The movie stars Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton (‘Michael Clayton’) as Alithea Binnie, a scholar that discovers a Djinn (Idris Elba) while visiting Istanbul. The genie offers Alithea three wishes, and when granted he will finally have his freedom. But with her knowledge of storytelling and history, Alithea is reluctant to take his offer and wants to know more about his past.
Moviefone recently had the chance to speak with Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton about their work on ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing,’ their characters, and working with director George Miller.
Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba star in director George Miller’s ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Elba and Swinton.
Moviefone: To begin with, Tilda, because of Alithea’s education and her knowledge of stories, she has a very interesting approach to dealing with meeting a genie and being granted three wishes. Could you talk about how she approaches and deals with Djinn?
Tilda Swinton: I think in the first case, when she approaches the Djinn, she’s someone who declares very early, she’s someone who finds emotion through stories. She’s totally geared to stories. She’s a reader, she reads through her fingers very fast and she remembers everything she’s ever read. She has almost a supernatural capacity with story, it’s like her medium. I think when he starts to tell her these stories, she’s with it. She feels, “I know how to do this, I know how to listen to someone else’s story.”
What she’s not prepared for is for these stories to change her. To not just draw her in because she’s used to that as well, she’s used to being absorbed in other people’s stories, but he changes her and his predicament. The predicament that he’s found himself in moves her. In a way she morphs, and I find that very touching that someone who’s set herself up to be so complete finds something really opening in her.
MF: Finally, Idris, can you talk about your approach to playing this fantastical character and the way you were able to humanize him and give a very layered performance?
Idris Elba: It was definitely part of the reason, I think for both of us, we wanted to approach this film because it offered us an opportunity to play something we may not have touched before. Tilda said, she’s often played the immortal demi-god and incredibly big characters. I’ve often played the grounded, tough guy and someone that people can try and relate to his emotions. But in this case, we both played the opposites of those characters.
My character obviously comes with some tropes. We’ve seen some version of this character in some form of storytelling before, but George, Tilda, and I were just determined to try and peel the onion back even further and see what else is there? What else could we offer?
Here we found this character, and he’s traumatized. At the junction he comes out in that space in Istanbul in that hotel room, he is traumatized. This is a traumatized being, or spiritual being. I think it was really important that the audience had a sense of that. Despite the magic, the size and the gold ears, the trauma, the human story, that was important I think for the audience to grasp onto in order for this story to work really well. I’m really thankful that people resonate with the portrayal.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. Based on the Marvel Comics characters, Elba plays all-hearing Asgardian sentry Heimdall.
Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers (Elba and Kate Winslet) must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across the wilderness.
A team of explorers (Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Elba) discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Terri (Taraji P. Henson) is a devoted wife and mother of two, living an ideal suburban life in Atlanta when Colin (Elba), a charming but dangerous escaped convict, shows up at her door claiming car trouble. Terri offers her phone to help him but soon learns that no good deed goes unpunished as she finds herself fighting for survival when he invades her home and terrorizes her family.
Things couldn’t be better for Derek Charles (Elba). He’s just received a big promotion at work, and has a wonderful marriage with his beautiful wife, Sharon (Beyonce). However, into this idyllic world steps Lisa (Ali Larter), a temporary worker at Derek’s office. Lisa begins to stalk Derek, jeopardizing all he holds dear.
A man-cub named Mowgli (Neel Sethi) fostered by wolves. After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan (Elba), Mowgli is forced to flee the jungle, by which he embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of the panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and the free-spirited bear, Baloo (Bill Murray).
Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a young skier and former Olympic hopeful becomes a successful entrepreneur (and a target of an FBI investigation) when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game. With her reputation in ruins and future in jeopardy, she turns to attorney Charlie Jaffey (Elba) for legal help.
The USS Enterprise crew including Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Evans) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) explore the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy (Elba) who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.
The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back! After settling in Green Hills, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles (Elba), in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson (Clarence Williams III), Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan after killing fellow gangster Tango (Elba). He begins buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. At home, he crosses paths with a dirty cop (Josh Brolin), and a crusading detective (Russell Crowe).
A seasoned team of bank robbers, including Gordon Cozier (Elba), John Rahway (Paul Walker), A.J. (Hayden Christensen), and brothers Jake (Michael Ealy) and Jesse Attica (Chris Brown) successfully complete their latest heist and lead a life of luxury while planning their next job. When Ghost (Tip “T.I.” Harris), a former member of their team, is released from prison he convinces the group to strike an armored car carrying $20 million. As the “Takers” carefully plot out their strategy and draw nearer to exacting the grand heist, a reckless police officer inches closer to apprehending the criminals.
On a mission deep in the Bolivian jungle, a team of elite commandos led by Franklin Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and William Roque (Elba) finds itself on the receiving end of a lethal betrayal. Now presumed dead, the men join forces with a mysterious operative named Aisha (Zoe Saldana) to hunt down their enemy and even the score. Based on the DC Comics characters.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, as war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and a trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world. Elba plays commanding officer Marshal Stacker Pentecost.
Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), the first bunny on Zootopia’s police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case – even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to solve the mystery. Elba plays Chief Bogo, an African buffalo who is the police chief of the Zootopia Police Department’s 1st Precinct.
Ever since US Diplomatic Security Service Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and lawless outcast Decker Shaw (Jason Statham) first faced off, they just have traded smack talk and body blows. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton’s (Elba) ruthless actions threaten the future of humanity, they join forces to defeat him.
A chronicle of Nelson Mandela’s (Elba) life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
Based on the experiences of Agu (Abraham Attah), a child fighting in the civil war of an unnamed, fictional West African country. Follows Agu’s journey as he’s forced to join a group of soldiers led by Elba’s Commandant. While he fears his commander and many of the men around him, his fledgling childhood has been brutally shattered by the war raging through his country, and he is at first torn between conflicting revulsion and fascination.
When fifteen-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin) is expelled from school in Detroit, he is sent to North Philadelphia to live with Harp (Elba), his estranged father. Harp finds solace in rehabilitating horses for inner city cowboys at the Fletcher Street Stables, a real-life black urban horsemanship community that has provided a safe haven for the neighborhood residents for more than 100 years.
Torn between his growing respect for his father’s community and his reemerging friendship with troubled cousin Smush (Jharrel Jerome), Cole begins to reprioritize his life as the stables themselves are threatened by encroaching gentrification.
Gunning for revenge, outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) saddles up with his gang to take down enemy Rufus Buck (Elba), a ruthless crime boss who just got sprung from prison.
(L to R) David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Idris Elba and Daniela Melchior in ‘The Suicide Squad.’
Welcome to Belle Reve, the prison where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out, even join the super-secret Task Force X. Today’s assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport (Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie).
Now arm them heavily and drop them on the enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) on the ground to make them behave, and Amanda Waller’s (Viola Davis) government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them all!
The movie revolves around a recently widowed man named Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba), who returns to South Africa with his two young daughters (Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries) to a visit a game reserve managed by fellow wildlife biologist (Sharlto Copley). Soon, a ferocious, man-hunting lion begins attacking them and killing anyone in its path.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Idris Elba about his work on ‘Beast,’ his first reaction to the script, reuniting with producer Will Packer, the visual effects, and why his character takes his daughters to South Africa after his wife’s death.
Idris Elba as Dr. Nate Samuels in ‘Beast,’ directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Jeffries, producer Will Packer, and director Baltasar Kormakur.
Moviefone: To begin with, you’ve worked with producer Will Packer previously, is he who got you involved in this project?
Idris Elba: Yeah, Will and I have made a few films. He was like, “Hey, I want to try something different. I got this film.” I was like, “What is it?” “It’s about a man and a lion,” he said. I was like, “Okay. Sounds good.” And it was actually good.
MF: What was your first reaction when you read the screenplay?
IE: My reaction was to make this real compelling for the audience, we need to really pay attention to what’s going to make this a thrill ride. I was also really worried that we villainized the animal. I love lions. I have Lionheart tattooed on my chest here. I didn’t want to make the lion, the beast. I didn’t want to villainize this animal, but I think we spent a lot of time trying to figure out what’s the realities. What are complexities about rogue lions and poaching, and we tried to feed that into the film as well.
(L to R) Leah Jeffries, Idris Elba and Meredith Samuels in ‘Beast,’ directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
MF: Can you talk about the family tragedy that happens at the beginning of the movie and why Nate decides to take his young daughters to South Africa?
IE: He’s widowed. They lost their mom, and this is where their mom was from, this very small village in South Africa. The dynamics between him and his daughters has not been the same since they lost her. So, he wanted to go back home and try and figure out a way to just bring them back together. Then obviously something extraordinary happens like this, and that’s what brings them together. It’s a fight for survival. It’s a place where he and his friend played by Sharlto, spent some of their youthful years before he became a doctor.
MF: Finally, there were no real lions used in the making of this movie, but the lion we see on screen is really enormous. Can you talk about the visual effects and what you were actually seeing when performing on set?
IE: No, no real lions. That wouldn’t be fair, and it was the marvel of special effects. Actually, it was based on a lion that is now extinct called a Barbary lion. It was around, I think, the Egyptian times, and it is a big lion, like really huge. We based it off that lion, but it’s an extinct animal now. But even the lions that exist now are pretty big. So, of course for the movie, we amplified that and based it on the Barbary lion. But in reality, they’re not as big as that.
Idris Elba in ‘Beast,’ directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
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Idris Elba is not a man to take threats lightly on screen. During his time leading UK TV series ‘Luther’, he doggedly hunted serial killers and other criminals, while scowling a lot in shabby cool coats. In theaters, he’s battled Kaiju, gods, monsters, demons, and a severe hit to his dignity (in ‘Cats’).
But is he ready to take on nature at its worst? The answer from the first trailer for man vs. lion thriller ‘Beast’ is a qualified… maybe?
Elba here plays Dr. Nate Daniels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), an old family friend and wildlife biologist.
But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them. The creature is red in tooth and claw, and powerful enough that the locals refer to it as “the devil”. Which means that Nate and his family will have to fight for their lives, because leaving out a few cans of Fancy Feast (other cat foods are available) just won’t get the job done.
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The trailer also, though, suggests that the lion might not be the only thing that Nate and his daughters must worry about. Wrong ‘uns of a more human shape are also lurking in the background, offering just as much of a threat.
Baltasar Kormákur, a man who knows a thing or two about bringing visceral thrills to the screen, having made movies such as ‘Everest’, ‘2 Guns’ and ‘Contraband’, is behind the camera here, working from a script by ‘Rampage’s Ryan Engle, who himself drew from an original story by Jaime Primak Sullivan.
‘Beast’s concept seems simple enough, a basic skeleton on which to build lots of savannah-based running, screaming, shooting and shots of a lion attacking a jeep in the grand tradition of ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’. Elba can certainly handle the action side of things, and we know he’s got the dramatic chops, so fingers crossed this will be a fun one.
Alongside Elba and Copley, the cast also includes ‘The Hate U Give’s Iyana Halley as Daniels’ 18-year-old daughter, Meredith, while ‘Empire’s Leah Sava Jeffries plays his 13-year-old, Norah. Plus, there’s Mel Jarnson, Amara Miller, and Damon Burtley. How many of them will end up as lion fodder? We’ll have to wait and see.
With Will Packer, the prolific producer behind the less lion-centric likes of ‘Girls Trip’, ‘Night School’ and ‘Think Like a Man’ shepherding the movie to our screens, ‘Beast’ is set to roar into theaters on August 19th.
(L to R) Leah Sava Jeffries and Idris Elba in ‘Beast,’ directed by Baltasar Kormákur. Photo: Universal Pictures.(L to R) Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Iyana Halley in Universal Pictures’ ‘Beast.’(L to R) Idris Elba and Sharlto Copley in Universal Pictures’ ‘Beast.’
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To those people we say, “never underestimate George Miller”. And indeed, from the evidence of its first trailer, ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ is another crazed, fantastical movie that channels the likes of ‘Aladdin’ for the story of a genie and three wishes.
Miller, though, worked with his daughter, Augusta Gore, to adapt AS Byatt’s short story ‘The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye. ‘Longing’ follows Dr. Alithea Binnie (Swinton) an academic who is content with life (by her own admission, she’s happily alone with no siblings, widowed following the death of her husband) and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she picks up a mysterious bottle at a marketplace. In the spirit of every story like this, she attempts to clean it, and releases a Djinn (Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
This presents two problems: First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both…
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And if you still harbored thoughts that this would simply be Elba and Swinton sitting around clad in bathrobes in a hotel room chatting about his history, think again: Miller has conjured up an epic, effects-laden fantasy that spans time and place, recounting the various people that he has dealt with over the years.
It’s all very trippy and magical, and at times looks very intense. All anchored, of course by the experienced likes of Swinton and Elba. The cast for the movie also includes Kaan Guldur, Alyla Browne, Nicolas Mouawad, David Collins, and Angie Tricker.
Miller faced big challenges shooting this one, originally planning to bring to life the story – which journeys between the courts of the Queen of Sheba and the Ottoman rulers, the bedroom of a 19th Century Turkish slave courtesan, and all the way to present-day London – by shooting in various locations around the world. Until, of course, the pandemic put a halt to all that.
“Our intention was to shoot in Europe, London, and Istanbul. We had locations, we had all the government permits and so on,” he tells Deadline. “And then Covid hit. We were literally there in Europe, and we weren’t too far off shooting, but of course, the film was then delayed several months because of Covid, and we eventually had to relocate the whole thing to Australia.”
‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ will make its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, which is currently going on in France. It’ll appear in theaters on August 31st.
Idris Elba as DCI John Luther on BBC Studios’ ‘Luther.’
Idris Elba might be on screen in theaters screens – well, not on, exactly, since he’s only voicing Knuckles the Echidna – in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’, but he’s heading back to TV for a new Apple TV+ series.
‘Hijack’ is described as a tense thriller told over real time that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
This seven-part series was spawned from the brain of ‘Lupin’ writer George Kay, and it’ll see him reuniting with Jim Field Smith, who directed episodes of one of his other shows, ‘Criminal’. Which means we can hopefully look forward to memorable characters and entertaining dialogue – especially since both those previous shows are
The new series represents the initial project from Elba’s first-look deal with Apple, and he’ll be an executive producer via his Green Door Pictures company.
While Elba has forged a solid big screen career, he got his start on TV in his native England. And probably his most famous character – gruff detective John Luther from the eponymous crime series, which is making the leap to movies, albeit via Netflix, later this year.
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Also coming up for the actor is George Miller’s return to filmmaking, romantic drama ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’. Elba stars alongside Tilda Swinton in the story of a lonely scholar who meets a Djinn and who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Miller’s latest will have its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Then there’s Baltasar Kormákur’s ‘Beast’, in which Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, who finds himself and his teenage daughters hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator.
Elba is also a producer on a new movie called ‘The Chelsea Cowboy’, starring Alex Pettyfer as tough guy John Bindon, who despite a successful acting career and passionate romantic liaisons with various socialites was unable to leave his criminal past behind.
Beyond that, there are a variety of movies and shows that Elba has in development, including a new adaptation of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, and ‘Extraction’ director Sam Hargraves’ ‘Stay Frosty’, about a man (Elba) who survives being shot in the head and must figure out who wants him dead.
As for ‘Hijack’, Apple TV+ has yet to announce when the show might premiere, but we can predict it’ll probably be on screens next year.
(L to R) Idris Elba as Bloodsport and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of King Shark in Warner Bros.’ ‘The Suicide Squad.’
Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and James Marsden in “Sonic The Hedgehog 2′ from Paramount Pictures and Sega. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.
The plot of the new film revolves around the return of Dr. Robotnik (Carrey), with his new ally Knuckles (Elba), determined to take over the Earth. Now, Sonic (Schwartz) and his new friend Tails (O’Shaughnessey) must stop them before they succeed in their plans for world domination.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with actors Ben Schwartz and James Marsden about their work on ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2.’
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You can read our full interview with Ben Schwartz and James Marsden below, or watch a video of our interviews with Schwartz, Marsden, Lee Madjoub, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Collen O’Shaughnessey, and director Jeff Fowler in the player above.
Moviefone: To begin with Ben, what has Sonic been doing since the last time we saw him?
Ben Schwartz: Oh, my goodness. He has tried to turn himself into a superhero, like a Batman-type figure in the time between beating Robotnik. He’s got a little bit more confidence and he’s like, “You know what? I could do this all by myself.” He starts kind of pushing away from Tom and being like, “I can do this.” Throughout the movie we learn that it’s okay to ask for help. We also learned that you need your friends to get things done.
MF: James, in many ways Tom is like a father figure to Sonic. How has he been dealing with his with Sonic since the events of the last movie?
James Marsden: Yeah, he’s fumbling a little bit here and there. He’s still trying to learn how to be a dad. I think it caught him by surprise that he was going to have to take on that role because in the first movie they were more just pals.
They were sort of equal buddies, and now Tom and Maddie are seeing him act out. Not act out in a bad way, but the normal way that kids would on their way into their teenage years. He’s a unique one in the fact that he’s got all these crazy superpowers. He’s got a good heart, and he wants to do good and help people out. He’s just a little rough around the edges. He’s a diamond in the rough, I think. A shiny piece of coal.
MF: What kind of advice has Tom given to Sonic to try and help him?
JM: Well, I think Sonic has this image in his head of what he wants to be. He’s got the superpowers, and he grew up watching all these movies. He grew up watching ‘Batman’ and all these superhero movies, and he wants to be one of them. I think he’s a little stuck on the idea of being a hero and striking the right pose. Tom sort of redirects him and says, “It’s not about that. It’s about helping other people. It’s about taking responsibility for other people. It’s about knowing when to use your power and when not.”
That’s just something that Tom gently tries to instill in him without crushing his spirit or making him feel shamed or anything like that. It’s just like sort of a parental guidance thing. Hopefully, I think that if you see the film, it starts to settle into his subconscious. He finds himself maybe in situations where he has to be responsible for somebody else, and we see him make the right choices.
Jim Carrey and Knuckles (Idris Elba) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.
MF: Ben, what can you tell us about the movie’s new characters, Tails and Knuckles?
BS: Well, if you are a fan of the video games, the two characters we introduced in this one are fan favorites. Tails is like a sycophant from Sonic’s world that comes in voiced by Colleen (O’Shaughnessey), who’s incredible and great at gadgets. Then we have the nemesis, Knuckles, who is played by Idris Elba and he has this brute strength. To actually see Sonic have someone that can match up and is even stronger than him is so exciting to see.
Also, he’s someone from his home planet, which is even more exciting because the idea is that he feels so detached from that world, and they’re finally coming here, but they’re already at odds with each other. So, it was super fun. Then to get to voice act alongside those two people was a dream come true.
Jim Carrey in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.
We’ve reached the stage of film promotion for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ which sees studio Paramount rolling out what it describes as the “final” trailer. And with the movie headed to screens next month, that’s probably true – not counting TV spots and other sneak peeks, of course.
Still, this latest look at the fast-paced sequel offers a lot more detail about the story, which we’d only gotten the basic beats on before.
It opens at the wedding of Rachel (Natasha Rothwell), the sister of Dr. Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter), herself the wife of James Marsden’s Tom. With the Hawaii-set nuptials in full swing, there’s an interruption when Tom’s phone rings (with the ‘Sonic’ game theme as his ringtone for the easter egg hunters).
Turns out Sonic (voiced again by Ben Schwartz) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) are in real trouble on a frosty mountain and could use a ring-powered portal assist from Tom. Cue an avalanche of snow and two CG critters invading the tropical wedding setting.
The chaos springs from the fact that Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey, once again playing the role with all the gusto he can muster), is back from the planet he was banished to from the end of the first movie and has returned more powerful than ever before – he also looks a lot more like the game’s version of the villain.
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His great new power comes with zero responsibility, so he’s looking to cause major problems on Earth, taking out military hardware and responding cops. And to stop Sonic from interfering with his plan, he’s also brought a new, threatening warrior, Knuckles the Echidna, who has speedy, strong fists and the voice of Idris Elba. Definitely don’t go calling this guy a porcupine.
This new look at the movie offers more of Robotnik’s drones, some extra moments for two-tailed Sonic ally Tails (voiced, for those who recognize her, by the games’ O’Shaughnessey) and Marsden’s Tom.
There’s also fresh footage of Sonic’s attempts to be a Batman-like vigilante crusader known as Blue Justice. Let’s just say that his enthusiasm outweighs his actual abilities –he’s not likely to challenge Bruce Wayne on the crime-fighting front any time soon, but he does smile a lot more.
In addition to the returning likes of Adam Pally and Lee Majdoub, the cast now also includes Shemar Moore, playing Rachel’s intended husband.
Written once more by Pat Casey and Josh Miller (with John Whittington also contributing this time), ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ also sees director Jeff Fowler back calling the shots.
The movie will dash into theaters on April 8th.
And it’s clear that Paramount is pumped up about the spiny hero, since a third movie is already in development, alongside a spin-off TV series for Paramount Plus that will, like the movies, blend live-action and CG to focus on Elba’s Knuckles character.
Sonic is not running away from screens any time soon!
(L to R) Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega.
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(L to R) Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega.
Paramount saw success with ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ in 2020, one the few movies to do real business during the pandemic. So, it’s perhaps not particularly shocking that it would keep that train chugging along with not just a spin-off (which has already been announced) but also now a new direct sequel.
John Krasinski, who co-wrote, directed and starred in the smash hit 2018 original film (and wrote, directed and cameoed in 2020’s sequel), revealed the news at Paramount’s Investor Day, which saw the studio announce a whole raft of incoming movies and TV series, including a fourth ‘Star Trek’ film featuring Chris Pine and the crew.
Krasinski declined to divulge much in the way of details, including who might be writing and directing this new film. Yet given that it serves as a continuation of the story from the first two movies, it’s a fair bet that he’ll be back behind the camera.
And it should also point to the return of Krasinski’s real-life wife, Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott, still heroically guiding her family (including Millicent Simmonds’ Regan and Noah Jupe’s Marcus) through a terrifying world that is beset by blind aliens with a keen sense of sound, who are only too happy to savage any human they track down.
All that we really know about the new movie for now is that Paramount is targeting a 2025 theatrical release, which makes sense given Krasinski and Blunt’s busy schedules. The former has fantasy adventure ‘If’ in the works now, which he once again wrote and will direct, co-starring with Ryan Reynolds and old ‘Office’ cast mate Steve Carell. Blunt, meanwhile, is filming Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ and has a few potential movies on her future work list.
(L to R) John Krasinski and Emily Blunt in ‘A Quiet Place.’ Photo Courtesy of Paramount.
The spin-off, meanwhile, is further along in the process despite switching directors. Though ‘Midnight Special’s Jeff Nichols was attached at one point to write and direct the movie, that job now falls to ‘Pig’ director Michael Sarnoski.
He’s working on a story set in the ‘Quiet Place’ world but featuring new characters in a different location. That movie is due in theaters next year.
And that’s not the only big screen sequel news that the studio announced. Even before ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ arrives in April, a third film is in “active development”. Which does rather have us picturing the writers sitting around playing lots of ‘Sonic’ while trying to come up with ideas for another movie featuring the speedy character.
Much like the ‘Quiet Place’ news, details are scare, though actor Ben Schwartz, who provides the Hedgehog’s voice, has already hit social media to confirm he’s involved. We’ll wait and see whether director Jeff Fowler returns and if Jim Carrey’s big villain Dr. Robotnik makes it out of the second film.
In related ‘Sonic’ news, Paramount also unveiled a spin-off TV live-action series featuring the character of Knuckles, the popular character from the games who will be introduced to the movie series with this year’s sequel. Idris Elba voices him, and the actor is reportedly returning for the spin-off show, which will appear on streaming service Paramount Plus next year.
‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ races into theaters on April 8th.
The 25th Bond movie, ‘No Time to Die’ has been a huge hit, making more than $774 million worldwide in ticket sales at a time even as the pandemic continued to stifle the box office.
Now, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who have shepherded the film series since 1995’s ‘GoldenEye’, have been talking about the decision to kill off the character (yet keeping the “James Bond will return” caption at the end), their insistence that ‘No Time to Die’ remain a purely theatrical release, and the future of the character.
‘No Time to Die’s biggest shocker, of course, was Daniel Craig’s Bond sacrificing his life to save Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and their young daughter. He literally goes down in a blaze of, well, not quite glory, but missile explosions. According to Broccoli, the decision to kill Bond came early in Craig’s tenure.
“The conversation began when we opened ‘Casino Royale.’ Daniel and I were in Berlin,” Broccoli tells ‘Deadline’s Crew Call Podcast. “It was a big success, and everybody embraced him and there was a lot of excitement. He and I were in the back of a car in Berlin going from the screening to the hotel. And he brought the idea up then. He said, ‘what about if I die?’ Well, first of all, he said, ‘how many of these pictures have I got to do?’ Which made me laugh after all the negotiating we’d been doing with agents and everybody.
“Stupidly, I said, ‘four…’ I should’ve said ‘nine or 10’! I should’ve lied, but I said four because that was the deal at the time. And he said, ‘what if we kill him off?’ I said, ‘sure, let’s do that. We’ll talk about it.’ That’s when the seed was planted, and I discussed it with Michael a lot. We had discussed it over the years because Fleming had tried to kill Bond off in books and things, but Daniel planted that idea.”
Daniel Craig as James Bond
The idea grew through the rest of Craig’s time as Bond, via ‘Quantum of Solace’, ‘Skyfall’, ‘Spectre’ and now ‘No Time to Die’, all more serialized than the movies had been in the past. Everything almost ended with ‘Spectre’ on a more upbeat note with Bond driving off into retirement with Madeleine at his side.
“Daniel decided that that was the end of his tenure. But after several months, Michael and I approached him, once he’d had some rest, and time to think, and we said, ‘it’s not really the end of your story, we still have another chapter. So that’s when the discussions came up that if he were to do another one, what is left in his portrayal of Bond and where to go with it? This became the obvious conclusion.”
So what’s next for Bond? Broccoli isn’t ready to really name names yet. “People always ask, ‘Oh, who’s the next James Bond?’” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s like asking a bride as she’s going up to the altar who’s her next husband going to be. I don’t really want to think about who is going to be the next person until I absolutely have to.”
One name that has cropped up in conversation at lot for the role is Idris Elba, though Broccoli and Wilson are coy on the idea. “Well, we know Idris – I’m friends with him and he’s a magnificent actor,” Broccoli says. “It’s been part of the conversation, but it’s always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat,” she continued. “I think we have decided that until ‘No Time to Die’ has kind of had its run and Daniel has been able to – well, we’ve all been able to – reap the benefits of Daniel’s wonderful tenure, we’re not gonna think about or talk about anybody else, actors to play the role or storylines or anything. We just wanna live in the moment, the present.”
Idris Elba
One part of the decision has led to some controversy, with Broccoli adamant that there won’t be a female Bond as long as she’s running the show. “I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond,” she explains. “I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any ethnicity or race.”
Regardless of who plays Bond going forward, it’s hard to argue with the success so far. The 25 official movies have earned more than $7 billion. And even as the pandemic forced delays and shifts by other movies to streaming, Broccoli and Wilson stayed firm in the belief that 007 should stay theatrical only.
“I never thought of it as power and control. I mean, these films are made by a group of people that had started in 1962, and it’s always been a group of people working together to make these films,” she says. “We make theatrical films and go to great pains to make them as cinematic as possible. We have always worked with great directors and cinematographers and production designers who do their utmost to create a visual feast for people to enjoy. I think that’s what we intend to do, but things change, so who knows? Down the road, it may be different.”
The future also holds the prospect of Amazon completing its purchase of studio MGM, which owns some of the rights to Bond. But don’t go expecting a Marvel or Lucasfilm -style exploitation of side characters on big screens or TV.
“Sure, there are other main characters like M and Q and all that,” says Broccoli. “But we haven’t really wanted to make a Bond film without Bond. It would be like making ‘Hamlet’ without Hamlet.”
As part of the celebration for Bond’s 60th anniversary, ‘No Time to Die’ will return to IMAX screens on Friday January 27.
