident leaves his fellow passengers dead — and him unscathed. The answer to this mystery could lie with the mysterious Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a man who suffers from a disease that renders his bones as fragile as glass
(L to R) Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in ‘Moonlighting.’ Photo courtesy of Glen Caron’s X (Twitter) account.
Depending on your age, the news that classic TV detective dramedy ‘Moonlighting’ is finally headed to streaming will either elicit a response of, “yay!” or “What-lighting?”
Yet given the show’s stars –– Bruce Willis in his TV breakout, pre-movie stardom era and Cybill Shepherd –– you’ve probably at least heard of it in passing even if you didn’t grow up in the 1980s and obsessively watched it (or dressed as one of the characters in school).
Thanks in part to the efforts of original creator Glenn Gordon Caron, all five seasons of the show will be available to watch on Hulu from October 10th, the first time the series has been available on streaming (at least, legally).
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What’s the story of ‘Moonlighting’?
(L to R) Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in ‘Moonlighting.’ Photo courtesy of Glen Caron’s X (Twitter) account.
Shepherd plays Maddie Hayes, a former model who loses most of her financial assets due to her accountant’s embezzlement but unexpectedly finds that she owns a detective agency.
She teams up with cocky, chauvinistic investigator David Addison (Willis) to run the agency and becomes embroiled in various unusual cases, with the show blending drama, comedy and romance, often breaking the fourth wall and incorporating flights of fantasy.
‘Moonlighting’ was a massive ratings success for a big part of its five-year run on ABC. It was a success immediately when it debuted in midseason spring 1985, and then entered Nielsen’s top 10 during its first full season.
It stayed in the top 20 through season four but faded fast during its fifth season after ABC moved the show opposite CBS’ ‘Murder, She Wrote’ (never underestimate the power of Angela Lansbury solving crime!)
And it wasn’t just the ratings competition that sank things –– Shepherd and Willis’ on-screen chemistry masked a well-documented curdling on-set, their clashes overshadowing the series’ success.
It wasn’t helped by the fact that Willis, who won an Emmy for the show during its run, was itching to become a big movie star, and with ‘Die Hard’ released shortly before the final season, he was essentially one bare foot (watch out for glass) out the door towards the end.
And Caron was pushing to spend more time and money on the show, arguing that it deserved the effort to make it look as good as possible.
Though he was proved right by the era of HBO and other shows that would follow, the budget and time overages began to creep into the series’ schedule.
(L to R) Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in ‘Moonlighting.’ Photo courtesy of Glen Caron’s X (Twitter) account.
The series has long been one that fans have wanted to see hit streaming, and Caron dropped hints that he had something in the works a year ago, when he dropped word on social media that he and Disney had come up with a plan.
Speculation mounted that it meant the show would finally arrive on streaming, or that –– horror of horrors –– they might be planning a reboot. But he cleared things up with this tweet:
CAT'S OUTTA THE BAG
Can't keep it under my hat any longer–the business of getting all 5 seasons of "Moonlighting" starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd ready for streaming has begun! pic.twitter.com/7XVZauGkHF
And now we have the fruits of that work, including all the music you remember in place. So, if you’ve never seen the show, or need a nostalgia hit, you’ll be able to head back to the offices of the Blue Moon detective agency on October 10th.
Bruce Willis in ‘Moonlighting.’ Photo courtesy of Glen Caron’s X (Twitter) account.
Eddie Redmayne as Charles “Charlie” Cullen in Netflix’s ‘The Good Nurse.’
In a world of need for streaming TV content, companies are forever looking for the next recognizable title that can make the jump from movie to show –– or in this case, from book to movie to show.
Universal International Studios has raided its back catalogue and come up with ‘The Day of the Jackal’, Frederick Forsyth’s seminal thriller novel, brought so famously to the screen in 1973 (and less famously for the Bruce Willisremake in 1997).
Eddie Redmayne, most recently seen in ‘The Good Nurse’ is aboard to star as the title character and produce the show.
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What’s the story of the thriller?
In the original book and film, set in France in the 1960s, a group of disgruntled army officers have banded together and formed an organisation called the OAS. Their aim –– to kill President Charles de Gaulle. After several failed attempts and the trial and execution of several of their leaders, the OAS hire an assassin in a final attempt to complete the task. He is The Jackal.
The new show is described as “a bold, modern reimagining of the beloved and respected novel and film. While staying true to the DNA of the original story, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the chameleon-like anti-hero at the heart of the story in a high octane, cinematic, globetrotting cat and mouse thriller, set amidst the turbulent geo-political landscape of our time. Redmayne would be playing the Jackal in this incarnation.
Bruce Willis as The Jackal in 1997’s ‘The Jackal.’
The new series comes from Irish scriptwriter and novelist Ronan Bennett, who created ‘Top Boy’. He’ll be head writer and showrunner.
In the director’s chair, we have Brian Kirk, who has worked on the TV likes of ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and ‘Luther’, plus the movie ’21 Bridges’.
In addition to Redmayne as executive producer, the new series comes from Carnival Films, the team behind ‘Downton Abbey’ (we’re expecting a few more explosions in this one, though given ‘Downton’s propensity for chewing through family members, the body count should be similar.)
Here’s what Gareth Neame, CEO & Executive Producer at Carnival Films said of the show:
“We are excited to bring to life Ronan Bennett’s re-imagining of Forsyth’s revered thriller in the complex world in which we live today and are incredibly fortunate to have an actor of Eddie’s calibre as our Jackal. Paired with Ronan’s screenplay and Brian Kirk’s direction, this is a first-class creative team.”
And in case you’re wondering what Forsyth thinks of all this –– he’s involved as a consulting producer, so it has his backing right now. The show should start shooting this year, which means it’ll likely appear on Peacock in 2024.
(L to R) Eddie Redmayne as Charles “Charlie” Cullen, and Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren in Netflix’s ‘The Good Nurse.’
Opening in theaters, On Demand and digital January 20th, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 28th is the new action movie ‘Detective Knight: Independence,’ which is the third and final film in the trilogy from writer/director Edward Drake (‘Breach’).
Hollywood legend Bruce Willis (‘Die Hard,’ ‘Pulp Fiction’) reprises his role as Detective James Knight, who must stop an unhinged former EMT worker (Jack Kilmer) who attempts a bank heist on Independence Day, and takes a hostage (Willow Shields) with close ties to Knight.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jack Kilmer about his work on ‘Detective Knight: Independence,’ his inspiration for the character, the action sequences, working with Bruce Willis, Willow Shields and director Edward Drake, and what it was like playing his father’s role on Disney+’s ‘Willow.’
(L to R) Director Edward Drake and Jack Kilmer in ‘Detective Knight: Independence.’ Photo Credit: Eric Williams.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Kilmer and Edward Drake about ‘Detective Knight: Independence Day.’
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your character, Dezi and your inspiration for the role?
Jack Kilmer: Well, a movie we referenced a lot was ‘Joker.’ Dezi is this anti-hero vigilante. He echoes a lot of the incel people that are unfortunately around in this day and age. For me, it was things like ‘Taxi Driver,’ and ‘Bad Lieutenant.’ We had Bruce Willis, so when we started we had a superhero amongst us. We started in this superhero land, and then we took it and ran with it.
I was talking with Ed and we were like “This is a real opportunity to make something really gritty and real, and something a lot of people can relate to in this country right now.” We just had the anniversary of January 6th. We even shot this movie not long after all of that stuff went down. We had tons of ideas about who this guy was and what American this guy was. Where do Americans go when they snap, when they lose their minds? What does that look like?
I don’t know where he is politically, this character. I didn’t align him with any particular political party. He consumes a lot of stuff on the internet, he’s very paranoid, he’s an outsider, and he is not accepted in society. I think a lot of people can at least relate to that. I don’t think the film points one direction. You root for him, and he’s an underdog in a way. Dezi is actually somewhat redeemable of a person and you get to watch him spiral and unravel.
You just root for him. The movie is from the perspective of the villain, which is unique. He’s just a person that’s really sick and suffering, and very paranoid, and you can see how along the way how gets there. What that brings up for me is that there’s a lot of people in this country that I would love to sit down and talk with, no matter what political position they take. Sometimes it’s good to unite, to come together even though you have different political views to someone else, and sit and talk to them because maybe you guys align on more than you think.
MF: Can you talk about Dezi’s relationship with Ally and working with Willow Shields?
Jack Kilmer: Willow is lovely and an absolute pleasure to work with. She really brought it. There’s a scene in the movie where we have a showdown with Mr. Bruce Willis and man, she brought it in that scene. For the character of Dezi, she’s the light and the anchor of the whole movie. She brings all the humanity to Dezi.
MF: What’s it like working with a legend like Bruce Willis?
JK: Well, he is a legend, and a boss, and a king. He shows up and he is Bruce Willis, and you know that.
Bruce Willis as James Knight in ‘Detective Knight: Independence.’ Photo Credit: Eric Williams.
MF: What did you learn from watching him work?
JK: Let me just say this. He could say anything, and it’s so powerful and effective. I don’t know where it comes from but the guy can deliver lines in an extremely powerful and effective way, and it’s all in him. That “Bruce Willis” is just in him and everyone’s energy changes when he’s around, and that’s a real thing. He’s a real star and a real celebrity from a time when you could be a massive star. He is that.
I was thinking about that today, Gorillaz is one of my favorite bands and he was in the Gorillaz music video when I was in middle school. The length of his career and thinking about how huge a star from my generation and the ’80s he is. I was like what? That’s so crazy!
MF: Can you talk about the weapons training you had for the movie and what was the most challenging action sequence for you to shoot?
JK: As far as the gun training, we practiced the utmost safety around all of those weapons, even though they were already modified to be as safe as possible with plugged barrels and blank rounds. They were completely safe and looked after at all times. I grew up around guns in New Mexico, so I take that very seriously from shooting target practice with my dad. It was a lot of fun to just blast off rounds.
However, like we’ve been talking about, 2021 was a time in history that was very scary for a lot of people, so I didn’t want to pick up a gun first thing in the morning. There’s also some fun elements to that as well. The hardest thing for me on this shoot was just the way we shot the whole thing in eight days.
That was the hardest thing about this movie because it really was eight days. It was a full feature length shot in eight days. So we were doing five, six pages a day of the script. That was really hard, but their whole distribution method and their way of shooting these movies, it works somehow.
That’s because they work really hard. Edward Drake, the director, it’s really remarkable how the guy makes these movies. I’ve never seen anything like it. If he got a bigger budget, I can imagine he what he could do with that and it would be amazing because he’s one of the most creative and hardworking people I’ve ever met.
MF: What’s it like shooting a movie in eight days and what was it like collaborating on this project with Edward Drake?
JK: On any set there’s days where you feel the pressure and get stressed. It was only until after we had wrapped the movie that I talked to Ed, and he told me, “Okay, I really felt the pressure for that.” He held it down. Everyone held it down and just worked super hard.
MF: Finally, what was it like for you to join the cast of Disney+’s ‘Willow’ series voicing your father’s role from the original movie and working with Jake Kasdan on the project?
JK: It was so epic. I love ‘Willow.’ My parents met on ‘Willow.’ Jonathan Kasdan is obsessed with the fact that both my parents are in the movie. He’s a lovely guy. We were emailing back and forth for a long time and he’s just fascinated that I exist and that my mom’s in the series. He just had so many questions for me.
My dad has health issues and basically, Jonathan was like, “Can you come help with some wild lines, and can you come help me with this in the edit?” I was like “Sure. I’ll come and do that.” But it ended up being really special because we just sat and talked about Madmartigan and the whole legacy and everything.
Bruce Willis as James Knight in ‘Detective Knight: Independence.’ Photo Credit: Eric Williams.
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The new movie stars legendary actor Bruce Willis (‘Die Hard’) as Shane Mueller, a Homeland Security agent who runs a wire room, which is a high-tech command center surveilling the most dangerous criminals. New recruit Justin Rosa (Kevin Dillon) is assigned to monitor a cartel member named Eddie Flynn (Oliver Trevena), and keep him alive no matter what.
When a team of assassins attack Flynn in his home, Rosa goes against protocol and speaks with the gangster directly to save his life. As the armed soldiers ascend on the wire room, Mueller and Rosa make one last stand against the corrupt officers who want to destroy the evidence and murder them both.
Actor Kevin Dillon has been working steadily in movies and on television for almost 40 years! He’s appeared in such acclaimed films as ‘Platoon,’ and ‘The Doors,’ both directed by Oscar-winner Oliver Stone, and on classic TV programs like ‘NYPD Blue,’ ’24,’ and ‘The Simpsons.’
But the actor is probably best known for his role as Johnny “Drama” Chase on HBO’s hit series ‘Entourage’ and the movie adaption of the same name.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Dillon about his work on ‘Wire Room,’ working with Bruce Willis, his approach to his character, the challenges of acting by himself at times, shooting the entire movie in one week, and exactly what a wire room really is!
Kevin Dillon as Justin Rosa in the action film, ‘Wire Room,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, how did you get involved with this project?
Kevin Dillon: You know what? It was a straight up offer. The way I like them. Sometimes I have to audition for things. This was an offer. I read the script. I thought it had some cool plot twist and turns. I wanted to add as much humor wherever I could.
They said, “Bruce Willis is going to do it,” the legend! So, I said, yes. I did a movie with Bruce before, but I didn’t get to act with him. This time I did. He’s great. I’m a big Bruce Willis fan, love the guy.
MF: Can you talk about your research for this movie? Did you learn a lot about real wire rooms and how they work?
KD: I knew nothing about wire rooms beforehand. I didn’t even know they existed. I didn’t have a lot of time to prep on it. Just for anyone out there, a wire room is when the CIA or the FBI has to have wires in certain rooms when they spy on people, they record it all in one room. That’s where my character finds himself, doing wire room duty. It’s his first day and things get crazy.
MF: How would you describe your character and your approach to playing him?
KD: I look at my character, Justin, as he’s a screw up. He used to work with the secret service. It’s backstory, it’s not in the script, but I like to think that he screwed up because he doesn’t listen. He won’t listen to what they tell him to do. I believe he got let go, and that’s why he is stuck working in a wire room, which is kind of like a demotion in a way. He, once again, doesn’t listen to Bruce and he gets in trouble again.
Bruce Willis as Shane Mueller in the action film, ‘Wire Room,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: You have a lot of scenes in the movie where you are acting in a room alone or on the phone. Can you talk about the challenges of acting without another performer to play off of?
KD: Yeah, it’s tough. It really is. Because you’re looking at screens and you’re seeing all this action that’s not there. It’s a blank screen, so you got to use your imagination a little bit. I was lucky to have Oliver Trevena come in and run lines with me, so we were able to kind of build up a little chemistry, even though we weren’t on film together.
I thought he did a great job. I thought we had some chemistry. It was definitely challenging to do a movie like this. We did it in seven days. We did my stuff in five days, so, it’s unbelievable what we got done in that time period.
MF: That’s shocking! Is that the fastest movie production you have ever worked on?
KD: Well, I did a seven-day movie with the same production company, called ‘Hot Seat.’ That was amazing that we did that. These guys know how to get it done and they knew I could get it done, so they brought me in on this one. It’s a real challenge and I actually like stepping up to it. You got to really be on your game.
Kevin Dillon as Justin Rosa in the action film, ‘Wire Room,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: What was it like working with director Matt Eskandari on such a fast shoot?
KD: Oh man, he’s the best. Very few guys could have done this. He’s open to ideas. He’s open to improv, and we had lots of that on the set. He just has a real vision. I saw it last night for the first time, I didn’t know all the things he had going on. He had a lot of cool directorial tricks. When the bombs go off, you actually feel dizzy from the bomb going off. I mean, he just did some really cool things as director.
MF: Finally, the movie concludes in a way that is open ended, is this a character you would be interested in revisiting in the future?
KD: Oh, hell yeah. Justin, he’s going to hunt him down. He said, “I will track you down.” And he’s a man of his words.
(L to R) Bruce Willis as Shane Mueller and Kevin Dillon as Justin Rosa in the action film, ‘Wire Room,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
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Premiering on digital and On Demand beginning July 12th is the new horror thriller ‘Neon Lights,’ which was written and directed by Rouzbeh Heydari.
The new movie was written by and stars Dana Abraham as Clay Amani, a tech tycoon that brings his estranged to a remote location for a reunion. However, unbeknown to his guests, Clay is haunted by a mysterious figure named Denver (Kim Coates), which leads to a deadly killing spree.
But he is probably best remembered for his role as Alexander “Tig” Trager on FX’s ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ and recently reprised his part on the spinoff ‘Mayans M.C.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kim Coates about his new movie ‘Neon Lights,’ acting with his daughter, working with Bruce Willis on ‘The Last Boy Scout,’ the legacy of ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and reprising his role on ‘Mayans M.C.’
Kim Coates in ‘Neon Lights,’ which premieres on digital and On Demand beginning July 12th.
You can read our full interview with Kim Coates below or watch the interview by clicking on the video player above.
Moviefone: To begin with, as a producer and an actor, why did you want to be a part of this project, and what was your first reaction to the screenplay?
Kim Coates: Well, it was pretty simple, really. I mean, the pandemic just started. It was 2020 and everything was shut down. Everyone left L.A. and I went back to Canada. Around June or July of 2020, in Canada, before America, before we had all the vaccines, things started to pick up a little.
This script was thrown at me in September of 2020 and when my Canadian manager-agent brought it to me, she said, “You know what? They obviously want you bad because they need a name in this little beautiful, independent film, but there’s a part for Brenna as well.” So, I read it and Brenna, my daughter, plays Laila, the psychiatrist. So, when I read it, I had that in mind.
But I really have to tell you that this guy, Denver Kane, who I play, I can’t really say much about this guy. You need to discover this character when you’re watching the movie, because he’s freaky, he’s cocky, and this is a weird psychological thriller with a bit of horror in there. It really encompasses everything.
When I read this story, I threw everything else out. I threw me out, and Brenna out. I thought about the mental health aspect of the movie, and we’re in the middle of a pandemic or the beginning of a pandemic. What Dana Abraham did in writing this thing and starring in this thing was mind-blowing to me. So, that’s why I said yes.
Kim Coates and Erika Swayze in ‘Neon Lights,’ which premieres on digital and On Demand beginning July 12th.
MF: How do you approach playing a character that is purposefully mysterious in the screenplay?
KC: Well, that’s just a terrific question because, is he really there, is he not there? What’s happening? The beginning takes a little bit of time. It’s very freaky. You don’t know what’s going on. Then the movie really starts. Then Dana starts to sit down with his psychiatrist, played by Brenna, and we can’t say much to you after that. But then the story evolves in going to this estate with his former foster brothers and their wives, girlfriends, and a kid.
They go for this like reawakening with Dana’s character, trying to figure out who he is, and what’s happened in his life with all the trauma. He’s become this incredible tech tycoon, but his life is falling apart. My character kind of wheedles his way through the whole film with a little thread and needle and goes all the way through this film.
So, for you to bring that up and for me not to really be able to talk about it, but to let you know that I did research on trauma and early homes that possibly had a lot of trauma. So, I had to read a couple of books to try and get inside this Denver Kane’s head.
Kim Coates in ‘Neon Lights,’ which premieres on digital and On Demand beginning July 12th.
MF: As you mentioned, your daughter is also in the movie. As a father, how proud were you to work with her and see that she is following in your footsteps?
KC: How great is that, right? I mean, this kid’s been an actor her whole life. I stumbled into it in college. I took an acting class to meet some girls. I was going to be a history teacher. I didn’t know what a soliloquy even meant. Brenna’s been an actress since she’s been 4 years old. This kid did it the right way. Theatre, theatre, theatre, theatre!
She went to NYU. She auditioned for the Tisch Acting Academy. She got in, she got her degree. She did a bunch of plays there. Then she did this play called “The Wolves” on Broadway. She won a Drama Desk Award. The New York Times called it one of the greatest plays of the last 25 years.
So, Brenna needs no help from her dad. Brenna has her own movie star thing waiting to happen. She’s got two movies opening back to back, this one and another one called ‘Burden.’ She’s got another couple of offers in the fall. She loves theatre, she loves movies, she loves TV, she loves it all. But I’m very proud to see her work, man. I stayed out of her way. But she’s her own artistic, explosive girl. I’m just so proud of her, for sure.
(L to R) Bruce Willis and Kim Coates in Tony Scott’s ‘The Last Boy Scout.’
MF: Looking back at your career, you had an amazing scene with Bruce Willis in ‘The Last Boy Scout.’ In the scene, you punch him in the face and shout, “Boomba Baby!” Was that line improvised of scripted, and what are your memories of working with Bruce Willis?
KC: Yeah, that was mine. “Boomba Baby!” That was all me. Look, Bruce Willis was my first really big movie star. I’d worked with Dean Stockwell, and Kim Cattrall, but ‘The Last Boy Scout’ was my very first Hollywood movie in 1991. The late Tony Scott, I’m so sad that he’s gone, but he cast me right away.
I just got to tell you about that scene. Because I’ve been told they show that cigarette scene in all these acting classes. It’s always prefaced by “How to steal a scene from the movie star.” I got to know Bruce a little bit. Then I got to know him more on ‘Hostage.’ Then I got to know him more by hanging out with him. He’s got a lot going on right now, that poor guy, but I love him, and I always will love him. I’ve got nothing but good thing to say about Bruce Willis.
MF: Finally, can you talk about your ‘Sons of Anarchy’ experience? What was it like reprising your character on ‘Mayans M.C.’ and have you stayed close with the other cast members since the series ended?
KC: Yeah, we really have. I think it’s an anomaly. I think it’s a one-off. I think of those seven years on ‘Sons’ and how did we still love one another? It was a very volatile, weird, dark, and beautiful time. That show got more and more violent as it went along. But those seven years were amazing.
To do the ‘Mayans’ and to play Tig again after like eight years, it was great. I still have my bike outside. I had such a terrific time on that show. The best.
( L to R) Mark Boone Jr., Charlie Hunnam, Tommy Flanagan, and Kim Coates in FX’s ‘Sons of Anarchy.’
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But this is certainly not the first time an A-list actor has portrayed themself in a film, and we thought it would be a good time to look back at the the greatest movies featuring actors playing themselves.
For this list, we are only including actors who’ve portrayed themselves in a movie and not athletes, musicians, or other celebrities.
A movie about the apocalypse set in Hollywood was a clever idea, but having the actors play exaggerated versions of themselves is what makes this movie really fun to watch, and Jonah Hill being possessed by a demon is a definite highlight.
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) reunites with his old flame (Julia Roberts) and the rest of his merry band of thieves in carrying out three huge heists in Rome, Paris and Amsterdam – but a Europol agent (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is hot on their heels.
One of the “cons” in the movie that Ocean and his friends are running is based on the idea that Tess Ocean (Roberts) looks remarkably like the actress “Julia Roberts.” Posing as Roberts, Tess helps Linus (Matt Damon) get close to their mark but are interrupted by the actor Bruce Willis (played by Willis), who is friends with the real Roberts.
Paul Giamatti (played by Paul Giamatti) is agonizing over his interpretation of ‘Uncle Vanya’ and, paralyzed by anxiety, stumbles upon a solution via a New Yorker article about a high-tech company promising to alleviate suffering by extracting souls. He enlists their services—only to discover that his soul is the shape and size of a chickpea.
Giamatti plays himself as a depressed yet “serious” thespian, which plays off of the actor’s real-life persona, while Emily Watson portrays Paul’s fictional wife, Claire Giamatti.
Reunited after 15 years, famous chef Sasha (Ali Wong) and hometown musician Marcus (Randall Park) feel the old sparks of attraction but struggle to adapt to each other’s worlds.
After years apart, Sasha and Marcus reconnect, only to go on a double date with their significant others. The date goes terribly wrong for Marcus when he realizes that Sasha is dating movie star Keanu Reeves (played by Reeves). The actor plays himself with all the coolness and charisma we expect from Reeves, before eventually getting into a brawl with Marcus.
Nerdy accountant Harold (John Cho) and his irrepressible friend, Kumar (Kal Penn), get stoned watching television and find themselves utterly bewitched by a commercial for White Castle. Convinced there must be one nearby, the two set out on a late-night odyssey that takes them deep into New Jersey. Somehow, the boys manage to run afoul of rednecks, cops and even a car-stealing Neil Patrick Harris (played by Harris) before getting anywhere near their beloved sliders.
Harris spoofs his own history as a child actor, playing himself as a drug-addicted, has-been child star. It’s also worth noting that ‘Harold & Kumar’ predates ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ and marked the beginning of Harris’ own career resurgence.
B-movie Legend Bruce Campbell (played by Campbell) is mistaken for his character Ash from ‘The Evil Dead‘ trilogy and forced to fight a real monster in a small town in Oregon.
Campbell basically plays himself like his ‘Evil Dead’ character Ash. He’s confident and self-assured when there is no danger, but once trouble begins, he becomes a complete coward. The movie was directed by Campbell, and is a fun spoof on the actor’s own cult status.
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn’t have fears. If he did, he’d kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they’re about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.
When Columbus and his friends enter a Beverly Hills mansion, they meet actor Bill Murray (played by Murray), who survived the zombie apocalypse by wearing makeup and pretending to be a zombie himself. The actor even busts-out his old ‘Ghostbusters‘ costume before Columbus accidentally kills him.
‘I’m Still Here’ is a portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of actor Joaquin Phoenix (played by Phoenix). Directed by Casey Affleck, the film follows the future Oscar-winner as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to reinvent himself as a hip-hop musician. The film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads and explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of a life spent in the public eye.
Sold as a documentary, it was later revealed that the entire movie was a fictional spoof. Unknown which it was at the time of release, Phoenix gives a performance playing an exaggerated version of himself that is so believable the entire world really thought that the actor had gone crazy! It all culminated with his infamous appearance on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman,’ which is included in the film.
Directed by Robert Altman, a Hollywood studio executive (Tim Robbins) is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected – but which one?
‘The Player’ could easily have been called ‘Cameo: The Movie.’ While some actors play fictional characters (like Robbins and Whoopi Goldberg), because of the Hollywood setting, dozens of famous actors play themselves in cameo roles like Joel Grey, Anjelica Huston, and John Cusack.
Then, in a film within the film, Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts play themselves, playing fictional characters.
One day at work, unsuccessful puppeteer Craig (John Cusack) finds a portal into the head of actor John Malkovich (played by Malkovich). The portal soon becomes a passion for anybody who enters its mad and controlling world of overtaking another human body.
‘Being John Malkovich’ is ‘The Godfather‘ of movies featuring actors playing themselves. Malkovich brilliantly plays-off of his odd and mysterious off-screen persona and gives a dark comedic performance as good as any of his previous dramatic work. it’s also hilarious when it is revealed that his best friend is Charlie Sheen (played by Sheen himself).
Bruce Willis is one of the greatest movie stars in cinema history!
The actor, who is been working professionally for over forty years, began his career in the mid-80s by starring on the groundbreaking TV series ‘Moonlighting,’ opposite Cybill Shepard. His movie career exploded in 1988 when he starred as John McClane in director John McTiernan‘s action-classic ‘Die Hard.’
In Terry Gilliam‘s bleak sci-fi thriller, Willis plays a man who goes back in time in an effort to prevent a massive outbreak that kills most of the earth’s population.
And yet, Willis commits fully, in a role that has him involved with suspense set pieces, romantic sequences, and even portraying multiple versions of the same character. Challenging is the right word for this kind of performance. Another word you could use is brilliant.
In 2257, a taxi driver (Willis) is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl (Milla Jovovich) who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.
Directed by Luc Besson, and coming off of the huge success of ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance,’ Willis was the perfect actor to lead the sci-fi action movie, which also stars Gary Oldman and Chris Tucker.
In ‘Looper,’ Willis played the older version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s character, a man who, through time travel, meets and antagonizes his younger self. It’s a high concept gimmick that could have been a disaster, especially since Gordon-Levitt is saddled with make-up effects to give off the vibe of a younger Willis. But, man, Willis is great.
Virtually silent, he does some very un-Bruce-like things, including but not limited to murdering a child, attempting to murder another child, and basically being a bloodthirsty bad guy. But it’s an extended flashback sequence, where we see what happened to Willis’ adult wife, that gives the character pathos and pain.
When the girl (Halle Berry) that detective Joe Hallenback (Willis) is protecting gets murdered, the former NFL quarterback (Damon Wayans) and boyfriend of the murdered girl attempts to investigate and solve the case. What they discover is that there is deep seated corruption going on between a crooked politician and the owner of a pro football team.
Directed by the late Tony Scott, this was the first successful non-‘Die Hard’ movie the actor made after becoming a bankable movie star. While he is basically playing another version of “John McClane,” it was great to see Willis make a buddy-cop movie with Wayans, which at the time was a very popular genre of film.
Following an unexpected tragedy, a child psychologist named Malcolm Crowe (Willis) meets a nine year old boy named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), who is hiding a dark secret.
M. Night Shyamalan‘s classic 1999 movie marks the first of four times (if you include ‘Split‘) that the filmmaker has teamed with Willis. The actor gives a quiet performance, which is one of his best, playing opposite Oscar nominee Haley Joel Osment. Willis should have been nominated as well for his performance, especially for his excellent and subtle work during the film’s big twist ending.
In 2012, Willis took a chance on a couple of younger, art house directors, and both performances remain the highpoint of this stage of his career. One of those performances was for Wes Anderson in ‘Moonrise Kingdom.’ As Captain Sharp, the law enforcement on a fictional island, who is tasked with retrieving a pair of kids who go missing, his performance is warm and open-hearted.
Honestly, just thinking about his character and where he ends up, makes me a little choked up. This never should have worked on paper, the terse Willis teaming up with the twee Anderson, but it turned out to be a match made in heaven. Willis was rightfully applauded for his role and earned a Best Supporting Male nomination for his work at the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards.
Perhaps one of Willis’ finest performance ever came in M. Night Shyamalan’s thoughtful deconstruction of the superhero genre (before the superhero genre was even a thing). Yes, their previous collaboration, ‘The Sixth Sense’ made more money, but it’s “Unbreakable” that is the true classic.
Somber and forlorn, Willis’ arc of a man who comes to understand his inner strength (both emotionally and physically) is a profound work by an artist who, at the time, was always willing to challenge himself. Willis is underrated when it comes to subtlety in his performances; this is nothing but that.
This was another left-field appearance, the world’s biggest movie star (at the time) was going to appear in the sophomore feature of a relatively unknown indie director named Quentin Tarantino. Well, ‘Pulp Fiction’ ended up being the coolest movie ever and Willis’ performance as Butch, a down-on-his-luck boxer who ends up throwing a fight the other way, was electric and revitalized his career in a profound way.
Willis’ mini-arc is absolutely astounding, he gets to be physical but also incredibly comedic and tragic (the watch!). Few actors can really make Quentin Tarantino’s ratatat dialogue sing, but Willis did so handily. Zed’s dead, baby, indeed.
Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) wakes up to find her staff have quit and all her money has been stolen. One of her few remaining assets is a loss-making investigation agency run by David Addison (Willis). She sacks the staff but David is determined to keep it going.
David Addison is the role that turned Bruce Willis into a star. Playing the charismatic yet comedic character in the groundbreaking 1980’s series made the actor a household name and his casting in ‘Die Hard’ even possible.
The series still holds up to this day, especially it’s brilliant two-hour pilot, and you can see why the actor has had such a long career, as his charm is evident in every frame and he has unforgettable chemistry with co-star Cybill Shepard.
Willis received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical in 1987 for his role as David Addison on ‘Moonlighting.’
When Willis was cast in John McTiernan’s ‘Die Hard’ he was still mostly known as the star of ‘Moonlighting’ (and his previously big movie was Blake Edwards’ comedy, ‘Sunset‘). People were confused as to what a funnyman was doing anchoring a big budget action spectacular. But watching ‘Die Hard’ you get the sense that this was the role that Willis was born to play: an everyman thrown into a truly fantastic situation, who uses his wits and his will to get his way out of it.
His physicality is unparalleled, and you can watch how his posture changes not only after his shoeless brush with broken glass, but as he gets more and more exhausted. More than that, the character is soulful and tortured. There’s an early scene that’s always struck me, when he’s at the party and looks across the way to a pretty girl. It speaks volumes to the character’s struggle within.
