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Tag: danny-huston

  • ‘Across the River and into the Trees’ – Liev Schreiber

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    Opening in theaters on August 30th is the new war drama ‘Across the River and into the Trees’, which is based on the 1950 novel by Ernest Hemingway.

    Directed by Paula Ortiz (‘Teresa’), the film stars Liev Schreiber (‘Ray Donovan’ and ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’), Matilda De Angelis (‘Coco’), Josh Hutcherson (‘The Beekeeper’), Laura Morante (‘Man on Fire’), Danny Huston (‘Wonder Woman’), and Sabrina Impacciatore (‘The Passion of the Christ’).

    Related Article: Matt Smith and Liev Schreiber Join the Cast of Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Caught Stealing’

    Liev Schreiber in 'Across the River and into the Trees'. Photo: Tribune Pictures.
    Liev Schreiber in ‘Across the River and into the Trees’. Photo: Tribune Pictures.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Liev Schreiber about his work on ‘Across the River and into the Trees’, the work of Ernest Hemingway, his character, working with director Paula Ortiz, filming during the pandemic, reuniting with his ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ co-star Danny Huston, and why Schreiber did not reprise his role of Sabretooth in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.

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

    Liev Schreiber in 'Across the River and into the Trees'. Photo: Tribune Pictures.
    Liev Schreiber in ‘Across the River and into the Trees’. Photo: Tribune Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, how familiar were you with the work of Ernest Hemingway before making ‘Across the River and into the Trees’?

    Liev Schreiber: I had only read the basic high school Hemingway, which was, I had read ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and I’d read ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’. I really didn’t have much experience with him. When Paula initially reached out to me about the film, she told me about a novel by a guy named Andrea di Robilant called ‘Autumn in Venice’, which is a wonderful telling of Hemingway’s time in Venice, which is a place that as many people know, he really loved. Especially his relationship to a young Countess, Adriana Ivancich. I knew that Paula wanted Ernest Hemingway to be present in this film and I followed. So, we grew my beard a little longer, and I spent a tremendous amount of time in Venice. There’s a lot of films about older men and younger women obviously, but one of the things that I appreciated about Hemingway was his self-consciousness about it and his self-loathing, or self-consciousness that verges on self-loathing. I think that that is a very refreshing and interesting take on it. He was impossibly spellbound by Adriana, the real woman, and at the same time hated himself for it and was very frustrated and then did absolutely nothing to hide it. So, a very complicated man, and I think in ‘Across the River’, he paints the portrait that perhaps he wants us to see, or that he wanted Adriana to see because he ultimately did write it for her, I believe.

    MF: Did you relate personally to your character and what was your approach to playing Colonel Cantwell?

    LS: I don’t often take things because I think I can knock them out of the park. I wish that there were things that I read that I thought I could knock out of the park. This was something that I was interested in perhaps because I was thinking about it and I was feeling it, which was mortality. We had just gone through the pandemic, my father was terminally ill, and I am getting on in years myself. Mortality in all its incarnations and the vulnerability that it elicits and the uncomfortable feelings, and it was just something that I thought was worth exploring and would be compelling for me as a role.

    (L to R) Matilda De Angelis and Liev Schreiber in 'Across the River and into the Trees'. Photo: Tribune Pictures.
    (L to R) Matilda De Angelis and Liev Schreiber in ‘Across the River and into the Trees’. Photo: Tribune Pictures.

    Can you talk about collaborating on set with director Paula Ortiz?

    MF: Well, initially I was just so surprised that this feminist auteur director wanted to take on Hemingway. When I watched her other films, I thought, okay, this is someone who was really in touch with that. Everyone always talks about the simplicity of Hemingway, the masculinity of the writing, the spareness of it. But to be honest with you, that’s not what I thought when I read Hemingway in high school, and it’s certainly not what I thought when I read ‘Across the River’. I get that grammatically, in terms of styles of writing, I think he’s a romantic. I think that there are aspects of him, and I think that the masculinity that he wanted to convey to the world was a bit of a costume. For a child whose mother dressed him in girl’s clothes and things like that, he seemed awfully obsessed with doing masculine things. I think that Paula captures that. That there is this bravado, there is this lurch towards something that feels appropriate or that how one should act. One should join the military, one should serve one’s country, one should lead bravely, one should sacrifice one’s life, one should do all these things, but what one feels is oftentimes entirely different and at odds with what one should do. I think both Hemingway and Paula had a good handle on that concept.

    MF: Can you talk about shooting in St. Mark’s Square in Venice during the pandemic? What was that like?

    LS: It was extraordinary. I mean, imagine that city with no one in it. It had been returned to the Venetians, and they were in heaven. It’s probably why they’ve outlawed cruise ships because they’re still desperate for a bit of that. To be walking down those streets and beside those canals by yourself in the middle of the night, and to see the history and to feel the ghosts and the shadows of that extraordinarily beautiful city and culture, and because of the pandemic and what everyone was going through, we were there for quite some time and it was probably the best year of my life.

    Danny Huston in 'Across the River and into the Trees'. Photo: Tribune Pictures.
    Danny Huston in ‘Across the River and into the Trees’. Photo: Tribune Pictures.

    MF: What was it like reuniting on screen with your ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ co-star Danny Huston?

    LS: Yeah, Danny and I are dear friends, and he was kind enough to help us out by coming to Venice to do this role. So yes, it was lovely to be with Danny again.

    MF: Finally, was there ever any talk about you reprising your Sabretooth role in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’?

    LS: No, there wasn’t. But I mean, I suppose that’s a conversation for Ryan. I think that they had it in their story that it would be Tyler Mane and that version of Sabretooth, which was a very different version of Sabretooth than mine, so I understand completely.

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    What is the plot of ‘Across the River and into the Trees’?

    United States Army Colonel Richard Cantwell (Liev Schreiber) confronts the news of his terminal illness with stoic indifference and enlists a military driver for presumably his final hunting trip and a visit to Venice. Along the way, Cantwell investigates an alleged war crime and has a chance encounter with a young woman from the Italian nobility.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Across the River and into the Trees’?

    • Liev Schreiber as Colonel Richard Cantwell
    • Matilda De Angelis as Renata Contarini
    • Josh Hutcherson as Jackson
    • Laura Morante as Contessa Contarini
    • Massimo Popolizio as Vanni Rizzon
    • Danny Huston as Captain Wes O’Neill
    • Sabrina Impacciatore as Agostina
    Liev Schreiber in 'Across the River and into the Trees'. Photo: Tribune Pictures.
    Liev Schreiber in ‘Across the River and into the Trees’. Photo: Tribune Pictures.

    Liev Schreiber Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Across the River and into the Trees’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Liev Schreiber Movies on Amazon

  • Movie Review: ‘The Crow’

    Bill Skarsgård in 'The Crow.' Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate. Copyright: © 2022 Yellow Flower LLC.
    Bill Skarsgård in ‘The Crow.’ Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate. Copyright: © 2022 Yellow Flower LLC.

    Opening in theaters August 23 is ‘The Crow,’ directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Bill Skarsgård, FKA Twigs, Danny Huston, Josette Simon, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger.

    Related Article: ‘The Crow’: First Images of Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs in the Remake

    Initial Thoughts

    Here’s a little secret: this writer has never been a huge fan of the original 1994 movie ‘The Crow.’ At the time, it seemed dreary, gratuitous, and largely a case of style over substance, with simplistic characters and a reactionary, nihilistic narrative. But the death of lead actor Brandon Lee — who was accidentally shot on the set and died later from his injuries, just a few days before the end of filming — cast an unmistakably somber pall over the film that one would have to be a robot not to feel. Lee is great despite the movie around him, but there is also a ghostly aura around his presence onscreen that permeates the entire movie and lifts an otherwise ho-hum revenge thriller into a different light that has since made it a cult classic.

    Fairly or not, taking the mystique and legend of Lee out of the equation, as the new remake of ‘The Crow’ does, leaves you with nothing but the ho-hum revenge thriller. Despite the best efforts of star Bill Skarsgård (who’s cornering the market on movie monsters with his past portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in ‘It’ and his upcoming title turn in ‘Nosferatu’) and a few inspired moments, this long-in-development reboot from director Rupert Sanders (‘Snow White and the Huntsman’) is dull, derivative, and predictable, lacking in energy both from its direction, its style, and even its cast.

    Story and Direction

    (L to R) Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs in 'The Crow.' Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs in ‘The Crow.’ Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.

    The new ‘Crow,’ written by Zach Baylin and William Schneider, keeps the bones of the story (based on the original 1989 graphic novel by James O’Barr) but adds a convoluted new set-up to get us to the main plot. Skarsgård’s Eric Draven is in a rehab facility in a rather vague location (it appears to be out in relatively sunny countryside, while the unnamed city where the primary action takes place is perpetually dark and rainy) for rather vague reasons (a flashback reveals he watched a treasured animal die as a child) when he meets fellow resident Shelly (FKA Twigs), a musician who allowed herself to get arrested for possession of drugs and sent to the facility to avoid an even darker fate.

    This is where ‘The Crow’ 2024 diverges sharply from the 1994 film: whereas the villains in that movie were local Detroit thugs (yes, that movie was set in Detroit; the new one is supposed to be set in an American city but was shot in Germany and Prague) who were looking to take over the apartment building where Eric and Shelly make their home, the antagonist here is Vincent Roag (a bored Danny Huston), who is apparently immortal thanks to a deal he made with the Devil ages ago. That deal involves using a demonic voice to whisper in people’s ears and make them either kill themselves or someone nearby, thus corrupting their soul and sending them to hell. Shelly has been used in this fashion by Roag to murder someone, thus damning her, but she has the whole thing on videotape (although how it’s going to bring him down remains frustratingly unclear).

    It’s a needlessly complicated back story that diminishes the power of Eric himself becoming a supernatural being. Which, of course, is what eventually happens. He and Shelly rather easily escape rehab just ahead of Roag’s goon squad (led by ‘Foundation’ star Laura Birn, who deserves better) and enjoy an inexplicably idle montage of hanging out at a lake with their friends or making sweet love and/or music together (the timeline in this film is really murky). But Roeg’s minions catch up with them again at Eric’s apartment, suffocating both of them in a harrowing sequence as they watch each other die.

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    Eric is sent to a gray CG afterlife that looks like the outside of an abandoned railyard, where ghostly mentor Kronos (Sami Bouajila) provides the necessary exposition for the film to move forward. Eric is dead, but he can return to the land of the living and avenge Shelly’s death, or “put the wrong things right.” His physical body can heal from any wound, as long as his love for Shelly remains “pure.” And he can save her damned soul as well – but at a much higher cost.

    From there, it becomes a rather standard stalk-and-kill scenario, albeit with copious amounts of CG blood (God, how we miss karo syrup sometimes) and some enjoyably bonkers deaths, particularly in one extended battle in an opera house that leaves Eric standing amidst a pile of severed limbs and heads (two of which he dispatches in unintentionally hilarious fashion). But while Eric faced distinctive villains like Michael Wincott’s Top Dollar and his moll Myca (Bai Ling) back in 1994, his enemies here are just a bunch of the usual burly, vaguely Eastern European-looking security guys in nice suits, whom Roag seems to have in endless supply. The title bird, a sort of spirit guide in the first film, just kind of tags along in this one.

    There’s an overall lack of suspense, energy, or tension in the proceedings, as everyone seems to know that they’re going through some predictable paces. The eventual confrontation between Eric and Roag, after just about everyone else has been killed, is as disappointingly flat as everything else on display here. The Goth aesthetic and alternative/metal soundtrack of the original film have been replaced with a generalized gray-brown murk and actually some pretty good songs from the likes of Foals, Enya, and Traitrs. But the overall style that made the first film such a cultural touchpoint of its time simply cannot be channeled in the same way.

    The Cast

    (L to R) Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs in 'The Crow.' Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs in ‘The Crow.’ Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.

    We very much enjoyed Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the ‘It’ movies, as well as his turns in films like ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ and ‘Barbarian.’ And while it’s unfair to judge him against Brandon Lee, the latter is such an integral part of the ‘Crow’ legacy and a dominant presence in the original film. It’s not possible to disregard the fact that while Lee was able to transcend the material, Skarsgård can’t. He gives it his best shot, but the emotional undercurrents simply aren’t there, while his patchwork look of random tattoos, choppy hair, and disheveled clothing doesn’t do anything to build his character.

    There is also no chemistry between him and FKA Twigs, who gives a dead-eyed, monotone performance in a crucial role. Some of the scenes between Twigs and Skarsgård simply lapse into silence, as if they have nothing more to say to each other, and Twigs is not a strong enough actor to flesh Shelly out. A subplot involving her relationship with her mother (Josette Simon) goes largely unexplored and mostly forgotten, but based on this we’re not sure Twigs can handle anything too complex anyway. In a movie already existing on a purely surface level, an actor needs all the tools they can muster, and Twigs falls short.

    Danny Huston mostly phones in his villainous role as Roag, a character whose own back story and methodology is confusing to say the least. Is he a vampire? A demon? Both? It’s never quite clear. Laura Birn remains a striking presence (her work as the android Demerzel on ‘Foundation’ is one of that series’ strong points) but is underused, while the rest of the cast doesn’t get enough to do to stand out here.

    Final Thoughts

    Bill Skarsgård in 'The Crow.' Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.
    Bill Skarsgård in ‘The Crow.’ Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.

    This is IP mining at best, an attempt to cash in on a brand name that still has some resonance 30 years later (a string of poor sequels kept it in public view for a while as well), and sheer exploitation at worst. But above all, it’s mediocre: too much of ‘The Crow’ has the kind of bland feel that one gets from watching direct-to-video thrillers. Whatever aura Brandon Lee brought to the original is no longer there, and even the love story at the heart of the movie pales in comparison.

    The original 1994 ‘The Crow’ remains a testament to a promising actor and career tragically lost far too soon, as well as a snapshot of a particular moment in youth culture. Lacking either of those aspects, 2024’s ‘The Crow’ is a testament to what happens when story material is resurrected and rebooted without wondering if it should be in the first place.

    ‘The Crow’ receives 3 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Crow’?

    Damaged souls Eric (Bill Skarsgård) and Shelly (FKA Twigs) fall deeply in love, only for Shelly’s dark past and demonic benefactor to catch up with her. After the couple are brutally murdered, Eric is sent back from the realm of the dead to “put the wrong things right” – even if it means it will cost him the one thing he wants most of all.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Crow’?

    • Bill Skarsgård as Eric
    • FKA Twigs as Shelly
    • Danny Huston as Vincent Roeg
    • Josette Simon as Sophia
    • Laura Birn as Marian
    • Sami Bouajila as Kronos
    • Isabella Wei as Zadie
    • Jordan Bolger as Chance
    Bill Skarsgård in 'The Crow.' Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.
    Bill Skarsgård in ‘The Crow.’ Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.

    Other Movies and TV Shows in ‘The Crow’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘The Crow’ Movie on Amazon

  • Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain to star in ‘Lear, Rex’

    (Left) Al Pacino presents the Oscar® for Best Picture to Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, and Christopher Nolan during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S. (Right) Jessica Chastain attends the Governors Ball following the 84th Annual Academy Awards® from Hollywood, CA February 26, 2012. Photo: Heather Ikei / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
    (Left) Al Pacino presents the Oscar® for Best Picture to Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, and Christopher Nolan during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S. (Right) Jessica Chastain attends the Governors Ball following the 84th Annual Academy Awards® from Hollywood, CA February 26, 2012. Photo: Heather Ikei / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

    Preview:

    • Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain will lead the cast of ‘Lear, Rex’.
    • Bernard Rose adapted the play for the new movie and will direct.
    • Rachel Brosnahan, LaKeith Stanfield and Peter Dinklage are also all among a starry cast.

    Al Pacino just can’t stay away from the Bard. The actor, who has appeared in several Shakespeare adaptations (and one or two movies inspired by his work), will once more tackle the legendary playwright’s work with a new interpretation of ‘King Lear’.

    And he’ll be joined in what is called ‘Lear, Rex’ (“Rex” meaning “king”, “monarch” or “ruler” in Latin, language fans!) by occasional co-star Jessica Chastain and a host of famous faces.

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    What’s the story of ‘Lear Rex’?

    Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
    Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.

    From the sounds of it, writer/director Bernard Rose is sticking relatively close to the story as laid out by the play… Pacino will be an aging King who divides his land between his three daughters to prevent future conflict.

    But he rejects the youngest daughter, Cordelia who loves him and places his trust in her malevolent sisters, who strip him of his power and condemn him to a wretched wasteland of horror and insanity. Tch… you kids today, with your lust for power and your overthrowing of the monarchy!

    Related Article: Al Pacino and Dan Stevens to Play Priests in New Horror Movie ‘The Ritual’

    Who else is in ‘Lear Rex’?

    (Far Left) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.' (Center Left) LaKeith Stanfield in 'The Changeling,' now streaming on Apple TV+. (Center Right) Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom in 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.' Photo Credit: Murray Close. (Far Right) Ariana DeBose at the 5th Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards.
    (Far Left) Rachel Brosnahan on Prime Video’s ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’ (Center Left) LaKeith Stanfield in ‘The Changeling,’ now streaming on Apple TV+. (Center Right) Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close. (Far Right) Ariana DeBose at the 5th Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards.

    Alongside Pacino and Chastain (who plays Goneril, one of the older daughters who plot against their naive old dad), the already impressive cast for this one also includes Ariana DeBose as Cordelia (the youngest daughter), Rachel Brosnahan as Regan (Goneril’s scheme-happy sister), Peter Dinklage as the Fool, Danny Huston as Albany, Chris Messina as Cornwall, LaKeith Stanfield as Edmund, Ted Levine as Kent, Matthew Jacobs as Gloucester, Rhys Coiro as Oswald and Stephen Dorff as Poor Tom.

    Barry Navidi is reuniting with Pacino to produce the new film, having worked on several movies with the star (including ‘Salomé’ and ‘Wilde Salomé’, which also starred Chastain.)

    ‘Lear Rex’: the director and producer speak

    Al Pacino at the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
    Al Pacino at the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

    Here’s what Bernard Rose said about the movie in a statement to Deadline:

    “It is enormously exciting to get the opportunity to work with this extraordinary cast that Al, Barry and Sharon [casting director Sharon Howard-Field] have put together to tackle this radical, but accessible adaptation of Shakespeare’s greatest play.”

    And here’s what producer Navidi had to say:

    “I am delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Bernard Rose. His artistic vision, combined with a talented ensemble cast of players led by Al Pacino, promises to take us on a remarkable and unforgettable cinematic experience. We are merging the worlds of Shakespeare and Hollywood. This marks the commencement of an exciting new chapter, one that Al has poured his heart and soul into. It is a privilege for me to join forces with my dear friend once more, and to contribute to his enduring legacy.”

    When will ‘Lear Rex’ be in theaters?

    With the distribution rights yet to be sold, there is no current release date for ‘Lear Rex’. The cameras are set to start rolling on August 12th and we can’t imagine such a star-studded film –– even a Shakespeare adaptation with its occasional cultural language barrier –– sitting in the marketplace for too long.

    Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola and Robert De Niro onstage during the 50th anniversary tribute of “The Godfather” at the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.
    Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola and Robert De Niro onstage during the 50th anniversary tribute of “The Godfather” at the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

    Other Movies Based On William Shakespeare’s Work:

    Buy Al Pacino Movies On Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’

    Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Riding into theaters on June 28th, ‘Does ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ is Kevin Costner’s latest attempt to breathe fresh life into the Western, a genre that was once dominant in theaters before fading away to be replaced by others, re-emerging occasionally as filmmakers such as Clint Eastwood and Costner himself found new ways to present some well-trodden tales.

    The big question is, in an era (admittedly closer to the end than the beginning) of superhero dominance, will there still be a demand for horse-drawn epics of rough-hewn frontiersmen and cowboys fighting to secure territory, power or wealth? And has the baton been handed to the small screen where the likes of ‘Yellowstone’ (formerly starring one K. Costner) and its period-set spin-offs are filling that need?

    Related Article: Luke Wilson Talks Playing the Dark Knight in ‘Merry Little Batman’

    Does ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ Round Up Decent Entertainment?

    A scene from New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    A scene from New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s clear that Kevin Costner firmly still believes in the power of the Western. After all, ‘Horizon’ (you’ll forgive us for not writing the whole title out again) is three hours long and represents just the first part of a planned four-chapter story. Costner has ‘Chapter 2’ due on August 16th, with ‘Chapter 3’ in production and ‘Chapter 4’ in development.

    While there is plenty to like about the movie –– sun-dappled vistas, a wealth of storylines and even (not shocking coming from the director/star of ‘Dances with Wolves’) a nod to balancing the portrayals of settlers and natives –– ‘Horizon’ really ends up feeling overstuffed, even at three hours long, and one big set up for what is become, meaning the narrative is never all that satisfying (including a montage at the end serving as a trailer for what is to come, which has the feel of a student padding their history essay with footnotes).

    Script and Direction

    Director Kevin Costner in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Director Kevin Costner in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Writing with novelist Jon Baird, Costner here aims to turn the clock back to both the Western’s roots and his own work in the genre with the likes of ‘Wolves’ and ‘Wyatt Earp’. Together the duo have crafted a sprawling, multi-story tale of hardy settlers, the natives they come into conflict with and the various characters who orbit both groups. Trouble is, it’s so sprawling and so clearly designed to lay the narrative railroad tracks for the movies to come that it can’t help but turn out unsatisfyingly unfinished, the story less wrapping up than left dangling. One or two of the plotlines have the appearance of completion, but in reality this is more a pilot for a limited series (‘Horizon’ was going to be one at some point in its long gestation) than a fully rounded movie.

    Directorially, it’s predictably accomplished, Costner and his crew making full use of the sweeping, glorious vistas of the American countryside and staging some epic standoff scenes (the story is bookended by a violent Apache attack on settlers and a vengeful raid by “white-eyes” on the natives near the end). The trouble comes with some of the characters and performances, whose quality vary wildly from well-sketched (the likes of Sienna Miller’s Frances Kittredge, who loses her husband and son in the first attack) to basic Western cliché (Jon Beavers’ scowlin’, spittin’, villainous Junior Sykes). And aside from Miller, and to a lesser degree, Abbey Lee’s Marigold, the majority of the women are disposable or, in the case of snippy, snooty Juliette Chesney (Ella Hunt) mostly the butt of jokes.

    Costner, of course, gives himself a plum role (albeit a character who doesn’t show up in the story for roughly an hour), playing Hayes Ellison, a badass –– but humble! –– travelling worker who is handy with a six-shooter and instantly attractive to beautiful women. Must be nice to be the boss…

    Performances

    Macphail as Elizabeth “Lizzie” and Michael Rooker as Sgt. Mjr. Thomas Riordan in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Sienna Miller as Frances, Georgia Macphail as Elizabeth “Lizzie” and Michael Rooker as Sgt. Mjr. Thomas Riordan in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    With such a full cast, it would be impossible to spotlight them all, but the majority of the actors do what they can with limited screentime (surely something the completed set of movies will repair) and occasionally slim characterization.

    Sam Worthington as Trent Gephart

    Sam Worthington as First Lt. Trent Gephardt in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Sam Worthington as First Lt. Trent Gephardt in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    A military man, and part of the Union army (since the movie is set during the Civil War but only peripherally touches upon it), Sam Worthington is the anchor for one of the big stories. He’s actually better here than he tends to be in the ‘Avatar’ movies, finding a low-key but authoritative gear and notching solid chemistry with Miller’s widowed woman.

    Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay

    Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay and (right) Tatanka Means as Taklishim in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman.
    (L to r) Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay and (right) Tatanka Means as Taklishim in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    The Apache warrior who leads the initial, brutal assault on the settlers, he’s portrayed as a complicated, hot-headed young man who is looking to fiercely defend his family, tribe and land from the invading new arrivals. That brings him into conflict with the elders, especially his father, who would rather lay low in the relative safety of the mountains. Owen Crow Shoe puts in a solid performance in a couple of scenes.

    Luke Wilson as Van Weyden

    Luke Wilson in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Luke Wilson in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Luke Wilson gets to show a gruffer side of himself than usual as the leader of a caravan wending its way along the risky the Santa Fe Trail. Not every scene of his storyline works, but he certainly acquits himself with the required grit.

    Final Thoughts

    Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter One', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Kevin Costner is certainly to be applauded for keeping the faith with the movie, insisting it stay a big screen experience when there was a thought it could end up on streaming.

    Yet the movie is not without some big flaws. Its old-fashioned nature leads to a stew of manly Western man and flighty female cliches, plenty of the dialogue could have used some polishing and the native characters need more shading if they’re to function effectively. Still, if Costner manages to finish the whole film series, there are plenty of hours ahead.

    And talking of hours, ‘Chapter 1’ could easily have lost a few sequences that little served the narrative –– it would have functioned perfectly well at two to two-and-a-half hours.

    ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the Plot of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?

    “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won — and lost — through the blood, sweat and tears of many.

    Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Kevin Costner’s movie chronicles a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.

    Who is in the Cast of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?

    Director Kevin Costner in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Director Kevin Costner in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Other Kevin Costner Western Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Kevin Costner Movies on Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’

    Viggo Mortensen in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    Viggo Mortensen in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcel Zyskind.

    Opening in theaters on May 31st is ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt,’ directed by Viggo Mortensen and starring Viggo Mortensen, Vicky Krieps, Danny Huston, Garret Dillahunt, and Solly McLeod.

    Director Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps Talk ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’

    Initial Thoughts

    Viggo Mortensen’s second film as a director, writer, producer, and composer – not to mention, of course, actor – is about as far away from possible in time and place from his debut in those areas, 2020’s ‘Falling.’ But the themes of marginalization, brutality, intolerance, and the expression of violence remain the same, even as Mortensen transports them to the Old West. While this slow-moving and occasionally confusing film gets the period details right and creates a strong central female character, it takes a while to get to the heart of the story.

    Story and Direction

    Director Viggo Mortensen on the set of 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    Director Viggo Mortensen on the set of ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcela Nava.

    ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ opens in the 1860s, near the small town of Elks Flat, Nevada, where we are introduced to Danish immigrant and local sheriff Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen) in the middle of a somber ceremony. Following a visit by Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston), Olsen heads into town and promptly resigns as sheriff following a trial held in what passes for the local courthouse.

    From this point on, the story flashes back to how Holger and a French-Canadian woman named Vivienne (Vicky Krieps) first meet – after arriving in San Francisco – fall in love, and eventually settle on Holger’s small parcel of land outside Elks Flat. But as the American Civil War breaks out, Holger makes a fateful decision: he heads out to fight for the Union and doesn’t return for several years. In the meantime, Vivienne is left to fend for herself, getting a job behind the bar at the local saloon, where she catches the attention of the vicious, sadistic Weston Jeffries (Solly McLeod), son of the town’s wealthiest and most powerful landowner, Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt).

    What happens from there basically brings us full circle, as Holger eventually returns from the war to find things are drastically different on his homestead. Nevertheless, he and Vivienne manage to find a way to rekindle their relationship and thrive as a family before things take one more dark turn.

    Solly McLeod and Viggo Mortensen in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    (L to R) Solly McLeod and Viggo Mortensen in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcel Zyskind.

    As with ‘Falling,’ Mortensen stages all this in deliberately-paced fashion – almost too deliberate, as several scenes feature extended silences that skate on the thin edge between uncomfortable and gratuitous. The time-bending early part of the film is not handled well either – the first act’s confluence of events past and present, as well as the introduction of the major characters, is confusing and jarring at first. But when the narrative focuses on the relationship between Vivienne and Holger – and more specifically, Vivienne’s journey as she adapts to life on her own and allows Holger back into her life on her terms – ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ comes to life.

    Vivienne proves herself to be an incredibly resourceful, resilient woman, allowing this to join an esteemed but short list of Westerns featuring female protagonists that stretches at first glance from ‘Johnny Guitar’ (1954) to ‘Meek’s Cutoff’ (2011). Although Holger has his own arc as well, this is Vivienne’s story all the way, and kudos to Mortensen for making a film in which the ostensible male lead must ultimately adapt his life around the woman’s choices.

    If ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ doesn’t exactly set the screen on fire, it’s because Mortensen chooses to unfold the story in a laconic fashion that matches the slow pace of life in Elks Flat. The languid passage of time may lend the film a lot of atmosphere, but doesn’t always reward the viewer’s patience. On a technical level, Mortensen does a fine job in expanding his visual palette on his second directorial outing, with an immersive, detailed setting and spacious, lovely cinematography by Marcel Zyskind.

    The Cast

    Vicky Krieps in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    Vicky Krieps in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcel Zyskind.

    ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ is all about Vicky Krieps. The acclaimed French actor has never fully impressed us before in films like ‘Phantom Thread,’ ‘Old,’ and ‘Beckett,’ but she gives a truly impressive performance here. Although put through the wringer physically and emotionally, Vivienne never loses her humanity or sense of self, and her decision at one crucial point to remain on the homestead instead of fleeing is a brief, subtle, but powerful moment. Krieps underplays throughout, never resorting to showy melodramatics, while exuding a quiet, captivating strength that fuels the film’s second act.

    A less generous writer-star-director might want his perceived share of the spotlight, but Viggo Mortensen is clear about who his main character is, and his Holger disappears from the film for much of its middle. Holger himself is humane and caring, and while his decision to go off to war may seem impractical and even selfish, it springs from a deep moral conviction. It’s that same moral grounding that leads him back to Vivienne and opens him to make a life with her where many less empathetic men might not even try. Mortensen is taciturn yet gentle in the role, and the actor’s natural warmth shines through as always.

    The rest of the cast populates the town of Elks Flat with the usual assortment of recognizable character types, from a hard-bitten judge to Danny Huston’s duplicitous mayor, and Mortensen’s script gives everyone a brief moment or two to stand out. Only Solly McLeod’s Weston comes across as a pure, one-dimensional monster, making his character arc gratifying on the surface yet hollow.

    Final Thoughts

    Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps star in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    (L to R) Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps star in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Photo: Shout! Studios.

    The best Westerns – from ‘The Searchers’ to ‘Unforgiven’ – live in a moral gray area, where the archetypes of good guys and bad guys are peeled away to reveal motivations that are more complex and ambivalent. ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ never quite gets there, thanks to the unredeemable nature of its antagonists, which renders the narrative spine of the movie somewhat stock. Yet the other half of the equation here – the emotional dynamic between the characters portrayed by Krieps and Mortensen, along with Krieps’ towering performance – manages to keep ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ compelling to the end even if one leaves the film somewhat unsatisfied.

    ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’?

    Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) and Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen) begin a life together on a homestead outside the town of Elks Flat in 1860s Nevada, but a fateful decision by Holger leaves Vivienne alone to fend for herself against the insidious, corrupt men of the town.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’?

    • Viggo Mortensen as Holger Olsen
    • Vicky Krieps as Vivienne Le Coudy
    • Garret Dillahunt as Alfred Jeffries
    • Solly McLeod as Weston Jeffries
    • Danny Huston as Mayor Rudolph Schiller
    • Nadia Litz as Martha Gilkyson
    Garret Dillahunt and Solly McLeod star in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    (L to R) Garret Dillahunt and Solly McLeod star in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Photo: Shout! Studios.

    Other Movies and TV Shows Similar to ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt‘:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Viggo Mortensen Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ – Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps

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    Opening in theaters on May 31st is the new Western ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’, which was written and directed by Viggo Mortensen (‘Crimes of the Future’). The film also stars Mortensen, as well as Vicky Krieps (‘Old’), Solly McLeod (‘Jericho Ridge’), Garrett Dillahunt (‘Red Right Hand’), and Danny Huston (‘Wonder Woman’).

    Related Article: Director Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles Talk ‘Outlaw Posse’

    Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps talk 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    (L to R) Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps talk ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker and actor Viggo Mortensen and actress Vicky Krieps about their work on ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt,’ developing the screenplay, the characters, Krieps’ experience being directed by Mortensen, working with the crew and why Westerns are fun to make.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Mortensen, Krieps, Danny Huston and Solly McLeod.

    Viggo Mortensen in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    Viggo Mortensen in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcel Zyskind.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Viggo, can you talk about developing the screenplay and the themes you wanted to explore as a director?

    Viggo Mortensen: Well, I started out writing this. It was during the pandemic 2020, and then it took, as it always does with independent films, some years to find the money to shoot it. But I started writing a story about a strong independent woman and then decided to place it in the west, turned into a Western, which I like the idea of. I’ve been in some, and I grew up like most kids in my generation, seeing them on TV and going to the movies and seeing them. Themes, I did want to explore, for example, the character of Vivienne played by Vicky. She is our central character, which is unusual to have a woman be the central character in a Western, and even more unusual to stay with her when her male partner goes off to war or on an adventure of some kind. That’s what we do. It’s really her story.

    Vicky Krieps in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    Vicky Krieps in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcel Zyskind.

    MF: Vicky, can you talk about your approach to playing Vivienne?

    Vicky Krieps: Well, I’m a strong independent woman in a particular time. I think maybe that is why it was not so difficult to play because reading his script, I was really reminded of society today and how it’s all coming back and how everything is finally built on the structure of the western world, the western town. We’re still dealing with fighting over land. We’re still pushing borders. We’re still fighting our neighbor for being someone else. So, I really felt reminded of today. Playing her, I really was reminded of myself. I must fight myself a lot to try and become the woman I want to be, even if today it’s supposed to be easier, but I’m still struggling with the same preconceptions. If you’re a woman, you’re supposed to be this, and if you’re a mother, you’re supposed to be that. If you’re an actress, you’re supposed to be this. So, I struggle myself with this a lot. I think playing Vivienne was the first time I was able to let myself go in acting and let it happen and let it be close to myself.

    Solly McLeod and Viggo Mortensen in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    (L to R) Solly McLeod and Viggo Mortensen in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcel Zyskind.

    MF: Viggo, director John Ford once said, “If they knew how much fun it was to make a Western, they wouldn’t let us do it.” Do you agree with that? Is it fun making a Western and what do you love about this genre?

    VM: Well, it was a lot of work, but like Vicky, I knew how to ride horses before working on this movie. I think we both loved being in those landscapes and in that place. It was hard work, early mornings, long days of work, most scenes were outdoors, but getting to be on horseback and those landscapes was a treat. It was special.

    MF: Vicky, what was it like working with Viggo as both an actor and director?

    VK: So, it was my first time. I know we are all multiple people, but it was interesting because I always had to be on my toes and I always had to remind myself who I was responding to, not so much depending on if Viggo would be different or talk different. It was more me and myself, what I was expecting. What are my expectations, what am I projecting? What am I projecting onto the director to be and onto the actor to be? I always had to come back to reality or to the moment and connect with the true thing in that moment, which was if he was the actor in that moment, what did my actor partner just say to me and not think about what is the director maybe thinking about? If that makes sense. So, it was a great school.

    Director Viggo Mortensen on the set of 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    Director Viggo Mortensen on the set of ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Credit: Marcela Nava.

    MF: Finally, Viggo, can you talk about working with your cinematographer to set up shots? Did you storyboard your scenes before shooting?

    VM: No, I don’t storyboard, but I do make shot lists and I’m careful about that. I mean, I think that’s what I’ve learned from the good directors I’ve worked for. Women and men who are very different and make different kinds of movies, but they all prepare. Even if you prepare perfectly, there’s always something more you can do and there’s going to be something that happens. Each day is going to be a problem, little ones, big ones. Making movies is about solving problems all the time and for everybody. The other thing is to just make sure everybody on the team, the crew, the actors, that they know that it’s clear from the beginning that their ideas matter, what they feel about things. I can disagree, but I want to hear it because a good idea can come from anywhere and we have one shot to make the scene. We have one shot to tell this story and let’s try to do it together. It makes people feel like it’s not just another job. It may be difficult, but we’re in it together and it’s special. It’s a special story, and their opinion is valued. It doesn’t matter who you are. So, we had a great experience in that regard. It was a good team.

    YKHOHyGbSN5BAfst7t6k55

    What is the plot of ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’?

    Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) and Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen) begin a life together on a homestead outside the town of Elks Flat in 1860s Nevada, but a fateful decision by Holger leaves Vivienne alone to fend for herself against the insidious, corrupt men of the town.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’?

    • Viggo Mortensen as Holger Olsen
    • Vicky Krieps as Vivienne Le Coudy
    • Garret Dillahunt as Alfred Jeffries
    • Solly McLeod as Weston Jeffries
    • Danny Huston as Mayor Rudolph Schiller
    • Nadia Litz as Martha Gilkyson
    Garret Dillahunt and Solly McLeod star in 'The Dead Don't Hurt'.
    (L to R) Garret Dillahunt and Solly McLeod star in ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’. Photo: Shout! Studios.

    Other Movies and TV Shows Similar to ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt‘:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Viggo Mortensen Movies on Amazon

    qApOzUqi

  • Aaron Eckhart to Star in Action Thriller ‘Raider’

    Aaron Eckhart as President Benjamin Asher in 'London Has Fallen'.
    Aaron Eckhart as President Benjamin Asher in ‘London Has Fallen’. Photo: Focus Features.

    Preview:

    • Aaron Eckhart is playing the US President in ‘Raider’.
    • He’ll discover a dark conspiracy.
    • ‘Con Air’s Simon West is directing.

    While Aaron Eckhart has played the U.S. President a few times in the past –– most notably in ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ and ‘London Has Fallen’ and in TV series ‘The First Lady’ (that one was real-life leader Gerald Ford) –– but he’s clearly not finished working in fictional White Houses.

    He’s now locked in the role of an unnamed Commander in Chief in new action thriller ‘Raider’.

    Related Article: Aaron Eckhart Talks ‘Chief of Station’ and Looks Back at ‘Sully’

    What’s the story of ‘Raider’?

    Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart in 'Olympus Has Fallen.'
    (L to R) Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart in ‘Olympus Has Fallen.’ Photo: Millennium Films.

    Written by ‘Miranda’s Victim’ scripter J. Craig Stiles, ‘Raider’ tells the story of a president, sworn in after a landslide victory, who discovers that the White House has been controlled by an elite shadow organization for decades.

    Refusing to bow to their demands or comply with the head of the Secret Service (Danny Huston), the president works to unravel a series of cryptic messages left by his predecessors hoping they are the key to freeing his family and the country from dark forces.

    Here’s what producer Steve Lee Jones said about the casting:

    “Our lead is a classy and honorable man who puts country first, despite the risks and impossible odds. When he realizes what’s at stake, he simply says, ‘No.’ We’re very excited to be working with Aaron again and I can’t imagine a better fit than Simon West to bring this pulse-pounding thriller home in spades.”

    Fellow producer Matthew Shreder compared the movie to ‘Air Force One’ and ‘The Da Vinci Code’. This is what he said about Eckhart:

    “People have come to love seeing Aaron take control, and this elevates that to an entirely new level.”

    Who is making ‘Raider’?

    Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich in 'Con Air'.
    (L to R) Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich in ‘Con Air’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.

    ‘Raider’ has engaged the services of a filmmaker who has proved he can handle action in the past: Simon West, who directed ‘Con Air’ and ‘The Expendables 2’, will be putting Eckhart through his paces for the new movie.

    The movie is scheduled to start shooting this fall in Spain.

    Possibly our biggest question is whether Eckhart’s character will do well without ‘Olympus/London Has Fallen’s Gerard Butler to watch his back. We know Eckhart can take care of himself, so we have hope.

    When will ‘Raider’ be in theaters?

    Bee Holder Productions and Concourse Media are producing this one (with Concourse handling sales of the film at the Cannes Market), but with no distribution deals in place, there is no word on when the movie will be in theaters.

    Aaron Eckhart in 'Chief of Station'.
    Aaron Eckhart in ‘Chief of Station’. Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

    Other Simon West Movies:

    Buy Aaron Eckhart Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off ‘Ballerina’ Delayed By a Year

    Ana de Armas in 'The Gray Man.'
    Ana de Armas in ‘The Gray Man.’ Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

    Preview:

    • ‘John Wick’ spin-off ‘Ballerina’ is moving back a year.
    • The Ana de Armas-starring movie is adding some extra actions.
    • Lionsgate is moving ‘The Crow’ re-imagining into the film’s slot this year.

    Things are changing on the ‘John Wick’ spin-off front. While ‘Ballerina’, the Ana de Armas-starring new movie, had been scheduled for June 7th, will now move back a year.

    But before you start worrying that the High Table has somehow found a way to hobble the main character, fear not: it’s for a good reason.

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    What is happening with the ‘Ballerina’ movie?

    Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves
    (L-R) Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves attend the Lionsgate CinemaCon presentation in support of ‘John Wick: Chapter Four’ at the Colosseum Theatre in Caesar’s Palace on April 28th, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Eric Charbonneau.

    According to Deadline, the change is happening so the ‘Ballerina’ team can add in some extra action scenes.

    Chad Stahelski, who has directed ever ‘Wick’ movie since the first, has been promoted to oversee the wider franchise for Lionsgate, and is now going to help director Len Wiseman with boosting the action quotient of the new movie. Which makes sense, since the ‘Wick’ films are always full of stunts and set-pieces.

    What’s the story of ‘Ballerina’?

    Anjelica Huston as "The Director" in 'John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.'
    Anjelica Huston as “The Director” in ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    ‘Ballerina’ will follow the Ballerina character, played by de Armas, glimpsed briefly (and there brought to life Unity Phelan) in ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ and tracks a young assassin who seeks revenge against the people who killed her family. Which feels fitting for a ‘Wick’ movie.

    Wiseman, who has worked on the likes of ‘Underworld’ and ‘Live Free or Die Hard’, directed the new movie, based on a script by Shay Hatten (who wrote ‘Chapter Three’).

    The cast for the new movie also includes Norman Reedus, Anjelica Huston, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Gabriel Byrne, plus ‘Wick’ stalwarts Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick (since the majority of the movie was shot back in 2022).

    Related Article: Keanu Reeves and Ian McShane will Appear in ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off ‘Ballerina’

    When will ‘Ballerina’ be in theaters?

    The action movie is now targeting a June 6th, 2025 release slot. Which might be a smart move, since it plants a flag on a date that is currently empty of competitors.

    What is moving into ‘Ballerina’s old release slot?

    Brandon Lee as Eric Draven / The Crow in 'The Crow.'
    Brandon Lee as Eric Draven / The Crow in ‘The Crow.’ Photo: Miramax Films.

    If you’re wondering what you can watch instead of ‘Ballerina’, Lionsgate has a plan for that. The studio is moving the new version of ‘The Crow’ to the June 7th date this year.

    Directed by Rupert Sanders, the new adaptation of the James O’Barr graphic novel stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven, who is brutally murdered alongside his soulmate Shelly Webster (FKA twigs) when the demons of her dark past catch up with them.

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    Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out to seek merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right.

    The movie also stars Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger. But it’ll be under plenty of pressure, since the 1994 original is considered a cult classic. And the new movie will be up against Ishana Night Shyamalan’s (daughter of M. Night) horror pic ‘The Watchers’ on that June date.

    Keanu Reeves as John Wick in 'John Wick: Chapter 4.'
    Keanu Reeves as John Wick in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Ballerina’:

    Buy ‘John Wick’ Movies On Amazon

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