While ‘Death on the Nile’ suffered from mixed reviews and relatively quiet box office, 20th Century Studios seems eager to stay in business with producer/director/star Kenneth Branagh, who has been busy setting up his next Agatha Christie adaptation.
With Michael Green – who wrote both ‘Death’ and ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ for the filmmaker – once again cranking out the script, Branagh is ready to make ‘A Haunting in Venice’ as his next film.
The story this time, as opposed to sticking with the book’s title, adapts Christie’s 1969 novel ‘Hallowe’en Party’.
Set in post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, ‘A Haunting in Venice’ is described as a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
Naturally, Branagh and his epic (albeit fake) mustache will be back as Poirot, delving into another mystery. And he has, in keeping with the other two movies, assembled an impressive, eclectic ensemble.
Partly, ‘A Haunting in Venice’ will serve as a ‘Belfast’ reunion for the director, since he’s cast Jamie Dornan (who played a version of his father in the nostalgic, Oscar-winning drama) and Jude Hill (the young actor bringing to life a character based on Branagh’s own youth).
“This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise,” Branagh enthuses. “Based on a complex, little known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.”
“We are enormously privileged to continue our long collaboration with the incomparable Sir Kenneth Branagh and couldn’t be more excited by the bold new creative direction Ken, Michael, and the rest of the filmmaking team have taken with this latest film,” says 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell. “We also remain grateful to James Prichard and the rest of our friends at Agatha Christie, Ltd., for their partnership and for once again entrusting us with, as Poirot modestly calls himself, ‘probably the greatest detective in the world.’”
The director will start the cameras rolling on possibly the most suitable date possible – October 31, with shooting scheduled for Pinewood Studios outside London and on location in Venice.
No exact date has been announced, but ‘A Haunting in Venice’ should be scaring audiences in theaters next year.
Debuting on HBO Max March 3rd is the new television series ‘The Tourist,’ which stars Jamie Dornan (‘Belfast’).
In the series, Dornan plays a man who wakes up in Australia with amnesia after a car accident and has no idea who he is. As he begins to discover clues about his former life, with the help of a local police officer (Danielle Macdonald), he learns that there are people trying to kill him and that he might not like the person he used to be.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jamie Dornan about his work on ‘The Tourist.’
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You can read a full transcript of our interview with Jamie Dornan below, or click on the player above to watch a video of our interview with Dornan and actress Danielle Macdonald.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the challenges of playing a character with amnesia who wakes up in a world where he doesn’t know who to trust, including himself and his own memories?
Jamie Dornan: It’s a big challenge, to be honest with you, like the biggest challenge of my career for so many reasons. For the hostility of where we were shooting and for the madness of the predicament he finds himself in, it all getting pieced together for him, and the fear that would bring upon you.
But also, it’s a different way of working. It’s like the opposite of how you usually work in building a backstory and trying to discover and understand how your character reacts, and why they react to certain scenarios. It’s none of that. It’s the opposite of that.
Acting is all about staying in the present, but it’s doing it in a very different way. Where you’re trying to block out knowing what was in the past, because it’s going to be told to you in the future, it’s a very strange way of working. But it was exciting and challenging, and for me, that’s what it’s all about.
MF: The series deals with the theme of “who are we?” Are we what we’ve done in our past? Or are we what we’re doing in the present, and what we can do in the future? Can you talk about that theme and what did you think the answer is?
JD: Yeah, I think it calls into question all of those things. Judgment is a big, big part of it. We’re talking about a journey that he goes on, that the audience go on with him, and he discovers as the audience discovers, and it’s not all good. It gets to the point where you’re hoping the audience are on his side and they’re feeling his predicament, and they want only good things for him. But then morally horrendous stuff is revealed to the audience about who this guy is. It calls into question all kinds of stuff.
But then, there’s also a whole thing of which it’s revealed to him in episode five. He’s under the influence of a different force, and how much of that you can even fully believe and how much you can play with that. So, it’s asking a lot of questions, but I thought that was a really interesting aspect of it.
Jamie Dornan in HBO Max’s ‘The Tourist.’
MF: Can you talk about the relationship between your character and Officer Helen, and why does he choose to trust her?
JD: Well, how brilliant is Danielle McDonald? She’s just so brilliant in it. She comes at a time where she’s someone who’s showing an interest in him, showing she cares, and showing she’s willing to help. When he has nobody, and it’s an unlikely combination of people. Where they begin to where they end is nuts.
I love that about them. It’s such an unexpected, odd relationship. On the surface sits different energies between them, but they have this sort of commonality with each other. You are, as an audience, as involved in Helen’s story as you are in the man’s. She is the audience. She’s the relatable one in many respects. You can relate with the madness of what he’s going through her. But you can truly relate with what Helen’s going through.
MF: Finally, what was it like working with Danielle Macdonald on the relationship between those two characters?
JD: She was just fun. I think for both us, it was just knowing where to pitch it. When the show plays with tone so much. When she turns up and starts talking, you’re like, what is this? Who’s this person? This isn’t the world I thought I was in, you know? But she does it so brilliantly, with such a proper laugh.
A lot of my stuff was either with Shalom (Brune-Frankilin) or it was with Danny. There’s only one scene where the three of us are all together. But I just got lucky, as I feel like I have so often in my career. I’ve been surrounded with people who have come to play. I have a great affinity with them and a lot of fun with them, and Danny was certainly no exception. I think she’s just so brilliant in the series, and I loved every minute we had together.
Tom Harper, who last made ‘The Aeronauts’ for Amazon, is in the director’s chair for the espionage thriller, which is filming now. The script comes from ‘The Old Guard’s Greg Rucker and Allison Schroeder, who wrote films including ‘Hidden Figures’ and ‘Frozen II’.
Fittingly, given that it’s a spy movie, the plot hasn’t been announced, so feel free to guess what happens or how something called heart of stone factors in. Could they mean a jewel? Some lethal item that people are searching for? Perhaps Gadot’s character is a steely agent with little time for feelings.
Whatever it turns out to be, the movie is looking to be a female-led take on films such as ‘Mission: Impossible’, which could be fun.
Gadot needs little introduction thanks to her role as the DC superhero, but she’s also been widely seen recently in Netflix‘s ‘Red Notice’, which has two sequels already in the works.
Dornan has long since shrugged off the, er, chains of the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ franchise and has been working steadily on a variety of movies and TV shows.
In addition to Kenneth Branagh’s awards-buzzed coming-of-age story, he’s been seen in ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ and as a voice in ‘Trolls World Tour’. He’ll next be seen on TV screens in upcoming drama ‘The Tourist’, arriving on HBO Max on March 3rd.
Gal Gadot in ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’
Groucho, of course, was the leading light of iconic comedy trio the Marx Brothers, who brought their trademark blend of zingers and slapstick to stages and screens between 1905 and 1949. They made some classic comedy movies, including ‘Duck Soup’ and ‘A Night at the Opera’.
‘Raised Eyebrows’, though, won’t chronicle that heyday. Instead, it’s set between 1973-1977 and follows Steve (Plummer) as he enters Groucho Marx’s house for his dream job of working for the aging, frail comedian, under the watchful eye of Erin Fleming (Miller), who had taken over the Marx brother’s personal and professional life.
Marx and Fleming had a controversial relationship in his twilight years, and she was his devoted girlfriend-turned-manager. The power struggles result in a comedy of horrors in which obsession, love, celebrity, mental illness, family, and Hollywood are taken to task and brought to a boil in an anarchic way that could only be described as “Grouchian.”
Oren Moverman, who has made movies including ‘The Messenger’ and HBO’s ‘Bad Education’ will direct from a script he co-wrote with Steve Stoliar, whose memoir ‘Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho’s House’ is the basis for the film.
“It’s a pleasure and an honor and a responsibility and probably something else to work with this amazing cast on a story I hope will reintroduce the genius of Groucho Marx in a new, provocative, entertaining way all these years later,” Moverman tells Deadline. “Steve Stoliar has given the world incredible insight into a bygone era. Done right, we will screw it up royally.”
Rush, of course, is no stranger to playing real people – he won an Oscar for his role as troubled, genius pianist David Helfgott in 1996’s ‘Shine’ and was nominated as Best Supporting actor for 2010’s ‘The King’s Speech’. With luck, he could be back on nomination lists for Groucho.
Geoffrey Rush in 1996’s ‘Shine’
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(L to R) Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Jude Hill, and Lewis McAskie in ‘Belfast,’ directed by Kenneth Branagh
Opening in theaters on November 12th is ‘Belfast‘, the new film from director Kenneth Branagh, which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and is already gaining early Oscar buzz. Written by Branagh and loosely based on his own childhood, the film features an excellent cast of actors that includes Caitriona Balfe (‘Ford v. Ferrari‘), Jamie Dornan (‘Fifty Shades of Grey‘), Ciarán Hinds (‘Justice League‘), Academy Award winner Judi Dench (‘Skyfall‘), and nine-year old actor, Jude Hill.
The film is a love letter to Branagh’s childhood home of Belfast, Ireland, and tells the story of nine-year old Buddy (Hill), and his working-class family in 1969 that includes his brother, mother (Balfe) and father (Dornan), and grandmother (Dench) and grandfather (Hinds). Buddy lives a happy and normal life, playing with his friends, living with the locals, and adoring the girl that sits in front of him in class. Buddy’s father must travel to England for work, and is gone weeks at a time, which begins to put stress on his mother, who is desperately trying to get them out of financial trouble. Buddy is also very close to his grandparents, particularly his grandfather, who is hiding health issues of his own.
But unbeknownst to Buddy, his entire world is about to change as the Northern Conflict between Protestants and Catholics begins waging wars in the streets of his small town. With Buddy’s father away, his mother does her best to keep the violence from affecting her children, but this becomes impossible to do as the conflict grows. As Protestants themselves, Buddy’s family tries to stay neutral, having much sympathy for their Catholic neighbors and appalled by the horror in the streets. But when Buddy’s father is approached by the leader of the anti-Catholic movement, Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan), he is forced to choose a side and do what’s best for his family. With a solid job offer in England, that will also provide a house with a yard for his family, Buddy’s father tries to convince his wife that they have no choice but to leave their friends and home behind for a safer life for their children. Now, with the prospect of leaving Belfast, his grandparents, and the girl he “loves” for good, Buddy will learn the only way possible what it truly means to grow-up.
Drawing on inspiration from his own life, writer and director Kenneth Branagh has truly made his greatest movie yet, which is a beautiful and touching film about growing up, contrasted with the backdrop of the looming Northern Ireland Conflict. While most know Branagh as an accomplished actor, he is also quite the accomplished filmmaker and has been directing his own movies since he practically began in Hollywood over thirty-years ago. Branagh’s early work as a filmmaker includes such acclaimed films as ‘Henry V,’ ‘Dead Again,’ ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ ‘Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein,’ and ‘Hamlet.’ But, for the better part of the last decade, Branagh has directed big studio movies like ‘Thor,’ ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,’ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ and ‘Artemis Fowl.’ One might wonder why Branagh directed so many studio films over such a relatively short period of time. And after seeing ‘Belfast,’ I think I have the answer.
At the Los Angeles premiere of the film, which is where I saw it, Branagh spoke and mentioned that he has been trying to make this movie for over thirty-years, and suddenly, it all made sense to me. Why else would the director of ‘Henry V’ and ‘Hamlet’ decide to make ‘Thor’ or ‘Cinderella?’ It was so he could eventually get ‘Belfast’ financed and made, and it was well worth the wait. Choosing to shoot the film in black and white gives the movie a feeling of timelessness, which I’m sure was the intended effect. There is some color in the film, wisely used when Buddy is watching American television or movies, which gives them the feeling of being from another world. The only use of color I object to was in the opening title sequence, which shows Belfast today and then cuts to the black and white of 1969. I felt that this opening sequence did not fit the tone of the rest of the movie, and puts you a bit off to begin with, but I understand the effect that Branagh was going for, contrasting Belfast now and then.
The cast was absolutely incredible, led by a beautiful performance from Jude Hill. I am a voting member of the Hollywood Critics Association, and I have my own strict rules when it comes to voting for awards. I do not vote for children, ever! I know how hard and how long it takes to become an actor and prefer to vote for actors who have been working hard for decades, instead of a phenom kid who knocks it out of the park first time at bat. That being said, I may have to amend my personal rules this award season, as I was completely won over by Hill’s performance. He is so natural in this role and gives off so much deep emotion that it is almost startling. He is completely captivating and, to a degree, really carries the movie on his back.
I also have to say how impressed I was with Jamie Dornan. Except for a handful of small roles, I’ve only ever seen Dornan in the ‘Fifty Shades’ movies, and am afraid to say, basically wrote him off as an actor. Boy, was I wrong! Jamie Dornan is a very gifted actor and has a range I was completely unaware of. He plays his character as a decent man, just trying to do what is best for his family, and basically stuck between “a rock and a hard place.” But he also shows great emotion in scenes with his wife and his father, yet has very silly, loveable scenes, like when he sings at a party at the end of the film.
For her part, Judi Dench is, well, Judi Dench! She is wonderful in the role as Buddy’s grandmother, even if her Irish accent is not as good as the rest of the cast. She has some fantastic scenes where she is in the background, but she is so captivating just listening to the other actors, that you can’t take your eyes off her.
But for me, the two Oscar worthy performances in this film come from Caitriona Balfe and Ciarán Hinds, respectively. As Buddy’s mom, Balfe gives an amazing performance, channelling all the worry of a young mother in her situation, at the same time exuding a young innocence that makes the character fun. The actress also displays a range of emotions in the film that is quite impressive. Hinds should also be in the Oscar race for playing Buddy’s grandfather, in some ways the heart of the film. The actor, who has worked somewhat under the radar for several decades, finally has a role that truly lets him shine, tapping into both his emotional and humorous sides. And he more than holds his own in his scenes with the legendary Dench.
Finally, I want to mention the music, which was provided by Irish musician Van Morrison. I’m not sure if he recorded anything new for the film, but his library of classic songs is featured throughout the movie. It makes a lot of sense to use Morrison as the soundtrack for this film, and in a lot of places it really works. But there are some scenes, the opening sequence for example, where I felt a score would have been better used and allowed the emotion of the scene to resonate better.
In the end, ‘Belfast’ is an absolute triumph for Kenneth Branagh as a filmmaker and is the “cherry on top” for an already brilliant career. I expect that Belfast will be nominated for Best Picture, and that Branagh will receive a directing nomination as well, and both would be well deserved. It is a heart-warming, and at times humorous movie with brilliant performances, and a veteran director finally regaining his stride.
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Sometimes overlooked in favor of other “slobs vs. snobs” comedy classics from the same era, like Animal House and Caddyshack, this was Bill Murray’s first starring role, and the feature directorial debut for Ivan Reitman. Murray stars as Tripper, head counselor at Camp North Star, a bargain-basement summer camp in Ontario. Murray takes the lonely Rudy (Chris Makepeace) under his wing while still overseeing a group of oddball counselors-in-training as they have their own romances, pull pranks on the camp’s director, and take on wealthy Camp Mohawk in a yearly tournament. It’s ultimately a sweet story, without ever getting quite as crass as some of the era’s other films starring Saturday Night Live alumni. ‘Meatballs’ would turn out to be hugely successful, spawning three mostly unrelated sequels and countless knockoffs.
Wet Hot American Summer
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If ‘Meatballs’ saw plenty of lesser imitations, ‘The State’ alumni David Wain and Michael Showalter stepped up with a satirical take on summer camp movies. Although it bombed at the box office, it’s since become a cult classic, spawning two series on Netflix (one prequel and one sequel). There’s an amazing cast here, including Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Amy Poehler, Judah Friedlander, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Meloni, and David Hyde Pierce, plus other alumni from ‘The State,’ such as Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black, and Joe Lo Truglio. There’s a plot here about the camp putting on a talent show, counselors in love, and a falling piece of Skylab that threatens everyone’s lives, but it’s really just an excuse to see some stars and future stars show off some great comic chops.
Dirty Dancing
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For those that haven’t gotten around to seeing this classic, it’s easy to write off ‘Dirty Dancing’ as sappy romance. But that would be wrong. It’s an emotionally satisfying coming-of-age story about Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) and her steamy summer romance with dancer Johnny (Patrick Swayze). The dancing is terrific, Grey and Swayze have terrific chemistry. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and based on her own summer trips to the Catskills, Baby’s adventure starts because she and her family are taking a summer vacation at Kellerman’s a tony resort. Baby sees hints of classism between some of the staff, and she finds herself drawn more to the working class staffers instead of the Ivy League-bound waiters. The film subversively gives Baby agency, letting her pick her own friends and make her own choices in her sex life; she has a summer fling with a sexy dancer and isn’t punished by fate for it. That was fairly groundbreaking in 1987, and is (sadly) might still be considered unusual in some corners even now.
National Lampoon’s Vacation
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This is another film that started a franchise, but the original version is still the best. Based on screenwriter John Hughes’ own National Lampoon story about a disastrous road trip, the movie focuses on the Griswold’s drive from Chicago to California for a visit to a thinly-veiled version of Disneyland called “Wally World.” Chevy Chase puts in a legendary turn as Clark, the increasingly obsessive patriarch of the Griswold clan. Clark is going to have a great road trip with his family whether they like it or not, and if he becomes Ahab in a station wagon, then so be it. Beverly D’Angelo hits just the right notes as Clark’s wife Ellen, as does Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron as their children Rusty and Audrey. Chase and D’Angelo would return for sequels, and it became a running joke that Rusty and Audrey would be recast in every subsequent film. This first adventure sees car trouble in the desert, an unwanted passenger, a temptress in a Ferrari, and a visit with Cousin Eddy (a reminder of when Randy Quaid was funny). It’s filled with laughs, but it will definitely make you think twice about future family road trips.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
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Based on the best-selling YA novel by Ann Brashares, this is the story of four teen girls, best friends since childhood, who are about to spend their first summer apart. But before three of them leave town, the quartet go shopping and find a pair of jeans that magically fit each one of them. The four decide that they’ll share the pants for the summer, and while each of them have these mysterious jeans in their possession, their individual summers are upended. Blake Lively, America Ferrara, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn play Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby (respectively). The movie captures the charm of the novel, in no small part because of the charisma and chemistry of the stars, and it’s ultimately a heartwarming tale about female friendships and the bonds young women make that can last a lifetime.
Girls Trip
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The annual Essence Music Fest takes place in New Orleans every 4th of July, and that’s the backdrop for Ryan Pierce’s (Regina Hall) attempt to reunite with three of her friends from college. Pierce is a bestselling author and lifestyle guru, poised to be “the next Oprah.” She’s scheduled to speak at the festival, so she invites her college friends to join her, in the hopes of rekindling their friendships. These other three have lives of their own now; Sasha (Queen Latifah) is a celebrity gossip blogger, Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) is a working single mother, and Dina (Tiffany Haddish) is still party-girl Dina, all these years later. These four actors are great together, but Tiffany Haddish is a revelation here, stealing the movie and never giving it back. The film isn’t afraid to remind us that women can and do party hard, but it doesn’t lose sight of these friends repairing burned bridges and reaffirming their love for each other.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
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One of the casualties of quarantine is that this film didn’t get a proper theatrical release. That’s a shame, because as funny as this movie is, it would have been even more side-splitting with a big audience. Make no mistake, this movie is straight up bananas from beginning to end. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo wrote the script and star as Star and Barb, two middle-aged best friends that talk a bit too much, they can be both clueless and timid, but once they hit Vista Del Mar, the movie all but explodes into mayhem. To describe too much would be to take away some of the stunningly insane jokes packed wall-to-wall across the entire film. But suffice to say you may never look at Jamie Dornan the same way again.
The Endless Summer
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This is one of the first and probably still the best surf movie ever made. Director Bruce Brown follows two surfers, Robert August and Mike Hynson, as they leave Southern California and travel to surf spots around the world, including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Tahiti, Senegal, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Australia. Brown’s breezy narration is a far cry from the stiffer voices heard in most documentaries at the time, and it lends an inviting tone to the gorgeous cinematography of the both surf action and the local landscapes. This documentary might help non-surfers understand the appeal of surfing more than any other film ever made, and the idea of an “endless summer” means its welcome on any day of the calendar year.
If you’re curious as to what new movie this week might be best for you, Moviefone is here to help you find it and watch it. This week’s selection of movies features a zany comedy, a historic drama, and several varieties of character-driven stories. Here are the movies we’re suggesting this week:
Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar (Premium VOD)
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo in ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar’
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo reunite after their Bridesmaids success and introduce us to two women who are best friends that just became FUNemployed. Throwing caution to the wind, they travel down to sunny Vista Del Mar for a much-needed break from their average lives. What they don’t know is that Vista Del Mar is in the crosshairs of an evil criminal mastermind Barbara Minerva (Wiig) and her lovesick sidekick (Jamie Dornan). But hey, before all that happens, there’s still time for a cocktail served in a fishbowl. Watch this if… You don’t understand how this took so long to make happen after Bridesmaids, watch Kristen Wiig Saturday Night Live reruns, and need to watch something unpredictable.
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Cowboys (Premium VOD)
Sasha Knight and Steve Zahn in ‘Cowboys’
Joe (Sasha Knight) was born female but identifies as a boy. As he brushes off his mother’s (Jillian Bell) attempts to make him wear pink cowboy boots in their small hometown in Montana, it appears that the only person willing to understand him is his father Troy (Steve Zahn). When he is released from prison, he and Joe go on the lam in the Montana wilderness with nothing but a stolen horse and campfire songs. Ann Dowd plays the law enforcement agent on the case. Watch this if… You crave vast landscapes, absolutely ADORE Steve Zahn, and are interested in heartwarming tales of acceptance with a side of danger.
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French Exit (In theaters in Los Angeles and New York)
Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges in ‘French Exit’
Michelle Pfeiffer’s glamorously forlorn Frances thought that her life would run out before the money did. Alas, she was incorrect, and as she finds herself on the brink of financial ruin, she liquidates her assets, grabs her adult son (Lucas Hedges) and her cat (Tracy Letts), and leaves New York for a small apartment in Paris. She is the kind of woman who sharpens knives in the dark and lights cigarettes in a steady stream that (unfortunately) looks every bit as cool as tobacco companies promised in their early days. The move didn’t brighten Frances’ dreary skies, and she must figure out how to get her figurative groove back, and the journey proves fabulous. Watch this if… Seeing Michelle Pfeiffer’s version of “down and out” makes you feel warm and fuzzy, and if you are especially interested in noteworthy cat roles.
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Judas and the Black Messiah (In theaters and HBO Max)
Daniel Kaluuya in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
The Black Liberation Movement of the 1960s was considered by J.Edgar Hoover “the greatest threat to our national security.” The FBI, under pressure to quell the movement, coerced a former car thief, William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), into helping them bring down the leader of The Black Panthers, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). While O’Neal was actively working against them and rising in their ranks, the film captures the power of the revolution, and how timely their message still is today. Watch this if… You’re a history buff, and want an Awards Season film with incredible performances.
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Land (In theaters)
Robin Wright in ‘Land’
Robin Wright’s feature film debut has her starring as Edee, a woman that needs an escape from society, and who seeks refuge in the wilderness. Since she is woefully unprepared for the harsh reality of Wyoming country life, she finds herself in need of help. Thankfully Demiàn Bichir is there to lend his knowledge of the land and a sympathetic ear, and together their interactions against the gorgeous landscape help their troubled hearts heal. Watch this if… You’re in House of Cards withdrawal, want to support Wright’s first feature film, and like movies with lots of meaningful staring.
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The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Amazon Prime Video)
Kyle Allen and Kathryn Newton in ‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’
While you find yourself in what feels like a real-life time loop, why not check out this time-loop movie based on a short story about gifted, nerdy teenagers?! Mark (Kyle Allen) and Margaret (Kathryn Newton) are two crazy kids with varying degrees of desire to leave their small town. Mark is an artist, stuck in the familiar time loop scenario…but when he meets Margaret and realizes he’s not alone in reliving the same day, his predictable world opens up into an entirely new experience. You’ll feel a little déjà vu watching this, but the added YA spin and charming protagonists will help the feeling pass. Watch this if… You want something off the beaten path for Valentine’s Day and have watched Palm Springs too many times.
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Minari (In theaters)
Alan Kim and Steven Yeun in ‘Minari’
Director Lee Isaac Chung introduces us to the Yi family, who have left Korea in search of prosperity in America. Their dream is to begin a farm in 1980s Arkansas. Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Yeri Han) do their best to introduce their family to the community and get their fledgling business off the ground. While they toil and worry and do all the things parents do, their impossibly adorable son David (Alan Kim) and the family matriarch Soonja (Yuh-jung Youn) make an irresistible pair of co-conspirators. Watch this if… You need to feel really, really good.
“Dr. Death” tells the disturbing true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Dornan), who was a charismatic rising star in the Dallas medical community. He was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when patients started ending up maimed or dead.
It’s a medical murder mystery as two fellow surgeons set out to stop him.
Baldwin plays Robert Henderson, a methodical neurosurgeon who believes in the system. Slater is vascular surgeon Randall Kirby, who, is brash, impulsive and willing to burn the system to the ground in the name of justice.
Hernan Lopez and Marshall Lewy’s Dr. Death podcast has been heard by more than 50 million people. They will serve as executive producers along with “Happy!” producer Patrick Macmanus.
UCP, who brought us the Emmy-nominated true medical horror story “The Act,” is shopping the project to networks and streaming platforms.
They previously handled two other series based on podcasts, Amazon’s “Homecoming,” and “Dirty John,” which landed at Bravo.
Jamie Dornan is about to plunge into another complicated romance.
The “Fifty Shades of Grey” star and Holliday Grainger (“Animals,” “Patrick Melrose”) are set to play star-crossed lovers in “Wild Mountain Thyme.” The project is from John Patrick Shanley, who is adapting his hit Broadway stage play “Outside Mullingar.”
The couple is torn apart by their families, who are caught up in a feud over a hotly contested patch of land that separates their two farms.
Shanley is a Pulitzer- and Tony-winning playwright whose work includes “Doubt” and “Moonstruck.”
Filming on “Wild Mountain Thyme” will begin this summer in Ireland and New York. The eponymous song (covered most recently by Ed Sheeran) will be featured.
Dornan has kept busy since the end of the “Grey” franchise, appearing last year in “A Private War,” “Robin Hood,” and “My Dinner With Hervé.”
“Killing’s a small thing,” Jamie Dornan whispers in the trailer for BBC’s period drama “Death and Nightingales.”
“Getting away with it — that’s not easy.”
The three-part miniseries stars Dornan as a mysterious outsider named Liam who may be responsible for bombings in London. He winds up living on a farm owned by Billy (Matthew Rhys), a harsh man who mistreats his stepdaughter Beth (Ann Skelly). After decades of pain and betrayal, Beth decides to take control of her destiny with Liam’s help — leading to a devastating climax.
The miniseries is based on Eugene McCable’s modern Irish classic and was adapted by “The Fall” creator Allan Cubitt (reuniting him with Dornan).
Rhys is coming off winning an Emmy for “The Americans.” Dornan has previously starred in “The Fall” and the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise.
“Death and Nightingales” premieres later this month.
(If Chris Evans doesn’t show up at the last minute to win back Sebastian Stan … Thanos should just snap everyone involved.)
Marvel Studios
The movie starts shooting in Los Angeles this week. According to Deadline, it’s set in present day L.A. and follows Daphne (Woodley), “a thirtysomething woman navigating love and heartbreak over the course of one year. During that time, she will unlock the secrets to her life in a sudden turn of events and in the most surprising of places.”
Collider added a few more details, noting that the movie was developed under the working title “No, No, No, Yes,” but that’s unlikely to be the final title.
Shailene Woodley plays an artist who dumps her longtime boyfriend, Collider reports, but her attempt to take a break from dating ends when she quickly finds herself in two passionate romances. One of those romances is with an artsy writer played by Jamie Dornan, and the other is with a passionate bad boy played by Sebastian Stan.
Focus Features
If this movie does not do well, it won’t be because of the cast or set-up, which is pretty much ideal for a particular market.
Also, Matthew Gray Gubler of “Criminal Minds” will co-star (maybe as the jilted longtime boyfriend?). The film is being directed by Drake Doremus, who co-wrote the script with novelist Jardine Libaire.
