Tag: daniel-kaluuya

• Spider-Punk Animated ‘Spider-Verse Movie in Development

  

  Preview:

  • A ‘Spider-Punk’ animated movie is in development at Sony.
  • It’ll spin off from the successful ‘Spider-Verse’ movies.
  • The movie doesn’t yet have a release date.

  Daniel Kaluuya made a big impact on Sony’s animated Spider-universe when he voiced Hobie Brown AKA Spider-Punk, who disrupted Miles Morales’ (Shameik Moore) life in ‘Across the Spider-Verse’, and was a romantic rival for the affections of Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), and as a general engine of chaos.

  It makes sense, then, that the studio would entrust Kaluuya –– who was part of the process in bringing his character to life beyond simply providing the voice –– in developing a spin-off for the character.

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  According to Deadline, Kaluuya and Ajon Singh (‘Primetime’) are co-writing a script for the potential new movie, though the trade site cautions that it’s in very early development, so don’t hold your breath for it to happen quickly.

  Related Article: Sony Confirms Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson as the Directors of ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’

  What is Spider-Punk’s history?

  

  Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Olivier Coipel, Spider-Punk is a version of Spider-Man who leans into a more anarchistic, anti-establishment attitude than Peter Parker. Residing on Earth-138, the character is fueled by his desire to help take down corrupt systems. He first appeared during a Spider-Verse crossover event, as part of 2015’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man #10’.

  As mentioned, he first appeared on the big screen in 2023’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’, which was nominated for an Oscar and earned more than $690 million worldwide.

  Hobie will be back in ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’, which is scheduled for release in June 2027.

  The new movie’s storyline is naturally a mystery, though perhaps it’ll dig into Hobie’s backstory and how he ended up as Spider-Punk. Or it may dig into one of his comic book adventures. Either way: expect mayhem.

  Where else can we see Daniel Kaluuya?

  

  Kaluuya, who won an Oscar for his supporting role in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, might be best known for ‘Get Out’ and his other collaboration with Jordan Peele, ‘Nope’.

  He has writing experience too –– Kaluuya co-wrote and directed dystopian Netflix movie ‘The Kitchen’.

  Among his other credits are ‘Widows’ and ‘Black Panther’.

  Currently, the actor is at work on Chris Rock’s latest movie, which is either titled ‘Misty Green’ or is still figuring that out. And he’s attached to produce and potentially star in a movie based on kids’ show ‘Barney’, about the big purple dinosaur.

  When will the ‘Spider-Punk’ movie be on screens?

  Given that it takes years between the main ‘Spider-Verse’ movies, we’d hazard a guess that the spin-off will be in production for a while, even if it leaves the development stage.

  

  Movies Featuring Spider-Man Characters:

  • ‘Spider-Man‘ (2002)
  • ‘Spider-Man 2‘ (2004)
  • ‘Spider-Man 3‘ (2007)
  • ‘The Amazing Spider-Man‘ (2012)
  • ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘ (2014)
  • ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ (2016)
  • ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming‘ (2017)
  • ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘ (2018)
  • ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ (2018)
  • ‘Venom‘ (2018)
  • ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ (2019)
  • ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home‘ (2019)
  • ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘ (2021)
  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home‘ (2021)
  • ‘Morbius‘ (2022)
  • ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘ (2023)
  • ‘Madame Web‘ (2024)
  • ‘Venom: The Last Dance‘ (2024)
  • ‘Kraven the Hunter‘ (2024)

  Buy ‘Spider-Man’ Movies on Amazon

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  August 6, 2025

• Golden Globes 2024: The Good, the Bad & the Unfunny

  

  Preview:

  • The 2024 Golden Globes were far from sparkling.
  • Host Jo Koy struck out with his monologue.
  • A few historic wins were the bright spots.

  2024 was supposed to be the year that the Golden Globes moved on. Detached from the old Hollywood Foreign Press Association (yet now run by possibly an even shadier for-profit corporation), it was designed to make up for a tarnished history that saw the awards get dumped by previous network NBC and chart a bright new future.

  Yet on the evidence of the ceremony itself, it couldn’t recover past glories (even if those were mostly the results of the previous organization’s star-happy focus). There was the requisite assortment of big names (your Leonardo DiCaprio, your Martin Scorsese, your Christopher Nolan) but the whole thing came across as less Golden than bronze.

  Let’s break it down…

  Off To a Bad Start

  

  Comedian Jo Koy (who film fans might know outside of his stand-up career for last year’s ‘Easter Sunday’) stumbled out of the gate by quipping that he only got the gig a few days ago (it’s true that a number of more recognizable names passed) and blaming his writers for any unfunny jokes. Not a good look.

  A dig at Taylor Swift’s new NFL relationship didn’t go over well either –– with the singing superstar visibly unimpressed when the camera cut to her.

  He went on to offer some more visibly uninspired cracks at Barry Keoghan’s genitals in ‘Saltburn’ and Barbie’s breasts, which mostly had the audience cringing. We don’t expect him to be invited back.

  Here’s what Koy said the following morning to ‘Good Morning America’:

  “I had fun. It was a moment that I’ll always remember. It’s a tough room. It was a hard job, I’m not going to lie…I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt. I hit a moment there where I was like, ‘Ah.’ Hosting is just a tough gig. Yes, I’m a stand-up comic but that hosting position it’s a different style. I kind of went in and did the writer’s thing. We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I got to still say I loved what I did. The Taylor [Swift] one was just a little flat…It was a weird joke, I guess. But it was more on the NFL, I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”

  Related Article: ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Barbie’ and ‘Poor Things’ Win at the 2024 Golden Globes

  Kieran Culkin’s Pedro Pascal jab

  

  One of the more viral –– and genuinely funny –– moments came as ‘Succession’ began to win the majority of the TV awards (that series and ‘The Bear’s near-dominance one of the entirely un-shocking elements of the ceremony). Kieran Culkin, who took the stage after winning Male Actor in a Drama Series, also took the occasion to throw a good-hearted jab the way of Pedro Pascal, who was nominated in the same category.

  After a heartfelt celebration of finally nabbing the award, Culkin went full Roman Roy for a moment: “Suck it, Pedro…”

  Pascal’s reaction –– a comedic combo that went from laughing to fake tears, is already a meme.

  Pedro Pascal reacts perfectly to Kieran Culkin's Golden Globes speech burn https://t.co/DFP2zIXm1g

  — Mashable (@mashable) January 8, 2024

  Dull Spiel

  

  Award shows are rarely known for sparkling words when it comes to presenters. Celebrities show up on the stage, read some boring copy celebrating the creativity of whoever and then throw it to a clip package of nominees.

  This year’s Globes were no exception, with largely perfunctory pre-announcement banter that barely rose to the level of competence.

  A few moments peeked through the mush –– ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ trio Daniel Kaluuya, Hailee Steinfeld and Shameik Moore delivered a funny riff on an intro penned by executives instead of writers, to highlight the need for creatives in the wake of the strikes. And Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell let the music take them in a skit that generated more laughs.

  Jennifer Lawrence threatens to leave

  

  Jennifer Lawrence, who has been a reliably funny awards presence in the past, offered another this time. When she was shown during the nominees section for Best Actress, Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, she mouthed, “if I don’t win, I’m leaving!”

  jennifer lawrence, golden globes | if i don't win, i'm leaving pic.twitter.com/mRpz15BWVV

  — r e a c t i o n s (@Reactions_vids) January 8, 2024

  Emma Stone won. But Lawrence stuck around.

  

  A cash grab/kudos award misfires

  

  Possibly the biggest mistake even before the show was the blatant attempt to have Taylor Swift attend by nominating her ‘Eras Tour’ concert film in the new Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category.

  It worked in that she showed (only to seem insulted, see above) and then box office behemoth ‘Barbie’ scored the award anyway, one of only a couple it took home on the night.

  Real Highlights?

  

  If there were true highlights, it was in terms of representation –– Lily Gladstone won for her role in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and celebrated the victory for Native Americans while also offering a sweet shout-out to her mother, who had accompanied her to the event.

  Likewise, Ali Wong became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress In A Limited Series or TV Movie (which feels a little bit forced, but is progress nonetheless) for ‘Beef’, which also saw her co-star Steven Yeun win alongside the show.

  

  And Christopher Nolan appeared genuinely touched to have won his first directing Globe for ‘Oppenheimer’ (one of a parade the movie scored in an unsurprising run).

  The ceremony itself at least scored on the ratings front –– its airing on CBS and Paramount+ saw the numbers jump from last year’s NBC/Peacock appearance –– and it counts as the most-watched Globes since 2020. But even that seems a useless metric, since the 2021 event was banished to YouTube and doesn’t even really count for ratings.

  Can the Globes become relevant again? That’s the big question for now. On the evidence of last night, the answer is a big old “maybe”.

  

  

  

   

  January 8, 2024

• Where To Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

  

  Following the events of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy reunite as the Spider-man universe expands further than either of them has ever anticipated.

  The official synopsis for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse‘ is below:

  “Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.”

  ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened in theaters domestically on June 2, 2023. Initially, the movie was slated to release in April 2022 but shifted to a later release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened to $120.6 million domestically and so far has grossed $371.8 million since its release. Worldwide, the movie has earned $666.5 million. This film serves as part one, with part two slated for a 2024 release.

  The first film not only received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, but it also won the Academy Award for “Best Animated Feature” in 2019. The highly anticipated sequel once again dazzled the audience and is certified Fresh on the Tomatometer.

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  Who’s in the cast of ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

  • Shameik Moore (‘Samaritan’) as Miles Morales/Spider-man
  • Hailee Steinfeld (‘Hawkeye’) as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman
  • Brian Tyree Henry (‘Causeway’) as Jefferson Davis
  • Luna Lauren Velez (‘Transformers: Rise of the Beast’) as Rio Morales
  • Jake Johnson (‘Self Reliance’) as Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man
  • Oscar Isaac (‘Moon Knight’) as Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099
  • Issa Rae (‘Barbie’) as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman
  • Jason Schwartzman (‘Asteroid City’) as The Spot
  • Daniel Kaluuya (‘Nope’) as Hobart “Hobie” Brown/Spider-Punk
  • Karan Soni (‘Strange World’) as Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India
  • Andy Samberg (‘Palm Springs’) as Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider
  • Amandla Stenberg (‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’) as Margo Kess/Spider-Byte
  • Jorma Taccone (‘The People We Hate at the Wedding’) as Vulture
  • Shea Whigham (‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’) as George Stacy

  Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.

  Expanding The Spider-Verse

  

  This movie further expands what we already know of the Spider-Verse through the lens of Miles Morales. The film’s protagonist, The Spot, figured out that his spots can be used as portals for dimension jumping, but also the reason why Miles Morales became Spider-Man in the first place. The Spot uses his portals to travel to universes with colliders by absorbing its power to further increase his power, making him quite formidable for the team of Spider-man and Spider-woman.

  Gwen Stacy also gets some much needed attention in this movie as we dive into her past on how she became Spider-Woman, her struggle to keep her identity a secret from her father, and how losing her best friend catapulted her into the frenzied world the “Spider Society.”

  For the first time on the big screen, we’re introduced to Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Punk, Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, and Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-man India – all of them working together under the direction of Spider-Man 2099 to prevent catastrophic canon events.

  Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

  Easter Eggs

  

  We’ve already seen in the first film how many variants of Spider-people exist. We’ve met Spider-Ham, Spider-Noir, and Peni Parker in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, and the amount of cameo and easter eggs is dialed up in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Here are some of the easter eggs you can find in the movie:

  • Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider
  • Mayday “May” Parker/Spider-Girl
  • Spider-Byte
  • Spider-Rex
  • Peter Parkedcar
  • Web-Slinger
  • Bombastic Bag-Man
  • The Spectacular Spider-Man

  It’s not easy to catch all the easter eggs and cameo while watching in the theaters, but once the movie arrives on digital or a streaming platform, the audience will have the ability to pause and rewind to spot all the references and appearances.

  Are There Two Version Of The Film Floating Around?

  

  Sharp-eyed audience members begin to wonder if there were two versions of the film being shown in theaters The differences are subtle and do not affect the overall story. An example is when Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 speaks with Lyla – In one version, Lyla takes a selfie with a bunny ear filter that shows up on Miguel’s face, and one version shows Lyla giving a fist bump. The films’ associate editor Andy Leviton has confirmed this on Twitter. Which version did you see?

  Where Can I Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

  

  The movie premiered on May 20, 2023, at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles and was released domestically on June 2, 2023. It is still playing in theaters, so be sure to check Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

  Buy Tickets: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Movie Showtimes

  Watch the official trailers for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ below:

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  Can’t make it out to the theater? The multi-Spider-Verse jumping movie will soon be available digitally on Prime Video. Currently, it is listed as available for pre-order for $19.99. As far as streaming goes, since Sony does not have its own streaming platform and currently has a deal with Netflix, it is likely to end up on the major streamer in the fall.

  Where To Watch: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Online

  Buy ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ on Amazon

  

  Other Movies Similar to ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’:

  • ‘Spider-Man‘ (2002)
  • ‘Spider-Man 2‘ (2004)
  • ‘Spider-Man 3‘ (2007)
  • ‘The Amazing Spider-Man‘ (2012)
  • ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘ (2014)
  • ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ (2016)
  • ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming‘ (2017)
  • ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home‘ (2019)
  • ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘ (2018)
  • ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ (2018)
  • ‘Venom‘ (2018)
  • ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ (2019)
  • ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘ (2021)
  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home‘ (2021)
  • ‘Morbius‘ (2022)

   

   

  July 25, 2023

• Where To Watch ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

  

  The tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman left a huge hole in the hearts of everyone who knew him and in the hearts of the cast and crew of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

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  In 2018, Chadwick Boseman donned the claws and took on the role of T’Challa in Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’. We first saw Boseman debut the role in 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ where he mourns the loss of his father King T’Chaka due to a terrorist attack. The event pits him against Team Captain America as he fights alongside Ironman, War Machine, Black Widow, Vision, and Spider-man.

  T’Calla would go on to appear in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, ‘Avengers: Endgame’, and Marvel’s animated series ‘What If’. The reactions to Black Panther’s entry into the MCU were positive, and his appearance in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ perfectly sets up the stand-alone film, directed by Ryan Coogler (‘Creed‘). The film opened in 2018 to $202 million domestically and has a critics’ score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes today.

  Alongside Boseman, the ‘Black Panther’ cast includes Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, Letitia Wright as his sister Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, and Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. The film would go on to win Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Production Design, and Best Original Score.

  The movie received glowing reviews from critics and fans alike, warranting a sequel and likely more appearances of the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer and passed away before the second movie was made. His untimely death sent a shock wave through the community. Bose was 43 at the time.

  

  Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

  How Does The Story Continue Without Its King?

  The official synopsis for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is as follows:

  “Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.”

  Many were left to wonder, what is the story of Black Panther and Wakanda without its lead? Director Ryan Coogler revealed that initially, the story was going to focus on T’Challa and how he comes to grips with fatherhood. ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ focuses on grief and mourning, and serves as a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

  Returning to the sequel to reprise their roles are Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, Winston Duke, and Martin Freeman. The movie is joined by Tenoch Huerta (‘The Forever Purge‘) who plays the film’s antagonist, Namor. Dominique Throne (‘Judas and the Black Messiah‘) enters the franchise as Riri Williams/Ironheart, who will also appear on Marvel’s ‘Ironheart’ series for streamer Disney+.

  Without Boseman in the lead, the story focuses on the citizens of Wakanda and how they protect their nation from a new threat – Atlantis and their ruler, Namor. The movie opens with a chaotic scene where Shuri is trying to recreate the heart-shaped herb. She was unable to complete the process before Queen Ramonda delivered the news of her brother’s passing. The funeral procession for T’Challa follows. The film is filled with many emotional and powerful moments such as Queen Ramonda’s speech to the United Nations, and the burning of the funeral garb with Shuri. Ultimately, Shuri takes the helm as the new Black Panther and faces off against Namor in the final act.

  

  Where Can I Watch ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’?

  There’s still a chance to see ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ in theaters! The film premiered on November 11, 2022, and has a runtime of 2 hours and 41 minutes. There is one mid-credit scene.

  Buy Tickets: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Movie Showtimes

  Additionally, you can now pick up the DVD and Blu-ray of the film in stores. For the collectors, retailers such as Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have exclusive editions.

  Buy ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ on Amazon

  Watch the official trailer below:

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  When Will It Be Available To Stream Online?

  As of February 1st, 2023, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is streaming exclusively on Disney+. It is also available for purchase on On-Demand.

  Where to watch: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ online

  

  Academy Award Nominations For ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

  The Ryan Coogler-directed sequel opened to $181 million during opening weekend and has grossed over $800 million worldwide. The film has a critics score of 84% and an audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has already received many awards including a Golden Globe Award (Best Supporting Actress, Angela Bassett) and two Critics Choice Awards (Best Costume Design and Best Supporting Actress).

  It has received five Academy Award nominations including:

  • Best Supporting Actress, Angela Bassett
  • Best Costume Design
  • Best Original Song, “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna
  • Best Visual Effects
  • Best Makeup and Hairstyling

  

  Watch Other Films Starring Chadwick Boseman

  Throughout his career, Boseman has received many awards including a Golden Globe award, a Critics Choice Movie Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, an Emmy award, and an Oscar nomination. Aside from appearing as T’Challa aka the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you can find the star’s work below:

  • ‘42‘ (2013)
  • ‘Get On Up‘ (2014)
  • ‘Draft Day‘ (2014)
  • ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ (2016)
  • ‘Marshall‘ (2017)
  • ‘Black Panther‘ (2018)
  • ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ (2018)
  • ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ (2019)
  • ‘21 Bridges‘ (2019)
  • ‘Da 5 Bloods‘ (2020)
  • ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom‘ (2020)

  ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ was released in theaters on November 11th, 2022 from Marvel Studios. Directed by Ryan Coogler, and written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winstone Duke, Dominique Thorne, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tenoch Huerta, and Angela Bassett.

  Watch Moviefone’s interviews with director Ryan Coogler and the cast of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ below: 

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  February 21, 2023

• Daniel Kaluuya Adding his Voice to ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

  

  Following on from the success of 2018’s Oscar-winning ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, we’ve known for a while that sequels are on the way in the shape of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ and ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’, both of which will feature even more cutting edge art and animation styles.

  And in the case of at least the first (though possibly both), they will also boast the voice of ‘Get Out’, and ‘Nope’ actor Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Spider-Punk.

  Kaluuya, of course, is already a veteran of the main MCU (to which Sony’s Spider-Verse movies don’t yet directly connect), having played W’Kabi in 2018’s ‘Black Panther’.

  The new movies continue the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) as they combat threats from across the Spider-Verse.

  Both sequels are co-directed by Kemp Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Justin K. Thompson, working from a script by Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Dave Callaham.

  Alongside the returning heroes, we’ll see more from Spider-Man 2099 (AKA Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) and meet the likes of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), played by Issa Rae.

  The voice cast also includes Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez and Greta Lee.

  

  Spider-Punk, AKA Hobart “Hobie” Brown, is a more recent Marvel Comics arrival, created by writer Dan Slott and artist Olivier Coipel in 2015 via ‘The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3’ #10.

  He’s described as a homeless teenager who becomes a hero to the oppressed citizens of New York in his dimensional universe.

  On the villainous side, there is a deep cut from within Spidey’s rogues’ gallery.

  Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, The Dot will feature a character design meant to call to mind an unfinished sketch, featuring blue construction lines that evoke a comic book artist’s rough drawing before the work goes to an inker. The design itself will evolve over the course of the film as the character changes and grows, taking on a more fearsome shape as he learns to better apply his own powers.

  There will also be an appearance from more familiar The Vulture; though not the Michael Keaton character from ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and other live-action movies. Instead, this will be a different dimension’s version, voiced by Jorma Taccone.

  Aside from the knowledge that our heroes will have to face off against those villains (and, likely some characters yet to be revealed), the story for both of the sequel movies remains largely a mystery. But given the continued presence of Lord and Miller in particular, we’re anticipating an inventive, funny, emotional and visually wild ride across the two films.

  We’ll have to wait for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ as it won’t land in theaters until June 2nd next year. And ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ is even further away, arriving on March 29th, 2024.

  

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  November 7, 2022

• Movie Review: ‘Nope’

  

  Opening in theaters on July 22nd is the latest movie from Oscar-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele called ‘Nope.’ The movie stars Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as brother and sister ranch owners who discover a UFO.

  In addition to Kaluuya and Palmer, the cast also includes Oscar-nominee Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, and Keith David. The result is a truly thrilling, original, and at times funny take on the alien invasion genre featuring standout performances from Kaluuya and Palmer.

  The film begins with an odd side-story about a 90’s sitcom starring a chimpanzee, who during a taping killed most of the cast and crew. We then meet Otis Haywood (David) and his son OJ (Kaluuya), who own a ranch outside of Los Angeles and also train horses for film and TV. When strange objects begin to fall out of the sky, Otis is killed by the falling debris.

  Months later, OJ is working on the set of a commercial with his unreliable sister Emerald (Palmer), and a cinematographer named Antlers Holst (Wincott). When the shoot doesn’t go as planned, OJ begins selling some of his horses to a carnival owner named Ricky “Jupe” Park (Yeun), with the intent on eventually buying them back. But Emerald recognizes Park, and it is revealed that he was a child actor and the lone survivor of the doomed sitcom with the chimpanzee.

  

  OJ eventually confides in Emerald that he does not believe that falling debris from an airplane killed their father, and that he believes it was actually a UFO. Wanting to get proof, and thinking that will make them rich and famous, the two enlist Fry’s Electronics salesman Angel Torres (Perea), and Antlers Holst, to help them capture footage of the spaceship. But after a terrible tragedy at Park’s carnival, OJ begins to think that the object in the sky is not an alien spaceship, but rather a giant alien itself.

  Actor and comedian Jordan Peele made the jump to directing with his surprise hit movie and Oscar nominated film ‘Get Out’ in 2017. Since then, he has won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and directed the acclaimed horror film ‘Us’ in 2019. In a few short years Peele has completely reinvigorated the horror genre and become one of the most original and interesting filmmakers working today. His latest outing is no different, delivering a fresh and original take on the “alien’s attack” theme, which is often quite funny in a very organic way.

  Peele has also become a master at deconstructing the expectations of the horror genre, as well as moving the camera in an interesting way. The movie is filled with jump scares, but they never feel forced and in fact enhance the creepiness and mood of the film. Peele’s cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema beautifully captures the vast vistas of the ranch, while contrasting that with the horrors of the movie.

  Peele also makes some brilliant choices with the pacing of the movie and the way he shows the terror of the alien moving through the open skies. While it doesn’t really connect till the end of the movie, I really enjoyed the side-story of the 90’s sitcom with the chimpanzee. It helps to illustrate the theme of the movie, which OJ actually says at one point, about how we as humans need to leave apex predators in nature alone.

  

  Special credit should go to Peele and his team for their unique take on what an alien creature can look like. I’m so tired of seeing movies that feature aliens with the creatures often looking like copies of the Xenomorph from the ‘Alien’ franchise. The extra-terrestrials in this movie are completely original, and look like nothing we’ve seen before, adding to the originality of this film.

  The acting in the movie is excellent, all the way down to supporting performances from Brandon Perea and Michael Wincott. As Angel, Perea plays the enthusiastic outsider and the eyes of the audience, but also layers in a very funny performance. Wincott, a veteran actor you will recognize from ‘The Crow,’ was perfectly cast as the grizzled Hollywood cinematographer who tries to help the Haywood’s get their photographic evidence.

  Keith David also gives a nice performance as Otis Haywood, but I wish he had at least one more scene in the beginning of the movie to make his death resonate more with the audience. It’s also worth noting that motion capture actor Terry Notary (‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’) plays Gordy, the chimpanzee in flashbacks. Having played King Kong in ‘Kong: Skull Island,’ Notary was maybe the only actor that could play this role, and actually injects vulnerability and a sense of regret to the animal’s actions.

  Rounding out the supporting cast is Steven Yeun, who gives a very good performance as Ricky “Jupe” Park. Although the character could have been more fleshed out in the present day, his flashback scenes tell you everything you need to know about why he is still chasing fame, and the overall fear that he has lived with since that traumatic event happened in his past.

  

  The breakout performance award goes to actress Keke Palmer, who is an absolute delight to watch. Palmer plays Emerald as the annoying younger sister to OJ, more concerned with achieving fame and money than continuing her family’s legacy. But the actress is also very funny in the movie, in an organic way, that is in stark contrast to Kaluuya’s quiet and brooding performance. The two actors have fantastic chemistry together on screen and are completely believable as brother and sister.

  But it is Daniel Kaluuya’s strong performance that really anchors the film. The actor, who has giving standout performances in ‘Sicario,’ ‘Get Out,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Queen & Slim,’ and ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ for which he won his Oscar, demonstrates again in ‘Nope’ that he is one of the finest actors of his generation. Kaluuya is completely believable in the role and makes for an unlikely hero by the film’s end.

  In the end, with ‘Nope’ Jordan Peele has delivered a stunningly beautiful movie, that transcends its own genre by telling a fresh take on the “alien invasion” theme with brilliant performances from the entire cast.

  ‘Nope’ receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.

  

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  July 20, 2022

• Latest Trailer For ‘Nope’ Reveals More of the Story

  

  So far, in keeping with its creator’s wishes, the promotional campaign for Jordan Peele’s new horror thriller ‘Nope’ has been heavy on the mystery. We’ve been introduced to some basic story elements and the main characters, but the question of what is actually happening in the movie has mostly been left to guesswork. Which is exactly what a teaser or trailer should do: leave you wanting to know and see more.

  For the latest trailer, which premiered to CinemaCon audiences this past April, the wrapping has been taken off a little further, so our advice for anyone wishing to stay completely unspoiled would be to skip this one and wait for the movie itself.

  Everyone else? Let’s dig in…

  ‘Nope’ features Daniel Kaluuya (working again with the director after his Oscar-winning debut ‘Get Out’) and Keke Palmer as sibling OJ and Emerald Haywood, who run a horse ranch in a lonely gulch in inland California catering to the film industry.

  From the looks of this new trailer, OJ is happy working the ranch with their father (Keith David), while Emerald is more in search of fame. So, when weird things start happening – especially in terms of the sky above, OJ’s worried, but Emerald sees a chance at riches.

  When their dad dies after something falls from the clouds, the brother and sister approach a group of others to help them capture footage of what they suspect is an alien incursion. And, of course, things just get weirder and scarier from there.

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  Peele has filled the movie – and therefore this trailer – with all manner of striking imagery, including a ranch house bathed in blood from above, the audience of a rodeo (to say nothing of some of the main cast) swept up in the sky and that final money/“Oprah”, to use Emerald’s parlance, moment of OJ riding a horse as what appears to be a flying saucer swoops down towards him.

  Of course, this being Jordan Peele, you know the movie will have more layers than just a basic story of terror from the sky. If ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’ have taught us anything, ‘Nope’ will be filled with thematic material and meditations on modern life, all told through the medium of gut-wrenching horror.

  In addition to Kaluuya, Palmer and David the cast includes Steven Yeun (as the seeming owner of a rodeo attraction) Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, Wrenn Schmidt, Donna Milles and Barbie Ferreira.

  “I’m always attracted by my favorite movie I haven’t seen before,” Peele, said at CinemaCon. “My plan is to bring these new ideas and nightmares to the big screen.” He’s reportedly worked with IMAX to develop new camera gear to capture shots we’ve not seen before. And while he’s never been about imagery over story, we’re still intrigued to see what he’s come up with.

  ‘Nope’ will land in theaters on July 22nd.

  

  

  

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  June 9, 2022

• 

  2021 Oscar Nominations

  

  Early in the morning on March 15th, Nick Jonas and Prianka Chopra-Jonas announced the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards. Here are the nominees for this years’ awards:

  BEST PICTURE

  ‘The Father’
  ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
  ‘Mank’
  ‘Minari’
  ‘Nomadland’
  ‘Promising Young Woman’
  ‘Sound of Metal’
  ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

  ---

  DIRECTOR

  Thomas Vinterberg, ‘Another Round’
  David Fincher, ‘Mank’
  Lee Isaac Chung, ‘Minari’
  Chloe Zhao, ‘Nomadland’
  Emerald Fennell, ‘Promising Young Woman’

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed, ‘Sound of Metal’
Chadwick Boseman, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Anthony Hopkins, ‘The Father’
Gary Oldman, ‘Mank’
Steven Yeun, ‘Minari’

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Andra Day, ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’
Vanessa Kirby, ‘Pieces of a Woman’
Frances McDormand, ‘Nomadland’
Carey Mulligan, ‘Promising Young Woman’

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova, ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’
Glenn Close, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
Olivia Colman, ‘The Father’
Amanda Seyfried, ‘Mank’
Youn Yuh-jung, ‘Minari’

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen, ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
Daniel Kaluuya, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Leslie Odom Jr., ‘One Night in Miami’
Paul Raci, ‘Sound of Metal’
Lakeith Stanfield, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

‘Onward’
‘Over the Moon’
‘A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon’
‘Soul’
‘Wolfwalkers’

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

‘Borat Subsequent MovieFilm’
‘The Father’
‘Nomadland’
‘One Night in Miami’
‘The White Tiger’

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
‘Minari’
‘Promising Young Woman’
‘Sound of Metal’
‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

‘Another Round’ – Denmark
‘Better Days’ – Hong Kong
‘Collective’ – Romania
‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ – Tunisia
‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ – Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

‘Collective’
‘Crip Camp’
‘The Mole Agent’
‘My Octopus Teacher’
‘Time’

PRODUCTION DESIGN

‘The Father’
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
‘Mank’
‘News of the World’
‘Tenet’

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sean Bobbitt, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Erik Messerschmidt, ‘Mank’
Dariusz Wolski, ‘News of the World’
Joshua James Richards, ‘Nomadland’
Phedon Papamichael , ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

COSTUME DESIGN

‘Emma’
‘Ma Rainey’s Blackbottom’
‘Mank’
‘Mulan’
‘Pinocchio’

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

‘Emma’
‘Hillbilly Elegy’
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
‘Mank’
‘Pinocchio’

FILM EDITING

‘The Father’
‘Nomadland’
‘Promising Young Woman’
‘Sound of Metal’
‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

‘Greyhound’
‘Mank’
‘News of the World’
‘Soul’
‘Sound of Metal’

VISUAL EFFECTS

‘Love and Monsters’
‘The Midnight Sky’
‘Mulan’
‘The One and Only Ivan’
‘Tenet’

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

‘Feeling Through’
‘The Letter Room’
‘The Present’
‘Two Distant Strangers’
‘White Eye’

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

‘Burrow’
‘Genius Loci’
‘If Anything Happens I Love You’
‘Opera’
‘Yes-People’

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

‘Colette’
‘A Concerto Is a Conversation’
‘Do Not Split’
‘Hunger Ward’
‘A Love Song For Latasha’

ORIGINAL SONG

‘Fight For You’ from ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
‘Hear My Voice’ from ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
‘Husavik’ from ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’
‘lo Sì (Seen)’ from ‘The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)’
‘Speak Now’ from ‘One Night in Miami…’

ORIGINAL SCORE

‘Da 5 Bloods’
‘Mank’
‘Minari’
‘News of the World’
‘Soul’

Delayed by the pandemic, the Oscars ceremony will be on Sunday, April 25 on ABC.