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Tag: Colin Hanks

  • ‘Nuremberg’ Interview: Michael Shannon and John Slattery

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    Opening in theaters on November 7th is the new historical drama ‘Nuremberg‘, which was written and directed by James Vanderbilt (‘Truth’), and stars Oscar winners Rami Malek (‘Bohemian Rhapsody’) and Russell Crowe (‘Gladiator’), as well as Michael Shannon (‘The Shape of Water’), John Slattery (‘Spotlight’), Colin Hanks (‘Nobody 2’), and Richard E. Grant (‘Can You Forgive Me?’).

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    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Shannon and John Slattery about their work on ‘Nuremberg’, Slattery’s first reaction to the screenplay and collaborating with director James Vanderbilt on set, as well as Shannon’s approach to his character and working with Rami Malek.

    (L to R) Michael Shannon and John Slattery star in 'Nuremberg'.
    (L to R) Michael Shannon and John Slattery star in ‘Nuremberg’.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Related Article: Michael Shannon Talks Director Joshua Oppenheimer’s Musical ‘The End’

    (L to R) Rami Malek as Lt. Col. Douglas Kelley, Colin Hanks as Dr. Gustave Gilbert, John Slattery as Col. Burton C. Andrus in ‘Nuremberg’. Photo: Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
    (L to R) Rami Malek as Lt. Col. Douglas Kelley, Colin Hanks as Dr. Gustave Gilbert, John Slattery as Col. Burton C. Andrus in ‘Nuremberg’. Photo: Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

    Moviefone: To begin with, John, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the importance of telling this story?

    John Slattery: My first reaction was I don’t think I’m the man to play this part. I thought, I don’t have it in me. I said to James, “If you want what’s on the page, then you probably should find someone else because how am I going to run that room and preside over that group?” He convinced me to do it my own way, or we’d figure out a way to do it. That’s coupled with, of course, wanting to be in it and wanting to be a part of such a great story. So, I was daunted by the challenge of it, but certainly wanted to be a part of it. I think Michael, Rami and Russell were already set. So, who wouldn’t want to be a part of that group?

    MF: Michael, can you talk about your approach to playing Robert H. Jackson, the pressure on him to win this trial and what’s at stake if he doesn’t?

    Michael Shannon: Well, I just did a lot of research. I didn’t know much about Robert Jackson, or hardly anything really, going into it, so I had a lot to learn. Obviously, you know, he kind of brings this all upon himself because the trials are his idea. A lot of people in the American government thought if we caught Nazis, we should just execute them, and he went out of his way to establish this tribunal and so he reaped what he sowed to that extent. But thank God he did it because it was a brilliant idea, and he was right. But he sacrificed a bit of his own professional trajectory to accomplish it. I wish what he had set in motion was as strong now as what he established back then.

    Michael Shannon as Robert H. Jackson in ‘Nuremberg’. Photo: Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
    Michael Shannon as Robert H. Jackson in ‘Nuremberg’. Photo: Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

    MF: Michael, can you also talk about Jackson’s working relationship with Douglas Kelly as it’s depicted in the film and creating that relationship on screen with Rami Malek?

    MS: Well, I’m so charmed by Rami all the time. I mean, he’s so alive. He’s so much fun to work with, even in in a story and situation like this. You know, in the book, ‘The Nazi and the Psychiatrist’, which the film is based on, you don’t really see too much interplay between Jackson and Kelly. It really focuses on his time with the Nazis in the prison, but I really love doing that scene in the stadium where I lay out to him why what we’re doing is so important. I’m glad it’s in the story and I loved shooting that with him because he was such an amazing listener to play off. Anytime you have a speech like that, you hope whoever you’re saying it to is listening to what you’re saying, and he was always. Yeah, I love him.

    MF: Finally, John, what was it like collaborating with writer and director James Vanderbilt on set and helping him to execute his vision for this project?

    JS: I mean, you couldn’t find a more enthusiastic leader who fortunately had written the script, so we had a resource and wealth of ideas. He was collaborative, excited, tireless and funny, and I couldn’t have had a better experience from the moment I met him till now. He was willing to try things. He was willing to adjust and to accommodate. This cast has very different energies between Russell, Rami, Michael, Richard Grant, Leo (Woodall) and me. There’s a lot of different methods of working and he accommodated all of them, at least speaking for myself. I couldn’t have had a more willing partner.

    (L to R) Leo Woodall and James Vanderbilt on the set of ‘Nuremberg’. Photo: Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
    (L to R) Leo Woodall and James Vanderbilt on the set of ‘Nuremberg’. Photo: Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

    What is the plot of ‘Nuremberg’?

    During the Nuremberg trials, chief psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) interviews Nazi military members to determine whether they are fit to stand trial. There, he enters a “battle of wits” against Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe).

    Who is in the cast of ‘Nuremberg’?

    'Nuremberg’ opens in theaters on November 7th.
    ‘Nuremberg’ opens in theaters on November 7th.

    List of Michael Shannon Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Nuremberg’ Movie Showtimes

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  • Movie Review: ‘Nobody 2’

    (L to R) Brady Mansell (Gage Munroe), Sammy Mansell (Paisley Cadorath), Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), David Mansell (Christopher Lloyd) and Becca Mansell (Connie Nielsen) in 'Nobody 2', directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Brady Mansell (Gage Munroe), Sammy Mansell (Paisley Cadorath), Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), David Mansell (Christopher Lloyd) and Becca Mansell (Connie Nielsen) in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    ‘Nobody 2’ receives 3.5 out of 10 stars.

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    Opening in theaters August 15 is ‘Nobody 2,’ directed by Timo Tjahjanto and starring Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Colin Hanks, John Ortiz, Colin Salmon, Christopher Lloyd, and Sharon Stone.

    Related Article: Bob Odenkirk to Star for Director Ben Wheatley in Action Pic ‘Normal’

    Initial Thoughts

    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in 'Nobody 2', directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    With the original ‘Nobody’ in 2021, writer Derek Kolstad, director Ilya Naishuller, and star Bob Odenkirk found a way to freshen up the action subgenre in which a seemingly ordinary guy turns out to be a deadly assassin who only reluctantly deploys his brutal skills. The key was Odenkirk, who managed to make Hutch Mansell’s transformation from dyspeptic husband and dad into lethal killer funny, believable, and even a little sad.

    A mild hit, ‘Nobody’ didn’t seem like it would be instant sequel fodder, but here we are. Except that four years later, with increasingly tired retreads of the same tropes like ‘Love Hurts,’ ‘A Working Man,’ and ‘Novocaine’ coming out in the last year alone, ‘Nobody 2’ simply offers up more of the same. Only it doesn’t even have the rudimentary character development of the first film; this one, directed by Indonesian action filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto, can’t find the same relatively successful blend of comedy and action and quickly turns silly, with the thin plot used mainly to stretch the film from one numbing action sequence to another. Odenkirk is watchable as always, but ‘Nobody 2’ is a sequel that fails to justify its existence.

    Story and Direction

    (L to R) Bob Odenkirk and director Timo Tjahjanto on the set of 'Nobody 2'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Bob Odenkirk and director Timo Tjahjanto on the set of ‘Nobody 2’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    The movie begins the same way as the first one: with an injured Hutch in an interrogation room, facing two FBI agents who want to know who he is (only this time he’s not alone). Cue the title card and a rewind to a few days earlier. Hutch is back to full-time assassination work to pay off the $30 million debt he owes the government for covering the Russian mob money he torched in the first movie. His nonstop schedule has distanced him from his kids and his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen, with a bit more to do this time), who is also feeling them drift apart.

    Hutch decides he needs a break and rounds up the family for a vacation to Plummerville, home of Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway and Waterpark, an amusement park which Hutch’s dad David (Christopher Lloyd) took him and his brother Harry (RZA) when they were kids. “Making memories” is the goal, and Hutch even brings his dad along to relive what he considered one of the happiest times of his life. But as his handler (Colin Salmon) warns: “The job is in your nature, and nature always wins.”

    Sure enough, they’re barely at the park for a day when Hutch’s son runs afoul of some bullies at the arcade, leading to a violent altercation between Hutch and some security guards. That puts him on the radar of the park’s owner, Wyatt Martin (John Ortiz) and the corrupt Sheriff Abel (Colin Hanks), both of whom work for the psychopathic crime queen Lendina (Sharon Stone). Plummerville has become a front for Lendina’s nefarious drug and gun-running operation, and Hutch is not welcome.

    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in 'Nobody 2', directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    That’s about as far as the plot gets before it turns, as mentioned earlier, into just an excuse for escalating mayhem. Despite Odenkirk’s normal guy façade, Hutch is all but a superhero; he gets out of every scrape with a few dings (okay, and a missing fingertip) while leaving everyone else bashed to a pulp on the floor. No one in his family or his eventual team (which includes his dad, of course, as well as Harry – RZA showing up for a day’s work – and an ally one can see coming from a mile away) ever seems like they’re truly in danger, which makes the stakes for the characters almost non-existent.

    And that’s what ultimately lets the air out of this largely joyless affair. Tjahjanto, making his Hollywood debut here after films like ‘May the Devil Take You,’ can speed up or slow down the action all he wants, but he doesn’t really do anything creative or exciting with it. It’s just Odenkirk (or his fight double) pummeling generic bad guys over and over again in increasingly silly and frenetic ways. The characterizations are skin-deep, and even the big bad, Sharon Stone’s Lendina, feels like she’s barely in the movie (which runs about 82 minutes before credits).

    The film also utilizes the now customary gag of playing some upbeat pop standard underneath each scene of bone-crunching violence or destruction — as ironic counterpoint, we suppose — but it’s been done to death and isn’t amusing anymore. Then of course, there’s the montage where Hutch and friends prepare death traps in the amusement park in what seems like a full afternoon’s work, while Lendina and her army drive there at approximately two miles an hour. Meanwhile, the seeds of interesting ideas – mainly centering around Hutch’s influence on his kids and his relationship with Becca – are given lip service and then tossed aside without even bothering at a resolution.

    Cast and Performances

    Sharon Stone as Lendina in 'Nobody 2', directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Sharon Stone as Lendina in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    We’ll give credit where credit is due: Bob Odenkirk works hard to bring Hutch and the picture to life, and he commits to both the bit and the action in a way that at least seems honest. He’s the main reason one sticks with ‘Nobody 2,’ even if it sometimes feels like he’s alternating between two expressions – downtrodden and mad – the whole movie. As noted earlier, Connie Nielsen is kept a little busier this time around, but the simmering tension between Becca and Hutch never pays off.

    As for the rest of the cast, the work is mostly phoned in. Ortiz and Hanks handle their paper-thin bad guys as best they can, while Christopher Lloyd and RZA look happy to be getting paid just to show up and stand around (the latter especially is barely in the film). As for Sharon Stone, she vamps and screeches and gyrates and generally chews up all the scenery she can find, but the character is so underwritten than even Stone going full psycho can’t make her particularly interesting.

    Final Thoughts

    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in 'Nobody 2', directed by Timo Tjahjanto. © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    If Timo Tjahjanto set out to bring any of the flavor of his work in Indonesia to a Hollywood action/comedy film, it doesn’t make an impression here. Aside from Odenkirk and Nielsen and a few sparsely funny moments sprinkled throughout, ‘Nobody 2’ is the definition of a sequel that no one in particular asked for.

    It doesn’t advance the character of Hutch the way that the first film did, and it doesn’t fully embrace either its campiness or the potential grittiness of the action. It feels as insubstantial as a cartoon or video game, is as unrealistic as either of those, and doesn’t have anything that’s particularly interesting to say. Like its rudimentary story, the joke in ‘Nobody 2’ wears out fast.

    What is the plot of ‘Nobody 2’?

    Four years after he took on the Russian mob, husband, father and workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is working off his debt to them with an unending string of hits on international thugs. But when Hutch and his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) decide to take their kids on a short vacation, a minor encounter with town bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of an unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss (Sharon Stone).

    Who is in the cast of ‘Nobody 2’?

    • Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell
    • Connie Nielsen as Becca Mansell
    • John Ortiz as Wyatt Martin
    • RZA as Harry Mansell
    • Colin Hanks as Sheriff Abel
    • Christopher Lloyd as David Mansell
    • Sharon Stone as Lendina
    • Colin Salmon as The Barber
    • Gage Munroe as Brady Mansell
    • Paisley Cadorath as Sammy Mansell
    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in 'Nobody 2', directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Nobody 2′:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Nobody 2’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Bob Odenkirk Movies on Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘Orion and the Dark’

    Jacob Tremblay as Orion in 'Orion and the Dark.'
    Jacob Tremblay as Orion in ‘Orion and the Dark.’ Photo: DreamWorks Animation © 2023.

    Premiering on Netflix February 2nd, ‘Orion and the Dark’ has mostly flown under the radar. The streaming service put out one trailer, and the concern was that it had ordered something it didn’t like –– in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation, no less –– and was simply dumping it on its servers in the netherworld that is early February.

    It’s a pleasant surprise, then, to learn that the movie is actually delightful, smart, ambitious and much deeper than some other animated offerings premiering on streaming services around the same time.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Nimona’ 

    Is ‘Orion and the Dark’ Illuminating?

    Jacob Tremblay as Orion in 'Orion and the Dark.'
    Jacob Tremblay as Orion in ‘Orion and the Dark.’ Photo: DreamWorks Animation © 2023.

    Netflix is really finding a nice line in creative animation, and this new movie certainly fits into that category. ‘Orion and the Dark’ has a lot to offer, with an unexpected story that will entertain and inform in equal measure.

    With a compelling voice cast and some beautifully realized animated visuals, this breaks out from the pack to be one we’re happy to recommend. After all, did you really expect an animated kids’ film from Charlie Kaufman? We’re not sure we had that on our 2024 movie release bingo card.

    This is one you really wish Netflix had tried to release theatrically, as it would certainly benefit from a healthily big screen. But it still works well on smaller venues, as its power is as much in its imagination as it is the look of the movie.

    ‘Orion and the Dark’: Script and Direction

    Angela Bassett as Dreams in 'Orion and the Dark.'
    Angela Bassett as Dreams in ‘Orion and the Dark.’ Photo: DreamWorks Animation © 2023.

    Given that the movie’s script is adapted from a 2015 children’s picture book created by writer and illustrator Emma Yarlett, ‘Orion and the Dark’ has become a satisfying, charming film with unexpected layers.

    Or perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised since Charlie Kaufman was hired to write it. While it may not go to the weirdness of some of his other efforts (after all, no one needs a stop-motion sex scene in a kids’ movie). But the man who has created such unique efforts as ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and ‘Adaptation’ here (alongside Lloyd Taylor) brings some of his incisive wit to the story of a young man who is confronted with his fears.

    Orion feels like an ideal Kaufman character; a nerdy, nervy type who has to go on a journey. But there’s more to it than that –– a narrative wrinkle sees the film as a story narrated by an older Orion to help his daughter handle her own nervousness, which allows for it to serve as a sort of meta commentary on the tale itself and storytelling in general.

    And all the characters have solid purpose beyond being window dressing –– they all have their own small story fragments and emotional grounding.

    The animated side of things, led by Sean Charmatz (who has worked as a story artist on films on the ‘Trolls’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ franchises before stepping up to direct a ‘Trolls’ direct-to-video spin-off) is a thing of beauty. It might not compete with the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies, but the look of the film’s characters is smooth and quirky, at times looking like it comes straight from a child’s sketch book (which feels fitting given the source material). There are also shots of real textured beauty, such as Dark seen from above spreading a near-watercolor curtain of night across the world.

    ‘Orion and the Dark’: Performances

    Nat Faxon as Insomnia, Aparna Nancherla as Quiet, Angela Bassett as Dreams, Natasia Demetriou as Sleep and Golda Rosheuvel as Unexplained Noises in 'Orion and the Dark.'
    (L to R) Nat Faxon as Insomnia, Aparna Nancherla as Quiet, Angela Bassett as Dreams, Natasia Demetriou as Sleep and Golda Rosheuvel as Unexplained Noises in ‘Orion and the Dark.’ Photo: DreamWorks Animation © 2023.

    Paul Walter Hauser has been doing sterling work in a variety of roles both comedic and dramatic, and here he proves to be a warm, gifted voice-over performer. His Dark is a great creation –– funny yet riddled with his own neuroses and burdened with some serious light envy directed towards his opposite number (a committed, if small role for Ike Barinholtz).

    Jacob Tremblay does good work as Orion, and pairs well with Colin Hanks as his adult self, who unpacks his experience (but we won’t spoil how he fully ties in).

    Elsewhere, the rest the night creatures are fun and funny when they’re onscreen and show an inventive peek into nighttime concerns such as unexplained noises and insomnia.

    ‘Orion and the Dark’: Final Thoughts

    Jacob Tremblay as Orion in 'Orion and the Dark.'
    Jacob Tremblay as Orion in ‘Orion and the Dark.’ Photo: DreamWorks Animation © 2023.

    Feeling more like a creative Pixar effort than a pumped-out franchise entry, ‘Orion and the Dark’ certainly offers more thoughtful entertainment than the 545th example of kid-discovers-the-true-power-to-defeat-the-villain-just-needed-help-from-a-magical-mentor that is the seemingly lazy default mode of so many animated movies, no matter how much dressing they put on that particular frame.

    It’s not quite at the level of, say, last year’s ‘Nimona’ (now nominated for an Oscar), but ‘Orion and the Dark’ is certainly worth your and your family’s time.

    ‘Orion and the Dark’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the Plot of ‘Orion and the Dark’?

    Orion (Jacob Tremblay) seems a lot like your average elementary school kid –– shy, unassuming, harboring a secret crush. But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, completely consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, even falling off a cliff. But of all his fears, the thing he’s the most afraid of is what he confronts on a nightly basis: the dark.

    So when the literal embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) whisks Orion away on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. As the unlikely pair grow closer, Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown –– to stop letting fear control his life and finally embrace the joy of living.

    Who Stars in ‘Orion and the Dark’?

    Golda Rosheuvel as Unexplained Noises in 'Orion and the Dark.'
    Golda Rosheuvel as Unexplained Noises in ‘Orion and the Dark.’ Photo: DreamWorks Animation © 2023.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Orion and the Dark’:

    Buy Jacob Tremblay Movies on Amazon

  • Giovanni Ribisi Talks ‘The Offer’

    Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo of the Paramount+ original series 'The Offer.'
    Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+ ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    Airing its finale on Paramount+ June 16th is the 10-part miniseries about the making of ‘The Godfather’ entitled ‘The Offer.’ The series chronicles producer Albert S. Ruddy’s journey to turn author Mario Puzo’s famous novel into a movie.

    The series stars Miles Teller as Ruddy, Juno Temple as Ruddy’s assistant Bettye McCartt, Matthew Goode as head of Paramount Pictures Robert Evans, Burn Gorman as Gulf and Western Industries’ Charles Bluhdorn, Colin Hanks as Bluhdorn’s right-hand man Barry Lapidus, Dan Fogler as filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, and Giovanni Ribisi as mob boss Joe Colombo.

    Actor Giovanni Ribisi began his career at a very young age appearing in such successful 90’s sitcoms as ‘My Two Dads’ and ‘The Wonder Years,’ before making the jump to the big screen with Tom Hanks’ directorial debut, ‘That Thing You Do!”

    Since then he has appeared in several popular movies including ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ ‘Lost in Translation,’ Public Enemies,’ ‘Ted,’ ‘Gangster Squad,’ and ‘Selma,’ as well as starring in Prime Video’s ‘Sneaky Pete’ in 2017.

    But the actor is probably best known for playing Parker Selfridge in James Cameron’s ‘Avatar,’ and will reprise his role later this year in the long-awaited sequel, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Giovanni Ribisi about playing Joe Colombo in ‘The Offer.’

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    You can read our full interview with Giovanni Ribisi below or click on the video player above to watch out interviews with Ribisi and Dan Fogler about ‘The Offer.’

    Moviefone: To begin with, were you aware of all the legendary behind-the-scenes stories of the making of ‘The Godfather’ before you started making this miniseries?

    Giovanni Ribisi: There were so many things that were so intriguing about the story and the making of, but I’d also categorized ’The Godfather’ as it came out of the 70’s as sort of the wild and crazy days of filmmaking. So, for that reason, it wasn’t all together shocking, but just still amazing to me. What Al Ruddy did to achieve what he did.

    MF: Can you talk about your approach to playing Joe Colombo and the differences between the character depicted in the series and the real-life mob boss?

    GR: For any biopic or even documentary for that matter, there’s always an interpretive factor and a lens that you’re looking through to create the whole story. I think for me, I had read a book that was written by Don Capria, and actually Joe Colombo’s son, Anthony Colombo, which was better than some sort of sensationalized mobster biography. It was something that was from having grown up with this man, looking up to him as a father and it really humanized him for me.

    But there was also definitely for the story, a comedic aspect to the nature of everything. Also, just how ridiculous it got, especially by today’s standards of again, what protagonist Al Ruddy was going through and the hurdles he had to overcome in order to achieve what he did. So, for me, I think at a certain point in reading the scripts, I just decided to have fun with it. I wanted to look at it from, I wouldn’t say comedic, but just try to find the humor just to balance the severity, I guess.

    MF: In your opinion, why did Joe Colombo hate Mario Puzo’s novel ‘The Godfather’ so much, and how did producer Albert S. Ruddy convince him to let them make the movie?

    GR: That’s a great question. This is just my theory, because I don’t know for sure. But what it seemed like Joe Colombo was doing, and I think the common ground that he found with Al Ruddy was that he was trying to bring in and usher in the new guard of what his life was. I think that the book, and the way things were depicted, and Frank Sinatra‘s take on it were just not conducive to him trying to reidentify, restructure his life and the business that he was in.

    I think that you can make the argument that there’s movies before ’The Godfather’ and after ‘The Godfather,’ not just because of the nature of filmmaking. I mean, largely of course because of that, but also because the way they went about things. Mike Nichols was the maverick of Hollywood and he was trying to rescue this thing from corporate America and bring the creative nature of films, and the possibilities of that to the films that he was making.

    I think that from just that notion of thinking outside of the box, Al Ruddy and all that, I think that’s where they connected. Al really changed Joe’s mind. I mean, he was adamantly against it. He was trying to deny the ideas of the mafia or La Cosa Nostra. Joe Colombo was trying to do that.

    Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo of the Paramount+ original series 'The Offer.'
    (L to R) Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+ ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: What was it like working with actor Miles Teller on Colombo and Al Ruddy’s friendship?

    GR: I just can’t say enough positive things about my experience with Miles and just what a class act he is. He reminds me of an old school movie star. He’s just got taste, and he’s really smart, and he challenges the material in all the best ways. So, it was easy to find for me personally, to find that connection and that bond with him and to have that hopefully translate through the characters.

    MF: ‘The Offer’ reveals that Luca Brasi actor Lenny Montana was actually a member of Joe Colombo’s crew. Were you aware of that before making the series?

    GR: Oh, I had no idea. Then when you look him up, it’s incredible because he was a 1950s wrestler, in the sort of the lower brow version. He was just such a character and that’s also part of, I think Coppola’s genius and Al Ruddy just looking at somebody like that, hiring them and making them perform the way they did. Because that’s one of the most, for me, one of the most memorable scenes of the movie and something that I flash on whenever anybody brings up ‘The Godfather.’

    MF: In the series, Lenny Montana is played by ‘The Incredible Hulk’ actor Lou Ferrigno, which was perfect casting. What was your experience like working with Ferrigno?

    GR: I mean, he was the guy that for everybody on set, when he came on set, we were all star-struck because he’s such a huge, almost pivotal masculine figure in our Freudian minds of the formative years. ‘The Incredible Hulk’ and watching that show, anybody who’s as old as I am now, remembers that.

    Lou Ferrigno as Lenny Montana of the Paramount+ original series 'The Offer.'
    Lou Ferrigno as Lenny Montana of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+ ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, you worked with director Sofia Coppola on ‘The Virgin Suicides’ and ‘Lost in Translation.’ How do you think this series honor’s her father, her family, and their cinematic legacy?

    GR: I really hope it honors their cinematic legacy. That was definitely minimally an intention from all of us and just by virtue of the fact that it is about what they did and what it takes to make a movie. Not just to go through that, because a lot of people go through experiences or extreme experiences like that and they don’t make ‘The Godfather.’

    But this was something that is just, again, just such a seminal important piece of work for what we all do. I think movies would be completely different had ‘The Godfather’ not been made. Yeah, it’s definitely a tribute to them.

    Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo
    Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo in the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+ ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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    You can watch an exclusive scene from the finale of Paramount+’s ‘The Offer,’ featuring the premiere of ‘The Godfather,’ by clicking on the video player above.

  • Dan Fogler Talks ‘The Offer’

    Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series 'The Offer.'
    Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    Currently airing on Paramount+ is the new miniseries about the making of ‘The Godfather’ entitled ‘The Offer.’ The series chronicles producer Albert S. Ruddy’s journey to turn author Mario Puzo’s famous novel into a movie.

    The series stars Miles Teller as Ruddy, Juno Temple as Ruddy’s assistant Bettye McCartt, Matthew Goode as head of Paramount Pictures Robert Evans, Burn Gorman as Gulf and Western Industries’ Charles Bluhdorn, Colin Hanks as Bluhdorn’s right-hand man Barry Lapidus, Giovanni Ribisi as mob boss Joe Colombo, and Dan Fogler as filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.

    Actor Dan Fogler began his career making popular comedies and animated films like ‘Balls of Fury,’ ‘Fanboys,’ ‘Take Me Home Tonight,’ ‘Horton Hears a Who!,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda,’ ‘Mars Needs Moms,’ and ‘Free Birds.’

    But he is probably best known for playing Jacob Kowalski in the ‘Harry Potter’ spinoffs ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,’ ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dan Fogler about playing Francis Ford Coppola in ‘The Offer.’

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    You can read our full interview with Dan Fogler below or click on the video player above to watch out interviews with Fogler, and Giovanni Ribisi about ‘The Offer.’

    Moviefone: To begin with, were you aware of all the legendary behind-the-scenes stories of the making of ‘The Godfather’ before you started making this miniseries?

    Dan Fogler: Yes, we just had one recently on the series that was a legend that came out, which was the famous dinner scene. I remember talking about that in college when I went to acting school because it was such a great tool. Coppola talks about getting all the actors together for dinner, sharing central activities, drinking together, and partying together because that builds the relationships and it makes excellent chemistry.

    So, there was this famous dinner that we recreated in the show, where they brought in the cast. It was the day before shooting and Coppola rented out this room in this restaurant and they brought Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Al Pacino. Everyone was there, even Diane Keaton. Everyone started vying for Brando’s attention and everyone kind of sat where you’d think that they would sit as a family hierarchy.

    Then all the things that happened in that scene played out, where there’s an insult and Caan gets upset, and it gets heated. Then Brando says, “Did this man hurt you?” to Talia Shire. Suddenly, it was in that moment that Coppola saw, “Oh my God, this is going to work. Everyone’s falling into place perfectly, the chemistry’s working and they’re already in character.” So, it was one of those magical theatrical moments. So yeah, those are legends. Coming up as a young actor, you hear about all these things and then suddenly you’re on set and you’re recreating them and it’s very surreal.

    MF: What was your approach to playing Francis Ford Coppola?

    DF: So, I’ve been kind of studying Coppola for a while. I saw ‘The Godfather’ when I was in high school as a young actor, and then used that as a mothership of the whole ensemble, just like reverse engineering. I was seeing everything from Coppola, including ‘The Godfather,’ then I went to ‘Apocalypse Now,’ and ‘Hearts of Darkness.’

    Just seeing Coppola, the ringmaster at the center of that circus and the kind of person that it takes. The fortitude that it takes to create something like that, the passion, and the energy. So, I was very familiar with him. I understood as a young actor, he was 30 when he did ‘The Godfather.’ There was a real “Orson Welles syndrome” going on with him, where he’s the smartest guy in the room, but he still is got to prove himself.

    He won an Academy Award for writing ‘Patton,’ which is just military poetry, but he still had to prove himself as a director. They don’t make a lot of people like that anymore. These real artists, he’s like a real visionary. What I understood about seeing him at the center of that, that he has to put himself in the middle of chaos in order to create his best work. He has to be in the middle of a pressure cooker in order to create, to be at his best.

    I understood as a young actor, really trying to prove yourself, being put in a situation where you’re pigeonholed and who would ever cast me is Coppola? I would think John Belushi first, and I would think all of these different people first. I knew I would have to prove myself in order to be the room to audition for Coppola.

    But there was something that happened after the audition where I saw myself and I kind of saw what they were hoping to see, like the potential there, which is that I look like him. I look like I could be related to him if I put the glasses on. I got a beard, I put my hair to side, and I really do look like him. So, there was a confidence there where I thought, I got a shot here. So, Coppola has been in my life a long time.

    Matthew Goode as Robert Evans in 'The Offer,' streaming on Paramount+, 2022. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+
    Matthew Goode as Robert Evans in ‘The Offer,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2022. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+

    MF: At this year’s Oscar ceremony, Coppola for the first time ever publicly recognized Robert Evans contributions to ‘The Godfather.’ Can you talk about their relationship in the series and what it was like for you to work with Matthew Goode?

    DF: If Matthew is not nominated (for an Emmy), then there’s something wrong with the world. I had a front row seat. There’s something that happened to me playing Coppola, which was, I’m playing a director. I had such a love of the ensemble of all their performances. I was just sitting there impressed. I just couldn’t help but root them on and be a coach for them. Anytime someone was like, “I feel nervous or whatever.” I was like, no. You are amazing. I was there for them for the support. Especially Matthew, because he’s a Brit. What he’s doing is he’s just sinking into that, disappearing into that, and becoming Bob Evans. I think that he’s amazing.

    On the show, I’m playing a great admiration for the Evans because he’s giving us a chance here. He’s just a huge coach for everybody, but in a real life, that contention really spiraled out of control. There’re so many egos and there’s telegrams that I found, between Evans and Coppola when they were starting to do ‘The Godfather Part II.’ They’re just scathing, and a lot of feelings were hurt.

    Here’s the thing. Coppola had this vision and he saw only one person as the Don, and he wanted Brando. He thought that was a long shot. Then when he got Brando, it was just like, “Okay, well then I want Pacino, that’s my only choice.” So, he became like, “It’s my vision, let me see my vision to the end. There’s something here.”

    He butts heads with Evans at every point on the road. So, I guess they did butt heads a bit about that. That’s in the show, and those scenes are a lot of fun, but I think my favorite stuff to play is when they’re working together, getting along, and Evans walks in and is just like a knight in shining armor. He just saves the day. There’re a couple moments like that. Those are my favorite moments, the celebratory moments where we’re all winning, and the musketeers are working together.

    MF: Finally, have you ever had a chance to meet Francis Ford Coppola?

    DF: No, but I’ve met people in his family. I worked with Robert Schwartzman. I did ‘The Argument,’ with him. He’s his nephew. I’ve met and spoken to, in my research, people that want to be off the record, who are very close to him. I got to speak to James Caan, which is as close to him but not in the family as you can get. I hope one day to talk to him and I hope that he sees it. That would be the ultimate badge of honor to get his stamp of approval.

    Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola
    Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+ ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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    You can watch an exclusive scene from the finale of Paramount+’s ‘The Offer,’ featuring the premiere of ‘The Godfather,’ by clicking on the video player above.

  • TV Review: ‘The Offer’

    Pictured: Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series THE OFFER. Photo Cr: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+ ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    Premiering April 28th on Paramount+ is the new 10-part mini-series ‘The Offer,’ which chronicles the making of ‘The Godfather.’

    The series stars Miles Teller as ‘Godfather’ producer Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Paramount executive Robert Evans, Giovanni Ribisi as mobster Joe Colombo, and Dan Fogler as director Francis Ford Coppola.

    The result is a really fun retelling of how ‘The Godfather’ was made, even if most of the facts have been replaced with legend, and serves an entertaining send-up of Hollywood filmmaking with an absolutely brilliant performance by Matthew Goode as the iconic Robert Evans.

    The series begins by introducing us to Albert S. Ruddy (Teller), a computer programmer-turned TV writer who wants to produce feature films. He soon meets the head of Paramount studios, Robert Evans (Goode), who desperately needs a hit, and assigns Ruddy to produce Mario Puzo’s (Patrick Gallo) best-selling novel, “The Godfather.”

    Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series 'The Offer.'
    Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    Evan’s righthand-man, Peter Bart (Josh Zukerman) recommends writer Francis Ford Coppola (Fogler) to direct the film and co-write with Puzo. But production of the movie is put in jeopardy when mob boss Joe Colombo (Ribisi) decides to stop the production because he feels the book is negative towards Italian-Americans. Along with his assistant Bettye McCartt (Juno Temple), Ruddy begins a friendship with Colombo that allows the movie to get made.

    Meanwhile, Evans battles Paramount owners Charles Bluhdorn (Burn Gorman) and Barry Lapidus (Colin Hanks) to get the movie made and keep his job. As the film goes into production, Ruddy must deal with Colombo and the mob, fighting Bluhdorn and Evans to get actors Al Pacino (Anthony Ippolito) and Marlon Brando (Justin Chambers) cast, and fulfilling Coppola’s vision to make the greatest movie of all-time!

    The pilot episode is directed by Dexter Fletcher, who is also a producer on the series and has a flair for telling “based on a true story” movies like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ which he unofficially directed, and ‘Rocketman.’ But the biggest problem with the series, much like HBO’s ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,’ is that it offers legend as fact and mixes the two together, ultimately leaving the audience lost as to what is real and what is a dramatization.

    Also blending myth and facts, actor Gianni Russo, who played Carlo in ‘The Godfather,’ has been very vocal over the years about his version of the making of the film, which again, may or may not have been true, and saw him taking on the role of mediator between the studio and the mafia.

    The series contradicts that story, having Ruddy as the mediator, and also depicts Russo as physically abusive and a sexual predator on the set. Again, that may or may not be true, but if it is, the series does finally explain why actor James Caan really beat Russo up in their famous fight scene.

    Another aspect of the series that may or may not ultimately work, is the way they orchestrated moments from ‘The Godfather’ to happen behind the scenes, as if to say that those “real life” moments inspired the film. This works once in a while, but the series doubles down and does it constantly. For example, on the set of the movie in the Don’s office, Ruddy sits behind the desk answering questions from the crew as if he was the Don. While fun at times, this technique eventually runs out of steam.

    Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo
    Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

    The sub-plot between Ruddy and the mob is at times more entertaining than the story of making the movie, but I have to call into question if any of that actually happened. According to the mini-series, Ruddy and Colombo become very close, and Ruddy is even in attendance when Colombo was assassinated, which may or may not be true.

    The series also implies that Lenny Montana (wonderfully played by Lou Ferrigno), the actor who portrayed Luca Brasi, actually worked for Colombo and may have been implicated in the murder of “Crazy” Joe Gallo. With so many true stories told in the series, it becomes confusing when the show takes “creative license.”

    Miles Teller gives a strong performance as Albert S. Ruddy and is really the audience’s eyes throughout the series. Juno Temple is also quite strong as his assistant Bettye and transcends her limited role. Some of the supporting roles of famous actors are a bit hard to swallow, including Anthony Ippolito’s caricature-type performance as Al Pacino. But, Justin Chambers perfectly captures both Marlon Brando’s oddness and genius.

    Giovanni Ribisi is surprisingly great as Joe Colombo and brings a lot of humanity to an otherwise unredeemable character. Burn Gorman also gives a spot-on performance as Gulf + Western owner Charles Bluhdorn, which is both funny and at times menacing.

    Matthew Goode as Robert Evans in 'The Offer,' streaming on Paramount+, 2022. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+
    Matthew Goode as Robert Evans in ‘The Offer,’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+.

    But for me, its Matthew Goode’s performance as legendary producer Robert Evans that really makes this series worth watching. For those that don’t know, Evans is one of the most iconic Hollywood producers of all-time, overseeing not just ‘The Godfather,’ but also hits like ‘Love Story,’ and ‘Chinatown.’ Evans had a very specific way of talking and moving, and Goode nails each aspect of his personality perfectly.

    While a supporting character, Evans is as much the star of ‘The Offer’ as Ruddy, and the series tracks his rise, fall, and rise again at Paramount and hints at his drug addiction and failed marriage to Ali MacGraw.

    In the end, fans of classic Hollywood filmmaking and specifically ‘The Godfather’ will enjoy this series, whether some of the facts are in question or not. But I do think that anyone with a passing knowledge of ‘The Godfather’ and the legendary stories from behind the scenes will have a more enjoyable viewing than those that do not know the movie’s history.

    ‘The Offer’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.

    'The Offer' premieres April 28th on Paramount+
    ‘The Offer’ premieres April 28th on Paramount+
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    You can watch an exclusive scene from the finale of Paramount+’s ‘The Offer,’ featuring the premiere of ‘The Godfather,’ by clicking on the video player above.