2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ succeeded thanks to the sheer star power of its cast and a sharp script from Aline Brosh McKenna that spotlighted workplace comedy in the rarified air of a luxury fashion magazine. So what does that world look like these days? As you might expect, struggling legacy media, the rise of AI and our main characters reflecting on changed circumstances in their lives. But can it channel the charisma of the original?
With McKenna once again drawing (even more loosely this time from Lauren Weisberger’s original source novel), the screenplay has plenty of Miranda Priestly Zingers and some –– pun entirely intended –– blunt putdowns. And while the story feels rushed in places, it at least has something on its mind beyond the fashion world.
David Frankel, meanwhile, does a workmanlike job on keeping things (mostly) light and fun, and the new movie feels of a piece with the original.
Though Hathaway’s Andy can still come across a little bland, the actor’s innate charm helps keep her watchable. But we all know we’re here for Streep, Tucci and Blunt, and they certainly deliver.
Around the main foursome, the supporting cast is solid –– Rachel Bloom steals scenes as Andy’s book publisher pal, while Justin Theroux is good value as billionaire, Benji Barnes, Emily’s current beau.
Though it occasionally falls into the trap of rehashing old storylines (perhaps that’s a nod to the cycling of fashion trends) and rarely rises above the level of serviceable sequel, this second visit with Miranda, Andy and the rest still offers plenty for fans who have wanted to see these characters back on screens.
Twenty years on, Miranda (Meryl Streep), Andy (Anne Hathaway), Emily (Emily Blunt) and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine.
Cameron Diaz is starring in a sequel to 1989’s ‘Troop Beverly Hills’.
Clea DuVall is directing from her own script.
Sony’s TriStar Pictures is backing the new movie.
Keeping her return to movies rolling, Cameron Diaz has been lining up a variety of projects. And she’s adding another to the list, as Deadline reports that she’s teaming up with actor/writer/director Clea DuVall for a sequel to 1989 comedy ‘Troop Beverly Hills’.
DuVall has written a script for the new movie, and will call the shots for Sony’s TriStar arm.
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We’re not sure we had either a sequel to the movie –– which celebrated its 30th anniversary back in 2019 –– or Diaz’ involvement on our bingo card, but it could certainly be fun.
(Left) Shelley Long stars in 1989’s ‘Troop Beverly Hills’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
The movie follows Beverly Hills socialite Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long) who is undergoing a contentious divorce and seeks to prove her worth to her estranged husband. She becomes a den mother to a troop of Beverly Hills Girl Scouts that her young daughter belongs to. Her unorthodox ways run her afoul of a rival troop leader (Betty Thomas), but Phyllis and the girls persevere at the regional Jamboree.
We don’t yet know how the new movie will continue the story –– perhaps one of the kids is now grown up and has her own adventure?
Diaz is in the cast for new Apple TV movie ‘Outcome’, directed by Jonah Hill. And she’s reprising her role as Princess Fiona in ‘Shrek 5’, out on next year.
Ryan Gosling will star for directing team Daniels’ latest.
The untitled sci-fi comedy will follow their Oscar-winning ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’.
Universal is backing the film.
UPDATE! Not so fast, we’re afraid. Variety reports that while Gosling was certainly in the midst of deal talks for the movie, that old problem of scheduling issues has reared its head, and he’s no longer involved. Boo!
Gosling will lead the ensemble cast for the mysterious new movie from the unique directors and producer Jonathan Wang, with Universal locking the filmmakers into a deal even before ‘Everything Everywhere’ secured its awards glory.
(L to R) Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert on the set of A24’s ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’ Photo Credit: Courtesy of A24.
As with their previous film, Kwan and Scheinert are keeping their cards close to their chest. But the former did tell Collider that it’ll be: “fun sci-fi, action comedy with a big heart. Very existential. All those things that you would hope that one of our movies would be. One of the reasons why it’s taking so long is because what we’re feeling and what we’re hearing from the world is very complex and really nuanced, and there’s so much paradox. To kind of reconcile all those things and put them into one movie, it takes time.”
So… yes… We’ll have to wait and see what their inventive brains have spawned this time.
When will the Daniels’ new movie be in theaters?
Fortunately, we won’t have to wait forever: Universal has scheduled the movie for release on November 19, 2027.
Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell will star in ‘The Cackling of the Dodos’.
Netflix is backing the movie.
Following his star turn in thriller series ‘Black Rabbit’ (not to mention his long established relationship with the streamer via ‘Ozark’, Netflix is staying in the Jason Bateman business.
The actor has locked in his next directorial effort with the company, signing on to make ‘The Cackling of the Dodos’.
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And the odd-sounding screwball crime comedy drama (more on the story below) will see Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell in the lead roles.
To be based on an original script by ‘Kingdomtide novelist Rye Curtis, ‘The Cackling of the Dodos’ follows George, small-town farmer who has a truly terrible day when he discovers a corpse chilling out in a grain bin and he is unwittingly forced into a chaotic, sloppy cover-up by his boss, Denny.
We’d assume Rockwell will be George, while Harrelson will take on Denny.
What else is Jason Bateman involved with?
Currently on screen in HBO series ‘DTF St. Louis’, Bateman is also attached to direct John Grisham adaptation ‘The Partner’ and is involved as filmmaker/producer to a variety of other projects, including a new take on ‘Clue’.
Jason Bateman attends Netflix’s ‘Black Rabbit’ NY Premiere and After Party at SVA Theater on September 16, 2025 in New York City. Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Netflix.
Selected Movies and TV Shows Featuring Jason Bateman:
Imagine ‘Cast Away,’ only with a more sympathetic Annie Wilkes from ‘Misery’ as the lead. Now mix that up with a whole lot of ‘Triangle of Sadness’ and, of course, the TV show ‘Survivor,’ and you might come up with Sam Raimi’s new thriller, ‘Send Help.’
Billed as Raimi’s first horror film since 2009’s ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ ‘Send Help’ is more a darkly comic survival thriller in which the two leads deal with their workplace issues while trying to withstand monsoons, wild boar, poison berries, and each other. Their antics are enormously entertaining, and Rachel McAdams in particular throws herself into her role with as much physical gusto and emotional complexity as possible. It might not be an all-out horror movie, but it might just be Raimi’s best all-around feature in a long while.
Linda Liddle works in the strategy and planning department of a consulting firm, where she’s a genius at crunching numbers yet awkward in all kinds of social interactions. Still, she’s due for a promotion – until the president of the company passes away and his arrogant, misogynist, nepo-baby son Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) takes over, giving the job to his frat brother instead.
Nevertheless, Linda, a ‘Survivor’ fan who lives in a small apartment with her pet parrot and a whole bunch of foreshadowing – sorry, we mean books on survival and nature – is invited by Bradley with the rest of the execs to a conference in Bangkok to help close a deal. But the private jet crashes in a vicious storm, leaving Linda and Bradley as the only survivors on an uninhabited island somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand.
With Bradley injured, Linda sets about making it possible for them to stay alive – which is where all her books and ‘Survivor’ knowledge comes into play. Although Bradley begins to recover and assert himself, it soon becomes clear that the tables have turned – Linda is the boss now, with Bradley reliant on her to keep them alive and a reborn Linda thriving in a situation that she’s suddenly not too eager to leave.
‘Send Help’ pulls liberally from the films mentioned above, with the reversal of fortune and power right out of ‘Triangle’ director Ruben Östlund’s playbook and the character dynamics coming from both that and ‘Misery.’ As opposed to that Stephen King–Rob Reiner thriller, however, this film keeps the viewer off-balance for most of the way about Linda’s true mental state even when it veers into darker territory. Speaking of which, the final third of the movie does labor a bit to stay on top of its narrative and character turns, also playing a couple of tricks one too many times, but comes back around with a thoroughly satisfying payoff (including a chilling last line).
As he’s done his whole career, Sam Raimi makes ‘Send Help’ a clever combo of morality play, black comedy, and cartoonish gorefest. The director doles out the blood and the wild camera moves with a lot more restraint than he used to (save for one battle with a wild boar), but they’re just as effective as always, and he even manages to squeeze in one outright ‘The Evil Dead’-type jump scare. This is the director at his most energetic and playful, aided enormously by his two leads.
Rachel McAdams seems like a perennially underrated actress, possibly because she doesn’t work as constantly as other stars, yet her talents are on full display here as Linda Liddle. McAdams positively owns the role, making Linda’s transformation from cast-off office worker to survivalist warrior believable and layered through both her physical commitment and psychological dexterity (even the ill-fitting clothing that she starts off wearing), with Linda remaining sympathetic throughout even as she takes a darker turn toward the end.
Dylan O’Brien may be equally underrated, and while Bradley is perhaps not as layered a character as Linda, he still manages to give this largely despicable and toxic male just enough shading to make him more than a one-dimensional villain (credit too to screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift for getting some more depth for both onto the page).
And yes, although we missed him ourselves, we’re reliably informed that Bruce Campbell does show up – but you might have to look a little harder to spot him.
For most of its length, Sam Raimi finds the right balance of thrills, humor, violence, and character development in ‘Send Help,’ and both McAdams and O’Brien are game for whatever he and the script hurls at them.
The movie wears its themes on its sleeve, but doesn’t come across as heavy-handed. While not the most original work in Sam Raimi’s filmography, this may be his best film since 2004’s ‘Spider-Man 2,’ and certainly his most rewarding. ‘Send Help’ doesn’t need any assistance whatsoever to be the kind of entertaining yet rich thrill ride that Sam Raimi can deliver.
The only survivors of a plane crash, two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, where they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive. But it ultimately becomes a battle of wills and wits to see who makes it out alive.
Lee Byung-hun stars in ‘No Other Choice’. Photo: CJ Entertainment.
The films of director Park Chan-wook effortlessly mix and match genres like crime thriller, psychological drama, horror, and satire without breaking a sweat, and usually leaving you stunned by the audacious manner in which they do so. With ‘No Other Choice,’ Park has created an acidic workplace comedy that’s also a dark psychological study, as well as a ruthless condemnation of late-stage global capitalism.
And – no surprise at all – it all works perfectly. While perhaps a tad too long, ‘No Other Choice’ is both entertaining and enraging, incredibly relevant and wickedly absurd – and a sad, prescient look at the way that life is becoming ever so harder to live and the way it drives some of us to desperate behavior.
Story and Direction
(Right) Son Ye-jin stars in ‘No Other Choice’. Photo: CJ Entertainment.
Based on the novel ‘The Ax’ by Donald Westlake, ‘No Other Choice’ follows Yoo Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), a manager at a paper manufacturing company who is brutally downsized after 25 years – along with much of his crew – by the American corporation that takes over the plant. Man-su tells his wife Lee Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin) and their children – his stepson Si-one and their neurodivergent daughter Ri-one – that he will quickly find another job within three months.
But more than a year passes and the family is forced to tighten their belts, even sending their dogs to live with her parents and putting their beloved house – Man-su’s childhood home — up for sale, with their arrogant neighbor interested in buying it. Mi-ri herself also takes a job as assistant to a handsome dentist (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Man-su is soon convinced she’s sleeping with him, even as he himself develops a painful toothache that he refuses to do anything about.
As Man-su works at lousy retail gigs just to earn some money, he becomes obsessed with getting a position at the Moon Paper papermaking company that’s currently held by the awful, self-absorbed manager Seon-chul (Park Hee-soon). Determined to get Seon-chul’s job at all costs, Man-su hatches a plan to kill him, find out who else might be up for the position via a fake job listing, and kill them as well.
Director Park Chan-wook on the set of ‘No Other Choice’. Photo: CJ Entertainment.
The precision and complete control of tone with which Park tells this story is illustrated by two sequences in which someone is marked for death. The first veers steadily over the line into full absurdity – almost slapstick comedy – while the second is tragic, horrifying, and a bitter indication of how quickly Man-su is losing his soul, and how heartless the circumstances are that he even gets to that point. Even when the movie is funny – which is more frequently than you might think – it’s also suffused with the kind of existential sadness and fear that working people know all too well.
It’s this mix of black comedy and succinct, scathing social commentary that makes ‘No Other Choice’ such a bracing and original work – and it’s scary that it’s relevant right now even though it’s based on a novel written in 1997. We’ll mention again that it is a bit overlong, with some of its subplots struggling for the right amount of attention. But otherwise this is sharp work from Park Chan-wook, with an ending that is equal parts melancholy and unnerving, and it’s also beautifully shot from start to finish by cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Son Ye-jin and Lee Byung-hun star in ‘No Other Choice’. Photo: CJ Entertainment.
Lee Byung-hun is perhaps best known to audiences these days as the icy Front Man in ‘Squid Game,’ and his cool demeanor has graced a number of other action and crime films. ‘No Other Choice’ finds him playing a confident, successful middle-class manager, husband, and father who has the rug pulled out from under him, and Lee handles the slow unraveling of Man-su superbly. Equally excellent is Son Ye-jin as his wife, Mi-ri, who becomes the true pillar of strength in the family as her husband’s self-image takes a brutal beating.
Among the supporting players, Lee Sung-min as the dissolute Goo Beom-mo – a would-be rival to Man-su for the Moon Paper job – and Yeom Hye-ran as Beom-mo’s unhinged wife, A-ra, provide one of the film’s funniest moments, while Cha Seung-won is quietly poignant as Ko Si-jo, who waxes nostalgic over his paper factory days while working in a shoe store and expressing his need to spend more time with his daughter.
Final Thoughts
Lee Byung-hun stars in ‘No Other Choice’. Photo: CJ Entertainment.
With films like ‘Oldboy,’‘The Handmaiden,’ and ‘Decision to Leave,’ Park Chan-wook charts human foibles like vengeance, obsession, and greed, and somehow manages to make his flawed characters relatable and their situations humorous even as they grow more untenable and often grotesque.
That tradition carries on in ‘No Other Choice,’ with its increasingly desperate protagonist and equally distressed supporting characters, each of whom is subjected to some kind of direct or indirect humiliation as a result of the heartless corporate world they find themselves in. All the characters confront the title dilemma at one point or another, and director Park cuttingly reminds us that we might not be too far behind.
‘No Other Choice’ receives a score of 90 out of 100.
Lee Byung-hun stars in ‘No Other Choice’. Photo: CJ Entertainment.
What is the plot of ‘No Other Choice’?
After Yoo Man-su loses his job at a paper company when it’s purchased by an American company, he launches a desperate plan to kill the other men who are up for a similar job that he wants at another paper manufacturer, so that he can maintain his home, his income, and his family’s comfortable life.
No one will ever mistake the original ‘Anaconda’ for a good movie, and even the 1997 film itself doesn’t pretend to be one. With its random cast (Jennifer Lopez! Ice Cube! Jon Voight!), intentional silliness, and wacky premise, the movie leans into its own absurdity and ends up becoming one of those cult classics that fans adore for its ridiculousness (it was also a decent box office hit and spawned a raft of even worse sequels).
Fortunately, the filmmakers behind the new ‘Anaconda’ understand the assignment: the movie, directed by Tom Gormican (‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’), can only be described as a meta-reboot, in which the film both makes (loving) fun of its subject and becomes part of the pantheon itself. With comic sure things Paul Rudd and Jack Black leading the cast, the new ‘Anaconda’ is full of laughs for the first two-thirds of its running time – until it runs out of gas – and is actually even a sweet-natured homage to friendship and the love of making movies.
Ronald ‘Griff’ Griffen Jr. (Paul Rudd) is a struggling actor (his claim to fame is a few episodes of ‘S.W.A.T.’) who returns home from Hollywood to Buffalo, New York for the surprise birthday party of his friend Doug McCallister (Jack Black). Doug writes screenplays at night but shoots wedding videos by day (although his idea to turn one into a horror movie is shot down by the less-than-enthusiastic couple), and is worried about being stuck in the job forever – until Griff comes to the rescue.
At lunch with Doug and two of their other old friends – recent divorcee Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and Doug’s sometimes assistant, the dissolute Kenny (Steve Zahn) – Griff announces that he’s gotten hold of the rights to the original ‘Anaconda,’ their favorite movie as youths, and proposes that the four of them head to Brazil and ‘reboot the thing indie style.’ With the loving support of his wife (Ione Skye), Doug agrees to direct, while Griff and Claire will star and Kenny will co-produce (or something like that).
With a budget of $35,000 (their initial $2 million figure got shot down by a local bank), the foursome head to the Amazon, where they rent both a boat and an anaconda, along with his slightly obsessive owner and trainer (Selton Mello). At first the shoot seems to go swimmingly, but then they learn that the presumed captain of the boat (Daniela Melchior) is not who she appears to be, that Griff hasn’t been entirely honest with them – and that there is a real giant anaconda in hot pursuit of them.
The plot – director Tom Gormican co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Etten – is little more than nonsense, but it’s fun nonsense and the laughs come steadily for much of the film’s first hour or so. It’s an excuse for (mainly) Rudd and Black to riff on the original movie, and the meta factor gets even more byzantine when they learn that there are real bad guys on the river behind them and a real monster snake lurking in the depths as well: Doug writes it into the script, prompting an awestruck Griff to proclaim, ‘You could be the white Jordan Peele.’
It’s only when ‘Anaconda’ turns into a semi-real action movie in its final third – with chases and explosions and lots more of the CG title beastie, which is almost an afterthought for the film’s first hour – that the movie’s charm and goofy energy begin to flag. Well, truth be told, it kind of starts to wane halfway through, but there are enough jokes to carry it along until the more conventional pyrotechnics of the third act take over, along with a not-unexpected but still rather awkward cameo.
Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Need we say more? Both actors are well within their comfort zone here. Rudd does his ‘middle-aged man struggling to find his way’ routine effortlessly, while Black does his ‘insane middle-aged man struggling to find his way’ act equally well. There is a lot of charm and chemistry between the two of them, and even though Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn are underwritten (especially the former), the quartet do manage to generate some of the joy of old friends having fun together and making a movie – that old ‘let’s put on a show’ vibe still comes through.
Brazilian actor Selton Mello has a few chances to steal the show with his not-quite-all-there anaconda trainer, but even he doesn’t quite pull it off, he manages to imbue the character of Santiago with some genuine empathy – even if his relationship with his snake seems a tad unnatural.
All we can add about ‘Anaconda’ is that we went into the movie with low expectations (or, really, no expectations) and ended up having a good time. While there have been a handful of excellent comedies released in 2025, those films – like ‘Splitsville’ or ‘Friendship’ – have focused on the toxic side of relationships, whether between lovers or friends.
The relationships in ‘Anaconda’ are not particularly toxic, and the friends are rather quick to forgive each other. Of course, none of the actions they take are remotely believable or smart – especially when the anaconda is chasing them – but that’s part of their appeal too. We laughed a lot at ‘Anaconda,’ and the movie embraces its source material and its own identity with the right attitude.
Childhood friends Doug, Griff, Kenny, and Claire seek to recapture their youth by traveling to the Amazon to shoot their own remake of the 1997 cult classic ‘Anaconda.’ But a real giant anaconda turns their guerilla filmmaking project into a perilous fight to stay alive.
Available on premium digital November 7th before releasing on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on December 9th from Lionsgate is the new comedy ‘Good Fortune’, which was written, directed and stars Aziz Ansari (‘Master of None’).
‘Good Fortune’ director, writer, producer and actor Aziz Ansari.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director, writer, producer, and actor Aziz Ansari about his work on ‘Good Fortune’, developing the screenplay, the themes he wanted to explore, directing himself and his friend Seth Rogen, casting Keanu Reeves, working with his cinematographer and editor, the Blu-ray and DVD extras, and if he will direct again.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
(L to R) Keanu Reeves and Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about having the idea for the film, developing the screenplay and the themes that you wanted to explore as a director?
Aziz Ansari: Well, I spent a lot of time in L.A. To me, the ideas of this movie are in your face when you’re here in L.A., whether it’s wealth disparity or whatever. The goal with the movie was to do a film that explored those things in a funny way. That was a challenge in writing the screenplay. It was, how do you talk about the stuff, but also make it entertaining and funny?
MF: I know you directed episodes of ‘Master of None’, but did you always plan on directing a movie someday and what are the challenges of directing yourself in a film?
AA: In Netflix’s ‘Master of None’, I directed, acted and wrote, and I loved doing that. I loved that process and working that way. I’d always wanted to take that and do that same thing in a film. ‘Good Fortune’ was my first shot at doing it, and it was similar in ways that I expected and challenging in ways that I didn’t expect, but I learned so much and I’m excited to try it again.
Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: What were some of the unexpected challenges and how did you overcome them?
AA: I guess just how different the editing process was. When you’re editing a TV episode, it’s 30 minutes. It’s just so much more contained and you’re also working from a canvas that’s starting from a TV show, so things have already been set up and you kind of have a world. Whereas in a film, you’re setting everything up and it’s a much different canvas in several ways.
MF: I know you have been friends and colleagues with Seth Rogen for a long time. What is it like directing your friend in a movie?
AA: You know, it’s not that different. I mean hopefully you become friendly with everybody, and that’s kind of what you’re doing all the time. But we’ve known each other for a long time, and he has a lot of trust in me and has always been really kind with his advice and everything. It was great having him as a partner on this.
Seth Rogen in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: Was there a shorthand between the two of you on set, and since Seth is an accomplished filmmaker in his own right, did he give you any advice while making the movie?
AA: I think there is, and he knew what I was trying to do, and he knew how to help me and how to be there for me. I mean, he was the first person I showed the script to, and the script changed over time, and we would talk about the ending and talk about, what does the movie need? What’s great is that he was able to collaborate not just on his character, but he was thinking about the movie.
MF: Did you write the role of the angel Gabriel for Keanu Reeves, and did you have any idea he would be that funny in the film?
AA: I didn’t know who was going to play the angel, and then his name came up, and I thought, wow, that would be incredible if that’s possible. We had a meeting and he read the script, and he liked it, and he signed up and he was so generous with his time. We talked a lot about the character, worked on his scenes a lot, rehearsed a lot, and once he signed up, I tried to really tailor the role to him and really play to his strength as an actor, specifically with his comedy. He’s so funny playing a guy that’s very sweet and innocent, but kind of dumb and it just felt perfect for this part. As soon as the trailer dropped, people were like, “Oh my God, this is the most perfect casting! Keanu is an angel.” I’m so happy that he was the guy and that it all worked out.
Keanu Reeves in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: Did Keanu bring anything unexpected to the role?
AA: He’s just such an iconic screen presence, and there’s things he brought that you can’t put in a script. He’s just such a wonderful actor and he knows his craft so well that he brought things to it that I don’t know how to verbalize, but it’s on screen. I remember when we did our first preview screening and when his face comes up on the big screen, you’re like, “There’s a reason this guy’s been a movie star for many decades. He has something.”
MF: Can you talk about working with your DP to choose lenses and decide on the composition of shots?
AA: Our DP was Adam Newport-Berra, who’s incredible. He won an Emmy for his work on ‘The Studio’ with Seth. He and I talked a lot about, just how did we want to show LA? I talked to him a lot about showing the LA that you see in strip malls and just this neon L.A. We talked a lot about ‘Paris, Texas’. If you watch ‘Paris, Texas’, there’s a lot of green and it was how those fluorescent lights would react to film back in the day. I thought that look would be cool to have in this movie, so that was a reference point for us. I didn’t want a lot of flashy camera work. I wanted it to be simple. I didn’t want to move the camera around too much. I kind of wanted it to be straightforward. He was just a great collaborator and partner, and another guy that also was always thinking about the film, not just his job and his role as a DP. But he did a wonderful job, and I can’t say enough about him.
(L to R) Aziz Ansari and Keanu Reeves in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: What was the post-production process like for you? Did you enjoy working with your editor to assemble the film?
AA: Well, Daniel (Haworth) is a friend and he worked with me on ‘Master of None’ Season 2, and I was excited to collaborate with him on this. Look, when you’re editing a movie, you’re locked in a little dark room with this person for many weeks and it’s an interesting relationship. But you start with the first cut of the movie, which is probably two hours and change and you wash it down and then you start chipping away at it and you figure out what’s the story here. You know, what do we need to lose? How do we get to this faster? It becomes a lot of problem solving and he was a great partner to have, and we got it there.
MF: Was there anything you had to cut that was heartbreaking for you?
AA: Nothing heartbreaking. It’s just like the writing process. You lose things as you evolve the project and, in the edit, it evolves again and certain things go.
(L to R) Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: The house featured in the film is an amazing location. How did you find it and has it been use in any other movies of TV shows?
AA: I don’t know about any other films or TV, but I think it was in a Travis Scott video or something, and maybe a Beyonce video? I can’t remember. But that was our location manager, Jay Trainer. He found that place and we fought for it because that location is so central to the film, and it is a character in the movie. He found that for us and made it work.
MF: Can you talk about the Blu-ray and DVD release? Are there deleted scenes or a commentary to look forward to?
AA: I did a commentary track. I think there’s bloopers, and there’s some behind the scenes docs. I love physical media and I hope if people have a ‘Good Fortune’ Blu-ray on their shelf, that’d be awesome.
(L to R) Keanu Reeves and Aziz Ansari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: Finally, do you plan on directing again in the future?
AA: I have a couple other movies I’ve been thinking about, and I’d love to make another film soon. It was such a great experience. I feel like I learned a lot and I’d love to do it again.
‘Good Fortune’ will be available on premium digital November 7th before releasing on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on December 9th. Photo: Lionsgate.
What’s the plot of ‘Good Fortune’?
A well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy capitalist (Seth Rogen).
(Left) Anna Kendrick stars in ‘Alice, Darling.’ (Right) Seth Rogen at CinemaCon 2023. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Anna Kendrick and Seth Rogen are to lead new comedy ‘Babies’.
Lauren Miller Rogen wrote and will direct the movie.
Filming will start in November.
Given all his producing work and particularly the attention paid to Apple TV+ series ‘The Studio’, it can sometimes be easy to forget that Seth Rogen also appears in movies.
Yet he’s back on the big screen in the likes of ‘Good Fortune’ this year, and has lined up another new role, agreeing to star opposite Anna Kendrick in ‘Babies’.
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The movie represents the latest work from Rogen’s other half, Lauren Miller Rogen, who has been writing and directing movies for a while now and will pull the same double duty for this one.
Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers in ‘Another Simple Favor’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
Miller Rogen’s latest script focuses on couple Annie (Kendrick) and her husband Aaron (Rogen). They’re struggling with the decision of whether or not to bring a child into the world, and become instant co-parents when their newly-divorced friend moves into their home with her 3-year-old.
Sounds like the title will also have more than one meaning, since the central couple will need to learn what it takes to grow up and deal with one of the biggest challenges of adulthood. The cameras should be rolling this coming November in Los Angeles.
Where else can we see Anna Kendrick and Seth Rogen?
(L to R) Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, Seth Rogen as Jeff, and Aziz Ansari as Ari in ‘Good Fortune’. Photo Credit: Eddy Chen.
Rogen, as mentioned, has seen ‘The Studio’ snag several Emmy nominations and plenty of positive press. ‘Good Fortune’, directed by Aziz Ansari, co-stars Keanu Reeves and will be out on October 17th.
He’s also one of the voices in the new adaptation of ‘Animal Farm’, due for release on January 30th.
As for Miller Rogen, her credits include writing, directing and producing the Netflix original film ‘Like Father’, starring Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer, and writing, starring in and producing the indie comedy ‘For a Good Time, Call’…, which was released by Focus Features. She also is attached to direct the horror comedy ‘Be Mine’.
When will ‘Babies’ be on screens?
The movie has yet to lock down a studio home or other distributor, so a release date is a ways off for now. Still, given the names attached, we doubt it’ll have too much trouble finding a company willing to adopt it.
Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding are aboard’ Close Personal Friends’.
Jason Orley is in the director’s chair.
The plot revolves around a celebrity couple.
It feels like we sometimes don’t see enough original movies that cast a bunch of capable people and looks to spin a well-used concept into something fresh.
While much of the movie is being kept quiet ahead of the shoot, but the Reporter has learned that on one couple that meets and befriends a celebrity couple while on a trip to Santa Barbara. Personal lines get crossed, among other things, and awkward hilarity ensues.
Orley co-wrote the story with Isaac Aptaker, with the latter penning the script. Aptaker is producing with Elizabeth Berger, his partner at Walk-Up Company, along with Maximum Effort’s Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau.
Where else can we see Brie Larson and the rest?
Lily Collins attends the red carpet for ‘Emily in Paris’ Season 4. Photo: Valentin Lecron / Netflix.
Larson most recently popped up as the latest member of the sprawling Fak family to be introduced on ‘The Bear’.
Coming up, she has a couple of TV series in development, including ‘Cry Wolf’ (which co-stars Olivia Colman) and a spy thriller that has yet to release its title.
Collins can currently be seen starring in Netflix romantic comedy series ‘Emily in Paris’, which has a fifth season on the way.
She’s also attached to a thriller called ‘Titan’ and has worked on new drama pic ‘Halo of Stars’.
When will ‘Close Personal Friends’ be in theaters?
Even with a shoot scheduled, Amazon MGM is playing this one by ear and has yet to announce a release date or even whether the movie will play in theaters or head straight to Prime Video?
Jack Quaid as “Nate” in ‘Novocaine’ from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Movies and TV Shows by Park Chan-wook
