Moviefone Editorial

Tag: jack black

  • Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn Join New ‘Anaconda’

    (Left) Thandiwe Newton in 'Rogue'. Photo: DirecTV. (Right) Steve Zahn in 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
    (Left) Thandiwe Newton in ‘Rogue’. Photo: DirecTV. (Right) Steve Zahn in ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

    Preview:

    • Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn are aboard the new ‘Anaconda.’
    • Jack Black and Paul Rudd are starring.
    • Directors Tom Gormican is rolling the cameras now.

    While the original is certainly funny intentionally in places, the 1997 giant snake thriller ‘Anaconda’ is mostly remembered for being ridiculous even when it tries to be horrific (and let’s be honest, a lot of that is due to Jon Voight’s leery schmuck).

    3834

    Now, though, Sony’s Columbia arm has a new take on the concept, and this time the focus is firmly on the funny, with Jack Black and Paul Rudd aboard to star.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cast has swelled to accommodate ‘Westworld’s Thandiwe Newton, ‘Silo’ actor Steve Zahn, Selton Mello of Oscar hopeful ‘I’m Still Here’ and ‘Beef’s Ione Skye.

    Related Article: Jack Black and Paul Rudd May Co-star in a New Version of Snake Thriller ‘Anaconda’

    What’s the story of ‘Anaconda’?

    Jennifer Lopez in 1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    Jennifer Lopez in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.

    As you might expect, there is a lot of giant snake action.

    That first outing didn’t strike critics well but grossed $136 million at the global box office and went on to quickly reach cult classic status.

    ‘Anaconda’ was followed by a series of films, including 2004’s ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’, which also did good theatrical business, before a plunge into schlock fare with two movies that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2008 (starring David Hasselhoff) and 2009.

    The last outing was in 2015, when the horror franchise was paired with the crocodile-centric ‘Lake Placid’ series for a horror comedy titled simply, ‘Lake Placid vs. Anaconda,’ starring Yancy Butler and Robert Englund.

    What tone will the new ‘Anaconda’ take?

    1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    As you might expect given the presence of Black and Rudd, the aim is for the new movie to go a more comedic route.

    Tom Gormican, who last brought us Nicolas Cage spoof ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, co-wrote the script with collaborator Kevin Etten and is now rolling the cameras in Australia to take advantage of tax breaks via the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.

    The new story, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth.

    They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.

    Black will play an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd will play an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away.

    Newton and Zahn are other childhood friends that join the two on the ill-fated adventure, while Mello will play a Brazilian animal wrangler. Skye is playing Black’s wife.

    Where have I seen the new recruits?

    (L to R) Thandiwe Newton and Angela Sarafyan in 'Westworld'. Photo: HBO.
    (L to R) Thandiwe Newton and Angela Sarafyan in ‘Westworld’. Photo: HBO.

    British actor Newton has a wide variety of credits, including ‘Mission: Impossible II,’ ‘Crash,’ ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ and most recently, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King.’

    On the small screen, beyond her Emmy-winning turn on ‘Westworld,’ she’s been seen on ‘ER,’ ‘Line of Duty’ and ‘The Slap’ and is heard as Mona on Netflix series ‘Big Mouth.’ She’ll continue her association with the streaming service by showing up on ‘Wednesday’s second season this year.

    Zahn, meanwhile, is known for movies including ‘Out of Sight,’ ‘Joy Ride,’ ‘That Thing You Do!’ and, in recent years, ‘8-Bit Christmas’ and as Bad Ape in ‘War for the Planet of the Apes.’

    On TV, his credits include the first season of ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘The Righteous Gemstones,’ ‘Modern Family,’ ‘Tremé’ and the recent second season of Apple TV+ sci-fi series ‘Silo.’

    Skye, who got her big break in ‘Say Anything,’ has also been seen in ‘Fever Pitch’ and ‘Zodiac’ and on TV in ‘Beef,’ ‘La Brea,’ ‘Good Girls’ and ‘Arrested Development,’ among many others.

    Brazilian actor Mello is currently found starring opposite Fernanda Torres in Walter Salles’ political drama ‘I’m Still Here,’ which has been doing well this awards season.

    Working as an actor since childhood, he last year starred in another Brazilian movie, ‘Bury Your Dead,’ and is also a director, with one of his movies, ‘The Clown,’ serving as his country’s submission for the best foreign language film at the 2013 Oscars.

    When will the new ‘Anaconda’ slither on to screens?

    With Fully Formed, the company run by producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, producing the movie, it has now secured a December 25th release date. Happy Snake-mas!

    (L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube in 1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    (L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    Other Movies in the ‘Anaconda’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘Anaconda’ Movies On Amazon

    LrLJKi6j

  • ‘Dear Santa’ Interview: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly

    AkS91H3Z

    Premiering on Paramount+ and digital platforms November 25th is the new Christmas comedy ‘Dear Santa’, which was directed and produced by Bobby Farrelly (‘Champions’) and written and produced by Peter Farrelly (‘Green Book’).

    The new movie reunites the Farrelly brothers with ‘Shallow Hal’ star Jack Black (‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’), and in addition features Robert Timothy Smith (‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’), Brianne Howey (‘Batwoman’), Hayes MacArthur (‘The Way Back’), Keegan-Michael Key (‘Wonka’), P.J. Byrne (‘The Wolf of Wall Street’), and Post Malone as himself.

    (L to R) Director and producer Bobby Farrelly and screenwriter and producer Peter Farrelly talk 'Dear Santa'.
    (L to R) Director and producer Bobby Farrelly and screenwriter and producer Peter Farrelly talk ‘Dear Santa’.

    Related Article: Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson Talk Basketball Comedy ‘Champions’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Bobby and Peter Farrelly about their work on ‘Dear Santa’, developing the screenplay, getting the movie greenlit, reuniting with Jack Black, directing children, the movie’s tone, P.J. Byrne’s unusual performance, casting Post Malone, and their favorite Christmas movies.

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

    (L to R) Director and producer Bobby Farrelly and screenwriter and producer Peter Farrelly talk 'Dear Santa'.
    (L to R) Director and producer Bobby Farrelly and screenwriter and producer Peter Farrelly talk ‘Dear Santa’.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Peter, can you discuss developing the screenplay with the other writers and the themes you wanted to explore with this movie?

    Peter Farrelly: Well, it wasn’t my idea. It came from Kevin Barnett and Pete Jones, guys we collaborate with a lot. They just came in and said, “What about this? A kid writes a letter to Santa, but he misspells it and instead writes it to Satan.” I was like, “Yeah, let’s do it.” That’s a good movie. It’s a comedy first. It’s like there was a devil in ‘Damn Yankees’ but it never got dark, and that’s what this is. And no better person to play the devil than Jack Black who’s innately lovable. You know his heart is in the right place. I’m not saying Satan’s is, but this Satan’s heart is in the right place.

    MF: Bobby, is a Christmas movie about Satan a difficult project to get greenlit?

    Bobby Farrelly: Well, it is a movie that we worked on for many years. It took 10 years to get the script right. So along the way, we did have studios who were interested in the concept, but we never felt like it was at the right place. So finally, Jeremy Kramer, over at Paramount who had been working with us for years on this, shepherding, got Pete’s and Ricky Blitt‘s new script, and he thought, “You know what? This is it. The time’s right, let’s do it.” So, Paramount did it, and here we are. The trick is doing it in a way where it’s fun and it’s not too dark, and it’s a Christmas story, and then it has a nice happy message and that sort of thing. We didn’t want to turn it into a horror movie by any stretch of the imagination.

    Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, 'Dear Santa'.
    Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, ‘Dear Santa’.

    MF: Peter, was it more difficult to get this movie made than some of your past films?

    PF: They’re never easy. There are no easy movies to make. But Jeremy Kramer, he took the bull by the horns and really made this thing happen because it wasn’t easy. After ‘Dumb and Dumber’, you would’ve thought we could walk in anywhere and make a movie. No. They’re like, “Yeah, well that was a Jim Carrey movie. You guys are lucky to be at the party.” So, you’re still going to fight to get your next movie on, which was ‘Kingpin’, but it’s not easy. They’re never easy. So, no matter what you do, it’s hard in this space.

    MF: Peter, can you talk about creating the right tone for the screenplay?

    PF: I don’t think the tone is dark. I would never describe it as dark. I mean, it’s a light telling of the thing. It’s slightly edgy for a PG-13 movie and this is a goofy Satan. This isn’t ‘The Exorcist’. This is a goofy Satan who’s moved by a kid’s niceness to become nice. The message is quite uplifting, I think, at the end.

    (L to R) Director Bobby Farrelly and Jack Black on the set of Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, 'Dear Santa'.
    (L to R) Director Bobby Farrelly and Jack Black on the set of Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, ‘Dear Santa’.

    MF: Bobby, can you talk about finding the right tone for the movie on set?

    BF: It feels like when (Satan) shows up, it feels like this might get dark, but it’s Jack, and he plays it in a way where he’s very likable and you go with him. He’s won over by the kid and what a nice kid he is and the spirit of Christmas and all that. So, he changes much more than the kid changes. The kid doesn’t get swayed at all by him. In fact, to the contrary, Jack’s character has an arc to him.

    MF: Bobby, what was it like directing young actor Robert Timothy Smith, and is there a trick to getting a great performance from a child actor?

    BF: Well, we’ve directed some kids in the past, but never this many. What I learned about kids is first, you treat them like everyone else because they are just as talented as any adults we’ve ever worked with. It’s a shorter day. There’s a lot of things that must happen. They must go to school, and you can only work so many hours and all that. But boy, they’re good actors, and they can keep up with the adults even if they improvise or go off the page. It was a joy. It was a lot of fun working with this talented young actor and the kids around him. Kai Cech who plays his girlfriend and Jaden Carson Baker, who plays his best friend, Gibby, those guys were all great, and they’re nice kids too, so it was a lot of fun to work with.

    (L to R) Jack Black and Robert Timothy Smith star in Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, 'Dear Santa'.
    (L to R) Jack Black and Robert Timothy Smith star in Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, ‘Dear Santa’.

    MF: Peter, why was Smith the right young actor for this role?

    PF: That kid, he reminded me of a young Albert Brooks. His delivery is very adult, but it’s like a nebbish kind of Woody Allen. I thought the kid was good.

    MF: Peter, what was it like working with Jack Black again after ‘Shallow Hal’ and can you talk about what he brings to this role?

    PF: Well, again, because he’s supposed to be like a goofy Satan, you want somebody who’s lovable and not dark and somebody who everybody is familiar with. He’s the way he was in ‘School of Rock’ where he was a little edgy, and he is dealing with kids, but he’s also adult because he’s trying to teach the kids something, but he’s not teaching in this one. But in any case, you need somebody like that, and that openness and that likability carries the movie. I hate to think what would’ve happened if we’d made the movie with somebody who has a dark element.

    (L to R) Robert Timothy Smith, Jaden Carson Baker, Jack Black and Post Malone star in Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, 'Dear Santa'.
    (L to R) Robert Timothy Smith, Jaden Carson Baker, Jack Black and Post Malone star in Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, ‘Dear Santa’.

    MF: Bobby, what was it like working with Post Malone and when you cast a popular musician in a movie to perform one of their own songs, are you able to request the song they sing or did Malone choose the song himself that he performs in the concert sequence?

    BF: Here’s the thing. You can write him into the script, but he’s probably going to be out touring or doing something. Those guys are busy. But we were able to get him to come in and he was touring, but we were able to get him to come for three or four days into his schedule, because he read the script and he said, “This is going to be fun.” So, he came and totally delivered it. I love that song that he plays in the movie. It’s called ‘I Like You’, and it was perfect for what we needed our young Liam character to be dancing to on stage. So, it was the perfect song. He was more than happy to do it. We were super lucky to get him. And boy, was he fun to work with. He’s like, “You guys all have to play beer pong with me.” All right. Everyone’s playing beer pong. We worked it into the movie with Robert Timothy Smith’s character. It was a lot of fun. Post, that’s a thing that he does. Anyone he meets, he wants to (play beer pong) after the show. He wants to just do a little bit of that. That’s his version of shooting pool or something. He wants to play a little bit of beer pong, and so we worked it into the story when he was there.

    MF: Bobby, actor P.J. Byrne’s gives an unusual performance with a very specific accent and almost speaks like an English gentleman from the 1800s. Did you direct him to speak like that or did he come up with that on his own?

    BF: You know what? I got to give P.J. his due. He came in with that sort of take on the professor, and as soon as he did it, I was like, “I love it. Absolutely perfect.” P.J.’s, that kind of actor. He has a definite defined take on how he’s going to play it. It wasn’t necessarily how we saw it, but that’s why we hired him. We knew he’d deliver.

    (L to R) Jack Black and Robert Timothy Smith star in Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, 'Dear Santa'.
    (L to R) Jack Black and Robert Timothy Smith star in Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, ‘Dear Santa’.

    MF: Peter, what is the secret to making a great Christmas movie?

    PF: Well, I would say the secret is heart, having heart, but then ‘Bad Santa’ is one of my favorites, and it didn’t have a ton of heart. But it did have some. I guess I’d have to say my favorite Christmas movie is ‘Elf’. I loved ‘Elf’. I could watch ‘Elf’ every year. It’s a fun one to watch. In fact, when we were making ‘Green Book’, we were doing it in December. Viggo Mortensen rented out a whole theater and the whole cast and crew went to watch ‘Elf’ because he loves that movie. It’s interesting, if you look at ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, there’s some dark little bits in there. Yet ultimately, it’s an uplifting movie, and that’s what we wanted this to be.

    MF: Finally, Bobby, what is your favorite Christmas movie?

    BF: I loved ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, which is one of the original Christmas classics. But I just loved the way it did have some real drama in it, and real storytelling. It wasn’t a comedy for most of it, but boy, it had a sweet, happy ending. That’s the formula I wanted to follow with ‘Dear Santa’. It’s a tight balance between telling a dark story here or telling a story that’s got a lot of heart and a lot of happiness and ends with a big up note.

    I6Q6mX011OYNklSGi1hUT6

    What is the plot of ‘Dear Santa’?

    A young boy (Robert Timothy Smith) accidentally mixes up his spelling and sends his Christmas list to Satan (Jack Black) instead of Santa.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Dear Santa’?

    • Jack Black as Asmodeus/”Santa Claus”
    • Robert Timothy Smith as Liam Turner
    • Jaden Carson Baker as Gibby
    • Kai Cech as Emma
    • Brianne Howey as Molly Turner
    • Hayes MacArthur as Bill Turner
    • Keegan-Michael Key as Dr. Finklman
    • P. J. Byrne as Mr. Charles
    • Post Malone as himself
    Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, 'Dear Santa'.
    Paramount Pictures presents a Farrelly Brothers / Kraymation Films production, a Bobby Farrelly film, ‘Dear Santa’.

    Other Farrelly Brothers Movies:

    Buy Farrelly Brothers Movies on Amazon

     

  • Jack Black and Paul Rudd in Early Talks for New ‘Anaconda’

    (Left) Paul Rudd as Ben in season 3 of 'Only Murders in the Building.' Photo by: Patrick Harbron/Hulu. (Right) Actor Jack Black performs at the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Photo: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.
    (Left) Paul Rudd as Ben in season 3 of ‘Only Murders in the Building.’ Photo by: Patrick Harbron/Hulu. (Right) Actor Jack Black performs at the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Photo: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.

    Preview:

    • Jack Black and Paul Rudd may star in a new version of ‘Anaconda’.
    • Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight headlined the 1997 original.
    • Tom Gormican is attached to direct the new movie.

    Movie studios love dipping into their archives to find old titles they can slap some remake/re-imagining/legacy sequel paint onto and push into theaters to earn some fresh cash.

    Sony is doing just that, having kicked off development of a new take on 1997’s ‘Anaconda,’ which, as you can guess, focused on a snake. In this case, a massive snake.

    Development has been underway on the new version and, according to rumor-carrying Twitter feed MyTimeToShineHello (with a confirmation and some extra details via The Hollywood Reporter), Jack Black and Paul Rudd are in talks to co-star in the movie.

    3834

    What’s the story of ‘Anaconda’?

    Jennifer Lopez in 1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    Jennifer Lopez in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.

    As you might expect, there is a lot of giant snake action.

    That first outing didn’t strike critics well but grossed $136 million at the global box office and went on to quickly reach cult classic status.

    ‘Anaconda’ was followed by a series of films, including 2004’s ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’, which also did good theatrical business, before a plunge into schlock fare with two movies that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2008 (starring David Hasselhoff) and 2009.

    The last outing was in 2015, when the horror franchise was paired with the crocodile-centric ‘Lake Placid’ series for a horror comedy titled simply, ‘Lake Placid vs. Anaconda,’ starring Yancy Butler and Robert Englund.

    What tone will the new ‘Anaconda’ take?

    (L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube in 1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    (L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    As you might expect given the presence of Black and Rudd, the aim is for the new movie to go a more comedic route.

    Tom Gormican, who last brought us Nicolas Cage spoof ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, is apparently co-writing the script with collaborator Kevin Etten and will direct.

    The Reporter’s sources are pointing to the new story involving a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.

    But the details are foggier when it comes to the roles that the new actors are considering. There are competing accounts: one has Black playing an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd is an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away. It might, however, be the other way round.

    Related Article: Jack Black is Joining Jason Momoa in the Cast of the ‘Minecraft’ Movie

    When will the new ‘Anaconda’ slither on to screens?

    With the movie still in development, and key deals yet to seal, Sony isn’t releasing any details on when it might see theaters.

    1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    Other Movies in the ‘Anaconda’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘Anaconda’ Movies On Amazon

    LrLJKi6j

  • Every Eli Roth Movie, Ranked

    Eli Roth on the set of 'Borderlands'.
    Eli Roth on the set of ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    Director Eli Roth is one of the current Masters of Horror.

    The filmmaker and occasional actor (‘Inglorious Basterds‘) is best known for horror movies like ‘Cabin Fever,‘ ‘Hostel,’ and his most recent, ‘Thanksgiving.’

    But Roth has also made films in other genres including ‘Knock Knock,’ ‘Death Wish,’ ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls,’ the documentary ‘Fin,’ and his latest project, the big screen adaption of the video game ‘Borderlands,’ which opens in theaters on August 9th.

    In honor of ‘Borderlands’ release, Moviefone is counting down every feature film Eli Roth has ever directed.

    Let’s begin!

    10. ‘Borderlands‘ (2024)

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    Lilith (Cate Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Edgar Ramírez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland (Kevin Hart), a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound protector; Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), the oddball scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Jack Black), a wiseass robot. Together, these unlikely heroes must battle an alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other.

    R3pUkc2eg6Y2rnhZklpHG2 98yROJ4P

    9. ‘Hostel: Part II‘ (2007)

    2007's 'Hostel: Part II.'
    2007’s ‘Hostel: Part II.’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    Three American college students studying abroad are lured to a Slovakian hostel, and discover the grim reality behind it.

    24860

    8. ‘Fin‘ (2021)

    Eli Roth in the 2021 documentary 'Fin.'
    (Right) Eli Roth in the 2021 documentary ‘Fin.’ Photo: Discovery+.

    Follows a group of scientists, researchers and activist exposing the extinction behind sharks.

    ScjWpc6962U1ED0N0ivHX5

    7. ‘Death Wish‘ (2018)

    Bruce Willis in 2018's 'Death Wish.'
    Bruce Willis in 2018’s ‘Death Wish.’ Photo: MGM.

    A mild-mannered father (Bruce Willis) is transformed into a killing machine after his family is torn apart by a violent act.

    cjTCaDvr6TcTPqigNymI

    6. ‘The Green Inferno‘ (2013)

    2013's 'The Green Inferno.'
    2013’s ‘The Green Inferno.’ Photo: Open Road Films.

    A group of student activists travel from New York City to the Amazon to save the rainforest. However, once they arrive in this vast green landscape, they soon discover that they are not alone… and that no good deed goes unpunished.

    10086910

    5. ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls‘ (2018)

    Jack Black in 'The House with a Clock in Its Walls.'
    Jack Black in ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    When ten-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) is suddenly orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) in a creaky (and creepy) old mansion with a mysterious ticking noise that emanates from the walls. Upon discovering that his uncle is a warlock, Lewis begins learning magic, but when he rebelliously resurrects an evil warlock he must find the secret of the house and save the world from destruction.

    3gA7bW2HITpmNrLV7LXLr3

    4. ‘Knock Knock‘ (2015)

    Lorenza Izzo, Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas in 'Knock Knock.'
    (L to R) Lorenza Izzo, Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas in ‘Knock Knock.’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    When a devoted husband and father (Keanu Reeves) is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women (Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas) unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.

    20068156

    3. ‘Hostel‘ (2006)

    Jay Hernandez in 'Hostel.'
    Jay Hernandez in ‘Hostel.’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    Three backpackers head to a Slovakian city that promises to meet their hedonistic expectations, with no idea of the hell that awaits them.

    24285

    2. ‘Cabin Fever‘ (2003)

    2002's 'Cabin Fever.'
    2002’s ‘Cabin Fever.’ Photo: Lionsgate.

    A group of five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.

    15657

    1. ‘Thanksgiving‘ (2023)

    Amanda Barker “Lizzie”in Thanksgiving' from TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group, LLC Thanksgiving.
    Amanda Barker “Lizzie”in Thanksgiving’ from TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group, LLC Thanksgiving.

    After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a larger, sinister holiday plan.

    wFnmtkZL9c3kYFF4uTzJQ4

     

     

  • ‘Borderlands’ Exclusive Interview: Director Eli Roth

    X1kGACMA

    Opening in theaters on August 9th is the new action-comedy ‘Borderlands’, which is based on the popular video game of the same name and was written and directed by Eli Roth (‘Thanksgiving’).

    The film Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett (‘Blue Jasmine’), Kevin Hart (‘Ride Along’), Jack Black (‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’), Édgar Ramírez (‘Point Break’), Ariana Greenblatt (‘Barbie’), Gina Gershon (‘Emily the Criminal’), and Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis (‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once’).

    Director Eli Roth talks 'Borderlands'.
    Director Eli Roth talks ‘Borderlands’.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Borderlands’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director Eli Roth about his work on ‘Borderlands,’ the challenges of adapting a video game, cracking the story, the all-star cast, and making movies outside of the horror genre.

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

    Eli Roth on the set of 'Borderlands'.
    Eli Roth on the set of ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the challenges of adapting a video game and cracking the story for ‘Borderlands’?

    Eli Roth: Well, the story, that was producer Ari Arad and Randy Pitchford, who spent a long time with different writers trying different permutations until they settled on this story, and then that’s when they came to me. So, one of the things we talked about was how do we change stuff and adapt it from a video game to a movie, but I had the game creator Randy with me there the whole time. There are certain things that you obviously want to be faithful to, like the costumes, the design, the guns, the tech. There are certain things that are beloved in the game, and we could fill the movie with Easter eggs, but obviously in casting the movie, you’re going to cast people in real life that look different than the characters in the game. So that’s the first thing. It’s a very, very violent game, but to render the universe at this scale, the studio wants to make a PG-13 movie, and I wanted to make something for the nine-year-old boy in me that if this is a movie, if you’ve never played the game before and you take kids to go see at 10 or 11-years old, they’re going to laugh their ass off and have a great time. I wanted something that was just totally bonkers, a movie that was unhinged and fun. You can just turn off your brain, grab a bucket of popcorn and have a good time.

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Kevin Hart as Roland in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Kevin Hart as Roland in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    Moviefone: Did you play the game for research, and what did you like most about the source material?

    ER: It’s so fun. Yes, I did play the game. I’m terrible at games, so I had to have Christy Pitchford take me through the game co-playing with her. But I love it. I love the sense of humor. Randy Pitchford and I are of the same age and have the same influences, whether it was ‘Mad Max’ or ‘Escape from New York’ or ‘Star Wars’. I love the creatures. I love the sense of insanity. I love the world. I love the detritus of the world. They’re trying to make something beautiful out of it and the trashed planet, and it made me think of ‘The Fifth Element’ and what I saw in that movie, and just the colors of that film and the Gaultier costumes that just blew my mind. So, to get to render something at that scale, I want it to feel like you took all your fluorescent pink neon clothes, put them in the dryer, sprinkled in some glitter, and then it just exploded everywhere and caught fire at the same time. So that was the idea of rendering something that didn’t look like any other movie you had seen before.

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    MF: Can you talk about putting together this terrific cast of actors?

    ER: I had an amazing experience working with Cate and Jack on ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls’, the kid’s movie I did with Amblin, and Cate was the first one I called. I said, “I’m making this insane kind of spaghetti western space opera, fun sci-fi video game adaptation, and I need someone to be a total badass, like Clint Eastwood in ‘The Man with No Name’ or Snake Plissken in ‘Escape from New York’,” and she’s like, “I’m in. Let’s do it.” So, Cate learned to twirl guns. She wanted to shoot, she wanted to do her own stunts. We put her in a harness, she was 100 feet in the air on wires. Then I said, “All right, what if you grab a flamethrower and you light these guys on fire?” So, Cate, she learned to do it. She’s really shooting a flamethrower in that scene. So, it was incredible. Once you have Cate, she’s actor bait. Everybody wants to act with Cate. So, I called Jack right away, said, “She’s going to be a pissed off bounty hunter, and you’re the annoying robot,” and he’s a big ‘Borderlands’ player, so he knew Claptrap, he was all in. Then Jamie Lee said she wanted to play Tannis, which was my first choice and she said yes. he’s like, “You had me at Cate Blanchett.” So, it’s great to be able to unite those screen icons in a movie, and the two of them became close friends. Everyone bonded on this movie. We were shooting in the pandemic, so there was a curfew in Budapest. We weren’t allowed out after 8:00pm, and the world of ‘Borderlands’ became our reality. So, everybody got close. We made lifelong friends on that movie, and you can feel that bond with the characters on screen.

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Kevin Hart as Roland, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Kevin Hart as Roland, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    MF: Finally, you are probably best known for making horror movies. But do you also enjoy working in other genres?

    ER: I do. I love it. I’ve noticed, if I do too many horror films in a row, I start to get burnout. So, whether I switch and made my documentary ‘Fin’ about saving sharks or ‘Death Wish’, which is completely different, it’s good for me to switch it up and challenge myself creatively and learn new skills. You learn something every time, every day on set. Every shot, you’re learning something new. So, it’s great. I shot ‘Thanksgiving’ after ‘Borderlands’, so I learned how long the post-production is on ‘Borderlands’. So, it’s good for me to go back and forth, but obviously horror movies are my passion and my love. But if you do too many in a row… I never want to get tired of doing it.

    R3pUkc2eg6Y2rnhZklpHG2

    What is the plot of ‘Borderlands’?

    Bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) is hired by interstellar business mogul Atlas (Edgar Ramírez) to find his missing daughter and the soldier-for-hire, Roland (Kevin Hart), who was sent to rescue her. The mission takes Lilith back to her ruined home planet, Pandora, where she reluctantly teams with Roland, a muscleman named Krieg (Florian Munteanu), a loopy scientist named Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), a wisecracking robot (Jack Black), and the girl herself, Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), to battle monsters and vicious marauders while searching for a secret that could unleash unimaginable power.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Borderlands’?

    • Cate Blanchett as Lilith
    • Kevin Hart as Roland
    • Jack Black as the voice of Claptrap
    • Edgar Ramírez as Atlas
    • Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis
    • Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina
    • Florian Munteanu as Krieg
    • Gina Gershon as Mad Moxxi
    Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland and Claptrap voiced by Jack Black in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland and Claptrap voiced by Jack Black in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    Other Movies and TV Shows based on video games: 

    Buy Tickets: ‘Borderlands’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Eli Roth Movies on Amazon

     

  • Movie Review: ‘Borderlands’

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    Opening in theaters on August 9th is ‘Borderlands,’ directed by Eli Roth and starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramirez, Jack Black, and Ariana Greenblatt.

    Related Article: Director Eli Roth Talks ‘Thanksgiving’ Blu-ray and the Upcoming Sequel

    Initial Thoughts

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith in 'Borderlands'.
    Cate Blanchett as Lilith in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate. Copyright: © 2024 Lionsgate.

    A loud, clattering, off-brand mash-up of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ and other recent tentpoles, ‘Borderlands’ is based on the hugely successful first-person shooter video game franchise launched in 2009 by Gearbox Software. Fans of the game can assess how faithful the movie, mostly directed by horror auteur Eli Roth (‘Thanksgiving’), is to the game, but as a film this fails on a number of levels.

    ‘Borderlands’ is simply dull, thanks to a bland script and setting, cheap-looking production values, and a cast that seems terrific on paper but veers between performances that are either bored or overwrought. Filmed more than three years ago in the spring and summer of 2021, ‘Borderlands’ collected dust until Tim Miller (‘Deadpool’) came on to direct reshoots in early 2023 when Roth proved unavailable. Either way, with recent video game adaptations like ‘Fallout’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ earning praise for their approach to translating their games to the screen, ‘Borderlands’ is a disappointing throwback, a film that looks and plays like it came out of the 1990s, right down to the crappy CG and the pounding heavy metal needle drops.

    Story and Direction

    Eli Roth on the set of 'Borderlands'.
    Eli Roth on the set of ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    As Cate Blanchett’s expository voice-over tells us at the beginning, a long-extinct alien race named the Eridians used to rule the galaxy, leaving behind some powerful artifacts hidden in secret “Vaults” throughout the cosmos that ruthless corporations like Atlas and Dahl, along with independent “Vault Hunters,” are interested in obtaining. Blanchett herself plays Lilith, a bounty hunter who is hired by Atlas himself (Edgar Ramirez) to ostensibly find his kidnapped daughter, Tina (Ariana Greenblatt). She’s gone missing on the planet Pandora (yes, same name as the planet in the ‘Avatar’ movies) along with the soldier sent to retrieve her, Roland (Kevin Hart).

    Pandora also happens to be Lilith’s home world, and when she arrives there she finds it to be devastated by corporate mining and colonization efforts, with gangs of former prison laborers known as Psychos now roaming the land. She also finds Tina in short order, along with Roland, but the girl does not want to be rescued and shows her resistance by hurling explosive stuffed bunnies in Lilith’s direction. Nevertheless, Lilith, Tina, and Roland eventually team up – along with Tina’s self-styled bodyguard and former Psycho Krieg (Florian Munteanu), an eccentric scientist named Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), and a motormouth robot named Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black) – to block Atlas’s real agenda, which is to find a Vault hidden on Pandora and unlock the unimaginable power stored within.

    The problem with ‘Borderlands,’ as with many video game adaptations, is that the movie must do a lot of world-building in a short period of time, leading to things like that voice-over narration and reams of expository dialogue. ‘Borderlands’ falls victim to this early on, mixing and matching characters from various editions of the game in a stop-and-start narrative that either comes to a crashing halt to explain its convoluted mythology or races from one frenetic action scene to another without balancing the two effectively. This leaves no room for any real character development, and while a pro like Blanchett tries hard, the cast falls into the ‘lovable band of rogues and misfits’ trope without doing anything to make it unique.

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Kevin Hart as Roland in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Kevin Hart as Roland in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    The movie is also hampered by its production values, which look cheap, constricted, and derivative despite a reported $120 million budget. Set on a world devastated by indifferent corporate colonizing, the movie looks like it was shot in perhaps two quarries made to look like junkyards (one character even asks at one point if there’s a way to escape that doesn’t involve schlepping through garbage). The post-apocalyptic wasteland has been done to death, and the fact that the Psychos resemble extras from the recent ‘Mad Max’ movies doesn’t help.

    If Roth (or Miller) isn’t shooting in one of the film’s two junkyards, then they’re staging sequences in murky underground corridors and hallways that cinematographer Rogier Stoffers can’t solve. The result is an especially drab film all around. Adding to the problems, ‘Borderlands’ is rated PG-13, so Roth isn’t able to indulge his proclivities for copious amounts of blood and gore; the choppy editing suggests that much of this is being held back for a future ‘uncut’ release.

    A finale laden with mediocre CGI only exacerbates the sense that this is a production where things went south pretty quickly, and the movie rapidly descends into a kind of numbing, generic rhythm that is thankfully only ameliorated by its relatively brief 100-minute runtime.

    The Cast

    Kevin Hart as Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Cate Blanchett as Lilith in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Kevin Hart as Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, and Cate Blanchett as Lilith in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    We’re not exactly sure how Cate Blanchett got roped into this, although she and Jack Black both starred in Roth’s slapdash 2018 Y/A fantasy, ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls.’ Whatever her reasons, we’re not going to place this among the Australian actor’s finest performances. She’s good, never less than professional, but at times she doesn’t seem to know how seriously she should be taking any of it, and her CG-infused arc near the end of the film just ends up looking silly.

    Jack Black has no such problems: for one thing, he’s never onscreen since he’s the voice of the R2-D2/BB-8 hybrid robot known as Claptrap, and as such gets the film’s best and funniest lines. Claptrap acts as a commentator on the action, edging close to a ‘Deadpool’-like breaking of the fourth wall (although it never happens) and offering up a stream of patter that alternates between sarcastic quips and ill-time bursts of into. But even Black’s energetic routine gets wearisome after 100 minutes or so of listening to Claptrap babble on.

    We’re not sure what Jamie Lee Curtis is doing as the usually reliable actor plays Tannis as a weird combination of loopy and wearily cynical, with the two sides of her admittedly thin personality never meshing well. Kevin Hart is curiously low-energy, although he does pull off a few decent action moves, and while we dislike giving the thumbs-down to a young actor, Ariana Greenblatt (‘Barbie’) delivers an incredibly annoying, tic-laden performance as Tiny Tina, a character so poorly developed and inconsistently written that her central role in the story makes her faulty work even more grating.

    Final Thoughts

    Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Kevin Hart as Roland, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Kevin Hart as Roland, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    We should have known we were in trouble the minute we saw Avi Arad listed as a producer on ‘Borderlands.’ While Arad was instrumental in the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was long gone by the time it became a cultural phenomenon. He’s instead continued to plunder his stake in the Sony Spider-Man Universe with lackluster misfires like the ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ and ‘Venom’ films, along with 2002’s equally forgettable adaptation of the ‘Uncharted’ video game.

    ‘Borderlands’ fits neatly into that filmography as a generic, soulless sci-fi actioner that really lacks any sort of distinctive personality or creative spark (a quick online search reveals that fans of the game are also disgruntled with what they’ve seen of the movie via trailers and clips). And while Eli Roth is no one’s idea of a great filmmaker, he’s out of his element here and unable to deploy the deliberately sleazy horror/exploitation tropes that at least make films like ‘Hostel’ and ‘The Green Inferno’ identifiable as his. ‘Borderlands’ is simply product, manufactured to cash in on a successful property without any understanding of what makes that property popular or why it should appeal to non-gamers.

    ‘Borderlands’ receives 2.5 out of 10 stars.

    R3pUkc2eg6Y2rnhZklpHG2

    What is the plot of ‘Borderlands’?

    Bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) is hired by interstellar business mogul Atlas (Edgar Ramírez) to find his missing daughter and the soldier-for-hire, Roland (Kevin Hart), who was sent to rescue her. The mission takes Lilith back to her ruined home planet, Pandora, where she reluctantly teams with Roland, a muscleman named Krieg (Florian Munteanu), a loopy scientist named Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), a wisecracking robot (Jack Black), and the girl herself, Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), to battle monsters and vicious marauders while searching for a secret that could unleash unimaginable power.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Borderlands’?

    • Cate Blanchett as Lilith
    • Kevin Hart as Roland
    • Jack Black as the voice of Claptrap
    • Edgar Ramírez as Atlas
    • Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis
    • Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina
    • Florian Munteanu as Krieg
    • Gina Gershon as Mad Moxxi
    Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland and Claptrap voiced by Jack Black in 'Borderlands'.
    (L to R) Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland and Claptrap voiced by Jack Black in ‘Borderlands’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes. Copyright: ©2021 Lionsgate.

    Other Movies and TV Shows based on video games: 

    Buy Tickets: ‘Borderlands’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Cate Blanchett Movies on Amazon

    98yROJ4P

  • Movie Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’

    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Arriving in theaters on Friday, March 8th, ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ marks the return of the animated adventures for Jack Black’s martial arts panda. Revisiting the Valley of Peace after nearly a decade, the movie will need to prove itself even more than your average sequel.

    Which has us asking, of course…

    Is ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ a Worthy Continuation of the Franchise?

    There is good news to report for ‘Kung Fu Panda’ fans (Fandas?) –– the new outing, the first since ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ in 2016 (not counting the TV spin-offs) is a frothy, diverting affair. While it suffers in not really having a great villain, the usual spirit of Kung Fu Panda lives on in this new offering.

    Somewhat naturally that has a lot to do with the effervescent charm of Jack Black, who fully inherits and powers the role, but he’s backed up by an able assortment of returning and new performers.

    Related Article: Jack Black Starring in Christmas Comedy ‘Dear Santa’ for The Farrelly Brothers

    Script and Direction

    Jack Black voices Po in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4', directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Jack Black voices Po in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’, directed by Mike Mitchell.

    The script, by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Darren Lemke shows the hallmarks of writers who have plenty of experience with this world and its characters. Both Aibel and Berger have scripted the other ‘Panda’ films, while Lemke has worked on a few DreamWorks Animation movies, but also has experience on the likes of ‘Shazam!’ and ‘Goosebumps’ (the latter starring Black).

    It is also helpful that while it certainly references the franchise’s past (the villain’s plot involves invoking old baddies to steal their powers and fighting styles to augment her own, and Po’s two dads receive their own subplot that eventually ties into the main story), it also has one eye on the future.

    Having Po facing the dilemma of giving up being the Dragon Warrior –– a role and responsibility he has less grown into than more grown comfortable with –– while also being tasked with choosing a successor is a helpful, organic framework with which to plot new storylines. Because you just know if this one is a success, DreamWorks will want more.

    Finally, it doesn’t hurt that the screenplay is light on its feet and features a number of solid gags, both one-off and runners that work well (one highlight is a guard at the big bad’s palace who points out the error in her plan until his colleagues demand he stops).

    Po (Jack Black) in 'Kung Fu Panda 4' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Po (Jack Black) in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    On the directing front, the movie’s in good hands with Mike Mitchell, who has plenty of experience on both the animated and live-action front and has proved to deliver regularly for DreamWorks.

    Here working with co-director Stephanie Ma Stine, he proves to be the right person to bring this latest film to life, working with the animation and tech teams to find creative ways to explore action set pieces and getting the best out of the voice cast. Particularly impressive is a sequence set in the Jade Palace, where Black’s Po confronts crafty, thieving fox Zhen (Awkwafina) and multiple priceless antiquities are put at risk.

    Yes, older audiences will see where the story is going from the minute the two leads meet, but the journey in this case is an engaging one.

    Performances

    (from left) Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    (from left) Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    With Black back in a role that he typically shines in, Po is his usual friendly, hungry self. There’s really not much to having the character work besides the actor’s energy and the occasional “Skidoosh!”, but Black makes it so that you’re happy following our hero along on his latest adventure.

    Awkwafina, meanwhile, has been proving her voice-acting mettle in the last few years, working on projects for Disney and Illumination. If she finds her way into an English dub of a Miyazaki movie, she’ll have worked for most of the major animation companies releasing movies in the States.

    Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Her Zhen is a lively, quick-witted type, the writers finding gags that work for her and the animators locking in on her offbeat energy.

    Viola Davis fares less well as the villainous Chameleon. Her role is very much a standard scheming baddie with a magic plot to harness powers and rule… well, everything. Davis brings her usual gravitas to the part, but aside from some fun abilities once she goes through with her scheme, Chameleon is less memorable than, say, Ian McShane’s Tai Lung (the baddie from the first movie, here drawn back from the spirit world).

    On the supporting front, the likes of Bryan Cranston, James Hong and Dustin Hoffman offer typically light-hearted spins on their characters’ schtick, while Ke Huy Quan makes an impression as Han, the king of thieves who factors into both Zhen’s backstory and the final act.

    ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’: Final Thoughts

    (from left) Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    (from left) Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Smartly focusing on just a few characters (some franchise faithful fans will be disappointed to learn that the Furious Five –– AKA the masters voiced by Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu are conveniently busy off on their own missions, though they do show up for near wordless cameos right at the end), ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ justifies this long-anticipated return to the venerable DreamWorks movie series, without too much of the cash-in effect.

    It suffers from a less-than-fantastic villain, but if we’re honest, the bad guys are usually an excuse to give Po his latest mission. And between Black, Awkwafina and some of the other cast, it’s more crowd-pleaser than animated slog.

    ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

    81Dl1nufxH4vqqmxIbEoc6

    What’s the story of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’?

    After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to… give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.

    That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.

    Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

    So, Po’s going to need some help…

    Who else is in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’?

    Alongside Black and Davis, the cast also includes Awkwafina, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane and Ke Huy Quan.

    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Kung Fu Panda 4,' directed by Mike Mitchell.
    Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Kung Fu Panda 4′:

    Buy Jack Black Movies on Amazon

    vNNSBnJk

  • Kate McKinnon and Jemaine Clement join ‘Minecraft’

    (Left) Kate McKinnon as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ 'Barbie,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Right) Jemaine Clement as Vladislav the Poker in 'What We Do in the Shadows.' Photo: Madman Entertainment.
    (Left) Kate McKinnon as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Right) Jemaine Clement as Vladislav the Poker in ‘What We Do in the Shadows.’ Photo: Madman Entertainment.

    Preview:

    • Kate McKinnon and Jemaine Clement are joining ‘Minecraft’.
    • Jason Momoa and Jack Black are among the stars.
    • The movie has been in development for years but is finally shooting.

    With the cameras rolling at long last, the ‘Minecraft’ movie has left the world of development limbo where it has lingered for years.

    And with that news comes a raft of casting announcements. With Jason Momoa and Jack Black attached for a while, we’ve more recently learned that Jennifer Coolidge will join them and now comes word that ‘Saturday Night Live’ veteran Kate McKinnon and ‘Men in Black 3’s Jemaine Clement.

    Given all the recent casting, the tone certainly seems to be leaning in a comedic direction.

    hCuUjEgel7kznFLKw8pp81

    What is ‘Minecraft’?

    Minecraft game
    Minecraft game from Mojang Studios.

    If you’re not in the game’s target audience, here’s what you need to know… ‘Minecraft’, from Swedish developer Mojang AB, allows you to create and shape an entire world, and by 2014 had sold more than 35 million copies across PCs, the Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. Much like with Lego, the only stories here are those created by users, who can choose whether to explore, create or fight with each other. There are also nocturnal monsters stalking the place, which you must deal with. It reached 100 million users just a few years after launch and helping spark Microsoft to acquire Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.

    Since then, it hasn’t been quite as much in the pop cultural zeitgeist (the likes of ‘Fortnite’ have tended to dominate), but it’s recognizable intellectual property.

    What has happened with the development of the movie adaptation so far?

    Jason Momoa as Dante in 'Fast X', directed by Louis Leterrier.
    Jason Momoa as Dante in ‘Fast X’, directed by Louis Leterrier.

    Around the time of the Microsoft purchase, Warners entered talks with prolific producer and director Shawn Levy, but his packed scheduled and slow development on the movie meant he never ended up in the director’s chair.

    After Levy came ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ co-creator and self-avowed ‘Minecraft’ fan Rob McElhenney was next in line as director when the movie was still being planned as an animated release. He, like Levy, appears to have been the victim of scheduling, and has focused his video game-loving energies on co-creating and starring in Apple TV+’s ‘Mythic Quest’ series.

    With ‘Wonder Woman’s Jason Fuchs sticking around for script work, the movie then targeted Steve Carell as a potential star but that also didn’t happen.

    The most recent time that ‘Minecraft’ news showed up, it was with ‘Raising Victor Vargas’ Peter Sollett writing and directing.

    ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ director Jared Hess was hired in 2022, with filming now under way in New Zealand.

    Hess addressed the pressure of getting the movie right.

    Here’s what he told The Salt Lake Tribune:

    “I think anybody that does any IP, they just want to avoid an ugly ‘Sonic’ situation [referring to the fan-hated original CG hedgehog from the movies]. just can’t disappoint the 10-year-olds, or they’re going to murder us.”

    Related Article: Jennifer Coolidge is the Latest Addition to the ‘Minecraft’ Movie Cast

    Who else is in ‘Minecraft’?

    Jennifer Coolidge in HBO's 'The White Lotus.'
    Jennifer Coolidge in HBO’s ‘The White Lotus.’ Photograph by Fabio Lovino/HBO.

    Alongside Momoa, Black, Coolidge and now McKinnon and Clement, the cast for the movie also includes Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Matt Berry and Sebastian Eugene Hansen.

    When will ‘Minecraft’ be in theaters?

    ‘Minecraft’ is currently scheduled for release on April 4th, 2025.

    Kate McKinnon attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images).
    Kate McKinnon attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images).

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Minecraft’:

    Buy Kate McKinnon Movies on Amazon

    gB9dQVnR

  • Jennifer Coolidge Joins the ‘Minecraft’ Movie

    Jennifer Coolidge in HBO's 'The White Lotus.'
    Jennifer Coolidge in HBO’s ‘The White Lotus.’ Photograph by Fabio Lovino/HBO.

    Preview:

    • Jennifer Coolidge in the latest addition to the ‘Minecraft’ movie.
    • Jason Momoa is starring in the film.
    • Jared Hess is directing the movie now in New Zealand.

    Having walked on stage at the recent Emmy Awards to collect the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in ‘The White Lotus’, Jennifer Coolidge has now landed a gig in a big upcoming film.

    The comedy veteran will be bringing her particular style to ‘Minecraft’, which has been bulking up its laugh-grabbing side of late, with Jack Black the most recent addition.

    hCuUjEgel7kznFLKw8pp81

    What is ‘Minecraft’?

    Minecraft game
    Minecraft game from Mojang Studios.

    If you’re not in the game’s target audience, allow us to brief you on the basics… The game, from Swedish developer Mojang AB, allows you to create and shape an entire world, and by 2014 had sold more than 35 million copies across PCs, the Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. Much like with Lego, the only stories here are those created by users, who can choose whether to explore, create or fight with each other. There are also nocturnal monsters stalking the place, which you must deal with. It reached 100 million users just a few years after launch and helping spark Microsoft to acquire Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.

    Since then, it hasn’t been quite as much in the pop cultural zeitgeist (the likes of ‘Fortnite’ have tended to dominate), but it’s recognizable intellectual property.

    Related Article: Jack Black is Joining Jason Momoa in the Cast of the ‘Minecraft’ Movie

    What has happened with the development of the movie adaptation so far?

    Shawn Levy attends 'The Adam Project' World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City.
    Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Around the time of the Microsoft purchase, Warners entered talks with prolific producer and director Shawn Levy, but his packed scheduled and slow development on the movie meant he never ended up in the director’s chair.

    After Levy came ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ co-creator and self-avowed ‘Minecraft’ fan Rob McElhenney was next in line as director when the movie was still being planned as an animated release. He, like Levy, appears to have been the victim of scheduling, and has focused his video game-loving energies on co-creating and starring in Apple TV+’s ‘Mythic Quest’ series.

    With ‘Wonder Woman’s Jason Fuchs sticking around for script work, the movie then targeted Steve Carell as a potential star but… well… that didn’t pan out

    The most recent time that ‘Minecraft’ news showed up, it was with ‘Raising Victor Vargas’ Peter Sollett writing and directing. But with Jared Hess in charge, it has finally gotten in gear, with filming under way in New Zealand.

    Who else is in ‘Minecraft’?

    Jason Momoa as Dante in 'Fast X', directed by Louis Leterrier.
    Jason Momoa as Dante in ‘Fast X’, directed by Louis Leterrier.

    Alongside Jason Momoa, Black and now Coolidge, the cast for the movie also includes Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Matt Berry and Sebastian Eugene Hansen.

    When will ‘Minecraft’ be in theaters?

    ‘Minecraft’ is currently scheduled for release on April 4th, 2025.

    Jennifer Coolidge as Carol Fowler in 'Shotgun Wedding.'
    Jennifer Coolidge as Carol Fowler in ‘Shotgun Wedding.’ Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Minecraft’:

    Buy Jennifer Coolidge Movies on Amazon

    65pXu5ZU

  • Jack Black is Joining the ‘Minecraft’ Movie

    Actor Jack Black performs at the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015.
    Actor Jack Black performs at the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Photo: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

    Preview:

    • Jack Black is the newest actor joining the ‘Minecraft’ movie.
    • Jason Momoa is starring in the film.
    • Jared Hess will direct the film, with shooting starting shortly.

    He was part of the voice cast for one of last year’s biggest hits, ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’, playing the villainous –– and musical –– Bowser. It looks like Jack Black is ready to stay with the videogame adaptation genre, as Deadline reports that he’s joining Jason Momoa in the ‘Minecraft’ movie.

    While Deadline could dig up no details on the story, we do know that Jared Hess is in the director’s chair and shooting is scheduled to start this month in New Zealand.

    hCuUjEgel7kznFLKw8pp81

    What is ‘Minecraft’?

    Minecraft game
    Minecraft game from Mojang Studios.

    If you’re not in the game’s target audience, allow us to brief you on the basics… The game, from Swedish developer Mojang AB, allows you to create and shape an entire world, and by 2014 had sold more than 35 million copies across PCs, the Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. Much like with Lego, the only stories here are those created by users, who can choose whether to explore, create or fight with each other. There are also nocturnal monsters stalking the place, which you must deal with. It reached 100 million users just a few years after launch and helping spark Microsoft to acquire Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.

    Since then, it hasn’t been quite as much in the pop cultural zeitgeist (the likes of ‘Fortnite’ have tended to dominate), but it’s recognizable intellectual property.

    Related Article: Jason Momoa’s ‘Minecraft’ Adds ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Matt Berry

    What has happened with the development of the movie adaptation so far?

    Jason Momoa in 'Superpowered: The DC Story.'
    Jason Momoa in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.

    Around the time of the Microsoft purchase, Warners entered talks with prolific producer and director Shawn Levy, but his packed scheduled and slow development on the movie meant he never ended up in the director’s chair.

    After Levy came ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ co-creator and self-avowed ‘Minecraft’ fan Rob McElhenney was next in line as director when the movie was still being planned as an animated release. He, like Levy, appears to have been the victim of scheduling, and has focused his video game-loving energies on co-creating and starring in Apple TV+’s ‘Mythic Quest’ series.

    With ‘Wonder Woman’s Jason Fuchs sticking around for script work, the movie then targeted Steve Carell as a potential star but… well… you can guess what happened.

    The most recent time that ‘Minecraft’ news showed up, it was with ‘Raising Victor Vargas’ Peter Sollett writing and directing. But with Jared Hess in charge, it appears to be finally getting in gear.

    Which is a good thing, since ‘Minecraft’ is currently scheduled for release on April 4th, 2025.

    Who else is in ‘Minecraft’?

    Danielle Brooks as Sophia and Corey Hawkins as Harpo in Warner Bros. Pictures’ bold new take on a classic,'The Color Purple,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Danielle Brooks as Sophia and Corey Hawkins as Harpo in Warner Bros. Pictures’ bold new take on a classic,’The Color Purple,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

    The cast for the movie also includes Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Matt Berry and Sebastian Eugene Hansen.

    Jack Black: Other Videogame-Based Work

    ‘Mario’ and ‘Minecraft’ are not the only game adaptation that Black is part of –– he’ll be heard this year as robotic goofball Claptrap in the movie based on the ‘Borderlands’ game. That one will be in cinemas on August 9th.

    Lionsgate's 'Borderlands.'
    Lionsgate’s ‘Borderlands.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Minecraft’:

    Buy Jason Momoa Movies on Amazon

    SdNYVZDQ