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  • ‘The Equalizer 3’ Interview: Director Antoine Fuqua

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    Opening in theaters on September 1st is the third chapter of ‘The Equalizer’ movie franchise entitled ‘The Equalizer 3,’ which was loosely based on the 1980’s TV series of the same name and is once again directed by Antoine Fuqua (‘Training Day,’ ‘Olympus Has Fallen’).

    What is the plot of ‘The Equalizer 3’?

    Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) moves to Southern Italy to escape from his past, but later discovers that his new friends are under the control of the Sicilian Mafia. With the help of a young CIA agent (Dakota Fanning), Robert unleashes his past self to protect his new friends.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘The Equalizer 3’?

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Antoine Fuqua about his work on ‘The Equalizer 3,’ what audiences should expect from the new movie, why this chapter takes place in Italy, reuniting Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington, how his relationship with Denzel has grown over the years, and why audiences love Washington as Robert McCall.

    'The Equalizer 3' director Antoine Fuqua.
    ‘The Equalizer 3’ director Antoine Fuqua.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our exclusive interview with Fuqua, as well as interviews with Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning that took place before the SAG/AFTRA Strike.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to fans of this franchise sitting down right now to watch the third installment to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?

    Antoine Fuqua: Be prepared for McCall’s final masterpiece of not only just violence, but finding a home for himself in a spectacular setting.

    Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer 3.'
    Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.

    MF: Why did you decide to take Robert McCall’s story to Italy for this movie?

    AF: Myself, the writer and the producers have always wanted to take Robert McCall international. In my mind, in his other life, he probably lived in many different places in the world. So Italy just felt natural, because Denzel goes there quite a bit and as well as myself. I wanted a place that he felt at home and comfortable and knew the language. So, the Amalfi Coast, of course, not only is it ideal, it’s just beautiful. This place, Atrani, where we filmed, is so old world, you feel like you’ve been transported back in time, and that was important to us.

    Related Article: ‘Equalizer’ Director Antoine Fuqua Could De-Age Denzel Washington for a Prequel About Robert McCall

    Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua and on the set of 'The Equalizer 3.'
    (L to R) Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua and on the set of ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Cristiiano Montesi.

    MF: Obviously, you worked with Denzel Washington previously on ‘Training Day,’ but how has your friendship and your working relationship grown and changed through the course of making these three ‘Equalizer’ movies?

    AF: I mean, the friendship remains the same. We’ve been friends. Our family, we know each other that way. Business wise and director-actor, it’s always been a mutual respect. Denzel has total trust in me, and of course, I have total trust in Mr. Washington. He’s never come over to look at the monitor or come to the editing bay or anything like that. He completely trusts what I do and I trust what he does, and that’s been our relationship. He knows I’m going to come to work to handle business, and I know he is. You know he’s coming, so I better be ready.

    Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington on the set of 'The Equalizer 3.'
    (L to R) Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington on the set of ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Cristiiano Montesi.

    MF: Can you talk about reuniting Dakota Fanning with Denzel Washington so many years after ‘Man on Fire,’ and the incredible onscreen chemistry they still have together in ‘The Equalizer 3’?

    AF: It’s incredible. I mean, what an opportunity. It just doesn’t happen that often where you see a young actor or actress grow up in front of you, and see an icon like Mr. Washington in a role together. Then have the opportunity to do it again later in life in something like this. So when I got the call from Todd Black that Dakota was interested, I said, “I got to meet her right now for lunch, today.” So we met. I fell in love with her, of course. I didn’t tell Denzel I was meeting with her. I wanted to make sure she really wanted to do it. Then I called Denzel, I said, “I met with Dakota. She wants to do it.” He was like, “Absolutely.” He loved Dakota. He lit up. So I was like, “Amazing.” So every day when I was filming them, he would turn to me sometimes and smile and go like, “She’s a grownup now.” He would just laugh about it. So it was like a father-daughter relationship. Really sweet.

    Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer 3.'
    Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.

    MF: Finally, what do you think it is about this franchise, and particularly Denzel Washington’s performance as Robert McCall that resonates so much with audiences?

    AF: I think the audience resonated with him, because he’s a common man. There’s nothing fancy about him, and he’s all about helping others without recognition. He doesn’t do it for money or anything. It’s sort of a throwback to (Akira) Kurasawa, which is one of my heroes. Like the ‘Seven Samurai,’ you’re going to go help a village for a bowl of rice. Getting back to that was an important message to put out into the world. Denzel, just being a great actor and being the great person who he is, there’s no Robert McCall without Denzel Washington. So he brings all of himself to that character, and that’s why it works.

    Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua between takes while filming in the Amalfi Coast on the set of Columbia Pictures 'The Equalizer 3.'
    (L to R) Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua between takes while filming in the Amalfi Coast on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo by: Stefano Montesi.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Equalizer 3:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Equalizer 3’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Denzel Washington Movies On Amazon

    ‘The Equalizer 3’ is produced by Escape Artists, Columbia Pictures, Fuqua Films, and Eagle Pictures, and is scheduled for release on September 1st.

  • Antoine Fuqua Considering ‘Equalizer’ Prequel

    Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua between takes while filming in the Amalfi Coast on the set of Columbia Pictures 'The Equalizer 3.'
    (L to R) Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua between takes while filming in the Amalfi Coast on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo by: Stefano Montesi.

    Denzel Washington will shoot back to our screens next month as government assassin-turned-do-gooding crusader Robert McCall in ‘The Equalizer 3’.

    And while it could end up being the final outing (though nothing has been said) for McCall in his present form, director Antoine Fuqua is already thinking of an idea for an ‘Equalizer’ prequel which would use de-aging technology so Washington can star as a younger version of the character.

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    What has Fuqua said about an ‘Equalizer’ prequel?

    Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington on the set of 'The Equalizer 3.'
    Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington on the set of ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo by: Stefano Cristiiano Montesi.

    Here’s what Fuqua told NME:

    “I definitely thought about it a lot. Especially now with the new technology and the AI and all of that kind of stuff… Is there a story to be told about how [McCall] became this person — the younger version. I’ve had that conversation with [‘Equalizer’ screenwriter] Richard Wenk quite a bit.”

    But don’t go booking your tickets to ‘The Equalizer: Young McCall’ just yet. Right now, it’s still only in Fuqua’s mind and he has yet to sound out Washington on the concept, which has been most recently deployed in the opening sequence of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, winding back the clock to show Harrison Ford looking like he did circa ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.

    As he explains:

    “I haven’t talked to Denzel about that yet. It’s all so fresh and new. I’m still watching [the technology]. I’ve watched Harrison Ford’s film and I know there’s other movies coming out. I think Sony has one coming out with Tom Hanks soon [Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Here’]. And I’m hearing the technology is getting better and better and better. So, I’m kind of watching it to see where it goes.”

    The notion of using AI and CG to de-age actors has been a controversial one; beyond the wider argument about AI and its impact on performers (which is a key point in the current SAG-AFTRA strike, it has been seen as a hit-and-miss idea.

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    What’s the story of ‘The Equalizer 3?

    Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer 3.'
    Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.

    Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed.

    Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

    Related Article: Denzel Washington Back for ‘The Equalizer 3’

    Who else is in ‘The Equalizer 3’?

    Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington on the set of 'The Equalizer 3.'
    (L to R) Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington on the set of ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Cristiiano Montesi.

    The cast also includes Dakota Fanning (for a ‘Man on Fire’ reunion), Eugenio Mastrandrea, David Denman, Gaia Scodellaro, Remo Girone, Andrea Scarduzio, Daniele Perrone and Bruno Bilotta.

    Here’s Fuqua on the story:

    “The first film was about [McCall] finding a purpose. And it’s very external, right? He’s helping people. The second one is more about making peace with his past. He’s betrayed by his friends and [his colleague] dies and his wife has passed away… And then this one is more of a moral dilemma because he’s a darker character… He’s struggling with the violence and brutality.”

    ‘The Equalizer 3’ is in theaters on September 1.

    Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer 3.'
    Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Equalizer 3:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Equalizer 3’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Denzel Washington Movies On Amazon

    ‘The Equalizer 3’ is produced by Escape Artists, Columbia Pictures, Fuqua Films, and Eagle Pictures, and is scheduled for release on September 1st.

  • CinemaCon 2023: Sony Pictures Presentation

    Sony's 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    With audiences returning to theaters properly and box office returns climbing out of the trough of COVID, it was only natural that studio bosses were going to be bullish at this year’s CinemaCon event in Las Vegas.

    First out of the gate this time was Sony, whose chairman Tom Rothman was in an upbeat, triumphant mood. “For the past three years, as the punditocracy pissed on your business, we at Sony held fast,” Rothman boasted. “We are the only studio that held entirely to theatrical. We were sure that movies in theaters would not only survive but triumph. Well, whaddaya know?”

    Sony remains on the theatrical train, with several big releases planned.

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    ‘The Equalizer 3’

    Among the biggest is ‘The Equalizer 3’, which represents that unusual franchise where the star –– in this case, Denzel Washington –– is actually bigger than the property. In an age of superheroes and ‘Star Wars’ selling seats, he’s an outlier.

    The studio had Washington and co-star Dakota Fanning on stage to thank cinema executives for their support and, perhaps more crucially, to highlight the fact that it represents a reunion for the ‘Man on Fire’ stars. And a trailer played, which went online today…

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    ‘The Equalizer 3’ catches up with Washington’s government assassin-turned-kick-ass-do-gooder Robert McCall in Italy, where he’s trying to enjoy some downtime on the picturesque Amalfi coast and not be asked to take on villains.

    Sadly, for McCall, that’s not the way his life goes, and he’s soon caught up helping some locals with Mafia goons and violence. Which means McCall has to break out his particular set of skills and lay the smack down on members of the criminal clan known as the Camorra (think an even more dangerous offshoot of the Mafia).

    And while there are some very wild, violent thugs looking to tackle McCall, none of them are quite ready for what he brings to the table. Literally in one case, as we witness him applying nerve pressure to one of the enforcers. “That’s level three”, he tells the anguished henchman. “If “If it goes to level four, you will shit on yourself.” Thanks Denz!

    But the highlight, as mentioned above, is in the reunion between Washington and Fanning. The latter was just 10 when she shared the screen with Washington ‘Man on Fire’ in 2004. Now, for ‘The Equalizer 3’, she’s playing a young CIA agent drawn to the village because of all the reports of violence.

    And the two actors’ connection was clear, since they have stayed friends all these years. “She’s like a daughter to him, he loves her,” Antoine Fuqua told Empire of the off-screen dynamic between Washington and Fanning. “It was so beautiful to watch them together on the set, just talking, laughing. And they’re both so talented, they just get into it, they didn’t skip a beat. What was weird for me looking through the lens and seeing Dakota as a grown-up! She’s fantastic and watching them together was a joy because she’s a samurai. She knows it, she’s there, she’s pleasant, she does her thing. And it was a bonus her relationship with Denzel. She’s friends with his kids. It was very easy with those two.”

    ‘The Equalizer 3’ will be in theaters on September 1st.

    Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer 3.'
    Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    ‘Bad Boys 4’

    While ‘Bad Boys for Life’ represented one of the few hits as the pandemic began to bite, Sony was naturally excited to roll out word of the next movie. The movie is now filming (with ‘For Life’ directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning) but isn’t yet at a stage where the studio can show a trailer. Still, it had stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence ebullient in a video introduction.

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    ‘Gran Turismo’

    Sony's 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Related Article: Sony Wants Neill Blomkamp to Direct a ‘Gran Turismo’ Movie

    ‘Gran Turismo’, adapted from the Sony racing game is much further along, though while the trailer played to the presentation audience, it has yet to head online.

    The film will tell the story of Jann Mardenborough ( ‘Midsommar’s Archie Madekwe), a British teenager who in 2011 entered GT Academy, an esports tournament created to find ‘Gran Turismo’ players who were good enough at the game to be able to competitively drive real-life race cars. Mardenborough was victorious in the GT Academy competition and became a race car driver for Nissan, competing in the Dubai 24 Hour endurance race.

    In the trailer, we see Jann arriving with other GT Academy contestants and being put through the wringer by racing trainer Jack Salter (David Harbour) who puts them through a rigorous boot camp to get them in shape. It’s one thing to know how to hit every corner on a world-class racetrack and to overtake in a simulation of a Nissan GT-R LM, but as Jann finds out, it’s hard to do it when the g-forces and hot temperatures of an actual race car are bearing down on you.

    “If you miss a racing line in a game you can reset,” warns Jack. “If you miss it in a real race, you could die.”

    ‘Gran Turismo’ drives into theaters on August 11th.

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    ‘No Hard Feelings’

    Sony's 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Jennifer Lawrence and ‘No Hard Feelings’ director Gene Stupnitsky swapped onstage banter before introducing a new clip from the raunchy comedy about two helicopter parents who hire a woman to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, so he doesn’t leave for college as a virgin. The comedy hits theaters on June 23.

    Sony's 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
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    ‘Kraven The Hunter’

    Also on display, Sony/Marvel Spider-adjacent superhero pic ‘Kraven The Hunter’, with star Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing the title character. He introduced the first look at the movie, enthusing that it’s Rated R.

    In the footage, Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven is a tactical stalker with a penchant for cropped leather vests and five-star hair. He shreds his victims viscerally, often with primitive claw-shaped weapons. Blood pours freely over the screen and, at one intense moment, Taylor-Johnson rips the flesh off a target’s neck with his teeth and spits it out. Definitely an R-rating, then.

    ‘Kraven the Hunter’ will be in theaters on October 26.

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    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Sony's 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    But if Spider-movies are your thing, then ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ was surely the more exciting title.

    Co-director Kemp Powers was joined by voice stars Shameik Moore (who plays Miles Morales), and Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen Stacey), and new recruit Issa Rae (Jessica Drew) to show off 14 impressive minutes of footage from the sequel, which be followed by another movie in 2024.

    “It’s been over a year since the events of first movie and he’s still trying to learn to be a superhero,” Moore added, saying that this movie shows that “how you wear the mask is what makes you a hero.”

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ will swing into theaters on June 2nd this year, with ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ due next year.

    Sony's 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
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    ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Sequel

    There was also a video from Jason Reitman and the team making the sequel to ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ (on which Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan have swapped jobs this time, Kenan directing while Reitman produces) confirming the story’s return to the New York haunts of the original 1984 ‘Ghostbusters’. The new film –– whatever its title –– hits theaters on December 20th.

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    ‘Napoleon’

    While ‘The Equalizer 3’ wrapped things up, there was also room for a big get by the Sony executives, who had scored the chance to release Ridley Scott’s Joaquin Phoenix-starring ‘Napoleon’ in partnership with Apple.

    “I know that he can do things cinematically that filmmakers half his age, can’t do,” Rothman said of the 85-year-old director.

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    The clip shown had Joaquin Phoenix’s title character commanding the French army in a foggy, blurry wintery epic battle with the Russian and Austrian forces. Napoleon knows it’s coming; he has invited the attack. Lots of bayonets slicing and soldiers falling in the icy water.

    ‘Napoleon’ should be in theaters this Thanksgiving, followed by its arrival on Apple TV+ after that.

    All in all, some big moves, and big movies from Sony.

    Sony's 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Movies Presented at Sony Pictures 2023 CinemaCon Presentation:

    Buy Sony Pictures Movies On Amazon

  • Netflix Plans ‘Man on Fire’ Series Adaptation

    Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning in director Tony Scott's 'Man on Fire.'
    (L to R) Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning in director Tony Scott’s ‘Man on Fire.’

    Action thrillers have long been a go-to genre for movie studios and TV channels and streaming services are not immune to their lure. Prime Video has the likes of ‘Reacher’ and ‘Jack Ryan’, while Netflix has seen success with the recent likes of ‘The Night Agent’.

    Now, the streamer is looking for more action, planning a new adaptation of A.J. Quinnell’s novel ‘Man on Fire,’ which was published in 1980 and has been previously turned into a movie in 1987 (starring Scott Glenn) and most famously in 2004, starring Denzel Washington.

    Kyle Killen, who worked on ‘Fear Street’ for the company, is on board to serve as writer, executive producer and showrunner. He also worked on Paramount+’s adaptation of game series ‘Halo’ but left the show before it began production rather than relocate.

    New Regency Productions, which owns the rights to the character and produced the movie starring Washington directed by the late Tony Scott, has been in talks with the streaming service for a while, looking to lock in a writer/showrunner.

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    Related Article: Denzel Washington to Reunite with Director Ridley Scott for ‘Gladiator 2’

    What’s the plot of ‘Man on Fire’?

    While the books have Creasy as an American former member of the French Foreign Legion, the movie updated the basics to feature him as a hard-drinking, burnt-out ex-CIA operative who has given up on life until he’s hired as a bodyguard to protect 9-year-old Pita Ramos (Dakota Fanning). Bit by bit, Creasy (Washington) begins to reclaim some of his soul, but when Pita is kidnapped, Creasy’s fiery rage is finally released and he will stop at nothing to save her as he sets out on a dangerous, revenge-fueled rescue mission.

    Let’s just say that a whole lot of explosions follow, and plenty of people are stabbed/ shot/punched etc.

    Killen has plenty of material to use for the series, since Quinnell (the pen name of author Philip Nicholson) wrote four more novels –– 1992’s ‘The Perfect Kill’, 1993’s ‘The Blue Ring’, 1994’s ‘Black Horn’ and 1996’s ‘Message from Hell’, which all feature Creasy.

    The Netflix show, which has an eight-episode, straight-to-series order, will adapt ‘Man on Fire’ and ‘The Perfect Kill’.

    And it wouldn’t directly adapt the 2004 film’s plot regardless, given that –– spoiler alert! –– Creasy dies from his injuries at the end (in the book, he fakes his death). He should enjoy (though given his dour mood, “enjoy” might be a stretch) a longer life if things go his way on Netflix.

    Of course, a bigger challenge will be finding someone to play Creasy who can make the same sort of impact (in various senses of the word) that Washington managed in the movie, in which he co-starred with Dakota Fanning. That decision is still to come, so we wouldn’t expect the show to arrive before 2024.

    Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington in director Tony Scott's 'Man on Fire.'
    (L to R) Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington in director Tony Scott’s ‘Man on Fire.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Man on Fire:’

    Buy ‘Man on Fire’ Movies On Amazon

  • See Dakota Fanning as an 80s-era groupie in the ‘Viena and the Fantomes’ trailer

    See Dakota Fanning as an 80s-era groupie in the ‘Viena and the Fantomes’ trailer

    Dakota Fanning stars as the title character Viena and joins co-stars Zoë Kravitz, Evan Rachel Wood and Jon Bernthal in this story about a groupie in the 80s.

    From the official synopsis…

    Viena, a beautiful, young roadie, travels with the Fantomes, an edgy post-punk band, as they tour through America in the 1980s. What starts out as a wild ride of concerts and parties quickly descends into an alcohol and drug induced haze. Viena finds herself trapped in a dangerous love triangle between a good natured roadie and an unbalanced band member, as she is forced to find her own means of survival-no matter the cost.

    ‘Viena and the Fantomes’ will be available at home, on digital, and on demand June 30th!

  • Angelina Jolie Flies Again in ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ Teaser

    Angelina Jolie Flies Again in ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ Teaser

    Maleficent: Mistress of Evil trailer still
    Walt Disney Studios/YouTube

    The horned fairy Maleficent has returned.

    Walt Disney Studios released the official teaser for “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” on Tuesday, offer a look at the next chapter in the villainess’s story. Angelina Jolie returns as the complicated titular character, and Elle Fanning is back as Princess Aurora. The fantasy adventure film picks up several years after “Maleficent,” and it follows the two women as they try to protect the moors. They’ll encounter new foes and allies along the way.

    One of those adversaries appears to be a new character, Queen Ingrith, who is played by Michelle Pfeiffer. She and Maleficent have a tense exchange in the teaser.

    “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were making a threat,” the queen says to the horned fairy.

    “Well, do you?” Maleficent responds.

    “Do I what?” asks Ingrith.

    “Know better,” says Maleficent.

    Watch the preview below.

    Joachim Rønning directed the film, and the story comes from Linda Woolverton. She wrote the screenplay with Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster.

    “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” opens Oct. 18.

  • ‘Gen:LOCK’ Trailer Puts Michael B. Jordan and Dakota Fanning in Harm’s Way

    ‘Gen:LOCK’ Trailer Puts Michael B. Jordan and Dakota Fanning in Harm’s Way

    gen:LOCK trailer still
    Rooster Teeth/YouTube

    Rooster Teeth has finally unveiled the official trailer for “gen:LOCK.”

    The upcoming animated series is due out this month, and in the meantime, viewers can get an extended look at the show as well as hear its star-studded voice cast. There are characters voiced by Michael B. Jordan (“Black Panther”), Dakota Fanning (“Ocean’s 8”), Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”), and David Tennant (“Jessica Jones”).

    All four of the aforementioned actors lend their voices to characters who are fighting in a war. The series is set in a dystopian future in which an oppressive authoritarian force is gaining power. However, as the video description reveals, they “pilot a new form of weaponized neuroscience that powers devastating mecha.”

    The stakes are high and the pilots face plenty of danger, as the trailer shows. Watch below.

    The first two episodes of “gen:LOCK” hit Rooster Teeth on Jan. 26 and will be available for subscribers and non-subscribers alike. Subsequent episodes, however, will be released weekly following and only the service’s subscribers will be able to view them.

  • ‘The Alienist’ Cast to Return for Sequel Series ‘The Angel of Darkness’

    ‘The Alienist’ Cast to Return for Sequel Series ‘The Angel of Darkness’

    The Alienist
    TNT

    “The Alienist” is kinda sorta getting a Season 2. But don’t call it Season 2 because TNT is going with “The Angel of Darkness,” which is also the title of author Caleb Carr’s sequel to “The Alienist.”

    TNT conceived “The Alienist” as a limited series, but in the tradition of limited series like “Big Little Lies” and such, it’s returning for more — with the same cast.

    Daniel Brühl (Dr. Lazlo Kreizler), Luke Evans (John Moore), and Dakota Fanning (Sara Howard) are all returning for “The Angel of Darkness.”

    Luke Evans shared his excitement to return:

    “The Alienist” earned six Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series. So of course TNT was thrilled and wanted to keep it going somehow:

    Sarah Aubrey, executive vice president of original programming for TNT: “We could not be prouder of The Alienist’s outstanding, award-worthy performance and all of the work the incredible actors and crew put in to bring that story and time period to life. Our audience fell in love with these multi-dimensional, timeless characters and the journey of their struggles living in complicated times. With this new story in TNT’s Suspense Collection, we will further immerse viewers into their world as they are confronted with a new enemy.”

    “The Angel of Darkness” is set in June 1897, a year after forensic psychiatry pioneer Dr. Laszlo Kreizler tracked down the brutal serial killer of “The Alienist.”

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  • ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Adds Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen & Many More

    Luke Perry is joining a Quentin Tarantino film, y’all.

    “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio as the leads in the 1969 Mason Family story, with Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate. Burt Reynolds, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Madsen, and Tim Roth will also costar.

    The ensemble just added several more names, via Deadline, with a few character details thrown in:

    • British actor Damian Lewis (“Billions”) will play the one-and-only Steve McQueen
    • Dakota Fanning has been cast as Squeaky Fromme, the Manson follower who went on to try to assassinate Gerald Ford.
    • Emile Hirsch is hairstylist Jay Sebring, one of the four victims on the night of the Tate murders.
    • Nicholas Hammond will play actor/director Sam Wanamaker
    • Luke Perry will play “Lancer” actor Wayne Maunder
    • Clifton Collins Jr., is Ernesto the Mexican Vaquero
    • Keith Jefferson plays Land Pirate Keith

    UPDATE: After this news came out, it was revealed that Al Pacino was also joining the film. He’ll play Marvin Schwarz, agent of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character.

    The film is set in Los Angeles in 1969, following Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a Western TV series, his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt); and Rick’s very famous next-door neighbor, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).

    Tarantino recently called DiCaprio and Pitt “the most exciting dynamic star duo since Paul Newman and Robert Redford.” He also described this movie as “probably the closest to ‘Pulp Fiction’ that I have done.”

    “Once Upon a Time in Holllywood” is scheduled to open in theaters August 9, 2019.

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  • Kit Harington Says Not Knowing How ‘Game of Thrones’ Will End Is ‘Amazing’

    Ready to see Kit Harington play a different kind of unlikely hero? Only this time, there are no dragons, dire wolves, or White Walkers in sight.

    The “Game of Thrones” star has a key role in “Brimstone,” the bleak, violent and uncompromising Western from Dutch filmmaker Martin Koolhoven (now in select theaters and available On Demand/Digital HD). The film slowly, over the course of four in-film “chapters,” unveils the grim circumstances in which a young, mute frontier midwife and mother (Dakota Fanning) finds herself the target of an obsessed and unrelenting fire-and-brimstone preacher (Guy Pearce). Harington plays Samuel, a wounded cowboy running from trouble, who receives shelter from the 14-year-old Liz (Emilia Jones) and leaves a lasting mark on the girl as her life descends into horror.

    Once again, Harington treads into territory that unflinchingly explores violence, brutality, and their aftereffects, much like the HBO fantasy series he’s best known for. After wrapping filming on the upcoming seventh season, he admits that he’s still marveling on how the show has moved forward so strongly, without a new volume in the epic A Song of Ice and Fire” series to shape it.

    Moviefone: “Brimstone” is quite an amazing piece of filmmaking, and I imagine it was a very easy “yes” for you to get involved. But what were the specific motivators for you? What were the things you saw in the character and in the story that really got you excited creatively?

    Kit Harington: I’ll be honest: I read the script a while before I joined it. Then, as sometimes happens, the role went to someone else. It went to Robert Pattinson. I kind of put it to bed in my head. Then whatever happened happened, and I came aboard very late.

    I think first and foremost, I really wanted this role from the get-go because the script was so strong. It was so interesting. It was so surreal. It wasn’t really specific to any kind of genre.
    It takes a pretty unflinching look at violence and its consequences, and also very dark elements of sexuality, and both are things that you’re also familiar with from “Game of Thrones.” Why are these things, do you feel, important to explore artistically for you right now?

    I think I’ve always been an advocate of going to really disturbing places in the dramas that we see, and to places of real violence. It could be a very controversial and very difficult subject to tackle on film, especially violence against women, and making sure that we’re not trying to use it as just a plot device.

    And I think this piece was really about a young woman’s fortitude, and her journey through very tough and difficult and brutal things happen that in her life, and I feel that was a story that was worth telling.

    Once you showed up to play the part, what was the interesting twists and turns for you as an actor in portraying this character?

    It was strange because it was offered to me and I had, like, a day to prepare. I had very little time. I had to, like, get on a flight the next day and just do this part -– which, usually, you’ve got a couple of months maybe — at least — to kind of get your head into a role. So, I had to make some very quick choices on the character, and that was challenging.

    But I like the antihero-ness of this man. You’re not quite sure where he is. Obviously, he’s a thief and he’s in with a bad crowd, and yet he finds his own redemption through helping this young woman. I think it’s a very short journey that my character takes in the film. It’s in one chapter. I was quite drawn into trying to tell that story quickly.

    Despite that small arc, he’s very pivotal to the overall story, so that must have been an extra bit of fun trying to keep that in mind, how large he looms in her life.

    We go through life, and some people are in our lives for a very short space of time, but they can have great impact. This movie is about different periods of this woman’s life, which have taken on great importance. He’s one of those memories. He’s one of those chapters as someone who tried to help her see there could be goodness in this world. There could be people who would help her, who could help her. I think that was interesting playing a memory in some ways, like coming in to play a memory of the lead character.
    This marks a major arrival of a filmmaker in Martin Koolhoven, working for the first time in an English language film. Tell me about your experiences working with him.

    I really got on with Martin. He’s one of those directors who knows his piece fully. He’s written it, and he knows it so well, and he knows very much what he wants to do. There was no guessing involved with Martin, and there was no shirking what his vision was.

    He’s very direct, and also very kind and very loving, and he kept a set that loved him deeply. You could see the people he works with really, really have a lot of care for this man, and they like him.

    You have obviously a limited amount of time to shoot movies in between working on “Game of Thrones.” Are there certain things that you kind of look for? Obviously, the schedule realities are important, but are there kinds of roles, or types of genres, that you’re especially looking for?

    I’m so greedy in that way! I’m lucky in that I get options and offers. I always want to try and do something different from “Thrones,” if I can; a character that’s not a sword-wielding hero, because I do that for half the year. So I would look at something away from that, but other than that, it’s always on the scripts and the filmmaker. It’s always on when you read a script — is there something that grabs you?

    I read so many scripts that I love and I think are brilliant, but I just know I can’t do the character. I know the character -– even if it’s not for me, they think it is. Sometimes you’re turning things down that are really great. You just know you won’t do it justice.
    As you left last season at “Thrones,” the bar was higher than ever -– and congratulations on what a phenomenal season that was. Tell me what it was like for you all coming back together, again sort of in that uncharted territory without an existing George R.R. Martin book already laying down a road map, and knowing where you left it.

    It’s just amazing, in some ways, having no book to go on, because the scripts come through and you’re completely in the dark about what they’re going to do. Believe me, I just finished Season Seven, and I am already counting down the days until I get the Season Eight scripts.

    Everyone’s been wondering how it’s going to end, and what’s going to happen right from the get-go, and theorizing about it. It’s really exciting to me not knowing, genuinely having no idea where it’s going to end, what they’ve got in their heads, and being the first to find out.

    At this point, having evolved him over all these seasons, what do you still love about Jon Snow? Do you feel protective about him at this point and keeping his nobility intact, or are you looking for more evolution?

    I sort of know where he is now. Next season will be next season, he might go through a big change, I don’t know. He’s dear to me. I’ve lived with him for so long. I think I’ve come into a place of felling quite emotional about him, actually, knowing that I’m not going to get to go back to him after next year.

    I’m really trying to just take stock of having lived this sort of dual life with this character, and being through so much with this character. It’s been a strange journey, but I’ll always be fond of it.