Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and more have joined Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’
The movie reunites Aster with his ‘Beau is Afraid’ star Joaquin Phoenix.
Austin Butler, Clifton Collins Jr., Luke Grimes and Micheal Ward are all aboard.
Given how strange, divisive and –– probably most crucially –– unsuccessful at the box office ($11.9 million worldwide gross on a $35 million budget) Ari Aster’s ‘Beau is Afraid’ proved to be last year, you might suspect that Aster would be languishing in the darkest depths of director jail.
And yet studio A24, which produced ‘Beau’, is clearly ready to believe in his vision again, and the fate of that movie did not detract from Aster’s ability to attract solid talent, as he’s got an excellent cast lined up for his new movie.
‘Eddington’, which has cameras now rolling, will feature recent Oscar winner (for the second time) Emma Stone, ‘The Last of Us’ Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix, who reunites with the director after starring as ‘Beau’s twitchy protagonist.
(L to R) Joaquin Phoenix and director Ari Aster on the set of ‘Beau Is Afraid.’
As is his way, Aster –– who also brought us the nightmarish visions of ‘Hereditary’ and ‘Midsommar’ –– is keeping much of the detail close for now.
But with a script once more by the director, ‘Eddington’ reportedly focuses on a small-town New Mexico sheriff with lofty aspirations. And it’ll be in the Western genre, as confirmed by A24’s Instagram post on the start of production.
Behind the camera, Aster has legendary cinematographer Darius Khondji ready to shoot whatever warped concepts he’s cooked up this time.
Stone, of course, is no stranger to offbeat directors, having seen success (including that second Oscar, for her role in ‘Poor Things’) working with Yorgos Lanthimos, with whom she has another movie, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ due this year.
When will ‘Eddington’ be in theaters?
A24 has yet to announce when Aster’s latest movie will make it to theaters. ‘Beau’ took a couple of years from filming to hit screens, but with luck the director will have this one ready for next year.
Joaquin Phoenix in director Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid.’
Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance was a highlight.
After some rougher Oscar nights (slaps, snubs and that brave but ultimately disappointing low key pandemic version), 2024 very much represented a return to form for Hollywood’s Most Glittering Night™.
True, it got off to a controversial (and late) start when protestors advocating for a cease fire between Israel and Gaza disrupted attendees’ access to the Kodak Theater, but once the show was actually underway, it became something that most attendees and viewers recognized as a classic Academy Awards, for good and ill.
There were your typical annoyances –– many below-the-line craftspeople being played off far too soon by an orchestra who looked for all the world like they were in some sort of science fiction vessel. Some of the comedy banter fell flat. Not everything worked.
But for all the issues, there was an awful lot to like about the show, so we’ve rounded up some memorable moments…
In the sort of performance that would bring a smile to musical number specialist Busby Berkeley’s face, Ryan Gosling’s much-mooted performance of “I’m Just Ken” from ‘Barbie’ proved to be just as much of a showstopper as we’d all hoped it would be.
Kicking off in the audience as Gosling rose to start singing, he passed a charmed and giggling Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie –– who got in on singing along –– while amusing the likes of Emily Blunt and then the whole audience as he reached the stage and started a big production number of the song, complete with cutout cardboard Barbie heads and some of the movie’s other Kens (Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir among them), Guns N’ Roses’ Slash on guitar, plus a plethora of dancers joining him on stage for a memorable and hilarious highlight.
“I’m Just Ken” might not have won its Oscar (‘Barbie’s “What Was I Made For?” took the movie’s only award in that same category), but it won the night.
Presenting Best Costume Design, John Cena proved he’s easily among the most charismatic wrestlers-turned-actors out there, and even more adaptable than Dwayne Johnson. With Jimmy Kimmel cueing up talking of a streaker (one of the most infamous moments of Oscars past), there was a moment where it appeared Cena was having second thoughts about the comedy bit they’d come up with for him to present naked.
But nope, he arrived on stage in the buff (though reportedly with a modesty sling to hide things that can’t be shown on TV outside of HBO etc.), covering himself with the sealed Oscar envelope for the category. All in all, a moment of naked hilarity.
All right, so Emma Stone’s Best Actress triumph for her role in ‘Poor Things’ wasn’t a complete surprise; after all, she’d scooped other trophies. But following ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’s Lily Gladstone scoring the Screen Actors Guild award, the tide had turned in the native’s favor.
Still, it was Stone going on stage, seemingly shocked (did she have Gladstone on her Oscar ballot like many others?), making a heartfelt speech in which she praised her fellow nominees, thanked ‘Poor Things’ director Yorgos Lanthimos and even joked that her dressed, which had broken, had been ripped by her laughing at Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance.
Jimmy Kimmel must have been sweating when Al Pacino, tasked with announcing the Best Picture category, abruptly skipped right past the traditional stage of listing the nominees and went straight to opening the envelope, like a child who can’t wait to tear into their Christmas present. “Here it comes… and my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer‘”.
Unlike “Moonlight-gate”, where Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty mistakenly announced ‘La La Land’ as Best Picture over actual victor ‘Moonlight’ in 2017 (Kimmel’s first hosting gig), Pacino had it right, Christopher Nolan’s movie capping a successful night where it picked up seven gongs. But in skipping over the nominees, Pacino certainly didn’t make for a highlight.
Old friends (and ‘Twins’ co-stars) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito reunited for the second time this year (after their State Farm Super Bowl commercial) for a funny bit where they talked about playing Batman villains.
The highlight, DeVito pointed out Michael Keaton, the most famous of the movie Batman actors, who gamely played along, putting up his dukes as DeVito promised to start a fight after the Governor’s Ball. The only way it could have gone better is if George Clooney had shown up, since he was Schwarzenegger’s Bat-opponent.
Cue the classic, bombastic theme tune! ‘Godzilla: Minus One’, whose producers originally didn’t intend to submit for the Oscars as they didn’t think the film stood a chance of winning, actually went home with Best Visual effects.
The team showed up wearing custom Godzilla shoes and carrying adorable gold statuettes shaped like the classic character. Could the giant lizard himself have shown up to collect? We doubt the Kodak Theater could have accommodated him, sadly.
This year’s show brought back a segment that had been tried a few years ago where former winners paid tribute to current nominees. Nicolas Cage (who won in 1995 for ‘Leaving Las Vegas’) was enthusiastic in his praise for ‘The Holdovers’ Paul Giamatti, impressed with his dedication to wearing a false eye for his role as grouchy teacher Paul Hunham. “Would I have done that? Hell yes!” Cage said, going on to call Giamatti “brilliant”. The actor didn’t end up winning the trophy (‘Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy took Best Actor) but he must have felt like a winner in that moment.
The 96th Academy Award ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 10th on ABC.
Preview:
‘Oppenheimer’ dominated the 96th annual Academy Awards with wins for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, while ‘Poor Things’ landed four Oscars, including Best Actress for Emma Stone.
‘Barbie,’ ‘The Zone of Interest,’ and ‘The Holdovers’ all nabbed awards as well, while ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘Past Lives,’ and ‘Maestro’ were shut out.
Jimmy Kimmel hosted a smooth, mostly well-paced show, with a naked John Cena and Messi the dog pulling off the most entertaining bits.
Jimmy Kimmel once again hosted the broadcast, which began for the first time at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT – an hour earlier than usual – a shift that became grist for a handful of one-liners from the late-night comedian, who at point joked that so many viewers missed the first hour that the producers were going to restart the show.
If they had, viewers tuning in late would have gotten a chance to see an emotional acceptance speech from Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who notched the first prize of the evening, Best Supporting Actress, for her work in ‘The Holdovers.’ Randolph was one of several first-time nominees and winners, a list that included Cillian Murphy and ‘American Fiction’ screenwriter/director Cord Jefferson (winner for Best Adapted Screenplay), who admonished Hollywood, “Instead of making one $200 million movie, why not make 20 $10 million movies?”
Although Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell won Best Song for the ‘Barbie‘ tune “What Was I Made For?” – making them the youngest two-time Oscar winners ever after triumphing in 2022 for their James Bond theme song ‘No Time to Die‘ – ‘Barbie’ itself was shut out the rest of the night, along with other high-profile contenders like ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘Maestro,’ and ‘Past Lives.’ Perhaps the biggest shockers of the night were Stone’s win – since she was locked in a tight race with ‘Killers’ star Lily Gladstone – and the stunning Best Visual Effects win for ‘Godzilla Minus One,’ the surprise hit that notched the big green lizard’s first-ever Oscar.
In two of the evening’s more somber moments, a visibly nervous Jonathan Glazer – director of Best International Feature winner ‘The Zone of Interest’ – accepted his Oscar by noting that his film’s accounting of the Nazi horrors of the past was very much a reflection of the “dehumanization” of people in the present. The night’s other powerful moment came when ’20 Days at Mariupol’ – made in Ukraine literally as Russia’s horrific war against that country was underway – landed Best Documentary Feature. Director Mstyslav Chernov, almost overcome with emotion, said that while he was honored to accept Ukraine’s first Oscar, he “[wished] I would never make this film. I wish to be able to exchange this [for] Russia never attacking Ukraine, never occupying our cities.”
Among the evening’s other highlights were the testimonials by five previous winners in each of the acting categories for each one of the night’s nominees, featuring a star-studded roster than ranged from Nicolas Cage to Jessica Lange; Ryan Gosling’s anthemic performance of ‘I’m Just Ken,’ featuring Slash on lead guitar; Messi the dog (from ‘Anatomy of a Fall’) “clapping” for Robert Downey Jr.’s long-anticipated win; John Cena coming out naked to present Best Costume Design in a nod to an infamous 1974 incident in which a streaker ran onstage; and one of Kimmel’s closing bits, in which he read an apparently real social media post lambasting his performance from a certain former president. “Isn’t it past your jail time?” the host quipped, one of just two politically-tinged jokes in an otherwise placid and (much to the producers’ relief) scandal-free ceremony.
It will officially begin on January 23rd when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announce the Oscar nominees, with the 96th Oscars Ceremony scheduled for March 10th.
Moviefone is making its Oscar nomination predictions for the major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, ahead of the nominee announcements on January 23rd.
Let’s begin!
BEST PICTURE
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
2024 was supposed to be the year that the Golden Globes moved on. Detached from the old Hollywood Foreign Press Association (yet now run by possibly an even shadier for-profit corporation), it was designed to make up for a tarnished history that saw the awards get dumped by previous network NBC and chart a bright new future.
Yet on the evidence of the ceremony itself, it couldn’t recover past glories (even if those were mostly the results of the previous organization’s star-happy focus). There was the requisite assortment of big names (your Leonardo DiCaprio, your Martin Scorsese, your Christopher Nolan) but the whole thing came across as less Golden than bronze.
Comedian Jo Koy (who film fans might know outside of his stand-up career for last year’s ‘Easter Sunday’) stumbled out of the gate by quipping that he only got the gig a few days ago (it’s true that a number of more recognizable names passed) and blaming his writers for any unfunny jokes. Not a good look.
A dig at Taylor Swift’s new NFL relationship didn’t go over well either –– with the singing superstar visibly unimpressed when the camera cut to her.
He went on to offer some more visibly uninspired cracks at Barry Keoghan’s genitals in ‘Saltburn’ and Barbie’s breasts, which mostly had the audience cringing. We don’t expect him to be invited back.
“I had fun. It was a moment that I’ll always remember. It’s a tough room. It was a hard job, I’m not going to lie…I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt. I hit a moment there where I was like, ‘Ah.’ Hosting is just a tough gig. Yes, I’m a stand-up comic but that hosting position it’s a different style. I kind of went in and did the writer’s thing. We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I got to still say I loved what I did. The Taylor [Swift] one was just a little flat…It was a weird joke, I guess. But it was more on the NFL, I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”
One of the more viral –– and genuinely funny –– moments came as ‘Succession’ began to win the majority of the TV awards (that series and ‘The Bear’s near-dominance one of the entirely un-shocking elements of the ceremony). Kieran Culkin, who took the stage after winning Male Actor in a Drama Series, also took the occasion to throw a good-hearted jab the way of Pedro Pascal, who was nominated in the same category.
After a heartfelt celebration of finally nabbing the award, Culkin went full Roman Roy for a moment: “Suck it, Pedro…”
Pascal’s reaction –– a comedic combo that went from laughing to fake tears, is already a meme.
Pedro Pascal reacts perfectly to Kieran Culkin's Golden Globes speech burn https://t.co/DFP2zIXm1g
Award shows are rarely known for sparkling words when it comes to presenters. Celebrities show up on the stage, read some boring copy celebrating the creativity of whoever and then throw it to a clip package of nominees.
This year’s Globes were no exception, with largely perfunctory pre-announcement banter that barely rose to the level of competence.
Jennifer Lawrence, who has been a reliably funny awards presence in the past, offered another this time. When she was shown during the nominees section for Best Actress, Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, she mouthed, “if I don’t win, I’m leaving!”
Possibly the biggest mistake even before the show was the blatant attempt to have Taylor Swift attend by nominating her ‘Eras Tour’ concert film in the new Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category.
It worked in that she showed (only to seem insulted, see above) and then box office behemoth ‘Barbie’ scored the award anyway, one of only a couple it took home on the night.
If there were true highlights, it was in terms of representation –– Lily Gladstone won for her role in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and celebrated the victory for Native Americans while also offering a sweet shout-out to her mother, who had accompanied her to the event.
Likewise, Ali Wong became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress In A Limited Series or TV Movie (which feels a little bit forced, but is progress nonetheless) for ‘Beef’, which also saw her co-star Steven Yeun win alongside the show.
And Christopher Nolan appeared genuinely touched to have won his first directing Globe for ‘Oppenheimer’ (one of a parade the movie scored in an unsurprising run).
The ceremony itself at least scored on the ratings front –– its airing on CBS and Paramount+ saw the numbers jump from last year’s NBC/Peacock appearance –– and it counts as the most-watched Globes since 2020. But even that seems a useless metric, since the 2021 event was banished to YouTube and doesn’t even really count for ratings.
Can the Globes become relevant again? That’s the big question for now. On the evidence of last night, the answer is a big old “maybe”.
In theaters December 8th, ‘Poor Things’ is the latest slab of eccentricity from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, who seems to attract applause and head-scratching in near equal measure.
The filmmaker has brought us the likes of odd family drama ‘Dogtooth’, offbeat romantic drama ‘The Lobster’, horror mystery ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ and, most recently, his Oscar-winning historical comedy drama ‘The Favourite’, which started his collaboration with actor Emma Stone.
She’s back for his latest, a skewed version of a ‘Frankenstein’-alike mad scientist story that goes to some very strange places but also has interesting things to say about female power and misogyny.
While the story of a woman reborn –– we won’t reveal exactly what is going on, as that is something audiences should discover if they haven’t been spoiled on the truth of the matter –– and its attendant learning-about-the-world tale is sure to turn some away, put off out by the uncanny visions on display.
But even if you’re initially disquieted by the movie, our advice is to stick with it, as –– much like its main character –– ‘Poor Things’ has a lot more to say as it develops.
‘Poor Things’ sees Lanthimos working once again with ‘The Favourite’ scriptwriter Tony McNamara, who here adapts Alasdair Gray’s novel for the screen.
And as with ‘The Favourite’, it’s a combination that works –– while the new movie features some very different characters and ideas than their previous collaboration, the subversive use of grotesque personalities and power plays is still effective in a more fantastical setting.
McNamara weaves a compelling tale around Stone’s Bella but doesn’t let (most of) the other roles slide –– you can certainly see why actors, particularly those who like a challenge –– would flock to work with this writer/director team.
Lanthimos is always someone who weaves worlds around his characters, either with stark production design or, in the case of ‘Poor Things’ a riot of Victoriana that gives way to something more akin to Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s more fantastical films as Bella’s journey continues. It’s definitely a fictional world –– no one will accuse ‘Poor Things’ of existing in reality –– but that all helps make it work.
There is no questioning Emma Stone’s commitment to the role of Bella Baxter, the young woman at the heart of the story. Stone has shown real willingness to stretch herself (partly in working with Lanthimos, where the result was a deserved Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for ‘The Favourite) and she throws herself into the part with gusto and vulnerability that gives way to steely determination.
There isn’t too much room for nuance in playing Bella, but Stone digs some out, making you root for the character even though she can, at times early on, be tough to get a handle on her with her behavior. But she soon becomes someone you’re compelled to follow.
Willem Dafoe also does a lot with a role that offers a little less to grasp onto than Bella. As scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter, he’s Bella’s father figure, but an imposing, distant type for much of the running time –– it’s clear he loves her and wants to care for her but isn’t entirely sure how.
Mark Ruffalo, meanwhile, is having all manner of fun as the lascivious lawyer Duncan Wedderburn, and it’s infectious even as you loathe him for how he treats Bella when she grows past his influence.
Around the central figures is a fine ensemble of actors given smaller, but still vital roles –– Kathryn Hunter shows up late on as a madam at a brothel who becomes something of a strangely wise mentor to Bella, letting her know how things really work in the world. This might be an offbeat reality, but some truths shine through, such as dynamics between men and women in ‘Poor Things’ faux-historical setting.
There are one or two characters that don’t quite serve the actors as well –– Margaret Qualley, for example, is somewhat wasted in the thankless role of Felicity, who essentially serves as a cheap joke and could have been excised entirely without hurting the film.
‘Poor Things’ is well worth your time if you’re willing to relax into its particularly unusual vibe and engage with Bella Baxter’s story. It’s not just weird for weirdness’ sake, every element carefully curated to serve the plot.
This is Yorgos Lanthimos at his most fantastical yet, but still maintaining the moral and ethical undercurrents that make his movies work beyond the strange surface trappings. It’ll certainly not be one to gather the family around at Christmas, but it’ll appeal to those who are after something distinctly different in their cinematic entertainment.
Boasting a standout performance from Emma Stone, and Mark Ruffalo as you’ve probably never seen him before –– even the Hulk would wonder about Wedderburn.
‘Poor Things’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Poor Things’?
This is the story of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn.
Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
Hollywood top earners meet with SAG-AFTRA leaders, offering to remove the cap on membership dues
The actors are asking for better work conditions and pay, including residuals from streaming services and protection from AI
The AMPTP and SAG walked away from the table on October 11, unable to come to an agreement on a deal
The biggest stars in Hollywood may have a solution to help end the actors’ strike, offering to remove the $1 million cap on membership dues, as well as a “bottom-up” residual structure to help actors lower on the call sheet to be paid first.
George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Tyler Perry, And More Spoke With SAG-AFTRA Leaders
George Clooney and Tiffany Boone on the set of Netflix’s ‘The Midnight Sky.’
Deadline has learned exclusively that some of the top-paid actors in Hollywood met with SAG-AFTRA leaders on Tuesday to find a way to end the actors strike. George Clooney, who spoke with Deadline, confirms the meeting:
‘A lot of the top earners want to be part of the solution,” the two-time Oscar winner told Deadline. “We’ve offered to remove the cap on dues, which would bring over $50 million to the union annually. Well over $150 million over the next three years. We think it’s fair for us to pay more into the union. We also are suggesting a bottom-up residual structure — meaning the top of the call sheet would be the last to collect residuals, not the first. These negotiations will be ongoing, but we wanted to show that we’re all in this together and find ways to help close the gap on actors getting paid.”
The SAG-AFTRA Strike Has Been Going For Over 98 Days
SAG-AFTRA members Nia Vardalos and Octavia Spencer walk the line at Disney Studios in Burbank, CA on 9/20. Photo courtesy of SAG.
The SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14, 2023, and has been ongoing for over 98 days. The actors are seeking a new deal for better work conditions and wages as well as residuals, especially since streaming has changed the landscape of entertainment. They also seek protection from the use of AI, something that can replicate an actor’s likeness and performance.
The strike has caused a significant pause in the entertainment industry, along with the WGA strike, which began on May 2, 2023. Recently, the WGA has reached an agreement with the AMPTP after a grueling 148 days. Due to the SAG strike, the actors are prohibited from doing promotion or publicity work for any struck projects, meaning they cannot appear on red carpets for premieres or take part in interviews. All production is halted, with the exception of a production where an interim agreement has been approved by SAG-AFTRA.
The negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP paused on October 11, without reaching a deal.
At the D23 Expo today, during a jam-packed panel about all of their upcoming film offerings, both animated and live-action, was confirmation that “Cruella” is on the horizon. In a pre-taped segment, Emma Stone, who plays the famous dog hater, confirmed that it’d be set in the 1970s and be “very punk rock.” (“I, Tonya” filmmaker Craig Gillespie is on board to direct.) Also confirmed: that Emma Thompson would be in the movie in an undisclosed role. And at the very end of the panel, they showed us what we’d all been waiting for … a photo of Stone as the iconic villainess.
But a lot has changed in 10 years. Breslin’s Little Rock has grown up for one, and when she gallivants off with a guy from Berkeley (who has a large stash of weed), the rest of the group goes to retrieve her.
Along they way, they face new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as new human survivors including Rosario Dawson and Zoey Deutch.
We don’t see much of the zombies in the trailer, but there are plenty of human-based jokes.
“Zombieland: Double Tap” opens in theaters October 18.
Chazelle has written and will likely direct “Babylon,” a period piece set in the 1920s. The story takes place during the movie industry’s transition from silent films to talkies.
A key character is Clara Bow, the early sex symbol and box office star, who was Hollywood’s first “It Girl.” Chazelle’s “La La Land” Best Actress winner Emma Stone is reportedly being eyed for the role.
The project is making the rounds to studios and streaming companies, though Deadline reports the frontrunner is Lionsgate (which released “La La Land”).
Chazelle most recently directed last year’s Neil Armstrong biopic “First Man,” which reunited him with “La La Land” star Ryan Gosling.
“La La Land” was nominated for 14 Oscars and won six, including one for Chazelle, who became the youngest Best Director winner.
