(Left) Austin Butler stars in ‘Elvis.’ (Right) Don Johnson in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
Austin Butler is in early talks for the new ‘Miami Vice’ movie.
Joseph Kosinski is directing.
If he does sign on, Butler would join Michael B. Jordan in the film.
Well, we were at least close with our guess.
Some context: you might recall that recently we brought word that Michael B. Jordan was in early talks to play Detective Ricardo Tubbs in ‘F1’ director Joseph Kosinski’s planned new movie based on iconic cop series ‘Miami Vice’.
We speculated then that Glen Powell might take on the role of fellow cop Sonny Crockett, but it appears Kosinski is looking to hire a different young rising star.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
(Left) Michael B. Jordan directs and stars as Adonis Creed in ‘Creed III.’ (Right) Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
Michael B. Jordan is in early talks for the new ‘Miami Vice’ movie.
Joseph Kosinski is directing.
Universal is behind the new effort.
It may not be at sweltering Miami city levels just yet, but ‘F1’ director Joseph Kosinski’s development of a new movie based on cult detective series ‘Miami Vice’ is certainly heating up.
Kosinski will be working from a script written by Eric Warren Singer and Dan Gilroy, and assuming Jordan’s deal comes together (he’s reportedly very interested), the search will intensify for someone to play Tubbs’ partner Sonny Crockett.
Our guess? Glen Powell. But let’s see where things land.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Crockett and Thomas as Rico Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
What else is Michael B. Jordan working on?
Michael B. Jordan announces ‘Creed’ spin-off ‘Delphi’ at the Amazon Upfront on May 13th, 2025. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Amazon
Part of the reason for Jordan’s deal not yet being closed is scheduling; the actor is busy directing and starring in his own new version of an older property –– ‘The Thomas Crown Affair.’
He’ll need time to finish editing that movie before he can truly commit to ‘Miami Vice.’
When will the new ‘Miami Vice’ be on our screens?
The movie is currently dated for August 6, 2027.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
(Left) Director-Producer Joseph Kosinski attends a Press Conference in Mexico City on June 10th, 2025 for Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films ‘F1’. Photo Credit: Chino Lemus. Copyright: Chino Lemus 2022. (Right) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
Universal has dated the new ‘Miami Vice’ for 2027.
Joseph Kosinski is directing.
No casting has been announced yet.
First there was ‘Miami Vice’, the iconic 1980s detective drama. In 2006, Michael Mann brought us Movie Vice (okay, it was still just called ‘Miami Vice’ on the big screen, but go with us here).
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And, back in April, word landed that ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘F1’ director Joseph Kosinski was going to take his own crack at the concept for Universal.
It would appear that the success of ‘F1’ ($624 million worldwide so far on an admittedly hefty budget) has spurred the studio to truly commit to Kosinski’s version, with the company handing down a 2027 release slot.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Rico Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
(Left) Director Joseph Kosinski at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros. (Right) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
A new version of ‘Miami Vice’ is in development as a feature film, with Joseph Kosinski on board to direct.
Kosinski is the director of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and the upcoming Brad Pitt racing drama ‘F1.’
Originally a hit TV series in the 1980s, ‘Miami Vice’ was made into a feature film by the show’s producer, Michael Mann, in 2006.
Director Joseph Kosinski has been tapped to direct a new version of ‘Miami Vice’ for the big screen, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
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The Universal Pictures project will be scripted by Dan Gilroy, whose previous credits include ‘Nightcrawler,’ ‘Velvet Buzzsaw,’ and several episodes of ‘Andor.’ There is no word yet on casting or a release date.
Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ ‘F1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
It’s fair to say that Joseph Kosinski has become one of the hottest directors in Hollywood following the billion-dollar, Oscar-nominated triumph of his ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in 2022. Kosinski’s next movie, ‘F1,’ is due out in late June and will star Brad Pitt in a Formula One racing drama that carries a reported price tag of $200 million.
Although Kosinski has signed up for ‘Miami Vice,’ his next film will be a similarly high-profile UFO thriller which is being produced by Apple Original Films (which also produced ‘F1’). His previous pictures include ‘Tron: Legacy,’ ‘Only the Brave,’ and ‘Oblivion,’ the latter of which marked his first collaboration with ‘Top Gun’ star Tom Cruise.
What is the background of ‘Miami Vice’?
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Rico Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
Since it’s unlikely that Farrell and Foxx will reprise their roles 20 years later, a new Crockett and Tubbs will no doubt be the first items on Kosinski’s to-do list.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
On Netflix on September 6th, ‘Rebel Ridge’ is the latest thriller from writer/director Jeremy Saulnier and focuses on a man with a particular set of skills who takes on some dangerous people with a righteous cause.
It’s a genre that has been tackled before, but Saulnier brings his own spin to it, with crackling dialogue and a superb central performance from ‘The Underground Railroad’s Aaron Pierre, backed by sterling support from Don Johnson.
If you’re a fan of Saulnier’s previous work such as ‘Green Room’ and ‘Blue Ruin,’ you might be surprised that ‘Rebel Ridge’ actually dials down the violence and intensity (but only by a certain degree) yet it still absolutely works on its own terms.
In tackling the sort of territory seen in ‘Walking Tall’ and even ‘Taken’, Saulnier finds a way to do it with smarts and some memorable dialogue, while employing his leading man in a role that should surely have other directors (and even a comic book franchise or two) calling.
Saulnier knows how to make compelling movies that –– especially in the case of ‘Green Room’ –– also have you watching through your fingers at times. ‘Rebel Ridge’ doesn’t aspire to that, but it has its own charms. In his script for the new project, he’s crafted some truly superb conversations, but also doesn’t skimp when it comes time for things to throw down.
You’ll get plenty of pleasure just hearing the talented cast chew through the dialogue, military acronyms and all. It’s what keeps ‘Rebel Ridge’ above the quality level of straight-to-home entertainment movie that loves to exploit this genre.
Directorially, Saulnier brings his usual realistic style, eschewing too much showiness, but still keeping visual interest with the lush/grungy Louisiana backdrop (standing in for small towns where the sort of corruption found in the film is rife). And he’s certainly found a way to bring out the best in the entire cast, not just Pierre and Johnson.
Performances
While Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb take the lion’s share of the credit here, the cast is filled with character types giving their all.
Pierre has offered some great performances already in his fledgling career, and it’s not hard to see why directors such as Barry Jenkins are looking to work with him on multiple occasions. And Terry Richmond might be among his best, a human hard man who prefers to use his words but has no problem letting his actions speak for him when he’s pushed to it.
Richmond is a buttoned-down character by nature (a Marine with some clearly morally gray background), but he makes him come alive in a way that is entirely believable. And when it’s time to throw down, Pierre –– and the stunt team –– is more than up to the task.
A tough-talking, oft-spitting police chief whose down-home charisma hides racist attitudes and criminal behavior, Johnson’s Chief Burnne could have been a complete cliché. But in Saulnier and the actor’s hands, he’s so much more than that, and scenes where Johnson and Pierre go toe-to-toe verbally are always great.
In other hands, Summer could have been a throwaway, underwritten female sidekick/victim role. But while she sometimes flirts with those labels, Saulnier has added plenty of depth to the character, who has her own tough background and issues that she must overcome to aid in Richmond’s mission.
She’s far from a random screaming love interest (the pair shares a strictly platonic relationship) and is a fully rounded character.
Cromwell’s role is smaller by design, but he’s still a memorable part of the movie. Playing the town’s judge who is involved in some of its dodgier dealings, the actor brings depth and tragedy to the role, and even though he only has a couple of scenes, he makes a mark.
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Supporting cast
The ensemble is filled with people who know how to do a lot with smaller character roles, such as Steve Zissis and David Denman (as a down-at-heel court clerk and a local cop who has more integrity than it might initially appear), and Saulnier has chosen wisely for pretty much every part. Emory Cohen is great as one of his colleagues, who deploys casual racism, while Daniel Chung, Dana Lee and Zsane Jhe all get their moments in the cinematic sun.
This represents a shift in gear from Saulnier, but it’s also up there with some of his best films. It might at first appear like the sort of movie you’ve seen before, but ‘Rebel Ridge’ is certainly more memorable than a hundred pumped-out thrillers.
With its fascinating protagonist and its excellent cadre of realistic villains, ‘Rebel Ridge’ is more than worth your time.
‘Rebel Ridge’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Rebel Ridge’?
In the town of Shelby Springs, Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) has come to post bail for his cousin, but his savings are unjustly seized by a corrupt local police force led by Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). With the help of court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb), Terry unearths a widespread conspiracy within Shelby Springs and uses his set of “skills” to get the bail money back by any means necessary.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with legendary actor Don Johnson about his work on ‘Rebel Ridge’, his first reaction to the screenplay, his character, playing the villain, working with actor Aaron Pierre and collaborating on the set with director Jeremy Saulnier.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Johnson, Aaron Pierre and AnnaSophia Robb.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to reading the screenplay and why did you want to be a part of this project?
Don Johnson: My first reaction was that I had the opportunity to work with the great Jeremy Saulnier, and then when I read the material. I was at once excited and a touch trepidatious, only because I wanted to make sure that the first part of the movie didn’t become what the movie was about, an old familiar trope. I was so pleasantly pleased to see that it was not that, but it was a very clever way of using something where you think you know, and then suddenly, something starts, and you don’t know. But now you’re learning and now you’re wrapped up in it and now you’re rolling, and you’re into this world where you go, “Wow, this is in America?” So, I was thrilled with that. I was just thrilled with the opportunity to get to play that part and to work with Jeremy.
MF: How would you describe your character in your own words and is it fun playing a villain?
DJ: Would you say Robin Hood was a villain? I don’t know. All my characters are good guys. He’s a no-nonsense guy, Sheriff Sandy Burnne, and he’s been given a responsibility, and he’s managing that responsibility the only way he knows how.
MF: Can you talk about the conflict between Chief Burnne and Terry Richmond and what it was like working with actor Aaron Pierre?
DJ: Well, in the Sheriff’s mind, there was no conflict. This is just business as usual. It only becomes a conflict when this very mysterious big guy (arrives). He’s 6’4″ and ripped. If I was to tell the truth, he might be able to kick my ass if I couldn’t find something to hit him with. I loved working with Aaron because he’s a wonderful actor, wonderful actor, and we have similar sensibilities about how we approach our work. It was very easy for Jeremy and Aaron and I to find a tone that we wanted and to commit to it. It’s a hell of a commitment because if you miss, you miss badly. But if you hit it, you get ‘Rebel Ridge’.
MF: Finally, what was it like collaborating on the set with director Jeremy Saulnier?
DJ: You’re asking a mixed bag of emotions. We’re not going to go on a cruise together, but we worked together very well as director and actor. But when you’re in a collaborative relationship with somebody, and I love Jeremy, and I think he’d say the same thing about me, you lock horns and you argue and battle about stuff, and that’s when you know somebody is invested in the stuff. You don’t want a director who’s going to just yes you to death. You want somebody to say, “I don’t know that I see it that way. Let’s talk about that.” And we did. Unlike a lot of conversations with directors, I think we found the right tone together throughout.
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What is the plot of ‘Rebel Ridge’?
In the town of Shelby Springs, Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) has come to post bail for his cousin, but his savings are unjustly seized by a corrupt local police force led by Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). With the help of court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb), Terry unearths a widespread conspiracy within Shelby Springs and uses his set of “skills” to get the bail money back by any means necessary.
(L to R) Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release.
What is the plot of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’
Four older best friends, Diane (Diane Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen) and Carol (Mary Steenburgen), take their book club to Italy for the fun girls’ trip they never had in their youth to celebrate Vivian’s upcoming marriage. But when things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure that will change all of their lives forever.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’
The result is a very predictable comedy that is still funny and overall entertaining thanks to the colorful characters and excellent performances from the four leading actresses.
‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ begins during the COVID lock-down and shows our characters dealing with the pandemic by continuing their book club through Zoom. The pandemic soon ends and the four friends are reunited in person, but all their lives have changed. Vivian (Fonda) is now engaged to Arthur (Johnson), Diane (Keaton) is in a serious relationship with Mitchell (Garcia), Sharon (Bergen) has retired from being a Judge, and Carol (Steenburgen) is having issues with her husband (Nelson), while her restaurant closes due to the pandemic.
When Carol is reminded that they all planned to take a trip to Italy together back in their youth, she suggests that they travel there now to celebrate Vivian’s upcoming marriage. As one can imagine, high jinks ensue. While there is not a lot of the actual book club featured in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ that’s okay, as the character-driven story and the performances of the lead actresses is enough to keep the film moving, funny, and compelling. However, it is also very predictable, and there are not a lot of real surprises in the movie.
For example, the opening scene actually gives away the ending, if you can recognize which of the lead actresses’ voice is the narrator, and spoiler alert … you definitely can! Another predictable moment comes when Carol, who is having issues with her husband coincidentally runs into her old boyfriend in Rome. Sparks fly as you can imagine, but if you guessed that nothing happens between them and she eventually makes up with her husband, you’d probably be on to something.
So the movie is littered with extremely predictable moments but to the credit of director Bill Holderman and the cast, none of that really matters. The heart of the movie are the relationships between these four women, and the slightly outrageous characters each one of them has created, which is where the humor stems from. It’s clear that Holderman realizes that, as he keeps the focus mostly on the leading ladies, their characters, and the beautiful locations of Italy, as nothing else in the movie really matters at all. In that sense, Hollderman has the freedom to allow the other characters, situations, and minor plot points to go to the wayside as the only thing that is important is our four main characters, their friendship, and their experiences together.
‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ shot on location in Italy in some of the country’s most famous locations, and Hollderman takes full advantage of it. Italy is definitely its own character in the movie, and cinematographer Andrew Dunn shoots the actresses with beautiful vistas and famous Italian locations behind them like the Pizza della Rotonda, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. It adds a layer of excitement to the project, and also grounds the film in a certain reality, even in the movie’s most ridiculous or predictable moments.
But the movie only works because of the carefully created characters performed by the four excellent leading actresses. You can tell that they all really like working with each other, as it shines through their performances and relationships with each other on screen. It also helps that each actress was perfectly cast and plays a character similar to their own onscreen personas.
Diane Keaton plays Diane (that can’t be a coincidence), a neurotic woman still looking for love, not unlike an older version of Annie Hall. Fonda plays Vivian, an older woman trying to hold on to her youth and beauty, which is almost the same exact character as she recently played in ’80 For Brady.’ Bergen plays Sharon, a bawdy career women fearful of retirement, reminiscent of her classic TV character Murphy Brown. And Steenburgen plays Carol, a free spirited women, who still loves her husband, but is looking for some excitement in her life, which in line with characters she’s played in the past in films like ‘Back to the Future III.’ None of this is meant as a criticism, but rather just to say that the actresses play characters they are well suited for and because of that, create very memorable performances.
In a film like this, it’s easy for one or two of the lead actresses to get less screen time than the others, but that is not the case here. While in some ways the story is told from Keaton’s character’s point of view, all of the main characters have nice arcs and each actress is given time to shine. Keaton and Fonda’s characters find their true voices before the end of the movie, and the two actresses share a very nice emotional scene together. Steenburgen’s Carol has a full arc too, and in many ways her story is the heart of the movie. But Bergen surprisingly has the best comedic moments and is very funny in the film, especially when she is squaring off with Giancarlo Giannini.
Speaking of which, Giancarlo Giannini, best known for action dramas like ‘Man on Fire’ and ‘Casino Royale,’ is very funny as an Italian police captain that has it out for Bergen’s Sharon, and in turn her friends. But again, his “change of heart” in the third act is another example of the film’s predictability. But overall, while they have very little screen time, the male actors are very good in the movie and support their female counterparts quite well, without ever drawing the attention away from them.
Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, and Craig T. Nelson all have great chemistry with their significant others, Keaton, Fonda, and Steenburgen, respectively. While Garcia and Johnson both play “nice guys,” Nelson has a little more to do playing the “hapless nice guy,” although again, his character’s turn in the end was about as predictable as they come.
Final Thoughts
In the end, even the movie’s predictability can’t stop the film from being fun and entertaining, thanks to the character-driven story and outstanding performances from Keaton, Fonda, Bergen, and Steenburgen, not to mention the beautiful locations. It may not be for everyone, but I know my mom is going to love this movie!
‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
What is the plot of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’
Four elderly best friends (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) take their book club to Italy for the fun girls’ trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’
Moviefone recently had the honor of speaking with Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen about their work on ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ the friendship between their characters, working together, shooting on location in Italy, and what audiences can expect from the new movie.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Fonda, Bergen and Steenburgen, as well as writer Erin Simms, and director Bill Holderman.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to moviegoers sitting down to watch this film for the first time to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?
Candice Bergen: Well, it’s more of a film than it seems. It’s a very lighthearted film, but at the same time, it’s inspiring. It’s moving, and you come away from it feeling more about friendship than you did before.
Jane Fonda: Be prepared to laugh a lot and maybe cry a little. And you certainly want to book a ticket to Italy.
Mary Steenburgen: I mean, it’s some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll ever see in a country that all of us deep down inside either want to go to or have already fallen in love with. It was so beautifully shot, and it’s about something real. It’s about real friends, and funnily enough, in real life, we really are friends.
MF: Jane, can you talk about Vivian’s nervousness regarding her upcoming marriage and how this trip to Italy with her friends really helps her find her true voice again?
JF: Very well said. I don’t want to give anything away. There is a wedding. It’s not what people are going to expect. There’s a big surprise, and I do think that it’s the experience that she’s had during this trip with her friends that allows her to accept that big surprise.
MF: Mary, Carol is looking for some excitement in her life, and it’s her suggestion that she and her friends take a trip to Italy. Can you talk about that and the way this vacation really changes her life?
MS: I mean, Carol, my character is a chef that’s had quite a bit of success. At the very beginning of the film, her restaurant, which has been her lifelong dream, has had to close because of COVID. So I think I’m a little lost and I come across this journal that I’d written in when I was a young woman. I realized that the four of us had planned this trip to Italy and we never made it. So I just think it’s time. We’re reading the book, ‘The Alchemist,’ that talks about fulfilling your destiny, listening to the beat of your own heart and going for your dreams. So I just say we have to go, and we do.
(L to R) Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release.
MF: Finally, Candice, can you talk about how Sharon is coming to terms with her recent retirement, and how this trip gives her an opportunity to finally cut loose with her friends?
CB: She does. She cuts loose in a gondola and it was really fun. In fact, it’s the first time she’s been retired and she can be with her friends, and be in Italy and give herself to that trip wholeheartedly. Because she no longer has the burden of being a judge on her shoulders.
(L to R) Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen and Jane Fonda star in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter.’
Other Movies Similar to ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter:’
Opening in theaters, on digital, and On Demand beginning December 16th is the new action comedy ‘High Heat’ from director Zach Golden (‘The Escape of Prison 614’).
The movie stars Olga Kurylenko (‘Quantum of Solace’) as Ana, an ex-KGB operative turned chef, and Don Johnson (‘Knives Out’) as her husband, Ray. As Ana’s new restaurant opens, mafia boss Dom (Dallas Page) sends his enforcers to burn it down and collect the insurance money to pay back Ray’s debts.
Now, Ana must rely upon her lethal skills as she goes on a deadly rampage taking out the entire crime syndicate one-by-one to save her restaurant, her marriage, and survive the night. But she will also have to face off against her former friends, assassins Mimi (Kaitlin Doubleday) and Tom (Chris Diamantopoulos), a suburban couple that moonlight as deadly killers for hire.
Actor Chris Diamantopoulos has appeared in such popular films and TV programs as ‘Red Notice’ with Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, ‘The Sopranos,’ ’24,’ ‘The Office’ and ‘Arrested Development.’ But he is probably best known for playing Russ Hanneman on HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley’ and Moe Howard in the Farrellybrothers’ ‘The Three Stooges.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking to actor Chris Diamantopoulos about his work on ‘High Heat,’ balancing the action and comedy, creating his unique character’s backstory, working with Kaitlin Doubleday, and meeting the great Don Johnson, as well as working with George Clooney on ‘The Boys in the Boat.’
Chris Diamantopoulos in ‘High Heat.’
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Diamantopoulos and director Zach Golden.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how you got involved with this project and what was your first reaction to the outrageous screenplay?
Chris Diamantopoulos: I’ve long been a fan of both Don’s and Olga’s. That was really the genesis of my interest in the film because the notion of getting a chance to work with them and see them in process was really enough to engage me. Then, I love capers and I love this genre of film, which I think was really prevalent in the mid to late 90s and early 2000s.
We don’t see it as often anymore. I mean, this is really a prototypical hybrid action comedy, but with real emotional moments. At the risk of sounding cheesy or a boiler plate, I think there really is something for everyone in this movie.
MF: Can you talk about your approach to playing Tom and the dynamic between him and his wife, Mimi?
CD: I really love working with Kaitlin. I think she’s such a dynamic actor and she’s super collaborative. I enjoy finding characters in roles that allow me to try something different than I may have tried in the past. A character like Tom is one of the first times I’ve played someone that’s a wallflower, maybe a little henpecked and a little trepidatious about throwing his weight around, or maybe he lost his confidence somewhere along the way.
I look to the writing and then within the collaboration with my scene partner with Kaitlin. We find a dynamic that feels organic and funny, and that allows for a little crackle to it. It was a lot of fun.
Kaitlin Doubleday in ‘High Heat.’
MF: The characters of Tom and Mimi are so rich, you could really have a series of spinoff movies just about them. Did you and Kaitlin Doubleday talk a lot about your characters’ backstory and what did you create for yourselves?
CD: Totally. No, they’re great characters and we talked a heck of a lot about the backstory, actually. On a film like this, as you can imagine, there’s so much to service, particularly with Don and Olga’s characters, there just isn’t enough time to extrapolate some of the other roles to the degree that would be perhaps as satisfying as we might like. Maybe if it were a miniseries, that’d be a different story.
But Kaitlin and I talked at length. The writers and Zach, the director, to his credit, they were very flexible about us adapting, adjusting, and shifting dialogue to help point in the direction of ideas that we had found, Kaitlin and I, that felt natural for the characters and allowed us to perform in a way that felt not stilted and really over the moment.
MF: In addition to comedy and action, you have a few really emotional moments in the movie. Can you talk about balancing all the different tones of the film?
CD: Comedy can really only be funny if there’s a real emotion behind it. I mean, I’ve had the great fortune of being able to play some pretty big, broad, funny characters in my career. I find that the ones that resonate the most are the ones whose insecurities or vulnerabilities are the most true or the most prevalent.
So, it really comes down to, would I, the actor or the character, would I buy what’s happening to me? Is it real? Would I actually feel something about this situation? How would it make me feel? That was particularly gratifying playing Tom because he has moments where he’s so henpecked by Kaitlin’s character, by Mimi, that it pulls us in, in a way where we almost feel sorry for him.
Then he has some moments where he actually opens up about who he was and who he wants to be again for her. Those are really human ideas. I don’t think that there’s a person out there that can’t relate to the notion of maybe having lost part of the dream version of who they wanted to be when they were younger. Life got in the way and they’ve gone down a path that maybe isn’t the path that they thought they would go down in terms of who they have become. It’s really a question of finding the road back to the character and to what makes Tom tick. But that was fun to look into.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Olga Kurylenko in ‘High Heat.
MF: You mentioned being excited to work with Don Johnson and Olga Kurylenko. I know you don’t share any scenes with him, but did you get to meet Don Johnson? What was he like and was it everything you were hoping it would be?
CD: He’s Sonny Crockett! He’s a movie star, and he’s terrific! A film like this, which is a down and dirty quick movie to make, and a fun film to produce and put out there, it really requires everybody to come in with their best attitudes and just collaborate as best they possibly can. That’s what happened in this instance. Everybody was super prepared and super professional. It was great to watch and see why these pros are as successful as they are.
MF: What was it like working with director Zach Golden and watching him execute his unique vision for this project?
CD: He’s a really talented young director. I think we’re going to see a lot more from him. He’s very communicative. At the core of it, a director’s job is really to be direct and to know what their vision is for the film, and to put the actors at peace by being able to let them know that the director knows where this movie is beginning and where it’s ending.
Zach, to his credit, did a really great job of that. He was fun to be around. We had some crazy hours, a lot of night shoots in the cold, and he had a great attitude that kept everybody engaged. That was really a lot of fun.
(Right) Chris Diamantopoulos in ‘High Heat.’
MF: Finally, while we are talking about directors, I understand that you just worked with George Clooney on his upcoming movie ‘The Boys in the Boat.’ What was it like working with an actor and director of his caliber on that project?
CD: I mean, it’s everything I would’ve hoped it would’ve been and so much more. When I grow up, I want to be George Clooney, and that’s the understatement of the century. I mean that’s a guy that’s been doing this for so long and you can feel his love for it is still so potent. I think what impressed me the most about him was how present he was and engaged in the moment. I never saw him on his phone.
He never disappeared into a director’s tent or into a trailer. He was on set all day. Those lighting setups and camera setups can take a great deal of time, and he stayed there engaged, engaged with the extras, talking with the crew, and talking with the actors. He kept the energy of the process going. He, I feel like, single-handedly held it up as we went along.
Then add to that a steely confidence with regard to the movie that he was making. So that if I had any questions about a moment, a scene, or a line, I’d need nothing more than to look to him and there was just such a placid resolve of, “No, we got it. We’re good.” I never wondered, “Do we need another one, did you get that, or do I need to do this?”
If he needed something, he gracefully would ask for it. If he didn’t ask for something, you knew that we were in great shape. I said this to him, that I was going to have a real hard time going to any other project after doing that because I was working with the best of the best on every level and making an epic feature about such a beautiful story. If you haven’t read the book, you should because it’s just a gorgeous read. That could be your holiday read, curl up and read that book and you’ll thank me for it.
Olga Kurylenko in ‘High Heat.
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USA Network has a revival of the police drama in the works and original star Don Johnson is set to return, THR reports. The project is still in the early stages of development, per the publications sources, but the plan is to make a two-hour TV special. From there, it could reportedly grow into a series. USA Network representatives have not commented.
The special will take place around 2020, when Nash Bridges is still head of the San Francisco Police Departments Special Investigations Unit (SIU). He’ll have to deal with a changing city and job, a new boss, and new technology. During the show’s earlier six-season run from 1996 to 2001, he juggled parenting, his aging father, a new partner, and more.
So far, Johnson is the only cast member to have signed on. It remains to be seen if any of his former co-stars will reprise their roles. The show starred Johnson, Cheech Marin, James Gammon, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, and Jeff Perry, among others.
Carlton Cuse, the creator of “Nash Bridges,” is not part of the project. Johnson will co-create the special with Bill Chais (“The Practice”). It comes from Village Roadshow, with Johnson, Chais, and Marc Rosen set to serve as executive producers.
