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Tag: jennifer-connelly

Robert Eggers Reportedly Directing New ‘Labyrinth’
(Left) Director Robert Eggers on the set of his film ‘Nosferatu’, a Focus Features release. (Right) David Bowie as Jareth in ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

Preview:
- Robert Eggers is reportedly to make a new ‘Labyrinth’ movie.
- The likes of Scott Derrickson and Fede Álvarez have been attached in the past.
- The 1986 original starred Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie.
Writer/director Robert Eggers has his most recent stab at celluloid fear, ‘Nosferatu’ on screens at the moment. The movie, a new version of what was a bootleg take on ‘Dracula’ features some truly creepy character work and both psychological and physical horror.

Given that, and his history with movies such as ‘The Witch,’ ‘The Northman’ and ‘The Lighthouse,’ he might not appear to be the first person you’d think to tackling a remake of a film originally brought to screens by Muppet maestro Jim Henson, which for all its scarier themes, is mostly a family fantasy adventure.

And yet, at least according to reporter Jeff Sneider, that’s exactly what could happen, as Sony has Eggers setting his sights on a reboot of 1986 movie ‘Labyrinth.’
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What’s the story of ‘Labyrinth’?

(L to R) David Bowie as Jareth and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah in ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

The original movie was directed by Henson and naturally features a fair amount of fresh felt creations from his workshop.

Jennifer Connelly stars as Sarah Williams, a teenager forced by her father and stepmother to babysit her baby stepbrother, Toby, while they are out.

The child will not stop crying, and Sarah wishes that he would be taken away. Out of the blue, he stops crying and when she looks for him in his crib, she learns that her wish was granted, and the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) has taken him to his castle in the Goblin City in the middle of a labyrinth. Sarah repents and asks Jareth to give him back, but Jareth tells her that she has to rescue him before midnight.

Sarah finds some willing allies, but the question remains… Will they rescue Toby in time?

Henson came up with the original story alongside Dennis Lee, and script duties were handed over to Monty Python member Terry Jones (with Elaine May contributing an uncredited polish to boost the characters and humor of Sarah and Jareth).

Related Article: Brian Henson Talks ‘Labyrinth’ Digital Re-Release and Playing Hoggle

What has happened with the new version so far?

The CEO of the Jim Henson Company, Lisa Henson.

Eggers considering the new movie might not be as strange as it sounds, as Sony and the Jim Henson Company (run by Henson’s daughter, Lisa) has had horror filmmakers attached in the past.

There have been loose plans to make a new ‘Labyrinth’ film for several years, though a direct sequel would certainly seem to be a tough ask given the death of Bowie in 2016. The challenge of finding someone who could channel his unique energy is surely a huge one.

At one point, ‘Alien: Romulus’ filmmaker Fede Álvarez was planning to direct before he announced in 2020 that he had stepped down. At the time, it was reported that the project was still moving forward with ‘Doctor Strange’ and ‘The Black Phone’ director Scott Derrickson taking over at the helm.

Yet Derrickson revealed last year that his version had stalled at the script stage. Here’s what he told Comicbook.com:

“I don’t know what’s happening with that. We never got the script all the way to a place where the studio wanted to make it, but I was very proud of the work that we did on it. And it’s a hard, hard project to turn into something commercially viable, because it’s so imaginative and surreal that there’s no way that it can be done cheaply. And at the same time, it’s so daring and different that it is a tough movie for a studio to feel competent that it has enough commercial value to earn a profit. So I think that it’s a tough nut to crack, but all I can tell you is I’m very proud of the work that we did on it. We certainly had a great film in mind. Because the project is still in development, I probably shouldn’t say… I think we had a really cool idea, but I don’t want to blow that in case the movie does get made.”

While the issue of Bowie remains up in the air, Connelly has said that she at least had conversations about returning, though she admitted to Collider that she wasn’t sure where the movie was going to land.

According to Brian Henson –– Jim’s son and a director in his own right who also works for the family company, there is still life in the project, according to his statement to Comicbook.com:

“That’s a question you have to ask my sister. My sister Lisa, who’s CEO of the Jim Henson Company. That is a project that we are very excited about, but we can’t talk about it.”

Nothing official has yet been said about Eggers’ involvement, nor whether he’ll look to make a legacy sequel or re-imagine the original (as he has with his atmospheric ‘Nosferatu’), but we’d certainly be intrigued to see what might result. Does anyone have a set of juggling crystal balls we can use to get a glimpse?

When will then new ‘Labyrinth’ be in theaters?

‘Labyrinth’ is available for purchase or to rent on digital beginning February 6th.

With the film still seemingly stuck in development limbo, we’re not even going to guess at this point when it might head to theaters.

But if Eggers can actually make it happen, then it has a stronger chance than ever of actually getting to screens.

‘Nosferatu’ director Robert Eggers.

List of Robert Eggers Movies:
- ‘The Witch‘ (2016)
- ‘The Lighthouse‘ (2019)
- ‘The Northman‘ (2022)
- ‘Nosferatu‘ (2024)
Buy Tickets: ‘Nosferatu’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Robert Eggers Movies on Amazon
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December 30, 2024
‘Labyrinth’ Digital Re-Release Interview: Brian Henson
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Available for purchase or to rent on digital beginning February 6th is the Jim Henson directed classic ‘Labyrinth,’ which stars David Bowie and Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly (‘Top Gun: Maverick’).

(L to R) Brian Henson as Hoggle and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah in ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jim Henson’s son, Chairman of The Jim Henson Company and the voice of Hoggle, Brian Henson. He talked about his work on ‘Labyrinth,’ developing the project, why his father wanted to make the movie, casting David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, voicing Hoggle, the legacy of the film and the long-rumored sequel.

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

Brian Henson on the set of ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the development of this movie, why your father was so passionate about making it, and the themes that he was excited to explore?

Brian Henson: I was largely in school. My job was training puppeteers, being the puppeteer captain, directing background action and performing Hoggle, so development I was aware of, but not intimately involved in. But I certainly know that he did ‘The Dark Crystal’ and although people love the movie and critics love the movie, there was generally a feeling of, “We kind of missed that Henson irreverence. We kind of missed having guest stars and celebrity mixed in. We kind of missed the music and we kind of missed some of the comedy.” So, my dad was trying to find the right project that was still fantasy because he loved what he was doing in ‘Dark Crystal,’ but a world and a story that could bring back in music, comedy and irreverence as well as all that stuff. So that was his thinking. Then the whole thing with a baby and losing a baby, I know that in the movie he does credit Maurice Sendak as one of his main inspirations for the movie, and you saw a lot of that in Maurice Sendak’s work. It was in his illustrated novels. There was a lot of babies in precarious situations, completely ignorant of the danger that they were in, and that tickled my dad. I mean, it’s a dark sense of humor, but there was a lot of that. Then my dad had three daughters and was very aware of that point in time, and I think that was very intriguing to him. I mean, the coming of age of a boy story we’ve seen done many times, but it’s a very different journey to a girl becoming a woman, and all the dangers that comes with that. I think that intrigued him a lot as a parent. Then the other thing is I’m sure that with five kids in the family, he must have heard, “That’s not fair,” so many times that I think the theme of, “It’s not fair,” was important to him. Life is not always fair because in ‘Labyrinth,’ Sarah’s constantly going, “It’s not fair. I did the right thing, and this is not fair.” Sometimes things aren’t fair, and you just must know if you’re right and if you’re a good person, then you must just keep trying. You just must keep trying.

David Bowie as Jareth in ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

MF: Can you talk about casting David Bowie and his contributions to the film’s music?

BH: I think my dad and David, that was a good combination. I know he was considering a few names. I was probably 21 when he was in that casting process. ‘Modern Love’ had only come out a couple of years earlier. I thought David Bowie was the greatest thing on the planet. I thought he was so much more. He was like a demigod to me. I thought he was really something special. So, I was super excited that he was casting David, and I think the two of them got along. I mean, other choices that he was thinking of had a similar work ethic, but David was a workaholic, and a wildly prolific creator just like my dad. So, they were both these wildly prolific artists, and I think that made it very easy for them to work together. I remember when my dad got the first recordings from David. He was used to working with songwriters who were writing songs for movies, where when you got the first recordings it was just a piano and a vocal. That’s usually what you heard but David brought in fully produced tracks with the Harlem choir singing in the background. I remember it was extraordinary. The music was great, but I think my dad would give David just a little bit of guidance, but really let David write the songs. They were his songs.

Jennifer Connelly as Sarah in ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

MF: Can you also talk about the casting of a young Jennifer Connelly as Sarah?

BH: Well, with Jennifer, my dad was casting for the character of Sarah. I mean, they saw a lot of actresses. I was the puppeteer for Sir Didymus for a call back for screen testing a short list. So, I was involved in screen testing probably 10 actresses. My dad was directing, and then ultimately my dad decided on Jennifer. He liked her the most and she did a fantastic job, but it was really a wide casting call. I know there were a few actresses that age that were famous at the time, they were all also interested. So that was Jennifer. She had to get through all the levels of callbacks and screen tests and all that, and just did a wonderful job.

Related Article: Every Muppets Movie Ranked!

(L to R) Director Jim Henson and Brian Henson as Hoggle on the set of ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

MF: How did you end up playing Hoggle and can you talk about creating the voice for the character?

BH: (My dad) wanted me to try with Hoggle because I was the lead puppeteer, so Shari (Weiser) is inside the costume and she’s doing the body, she’s inside. Then me plus three other puppeteers were doing the face. I was doing the mouth. So, I had to voice it because I was working the mouth. Initially my dad wanted to try it with another actor, a cockney comedic actor, a British actor, who was older, and a very funny guy, to see if I could lip-sync while he was talking. But he had such a quirky timing, and he was so unpredictable, it was just impossible to keep up with him. He’d start talking before I was ready. We tried for only a day, and it was clear to my dad, he was like, “This is never going to happen.” So, he said to me, “I don’t know who the voice will be. It may be that actor, but it might be another actor. I’m just going to leave that. So why don’t you do Hoggle, but I’m going to replace your voice.” Puppeteering is more than a technical skill. Obviously, you’re delivering a performance, an emotional performance, but I never thought it would be me. First, I was terrified of doing a Dick Van Dyke (from ‘Marry Poppins’) and just doing a terrible British accent. I just made it kind of British, but also just kind of weird. I just slipped into this character. Then, because Shari couldn’t see unless the mouth was open, if the mouth wasn’t open, Hoggle would walk into a tree. So, then I had to come up with all these reasons to open the mouth. So, whenever he’s walking, he’s always saying, “Go, get out of the way.” He’s just always grumbling and mumbling to himself, literally as an excuse to keep opening the mouth so that Shari could see where the person was that Hoggle was talking to, or where the tree was that she would trip. That’s the way that developed. Then at the end, my dad said, “You know what? Your voice has kind of grown on me, so I think we’re just going to keep it.” I was like, “Okay, great.”

(L to R) David Bowie as Jareth and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah in ‘Labyrinth.’ Photo: The Jim Henson Company. Copyright: Labyrinth Enterprises.

MF: Can you talk about the legacy of the movie and why it’s still popular to this day?

BH: I think that the legacy, the film just gets more and more popular. That’s one thing that’s wonderful about it. That’s one of the great things about fantasy in general, because even science fiction can date itself because its often science concepts that then actually have happened, but they didn’t happen anything like what you thought they were going to look like. With fantasy, it never really dates itself. Now, certainly if you look at ‘Labyrinth’ or ‘The Dark Crystal,’ you would say that’s a retro film art form. When we were doing these animatronic characters at the time, I think we genuinely believed that the audience would really believe that they were living creatures. Now, the sophisticated audience today that’s used to seeing sophisticated effects will look at what we were doing in ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Dark Crystal’ and go, well, they’re puppets. They’re just good puppets. They’re cool puppets, but they’re puppets. The legacy of that is that the audience can really appreciate the artistry, I think. So, when you watch these films, particularly these big fantasy films from the ’80s, the artistry is so clear that as an audience member, you can really appreciate all those creative people, that army of creative people and what they did. Whereas if you watch a big Marvel film, it may have the same size army of artists working, but it’s just kind of hard to see what they were doing. Whereas when you watch these fantasy films from the ’80s, you see the sculpting, the conceptualizing, the painting and the fabric work, and you can really see all the artistry. So that can be very inspiring, I think, to a modern audience.

MF: Finally, what is the status of the long-rumored sequel?

BH: As for a sequel, I’m not allowed to say anything. I can say it’s still active. We are still very invested in it and are very excited about it. But I can’t say anything more about it.
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What is the Plot of ‘Labyrinth’?

When teen Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is forced to babysit her half-brother Toby (Toby Froud) she summons Jareth the Goblin King (David Bowie) to take him away. When he is kidnapped Sarah is given just thirteen hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue him.

Who is in the Cast of ‘Labyrinth’?
- David Bowie as Jareth
- Jennifer Connelly as Sarah
- Toby Froud as Toby
- Shelley Thompson as Irene
- Christopher Malcolm as Sarah and Toby’s father
- Brian Henson and Shari Weiser as Hoggle
‘Labyrinth’ is available for purchase or to rent on digital beginning February 6th.

Other Jim Henson Company Movies:
- ‘The Muppet Movie‘ (1979)
- ‘The Great Muppet Caper‘ (1981)
- ‘The Dark Crystal‘ (1982)
- ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan‘ (1984)
- ‘Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird‘ (1985)
- ‘The Witches‘ (1990)
- ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol‘ (1992)
- ‘Muppet Treasure Island‘ (1996)
- ‘Muppets from Space‘ (1999)
- ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day‘ (2014)
- ‘The Happytime Murders‘ (2018)
- ‘Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio‘ (2022)
Buy Jim Henson Movies on Amazon
February 6, 2024
Where To Watch The Mega Blockbuster ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

We feel the need, the need to relive the action of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ right from the comfort of our couches.

The highly anticipated sequel soared into theaters on May 27, 2022, and quickly became the summer movie to see. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96% from critics and 99% from the audience, the Tom Cruise-led film has now earned over $1.4 billion worldwide.
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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a follow-up to the 1986 ‘Top Gun’, directed by Tony Scott. It’s been over 36 years since the original film and even with all the delays due to COVID and scheduling conflicts, fans patiently awaited for it to arrive in theaters. The film centers around Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) who has been ordered to return to Top Gun flight school to train the next group of pilots for a dangerous mission.

The official synopsis for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is below:

“After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.”

Tom Cruise on the set of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Who stars in ‘Top: Gun Maverick?’

The film also starred Miles Teller (‘Spiderhead‘), Glen Powell (‘Devotion‘), Jennifer Connelly (‘A Beautiful Mind‘), Jon Hamm (‘Confess, Fletch‘), Monica Barbaro (‘At Midnight‘), Lewis Pullman (‘Battle of the Sexes‘), Bashir Salahuddin (‘Gringo‘), Danny Ramirez (‘Look Both Ways‘), Manny Jacinto (‘I Want You Back‘), Ed Harris (‘Pollock‘), and Val Kilmer (‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang‘).

With today’s technology, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ brought the action to new heights. Utilizing practical stunts and gravity-defying flight sequences, the film puts the audience right in the cockpit with heart-dropping drops, rolls, and dives. The actors themselves also experienced g-forces and top-speed flying.

The aviation-action title was nominated in several categories for the 95th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Original Song (performed by Lady Gaga), Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film brought home the Oscar for Best Sound.

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Related Article: Movie Review: Top Gun: Maverick

The Gravity-Defying Stunts In ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Tom Cruise is known for delivering top-tier stunt sequences in his movies often performing the stunts himself, such as hanging on to the door of a commercial aircraft during takeoff in ‘Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation’. For ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, while he is an experienced and licensed pilot, Cruise did not actually fly the Boeing F/A 18F Super Hornet jet used in the film. Due to military regulations, the actor flew in the backseat of the aircraft while a Navy pilot controlled the plane. This was the same scenario for the cast. But this doesn’t mean the cast had an easy time – the intense flying sequences require serious training for the actors and Cruise himself designed an intensive three-month training program for the cast to go through prior to filming.

On top of the intense training, the cast had to be their own cinematographer while they were in the air. The F18 aircraft did not allow room for additional crew, and during the flight sequences, director Joseph Kosinski was not able to communicate with the cast or see the footage being filmed. Therefore it was up to the actors to make sure they were framed and lit properly.

Where Can I Watch ‘Top Gun: Maverick’?

The film first premiered at Cinema Con on April 22, 2022. It opened in the US on May 27th and was available in IMAX, 4DX, ScreenX, ad Dolby Cinema. The film earned $126.7 million on its opening weekend. While it’s been almost 10 months since it’s premiere, there are still theaters playing the film, though it is limited. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Buy Tickets: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Movie Showtimes

Watch the official trailers for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ below:
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When Will It Be Available To Stream Online?

You can stream ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ on Paramount+, with a subscription fee ranging from $5 to $10 monthly, or MGM+ (formerly Epix) for $6 a month. Both services offer free trials for those looking for a new streaming platform.

Additionally, it is also available to rent (pricing varies) or purchase for $19.99 digitally on various platforms.

Where To Watch: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Online

For those who prefer the own the physical copy?

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is available to purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray with over 80 minutes of special features. For the collectors, there’s a limited-edition Steel book available on Amazon.

Buy ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Movies On Amazon

In the newly debuted ParamountShop.com, you can find themed accessories and apparel inspired by the movie.

Watch Tom Cruise In Action In These Titles:

The actor is no stranger to action films. Check out these movies for more jaw-dropping action sequences.
- ‘Top Gun‘ (1986)
- ‘Mission: Impossible‘ (1996)
- ‘Mission: Impossible II‘ (2000)
- ‘Minority Report‘ (2002)
- ‘The Last Samurai‘ (2003)
- ‘War of the Worlds‘ (2005)
- ‘Mission: Impossible III‘ (2006)
- ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol‘ (2011)
- ‘Jack Reacher‘ (2012)
- ‘Oblivion‘ (2013)
- ‘Edge of Tomorrow‘ (2014)
- ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘ (2015)
- ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back‘ (2016)
- ‘The Mummy‘ (2017)
- ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout‘ (2018)
For More High-Flying Action, Check Out These Movies

If you enjoyed the intense aerial flight sequences and dog fights scenes in ‘Top Gun Maverick’, here are a few more films to check out:
- ‘Hot Shots!‘ (1991)
- ‘Behind Enemy Lines‘ (2001)
- ‘Flyboys‘ (2006)
- ‘American Made‘ (2017)
- ‘Devotion‘ (2022)
Please click on the video player below to watch our interviews with actors Danny Ramirez, Lewis Pullman, Greg Tarzan Davis, and Charles Parnell, as well as producer Jerry Bruckheimer about ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’
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April 14, 2023
Movie Review: Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Opening in theaters on May 27th is the long-awaited sequel to the groundbreaking 1986 Tony Scott film ‘Top Gun,’ aptly titled ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’

The movie picks up 36 years after the original, and centers on an older Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) who is ordered to return to the TOPGUN flight school to train a group of the Navy’s best pilots for a dangerous secret mission.

In addition to Cruise, the cast also includes Miles Teller as Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late co-pilot Goose (Anthony Edwards), as well as Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer, reprising his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.

The result is an exhilarating sequel that relies only a bit on nostalgia but also creates new characters and situations to test its lead character, played commandingly by Cruise, and features some of the best flying sequences ever captured on film.

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Set 36 years after the original, we are reintroduced to Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise), who is still in the Navy, but has only achieved the rank of Captain due to his infamous insubordination. Maverick is surprised to be called back to his old flight school, TOPGUN, by Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Kilmer), in order to train the best pilots in the Navy for a dangerous secret mission.

But Maverick soon discovers that the son of his ex-partner Goose (Edwards in archive footage), Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Teller), is one of his new students and now Maverick must decide if he is willing to put Rooster’s life at risk or protect him as his father would have wanted.

Meanwhile, Maverick must deal with his commanding officer, Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson (Hamm), as well as revisiting a past relationship with Penny Benjamin (Connelly), “the Admiral’s daughter” that was briefly mentioned in the original film. As Maverick and Rooster come to terms with their anger towards each other, Mitchell must get the recruits ready for the mission of their life.

Of all the 1980’s blockbuster movies, ‘Top Gun’ is the “Holy Grail” of recognizable intellectual property to never be tapped for sequels, which is why the franchise was so ripe for a follow-up now. In a world where movies based on popular IP rule, Tom Cruise was wise to revisit the character of Maverick in a ‘Top Gun’ sequel as creating franchises out of ‘Jack Reacher’ and ‘The Mummy’ failed to work, and the actor can’t just make ‘Mission: impossible’ movies the rest of his life!

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

But unlike other recent “legacy sequels” such as ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ or ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ ‘Maverick’ does not rely on the nostalgia factor quite as much. In fact, with the exception of Tom Cruise, (and archive footage appearances from Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan), Val Kilmer is the only other actor from the original to appear in the sequel.

While the nostalgia kicks in during the opening credits, as soon as you hear the famous ‘Top Gun’ theme, the movie doesn’t rely on nostalgia for story, outside of the main conflict between Maverick and Rooster. That allows the sequel to be its own thing, while capitalizing on the love we all have for the original, and Tom Cruise as Maverick.

But I do wish there were a few more tie-ins to the first film, like bringing back recognizable actors such as Adrian Pasdar or Oscar-winner Tim Robbins to play Maverick’s contemporaries who rose in the Naval ranks while he didn’t. Instead new series actors Jon Hamm and Charles Parnell are cast in those parts, and while effort is made to explain their connection to Maverick, it would have been easier to use characters we were already familiar with.

And while actress Kelly McGillis was missed, Jennifer Connelly was a welcomed addition as Maverick’s love interest Penny, who actually has a connection to the first film. Penny is the “Admiral’s daughter,” the same Admiral’s daughter that Goose mentions Maverick had a fling with in the original movie. While the romantic scenes are not as “steamy” as they were in the original, they are sweet, and demonstrate how Maverick has matured through the years.

Jennifer Connelly plays Penny Benjamin in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Of the returning cast, Val Kilmer is absolutely wonderful as now Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. While the actor was unable to speak much of his dialogue due to an illness from cancer, the filmmakers brilliantly wove that into the character’s own history, which helped drive the story. Kilmer has a very touching scene with Cruise, and it is one of the best moments of the film.

Director Joseph Kosinski, who previously worked with Cruise on the criminally underrated ‘Oblivion,’ does amazing work here capturing some of the best flying sequences ever on film. Cruise and the other actors actually trained as pilots to prepare for the movie and are really up in the air in those jets when we see them on screen. There were no green screens or visual effects, just real actors capturing their actual expressions in those moments. We would expect nothing less from Tom Cruise at this point, but as a filmmaker, Kosinski pulled off those sequences beautifully.

Kosinski also pulls back on the nostalgia by wisely not recreating the “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” scene, and replacing the beach volley ball scene, with a game of football instead. Although, it would have been nice to hear a few of the old Kenny Loggins songs that were so memorable from the original.

But my biggest complaint is the strange “Fade to Black” dissolves that are littered throughout the film. It was a weird way to end a scene, and Kosinski does it repeatedly, almost as if they were laying in where the commercials will go once the film plays on cable TV in a few years. It was an odd choice, that otherwise does not hurt the overall enjoyment of the film.

Miles Teller plays Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

After his work in the mini-series ‘The Offer,’ and now ‘Maverick,’ actor Miles Teller is really on a roll. He is perfectly cast as Rooster, and even resembles Anthony Edwards a bit. Teller gives a spunky performance and has great chemistry with Cruise. His inner-turmoil over his father’s death, and his perceived betrayal by Maverick, fuels the conflict of the film. Also excellent from the new cast is ‘Hidden Figures’ actor Glen Powell who plays Hangman, Rooster’s rival and the Iceman to his Maverick.

But ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ simply works because we all love Tom Cruise in this role! Whether you saw ‘Top Gun’ for the first time in the 80s or years later, the movie is part of our culture and seeing Cruise return to this role after all these years is a complete thrill. It’s interesting to see the character now in his late 50s and compare him to the confident 24-year old character he was in the original.

Cruise still portrays all the charm and arrogance we remember Maverick possessing in his youth, but also reveals a relic of a man, who is grappling with a changing world that could soon find him obsolete. Those are very heavy ideas to take on in a summer blockbuster, but Cruise and Kosinski were more than up for the challenge and certainly succeed on several different levels.

In the end, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a rare legacy sequel, one that is more interested in telling a new story about a beloved character that has changed since the original, and less concerned with playing the greatest hits from its predecessor.

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ receives 4.5 out of 5 stars
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May 13, 2022
Latest ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Trailer Returns Tom Cruise to the Sky

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Boasting the bell-laced strains of Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic theme tune, Tom Cruise’s winning grin, hints of beach volleyball and plenty of planes screaming through the sky, the team behind ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ are clearly pushing the nostalgia levels far into the danger zone with the latest trailer for the movie.

But, if we’re truly honest… It really does seem to work, as those who remember the halcyon early days of Tom Cruise’s elevation to stardom will have their memory towers buzzed at the sight of Cruise back in a cockpit, a brief glimpse of Val Kilmer’s Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (now a Navy Admiral) and a few references to dear, departed Goose (Anthony Edwards in the 1986 original), who well and truly lost that loving feeling when he died during a training mission.

For those who’ve never watched the first film? Well, there’s still a young, good-looking cast playing a pack of new best-of-the-best hotshot pilots, who are unconvinced that anyone can teach them new tricks. Cue an old dog who refuses to stay grounded and some unconventional lessons with some impressive (and often entirely practical) set pieces.

This new look at the movie delves a little deeper into the story for the long-anticipated (and oft-delayed) sequel: Cruise’s Pete Mitchell is still pushing the boundaries as a pilot, irking his superiors, and refusing promotions that will jettison him from the cockpit and reduce him to desk duty.
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So, Jon Hamm’s Vice Admiral Cyclone is somewhat reluctantly cajoled by Kazansky (only shown in portrait form so far) into bringing Maverick back into the Top Gun fold. And yes, there are reasons to be worried, since who knows what cocky bad habits this new tutor could drill into his class?

There’s drama for Maverick too, though, as Goose’s son, Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw (Miles Teller) is among the fliers attending the Navy’s top pilot program – and he’s none too happy to have the man he holds responsible for his father’s death back in his life.

With Joseph Kosinski taking on the directing command this time, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’s new cast includes Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Danny Ramirez, Lewis Pullman and Jay Ellis as the young fliers, Ed Harris as a no doubt disapproving Rear Admiral and Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin, a local bar owner who becomes the latest person to attempt to take Maverick’s breath away in lurve. Will there be billowing curtains and a Berlin cover by someone more recent on the musical front? Only time will tell.

We don’t know yet whether audiences are ready for more Cruise outside of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, though surely ‘Top Gun’ carries enough weight to be less of a risky business proposition than something brand new?

We’ll find that answer out when ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ goes wheels down at last in theaters on May 27th.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ opens in theaters on May 27th.
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March 29, 2022
Tom Cruise Celebration Set for Cannes Film Festival

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

This year’s 75th Cannes Film Festival is preparing to feel the need. The need… For speed. Well, also still queuing, but with a planned Tom Cruise celebration scheduled alongside a premiere for his latest movie, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

According to Deadline, the plan to stage a celebration has been in the works for a while, with festival head Thierry Frémaux eager to get the actor and his new movie to appear. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will premiere as an Official Screening Selection on May 18, preceded by a tribute to the actor. He’ll sit down to discuss his long career with journalist Didier Allouch.

And the day has significance to Cruise – it marks 30 years to the day since he attended the closing ceremony of the 45th edition of Cannes for Ron Howard’s ‘Far and Away’.

Our biggest question at this point will be how the famously stunt-loving actor will choose to appear on the Croisette – while there’s every chance he’ll simply show up in a limo, wouldn’t it be more impactful if he lands a Harrier Jump Jet aircraft on front of an applauding crowd? Dangerous, schmangerous. He lives for this stuff.

Cannes will mark the launch of a typically packed (pandemic permitting, of course) tour schedule for the actor to promote the movie – known for his lengthy worldwide charm offensives to back his work, Cruise had been one of those pushing to delay the sequel so that he can jet off around the globe. Once that is complete, he still must finish up work on the eighth installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise.

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Cannes itself will run between May 18th and May 28th and will, as usual, feature a selection of movies from around the world.

A sequel to the 1986 action classic, ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ features the return of Cruise’s hotshot flyer Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Despite clocking up a few more years to go with all the miles he’s flown, Maverick is still taking to the sky as a test pilot, determined not to let his superiors promote – and therefore ground – him.

Yet he’s still forced to confront his past when he’s put in charge of training a group of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission. Among them is Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards, in the original film).

Joseph Kosinski – who worked with Cruise on ‘Oblivion’ – directs the new movie, which also features Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris and Monica Barbaro, with fellow ‘Top Gun’ veteran Val Kilmer also returning as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, who these days is a four-star Admiral (and still probably considers Maverick a danger).

After that series of release date changes and delays, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will be wheels down in US theaters from May 27th.

Monica Barbaro and Tom Cruise on the set of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
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March 18, 2022
‘Snowpiercer’ stars Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs hint at what’s coming in the second season

In this exclusive interview with Made in Hollywood’s Carole Mar, the cast of TNT’s ‘Snowpiercer’ give us a glimpse of what to expect from the show’s second season.

Daveed Diggs shares about how things will only get more complicated, and specifically that as his character Layton learns more, his life gets more complicated.

Then Jennifer Connelly talks about what it means that Miranda’s daughter, played by Rowan Blanchard, turns out to be alive and on the train.

Lastly, everyone weighs in on what it means that Wilfred (played by Sean Bean) is now on the train.

Season two of Snowpiercer is now airing on TNT.

February 1, 2021
‘Snowpiercer’ Trailer Is a Runaway Train of Need and Speed and Greed

TBS

The “Snowpiercer” train is finally on track and ready to leave the station.

At San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, TBS unveiled the first trailer for the reboot/adaptation of the acclaimed post-apocalyptic 2013 film.

The series has been in the works for four years and has experienced delays, showrunner swaps, and even a network move (from TNT to TBS).

The trailer shows that, much like the movie, “Snowpiercer” follows the passengers of the perpetually-moving titular train, which carries the remnants of humanity seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. On the train, the 3,000 surviving souls have stratified into distinct classes — but an uprising is brewing.

Jennifer Connelly stars as a first class passenger who serves as the Voice of the train, making announcements. Daveed Diggs plays a “tailie,” who lives in poor conditions at the back of the train. Alison Wright, Lena Hall, and Steven Ogg also star.

“Snowpiercer” is slated to premiere on TBS in spring 2020.

For all of our San Diego Comic Con coverage, please click here!

July 22, 2019
‘Alita: Battle Angel’ is an Unexpected Blast

Twentieth Century Fox

“Alita: Battle Angel” first went into development by James Cameron in 2000, and Robert Rodriguez signed on to direct his script in 2016, but the themes of their adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s 1990 manga of the same name could not feel timelier. A story of the redeeming power of compassion and positivity, Rodriguez’ film follows a young woman with more power than she realizes entering a complicated world unafraid and undeterred to fight for what she believes in. But it’s also a smart, rousing adventure that resonates unlike almost anything else being made right now, utilizing incredible technology to enhance amazing performances, and most of all, eclectic, compelling and sympathetic characters who embody imagination and inspire hope.

Rosa Salazar (“Bird Box”) plays Alita, a cyborg “core” recovered by Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) from a great scrapyard where the floating city of Zalem disposes its trash. Rebuilt using a robot body intended for Ido’s late daughter, Alita awakens with no memory of her previous life, but an indefatigable appetite to explore Iron City, the cobbled-together community of poor and disenfranchised individuals upon whose backs Zalem thrives in the sky above them. Meeting Hugo (Keean Johnson, TV’s “Nashville”), a scrounger and street hustler, Alita quickly discovers Iron City’s hidden charms, but despite Dyson’s warnings, she soon also learns about its many dangers — including cyborgs like Grewishka (Jackie Earle Haley) who slaughter humans and robots alike for body parts, and mechanic masterminds like Vector (Mahershala Ali) who buy their spoils.

Twentieth Century Fox.

Inspired to become a protector of the innocent, Alita signs up to be a Hunter Warrior — a bounty hunter fighting against deadly predators and thieves. Facing a series of increasingly dangerous opponents, Alita soon begins to realize that she was quite literally built for conflict, and is more than capable of defending herself – first in the streets, and soon enough, on the Motorball track (imagine a hyper-violent, “Rollerball”-seque blood sport). But as Vector’s minions attempt to apprehend her by any means necessary, Alita’s memories (and sense of true purpose) come flooding back, trapping her between a past she cannot remember, a present where her very existence risks the lives of friends and family, and a future that she realizes must be liberated from Zalem and the mysterious puppetmasters who keep Iron City’s people dependent on its impossible dream.

Amidst the film’s tremendous wealth of sci-fi mythology (which among other details involves cybernetic beings, floating cities and a centuries-old Martian war), “Alita” features a perhaps unplanned but strongly relevant political allegory about young people and the power they wield. The title character arrives in Iron City (a dystopic world full of people who have succumbed to cynicism, selfishness and desperation) unacquainted with those qualities in others, an interested only in life’s endless possibilities. But when she is challenged, Alita demonstrates that she quite literally possesses the ability to defeat almost any opponent, partially by virtue of internalized training, but most importantly by knowing the difference between right and wrong, committing herself to a cause that’s just, and retaining a sense of optimism that others will join the fight alongside her.

On screen, that’s inspiring to the characters in her orbit — first Dr. Ido, who lets go of his own grief and fear when he sees Alita’s strength and independence, and later, to Hugo, who repents his life as a scavenger in a caste system that she eventually shows him is destructive and all-consuming. But what becomes most affecting, first on a visceral level and then later, an intellectual one, is the way in which the character is undiminished in her curiosity and her belief in basic goodness, even after she learns that evil is an inevitability. It feels like the last decade of filmmaking has been detailed and dedicated in its depiction and recreation of real-life evil but there is something undeniably powerful about a movie that dares to suggest the antidote is hope.

Twentieth Century Fox.

What’s more remarkable about that feat, however, is how streamlined and economical Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis’ script is in communicating that theme while accomplishing some of the most sophisticated and yet digestible world building I’ve seen since “Avatar.” Cameron’s particular gift is for conceptualization — creating a universe you’ll believe on a molecular level. The story that accompanies it reflects and reduces Kishiro’s source material to its most important elements, and he finds characterizations and motivations that keep the wheels in motion even when they seem like they’re grinding to a halt for some absolutely dazzling set pieces. Every fight scene, and every opponent serves a greater thematic idea, and drives the story forward, while also managing to be staged and choreographed beautifully.

Like with “Sin City,” Rodriguez’ many talents seem to find a healthier impact when they’re balanced by the efforts of collaborators. (If some films seem to be driven by too many cooks, his often suffer from too few.) Cameron’s work on this project, which started almost two decades ago, is baked into every frame, but working with the likes of cinematographer Bill Pope (the “Matrix” trilogy), editor Stephen Rivkin (“Avatar”) and composer Tom Holkenborg (“Mad Max Fury Road”) seems to free Rodriguez from his normal multitasking in all of those roles and allow him to best serve each moment and the story as a whole. He’s always been a scrappy, imaginative director, but the combination of this film’s obviously-amplified budget in comparison to his homegrown projects and the constraints imposed by Fox to bring it all together showcases really how capable he is at creating something truly compelling and immersive.

Although the film reaches a satisfying conclusion, it’s clearly set up for at least one sequel, and given its cost (and Fox’s impending sale to Disney) that open ending is punctuated by a much bigger question mark than when Cameron and Rodriguez embarked on this journey three years ago. But even if Cameron’s instincts for anticipating what audiences want are no longer quite as sharp as they once were, his ability to find the right people to tell his story the best way possible remain fully undiminished. Ambitious and earnest and unafraid to fail, “Alita: Battle Angel” is the kind of swing for the fences you wish happened more often, because it reminds us of the value of taking chances; it’s entertainment that not only has the ability to truly empower audiences, but give them something to believe in.
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February 1, 2019
Jennifer Connelly Boards ‘Top Gun 2’

Lionsgate

Jennifer Connelly is joining Tom Cruise as (we presume) a new love interest in “Top Gun: Maverick,” Deadline reports.

The actress, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “A Beautiful Mind,” recently appeared in “Only the Brave” and has a starring role in the upcoming TV series “Snowpiercer.”

Original “Top Gun” star Val Kilmer is returning to play Maverick’s nemesis Iceman, with “Whiplash” star Miles Teller as the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards).

The sequel finds Maverick (Cruise) 30-plus years later as a Top Gun flight instructor who takes Teller and other young pilots under his wing.

Joseph Kosinski of “Tron: Legacy” and “Oblivion” fame is directing the sequel. He also directed the firefighter drama “Only the Brave,” in which Connelly and Teller co-starred.

[Via Deadline]

July 20, 2018