Scarlett Johansson is in talks for a new ‘Jurassic World’ movie.
Gareth Edwards is in the director’s chair.
Reports are circling that Jennifer Lawrence passed on the film.
As Universal moves quickly to put a new ‘Jurassic World’ movie into production, it appears that another big piece is falling into place. No, the T-Rex’s agent hasn’t yet responded to urgent calls from executives for her to lower her new contract price (7,000 goats or she walks); instead, there is confirmation that Scarlett Johansson is now in serious talks for a main role in the film.
Originally reported by Jeff Sneider earlier this month, the news is now confirmed by Puck, which also brings word that Jennifer Lawrence was also offered a role in the movie, but has passed on the idea of running away from giant reptilian creatures.
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What’s the story of the new ‘Jurassic World’ movie?
Rumors have been swirling that the film’s working title is ‘Jurassic City’, with hints of something along the line of ‘Escape from New York’. Again, though, none of that is confirmed: Universal is mostly keeping the details of the new movie trapped behind fences and concrete barriers for now. What can we predict? Big-toothed beasts causing trouble for the humans that foolishly interact with them.
A bigger question, though, is which humans… It’ll reportedly be set in the ‘Jurassic World’ era but won’t directly connect to the previous three ‘World’ movies. Which means no Chris Pratt and co.
From the sounds of it, this new movie would take the franchise in a fresh new direction, so we’re also not predicting (for now) the return of ‘Jurassic Park’ trio Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Jeff Goldblum’s chaotician Ian Malcolm.
If Johansson does sign on, she’ll play a role that for now will be shrouded in mystery. Aside from the fact that at some point she’ll encounter dinosaurs. That, you can put money on.
David Koepp, who is slightly knowledgeable in the ‘Jurassic’ arena, having written both the 1993 classic ‘Jurassic Park’ (directed by Steven Spielberg) and its 1997 sequel, ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (also directed by Spielberg, to less critical praise, but still healthy box office), is crafting the new movie’s screenplay.
Longtime producer Frank Marshall, who worked on all three of the ‘Jurassic World’ movies is on board this one also, and the studio seems bullish about the progress so far. And of course, Spielberg will weigh in since he helped birth the franchise.
Director Gareth Edwards seems like a good choice for the project –– he certainly knows his way around big franchise entries (though ‘Rogue One’ ultimately proved to be something he’d probably rather forget, even as it crossed a billion at the box office) and has worked smoothly with effects teams. Plus, he’s a thoughtful, creative director adept at finding the humanity in big concepts.
When will the new ‘Jurassic World’ movie be in theaters?
Universal would still like this one to be on screens for July 2nd, 2025.
2024 was supposed to be the year that the Golden Globes moved on. Detached from the old Hollywood Foreign Press Association (yet now run by possibly an even shadier for-profit corporation), it was designed to make up for a tarnished history that saw the awards get dumped by previous network NBC and chart a bright new future.
Yet on the evidence of the ceremony itself, it couldn’t recover past glories (even if those were mostly the results of the previous organization’s star-happy focus). There was the requisite assortment of big names (your Leonardo DiCaprio, your Martin Scorsese, your Christopher Nolan) but the whole thing came across as less Golden than bronze.
Comedian Jo Koy (who film fans might know outside of his stand-up career for last year’s ‘Easter Sunday’) stumbled out of the gate by quipping that he only got the gig a few days ago (it’s true that a number of more recognizable names passed) and blaming his writers for any unfunny jokes. Not a good look.
A dig at Taylor Swift’s new NFL relationship didn’t go over well either –– with the singing superstar visibly unimpressed when the camera cut to her.
He went on to offer some more visibly uninspired cracks at Barry Keoghan’s genitals in ‘Saltburn’ and Barbie’s breasts, which mostly had the audience cringing. We don’t expect him to be invited back.
“I had fun. It was a moment that I’ll always remember. It’s a tough room. It was a hard job, I’m not going to lie…I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt. I hit a moment there where I was like, ‘Ah.’ Hosting is just a tough gig. Yes, I’m a stand-up comic but that hosting position it’s a different style. I kind of went in and did the writer’s thing. We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I got to still say I loved what I did. The Taylor [Swift] one was just a little flat…It was a weird joke, I guess. But it was more on the NFL, I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”
One of the more viral –– and genuinely funny –– moments came as ‘Succession’ began to win the majority of the TV awards (that series and ‘The Bear’s near-dominance one of the entirely un-shocking elements of the ceremony). Kieran Culkin, who took the stage after winning Male Actor in a Drama Series, also took the occasion to throw a good-hearted jab the way of Pedro Pascal, who was nominated in the same category.
After a heartfelt celebration of finally nabbing the award, Culkin went full Roman Roy for a moment: “Suck it, Pedro…”
Pascal’s reaction –– a comedic combo that went from laughing to fake tears, is already a meme.
Pedro Pascal reacts perfectly to Kieran Culkin's Golden Globes speech burn https://t.co/DFP2zIXm1g
Award shows are rarely known for sparkling words when it comes to presenters. Celebrities show up on the stage, read some boring copy celebrating the creativity of whoever and then throw it to a clip package of nominees.
This year’s Globes were no exception, with largely perfunctory pre-announcement banter that barely rose to the level of competence.
Jennifer Lawrence, who has been a reliably funny awards presence in the past, offered another this time. When she was shown during the nominees section for Best Actress, Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, she mouthed, “if I don’t win, I’m leaving!”
Possibly the biggest mistake even before the show was the blatant attempt to have Taylor Swift attend by nominating her ‘Eras Tour’ concert film in the new Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category.
It worked in that she showed (only to seem insulted, see above) and then box office behemoth ‘Barbie’ scored the award anyway, one of only a couple it took home on the night.
If there were true highlights, it was in terms of representation –– Lily Gladstone won for her role in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and celebrated the victory for Native Americans while also offering a sweet shout-out to her mother, who had accompanied her to the event.
Likewise, Ali Wong became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress In A Limited Series or TV Movie (which feels a little bit forced, but is progress nonetheless) for ‘Beef’, which also saw her co-star Steven Yeun win alongside the show.
And Christopher Nolan appeared genuinely touched to have won his first directing Globe for ‘Oppenheimer’ (one of a parade the movie scored in an unsurprising run).
The ceremony itself at least scored on the ratings front –– its airing on CBS and Paramount+ saw the numbers jump from last year’s NBC/Peacock appearance –– and it counts as the most-watched Globes since 2020. But even that seems a useless metric, since the 2021 event was banished to YouTube and doesn’t even really count for ratings.
Can the Globes become relevant again? That’s the big question for now. On the evidence of last night, the answer is a big old “maybe”.
The movie is directed by Francis Lawrence, who also helmed ‘The Hunger Games’ films ‘Catching Fire’ and ‘Mockingjay’, parts one and two. ‘The Balland of Songbirds and Snakes’ premieres in theaters on November 17, 2023.
Here are 10 things we learned from the ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ virtual press conference:
1. The cast were huge fans of ‘The Hunger Games’ novels and movies prior to being cast
(L to R) Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
The cast elaborates on their love for the novels and movies and even dressed up as characters inspired by the franchise.
Rachel Zegler: I did read all of the books, and I saw all the movies as they came out, and it was a really lovely kind of bonding experience for my mom, my older sister and I, because we all read them together and watched them together and it was so wonderful.
Co-star Hunter Schafer talked about loving the costume designs described in the novels so much she created her own.
Hunter Schafer: I read the books in middle school and was deeply obsessed, and then saw the first movie and got obsessed with the costumes, and I made my own literal Capitol person costume for Halloween one year. I was drawing my own graphic novels of the book. It was a real deep obsession for a while, so it feels really full circle to be here now doing this.
2. Tom Blyth on stepping into Donald Sutherland’s shoes in portraying a young Coriolanus Snow
Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Blyth, who has been a fan of the books and movies since its first release, elaborates on seeing Sutherland’s performance as President Snow and finding out his history in the prequel novel.
Tom Blyth: Watching what Donald Sutherland did with (Coriolanus Snow), that was kind of like, deliciously evil. Then getting to kind of rewind the history tapes and look at why he became like that, and also just question his morality and get to go through that up and down that he goes through in the book. Yeah, I mean it was an absolute dream for me as an actor.
The actor talks further about whether Sutherland’s performance had an impact on how he formed a younger version of the character:
Tom Blyth: Very early on, I kind of put that to the side and Francis and I talked about making it my own, and also just kind of asking what drives him now as opposed to what drives him later on when he is president and a dictator and a tyrant.
Blyth continues:
Tom Blyth: I think what the fans are drawn to as a character is seeing that he’s not just one thing, he ends up as a tyrant, but 64 years before that he was something else entirely. The interesting part is seeing what he goes through to get there. To your point, I think by the end, I wanted him to be more like the President Snow that we know. But at the beginning, he’s something completely different and younger.
3. Rachel Zegler finds similarities in Lucy Gray Baird and Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen
(L to R) Stanley Tucci and Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close.
When asked whether Zegler took any lessons from Jennifer Lawrence’s performance of Katniss and applied them to her own, she says:
Rachel Zegler: I just think as actors watching Jennifer’s performance in the original trilogy is watching a masterclass performance in general. When it came to the approach of Lucy Gray, I kind of felt like I didn’t have to. I came to what Tom was saying, it kind of puts an unnecessary pressure because it’s a different character at a different time of Panem. I feel like Lucy Gray is a war-torn teenager who’s had everything she knows ripped from her, yet she’s still making the best of it.
The actress talks about Lucy Gray’s impact on Snow and how that haunts him later on in life when he encounters Katniss.
Rachel Zegler: I do think that there’s elements of Katniss within her and that makes it all the more fun to go back and watch the original trilogy and see how Coriolanus remains haunted by Lucy Gray even in his late life because there are echoes of her within Katniss Everdeen.
4. Tom Blyth and Josh Andrés Rivera were the first cast members to meet
A scene from ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth, who viewed Coriolanus as a close friend. The actors were the first to meet among the cast and formed a bond that carried into their scenes.
Josh André Rivera: We had the real luxury of having that chemistry already be there a bit when we first had to film, because the first scene we shot actually was when Coryo has to rescue Sejanus in the arena, which, if you remember is quite vulnerable and intense, and to have that be your first day is a bit intimidating. It was definitely really nice that we had the luxury to get to know each other beforehand, because I think that manifested a good amount, personally.
Tom Blyth recounts how Rivera accidentally saved him from a potential peanut allergy.
Tom Blyth: One of the earliest scenes in the movie, which is the reaping day scene where all the students and mentors are gathered and then told that it’s the reaping day and that we’re being given mentees, basically. In the scene originally he was supposed to give me some cookies because he realizes that Coryo was hungry and that his family aren’t doing that well, even though they’re keeping up appearances. Josh, every time, went to give me the little packet of cookies and I’d put my hand out to reach them and it would feel really light, and I’d be like, okay, great, I’m supposed to eat them in the scene, and I’d go to open it and there’s no cookies left because Josh has been eating them on set.
5. Who is Tigris Snow?
Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
In ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, we get to see a younger Tigris Snow. She’s a cousin of Coriolanus and is his main support when he is selected as a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games. The character of Tigris Snow can also be seen in ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’, portrayed by Eugenie Bondurant.
Hunter Schafer: I distinctly remember her character in the books, and then seeing that character, because she was so striking in the ‘Mockingjay’ movie. But clearly there’s a pretty big jump from this movie to that Tigris, and I am kind of thankful for that because it allowed us to, in the same respect Tom was talking about, create our own take on this Tigris on a visual level and on a character level. It allowed so many of the literal layers of stuff that she has accumulated, by the time we meet her in Mockingjay, to let those fall away for this and kind of just bring a bit of myself into this Tigris, but also having the resource of the book, which is a blessing.
Schafer elaborates that Tigris’ love for fashion is similar to her own.
Hunter Schafer: I think I feel aligned with how she moves throughout the world and uses fashion as an armor, and I also just admire her values towards family and family first, and kind of operating on the fact that she’ll do anything for them.
(L to R) Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Played by Josh Andrés Rivera, Sejanus Plinth and his family comes from District 2 and is a student at the Capitol Academy. He forms a close friendship with Coriolanus during the Reaping and the 10th Hunger Games.
Josh Andrés Rivera: Something I really like about him, and that definitely drew me in when we started filming, too, was the amount of friction he has with so many of the characters. Just as far as portraying something goes, that just tends to be the funner kind of thing to do is just having a lot of people disagree with you and try to convince everyone that you’re right. A lot of times, just as an actor, is really fun. His overall belief system and how that contrasted the world that he was in was really yummy.
7. Rachel Zegler sang live for every take during filming
(L to R) Honor Gillies as Barb Azure, Konstantin Taffet as Clerk Carmine and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
In the film, Zegler sings a hauntingly beautiful rendition of “The Hang Tree,” first heard in the 2014 film performed by Jennifer Lawrence. The actress talks about her decision to sing live for every take during filming.
Rachel Zegler: it was kind of my choice to sing live on set. I had done it before on my first film, and I feel really confident in that sphere of performance, in general. That was what I kind of came out of the womb doing on stage, so getting to do that for my peers and on set for my crew and the creative team was something really special that I felt like I could bring to the table. When you’re working on sets like that, or when you’re even watching movies, it kind of takes you out of the world when all of a sudden somebody starts lip-syncing, and it just kind of takes you out of it.
The actress felt it was important to the character of Lucy to sing live:
Rachel Zegler: I felt really blessed that Francis and Nina (Jacobson) trusted me to do that, and getting to bring that into the acoustics of the hob or the stage at the reaping and all of the other places, I don’t want to spoil that Lucy Gray gets to sing, it just adds a completely different tone to the scenes. I felt like it was really important, not only to me, but also to the character that I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t perform live every take. It was a lot, and it was very strenuous, but I trained to do it, and I felt really confident with the outcome, and I hope audiences do too.
8. The cast’s favorite costumes and set pieces from the movie
Viola Davis as Dr Volumnia Gaul in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
The Capitol of Panem has always been filled with dazzling and fascinating fashion. Costume designer Trish Summerville (‘Catching Fire’) returns for the prequel movie.
Rachel Zegler: I was definitely curious to see what Trish Summerville was going to do with the rainbow dress because, really, the only description it gets in the book is that there are pink, blue, and yellow ruffles, and that’s it. I was really wondering how she was going to bring it to life, and it was even better than I could have possibly imagined. I think it really speaks for itself, but then also with the rest of her costumes because the rest of her outfits really don’t get described too much in the book. I think Trish just took the Covey love color line and ran with it and in such a beautiful direction.
The cast also recounts seeing locations from the book brought to life by production designer Uli Hanisch.
Tom Blyth: The Hob as a location, for me, was just next level of direction. It was so well done. Actually, what I love about reading a book and then seeing a film adaptation is that sometimes it totally meets your expectations, and you’re like, oh yeah, that’s cathartic because it’s exactly what you had in your mind. Then sometimes your expectation is challenged, and you see something that you’re like, oh, that’s not what I thought at all, it’s even better, it’s even cooler.
9. What music did the cast listen to when getting into character?
(L to R) Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Courtesy of Lionsgate Films. Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Music plays a huge part in ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ The cast talks about what song or artists got them into character or in the right headspace for a scene.
Hunter Schafer: I think there was one scene where I had to get emotional, and “Sparks” by Coldplay always like…
Rachel Zegler: That does it?
Hunter Schafer: Yeah.
Blyth has several songs on his playlist depending on the scene:
Tom Blyth: I have a pretty extensive Coryo playlist. Music is a big way in for me. I think “Money Power Glory” by Lana Del Rey is the first song on the playlist, and then it goes to “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles because that song has always since I was a kid, just made me feel really kind of like kooky, and crazy, it feels unhinged, and so when he undergoes his transformation, that was a big one. Then all the way to Wagner’s “Flight Of The Valkyries” or whatever it’s called when he is feeling epic and royalty. I don’t know, it goes all over the place.
Josh Andrés Rivera: I listened to a lot of Silk Sonic. I don’t know that it got me into character, but I really liked that album.
10. The cast talk about what strategies or weapon they would bring into the Hunger Games if they were to complete
Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Rachel Zegler: I feel like I’d have to go the route of Lucy Gray. We were just talking about this earlier, as you do, and I think I would have to win the affections of Panem and then hide and get a lot of sponsors so that I don’t die of hunger, but hide and wait everyone out.
Hunter Schafer: I’m going to go with camouflage because I have a little experience with paint, so I feel like I can go Peeta on them and be a rock or something.
Tom Blyth: I think I like in the movies, in the original franchise, when Peeta does the face paint. I like to think I could do that, but I definitely couldn’t, so I probably would rely on my climbing skills because I’m pretty good at climbing. So, I’d probably climb trees.
Josh Andrés Rivera: I would probably try to make friends with the strong boys and just see how far I can coast under their shoulders before they backstab me eventually. We will worry about that when we get there.
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What is the plot of ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’?
Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the female tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’?
Tom Blyth as (‘Billy the Kid‘) Coriolanus “Coryo” Snow
(L to R) Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ is an entertaining prequel that dives deeper into the past of Donald Sutherland’s Coriolanus “Coryo” Snow (no played by Tom Blyth) and the history of the games but is surprisingly a musical at its core. Blyth and co-star Rachel Zegler give impressive performances, but the movie suffers from too many storylines and frivolous characters, resulting in the third act falling apart.
Story and Direction
Director Francis Lawrence in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Set 64-years before ‘The Hunger Games,’ ‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ begins by introducing us to a young Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth. Following the war, Snow’s family has fallen from grace in Panem and he is determined to rise through the ranks and return honor to his family name, no matter the cost. Attending the Academy and pretending to still be wealthy, Snow meets Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), the creator of the Hunger Games and his teacher, who seems to dislike Snow. The class is soon told that to graduate and win the “prize,” they must all be mentors in the 10th Annual Hunger Games.
The head game maker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) explains that the games are in danger of being cancelled and begins to implement some of Snow’s new ideas to make them more popular. But Snow is surprised when he is assigned tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) from District 12, a traveling musician who is not afraid to take the spotlight. As Lucy and Snow learn to trust each other, the games begin, and that trust is tested. Eventually Snow must choose between his ambition and the life he imagines for himself and his family, and the feelings he has for Lucy.
(L to R) Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Luna Steeples as Dill, Cooper Dillon as Mizzen, Producer Nina Jacobson and Lucas Wilson as Panlo in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Director Francis Lawrence certainly understands the world that author Suzanne Collins created in the pages of her books, having directed the last three films in the franchise including ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,’ ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,’ and ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.’ While the tone and feel of the movie is like his other work within the franchise, Lawrence really takes delight in showing us a more primitive society. This is Panem over sixty years before Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) appeared, and while it looks familiar it also looks new and fresh compared to what we’ve seen before.
The script does a good job of reintroducing us to Panem and explains Snow’s family history, as well as setting the stage for his eventual ascension. The movie also takes time to explore some ideas from the original series, using a few callbacks that fans will recognize, but none of it really distracts from the main story, which is Snow and Lucy’s relationship. Thanks, partly to the strong performances from the lead actors, that relationship is believable, and you are invested in the outcome, even if we already know that Snow breaks bad.
It’s Really a Musical!
(L to R) Honor Gillies as Barb Azure, Konstantin Taffet as Clerk Carmine and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
One of the fun surprises of the film is that it is secretly a musical. But the music (and characters breaking into song) never feels forced and instead is tied to the story. Remember, Lucy Baird is a musical performer, which gives her an extra edge in this version of the games, and therefore explains why there is so much music in the movie. Obviously, ‘West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler was up to the task, and her musical performances are some of the best sequences in the movie. It also helps endear her character to the audience early on, so we are rooting for her once the games begin. Again, the musical numbers all make sense and do not distract from the rest of the movie, but rather makes the film standout instead of just being another prequel to a popular franchise.
(L to R) Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
While Rachel Zegler was uniquely qualified to play Lucy Baird given the actress’ musical skills, she also creates a loving, brave and extremely likable character that we root for throughout, even if she is doing a bit of a Dolly Parton impression. The sparks between Lucy and Snow are undeniable from the moment they meet, and while we know Snow’s ultimate outcome, we still root for the couple nonetheless because of the two actors’ wonderful chemistry together.
For his part, actor Tom Blyth probably had the most difficult role, humanizing a beloved villain, and filling the shoes of the great Donald Sutherland to make the two performances over the entire series seamless. Blyth, best known for playing the title character on ‘Billy the Kid,’ has a magnetic quality and absolutely nails the role. He’s completely believable as a young Snow, and yet you also accept him as his own character. While Zegler’s performance is the heart of the movie, Blyth really carries the film on his own throughout and gives a very impressive performance. Blyth has “movie star” written all over him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the actor appear in more franchise movies in the future.
The Rest of the Cast
Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Like most films in this franchise, the movie has a huge cast so I can’t name everyone, but I will say that I was impressed with the diverse cast of young actors that were chosen including Hunter Schafer and Sofia Sanchez, who are both standouts. Peter Dinklage is also very good as Snow’s advisor Casca Highbottom. The role has Casca at odds with Snow through most of the film, with his true intentions being revealed by the end, making for an interesting dynamic between the two characters.
But not all the performances worked for me. Viola Davis, who is unarguably one of the best actors working in movies today, is so over-the-top in her performance as Volumnia Gaul, it just took me out of the movie. I know that ‘Hunger Games’ characters can be flamboyant and eccentric, but she seemed more like she was channeling Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ It was just too much and didn’t seem like a real character.
Unfortunately, the same can be said for Jason Schwartzman, an actor I generally like, playing Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman. The character is the first TV host of the Hunger Games and assumed to be some relation to Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) from the original series. While I’m sure Schwartzman based his performance in some way on Tucci’s, and of course was taking his cues from the script, again, the character seemed too over-the-top, even for this franchise, and was not believable in the end.
Viola Davis as Dr Volumnia Gaul in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Problems with the Third Act
Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
My biggest problem with the movie was the third act, which felt unnecessary and more like an epilogue or something that you would save for a sequel. We’ve come to expect that ‘Hunger Games’ movies usually end when the games are over and we have a clear winner, but that’s not the case with ‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.’ In fact, the film has another 30-45 minutes after that, and it begins to drag because the main story we are invested in, “Will Lucy survive the games?” has already ended. It seems like the movie would have benefited from 20-30 minutes being cut and saving the third act, which is basically Snow’s decision to be a villain, for a sequel.
Will Katniss be in ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?’
Jennifer Lawrence in 2012’s ‘The Hunger Games.’
The short answer is no. Since the movie is set over sixty years before the events of the original series, Katniss Everdeen hasn’t even been born yet. So, don’t expect Jennifer Lawrence to show up. However, the movie does leave several Easter Eggs, many of which take place in Katniss’ home of District 12. While I won’t give away too many, I will say that the Mockingjays do play a role.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ is a worthy prequel and a justifiable continuation of the franchise. Its musical format is refreshing, and fans of the original series will enjoy returning to Panem and discovering Snow’s backstory. Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler’s strong performances and great chemistry together help carry the film, but with a third act that seems disjointed from the main story, the movie eventually falls under its own weight.
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’?
Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the female tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy Gray’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird, and who is a snake.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’?
Tom Blyth as (‘Billy the Kid’) Coriolanus “Coryo” Snow
(L to R) Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) and Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
A lifelong Long Island resident is down on her luck when she comes across an intriguing job listing on Craigslist: a wealthy family looking for someone to enter a “romantic relationship” with their 19-year-old son before he leaves for college. Hilarity ensues when the pair first meet, as Percy mistakenly accuses Maddie of trying to kidnap him in Sony Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
The raunchy R-rated comedy has all the classic premise of an early 2000s romcom with added modern and updated elements. The refreshing take on this story satisfied audiences looking for a fun time in theaters and resulted in box office success, earning over $50.4 million domestically and over $86.3 million worldwide – which is quite impressive for an R-rated comedy.
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Although the film includes crass sexual innuendos and hilarious physical comedy, there is a ton of emotion and sweetness at the center of it all due to Jennifer Lawrence’s emotional and committed performance.
The official synopsis for ‘No Hard Feeling’ is below:
“On the brink of losing her childhood home, Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, before he leaves for college. To her surprise, Maddie soon discovers the awkward Percy is no sure thing.”.
Who Is In The Cast of ‘No Hard Feelings’?
Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
(L to R) Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) and Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
Along with ‘No Hard Feelings,’ other raunchy and R-rated comedies such as Adele Lim’s ‘Joy Ride’ and Elizabeth Bank’s ‘Cocaine Bear’ – which has crossed over $87.6 million worldwide – have been a hit with the audience. The financial success of ‘No Hard Feelings’ goes to show that there’s definitely a desire to see this genre.
Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is the driving force behind this movie – underneath all the crass jokes lays a damaged soul with a complicated past. Once the softer side of Maddie is revealed, she becomes relatable, and the film takes an unexpected emotional turn.
The movie is co-written by Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips and was based on a real-life Craigslist ad, though the rest of the story is fictional.
When Will ‘No Hard Feelings’ Come To Streaming?
(L to R) Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) and Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
The R-rated comedy opened in theaters domestically on June 16, 2023, and is still playing in some theaters, so be sure to check your local listings and Moviefone below for showtimes in your area.
The movie is now available on VOD. Platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube have the title available for purchase for $19.99. The title is not available to rent digitally at this time.
‘No Hard Feelings’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes. If you missed the film in theaters, now is your chance to see it from the comfort of your home.
Watch the official trailers for ‘No Hard Feelings’ below:
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For those who prefer physical media, ‘No Hard Feelings’ will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 29 at retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
Now that the film’s theatrical release window is coming to a close, it should be making its way to streaming. The studio behind ‘No Hard Feelings’ is Sony Pictures, which does not have its own streaming platform. However, Sony does have a contract with Netflix that will most likely guarantee the movie to land on the popular streamer as early as late September or early October.
Jennifer Lawrence as Maddie in director Gene Stupnitsky’s ‘No Hard Feelings.’
(L to R) Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) and Gary (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
Lawrence here plays Maddie Barker, a lifelong resident of Montauk, Long Island. Frustrated by the changes wrought by wealthy outsiders choosing the place to spend the summer, she’s also worried about her own financial troubles: her property taxes have tripled and she’s in danger of losing the home left to her by her late mother.
Maddie is also something of a mess –– after a string of failed relationships and hookups with local losers and visiting men, she’s now lost her car (repossessed by one of her exes, a tow-truck driver played by ‘The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who has a contract with the local authorities), which allowed her to drive Uber. That, along with a job at a local bar, was key to her earnings.
She thinks she’s found the answer to her money problems when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy (Feldman), and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college.
But awkward, animal/anime-loving Percy proves to be more of a challenge than she expected, and time is running out before she loses it all.
Who else is in the cast of No Hard Feelings’?
(L to R) Laird (Matthew Broderick) and Allison (Laura Benanti) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
Around the central pair, the cast includes Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick as Percy’s nervy parents, Allison and Laird, Natalie Morales and Scott MacArthur as Maddie’s best friends Sara and Jim, a couple expecting their first child but experiencing their own money wobbles, Kyle Mooney as Jody, a male nanny with a connection to Percy, Hasan Minhaj as local realtor (and former high school classmate of Maddie) Doug Kahn, and Jordan Mendoza as Crispin, Percy’s co-worker at a local animal shelter.
Does ‘No Hard Feelings’ provoke the right emotions?
(L to R) Jennifer Lawrence and Director Gene Stupnitsky on the set of Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
Co-written by director Gene Stupnitsky with John Phillips (who previously worked with him as a producer on 2019’s ‘Good Boys’), the film aims to be a blend of ‘The Sure Thing’, ‘The Hangover’, though leaning more towards the heartfelt nature of the former.
And for a chunk of the film, that combination works, carried by the charm of the leads. Though based on a real ad that Stupnitsky was sent by Marc Provissiero and Naomi Odenkirk, issued by parents looking for someone to give their awkward son some life experience, the film spins that into a knockabout comedy of errors.
Yet when it pivots into a more emotional story and Maddie and Percy grow to be closer friends, it still manages to make the plot work. Maddie’s past comes into play, and we learn that Percy is more worldly than he might have seemed.
The acting
Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
Lawrence, though she has rarely had the chance to show it on screen, is a winning comedy actor, and with ‘No Hard Feelings’, she thoroughly throws herself into the role of Maddie, a kind-hearted yet damaged young woman whose immaturity belies some complicated family history.
The actor has played troubled people before, albeit usually to more serious effect, but off-screen has proved herself to be very funny, self-deprecating and willing to commit to a bit.
All that feeds well into the character of Maddie, who is put through quite the wringer in this movie –– Percy sprays mace in her face after their first meeting when he suspects she’s kidnapping him, she ends up punched in a very sensitive spot while fighting thieves stark naked on a beach and choking after a drunken Percy accidentally hits her in the throat. And those are just a few of the indignities.
Yet she navigates it all with relatable emotion, her dramatic background also kicking in when Maddie reveals more about her life to Percy. Feldman, meanwhile, is able to play all the levels that the role provides, from gawky teen to more sensitive young man. And though it leans on some cliches in both cases, they’re not enough to derail the movie.
Feelings getting hurt
Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
Not everything works, though –– Morales and McArthur are good enough to warrant their own spin-off (and Morales in particular can spin a sarcastic line delivery like few others) and have to make do with supporting roles.
Benanti and Broderick, meanwhile, do solid work as Percy’s parents, though they’re also slightly reined in compared to the leads. Not all of the jokes land, some seeming so goofy that they hurt the tone of the movie (one in particular, involving a car, some fire and a beach feels so torturous for one of the characters that it’s a wonder they’re not in hospital –– and the driver in jail).
And if the burden is on this movie to lift the R-rated comedy out of the doldrums, it might not entirely be up to the task, with some side plots (such as Percy’s connection to a former carer) largely going nowhere and not as funny as the filmmakers clearly think they are. Some judicious editing (even with a relatively lean 143-minute running time) might also have improved matters.
Still, ‘No Hard Feelings,’ while it draws more sedate laughs than huge audience reactions, is funny enough and finds a solid heart to keep you entertained on more than one level. And that’s something the likes of ‘The Hangover’ rarely managed. Plus, if it means Jennifer Lawrence is able to make more comedies in future, all the better.
‘No Hard Feelings’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
Director Gene Stupnitsky’s ‘No Hard Feelings’ is scheduled for release on June 23, 2023.
‘No Hard Feelings’ follows Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), who thinks she’s found the answer to her financial troubles when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents (Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti) looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. But awkward Percy proves to be more of a challenge than she expected, and time is running out before she loses it all.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew Barth Feldman about his work on ‘No Hard Feelings,’ his reaction to the R-rated screenplay, Percy and Maddie’s friendship, working with Jennifer Lawrence, performing Hall & Oats’ “Maneater,” and collaborating with director Gene Stupnitsky.
Andrew Barth Feldman stars in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction when you read screenplay for this the R-rated comedy?
Andrew Barth Feldman: I couldn’t believe how funny it was. I was rolling around laughing practically upon reading it for the first time and feeling like I had gold in my hands. It’s also so funny not just because of how brilliant the jokes are, how clever the words are, but how deep the emotional depths are. That’s why it’s so funny. Every crazy situation these characters find themselves in comes from a place of emotional truth. You understand exactly where they’re coming from at all times, and that is a remarkable high wire act.
(L to R) Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) and Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
MF: Can you talk about Percy and Maddie’s unusual relationship and the really beautiful friendship that kind of emerges from that?
ABF: It obviously is a relationship that is born out of a very strange situation that turns out to be one that changes both of their lives in a way that nobody in the film could have anticipated when they orchestrated the situation that they’re in. I think Jen and I have a pretty similar relationship. We came here as coworkers, and we left this movie as very special people in one another’s lives. I think she’ll always be a part of my life, and there are things I can talk to her about that I can’t talk to anybody else about. So I’m really thankful that I got to do this with her. That relationship that you see between the two of us, it’s real.
Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
MF: What was your experience like working with Jennifer Lawrence? Was it different than what you were expecting?
ABF: I think I was expecting to be significantly more intimidated by Jen than I was. I was so nervous. She is such a force on screen, and she’s somebody I’ve admired for so long. But she’s a really wonderful, grounded, and generous human being, and from the beginning was eager to get to know me just as much as I was to get to know her. That kindness that she embodied on set, even at the level that she’s at, it starts from the top. She was the top, and she knew that, and that was an incredible model to set for me.
Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) in Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
MF: You perform Hall & Oats’ “Maneater” in the movie. Did you create the arrangement and can you talk about rehearsing for that sequence?
ABF: Yeah, the arrangement is all mine actually. I played it myself. I sent Gene and John Phillips, he co-wrote it with Gene, and he’s an incredible pianist in his own right, so he was able to give really specific music notes as well. But we had a ton of back and forth about what we wanted this moment to be, how we wanted Percy to have this huge kind of breakout moment as just a person in Maddie’s eyes and the audience’s eyes, and his own eyes. The fact that it was Maneater, that song, I’m a huge Hall & Oates fan. I’m a huge yacht rock fan in general, so I was floored that it was going to be a “down” arrangement of this otherwise very poppy Hall & Oates tune. It was magical. Jen and I both fought really hard for it to be sung live on the day, which is just like a hundred times harder to do. But we knew that if there was any potential for this moment to be as special as we knew it could be, it had to be live, it had to be in the room that day, and we got to do that. I’m exceptionally grateful. I think it works out.
(L to R) Jennifer Lawrence and Director Gene Stupnitsky on the set of Columbia Pictures’ ‘No Hard Feelings.’
MF: Finally, what was it like collaborating with director Gene Stupnitsky on set?
ABF: I mean, he was so open to me talking about what was authentic for me in this character, what was authentic for me as a young person in this year, someone who’s around Percy’s age. What do they sound like? Of course, Gene doesn’t know. He’s not one, and he, from the very beginning, told me that I had to speak up and talk about it. I actually wrote an essay at the very beginning about Percy and his intentions and all this stuff, and he would quote it back to me in direction. He was so incredibly collaborative and giving us ideas, and taking ours. He’s a special, special breed of director.
Director Gene Stupnitsky’s ‘No Hard Feelings’ is scheduled for release on June 23, 2023.
Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
With audiences returning to theaters properly and box office returns climbing out of the trough of COVID, it was only natural that studio bosses were going to be bullish at this year’s CinemaCon event in Las Vegas.
First out of the gate this time was Sony, whose chairman Tom Rothman was in an upbeat, triumphant mood. “For the past three years, as the punditocracy pissed on your business, we at Sony held fast,” Rothman boasted. “We are the only studio that held entirely to theatrical. We were sure that movies in theaters would not only survive but triumph. Well, whaddaya know?”
Sony remains on the theatrical train, with several big releases planned.
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‘The Equalizer 3’
Among the biggest is ‘The Equalizer 3’, which represents that unusual franchise where the star –– in this case, Denzel Washington –– is actually bigger than the property. In an age of superheroes and ‘Star Wars’ selling seats, he’s an outlier.
The studio had Washington and co-star Dakota Fanning on stage to thank cinema executives for their support and, perhaps more crucially, to highlight the fact that it represents a reunion for the ‘Man on Fire’ stars. And a trailer played, which went online today…
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‘The Equalizer 3’ catches up with Washington’s government assassin-turned-kick-ass-do-gooder Robert McCall in Italy, where he’s trying to enjoy some downtime on the picturesque Amalfi coast and not be asked to take on villains.
Sadly, for McCall, that’s not the way his life goes, and he’s soon caught up helping some locals with Mafia goons and violence. Which means McCall has to break out his particular set of skills and lay the smack down on members of the criminal clan known as the Camorra (think an even more dangerous offshoot of the Mafia).
And while there are some very wild, violent thugs looking to tackle McCall, none of them are quite ready for what he brings to the table. Literally in one case, as we witness him applying nerve pressure to one of the enforcers. “That’s level three”, he tells the anguished henchman. “If “If it goes to level four, you will shit on yourself.” Thanks Denz!
But the highlight, as mentioned above, is in the reunion between Washington and Fanning. The latter was just 10 when she shared the screen with Washington ‘Man on Fire’ in 2004. Now, for ‘The Equalizer 3’, she’s playing a young CIA agent drawn to the village because of all the reports of violence.
And the two actors’ connection was clear, since they have stayed friends all these years. “She’s like a daughter to him, he loves her,” Antoine Fuquatold Empire of the off-screen dynamic between Washington and Fanning. “It was so beautiful to watch them together on the set, just talking, laughing. And they’re both so talented, they just get into it, they didn’t skip a beat. What was weird for me looking through the lens and seeing Dakota as a grown-up! She’s fantastic and watching them together was a joy because she’s a samurai. She knows it, she’s there, she’s pleasant, she does her thing. And it was a bonus her relationship with Denzel. She’s friends with his kids. It was very easy with those two.”
‘The Equalizer 3’ will be in theaters on September 1st.
Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
‘Bad Boys 4’
While ‘Bad Boys for Life’ represented one of the few hits as the pandemic began to bite, Sony was naturally excited to roll out word of the next movie. The movie is now filming (with ‘For Life’ directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning) but isn’t yet at a stage where the studio can show a trailer. Still, it had stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence ebullient in a video introduction.
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‘Gran Turismo’
Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
‘Gran Turismo’, adapted from the Sony racing game is much further along, though while the trailer played to the presentation audience, it has yet to head online.
The film will tell the story of Jann Mardenborough ( ‘Midsommar’s Archie Madekwe), a British teenager who in 2011 entered GT Academy, an esports tournament created to find ‘Gran Turismo’ players who were good enough at the game to be able to competitively drive real-life race cars. Mardenborough was victorious in the GT Academy competition and became a race car driver for Nissan, competing in the Dubai 24 Hour endurance race.
In the trailer, we see Jann arriving with other GT Academy contestants and being put through the wringer by racing trainer Jack Salter (David Harbour) who puts them through a rigorous boot camp to get them in shape. It’s one thing to know how to hit every corner on a world-class racetrack and to overtake in a simulation of a Nissan GT-R LM, but as Jann finds out, it’s hard to do it when the g-forces and hot temperatures of an actual race car are bearing down on you.
“If you miss a racing line in a game you can reset,” warns Jack. “If you miss it in a real race, you could die.”
‘Gran Turismo’ drives into theaters on August 11th.
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‘No Hard Feelings’
Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Jennifer Lawrence and ‘No Hard Feelings’ director Gene Stupnitsky swapped onstage banter before introducing a new clip from the raunchy comedy about two helicopter parents who hire a woman to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, so he doesn’t leave for college as a virgin. The comedy hits theaters on June 23.
Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
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‘Kraven The Hunter’
Also on display, Sony/Marvel Spider-adjacent superhero pic ‘Kraven The Hunter’, with star Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing the title character. He introduced the first look at the movie, enthusing that it’s Rated R.
In the footage, Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven is a tactical stalker with a penchant for cropped leather vests and five-star hair. He shreds his victims viscerally, often with primitive claw-shaped weapons. Blood pours freely over the screen and, at one intense moment, Taylor-Johnson rips the flesh off a target’s neck with his teeth and spits it out. Definitely an R-rating, then.
‘Kraven the Hunter’ will be in theaters on October 26.
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‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’
Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Co-director Kemp Powers was joined by voice stars Shameik Moore (who plays Miles Morales), and Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen Stacey), and new recruit Issa Rae (Jessica Drew) to show off 14 impressive minutes of footage from the sequel, which be followed by another movie in 2024.
“It’s been over a year since the events of first movie and he’s still trying to learn to be a superhero,” Moore added, saying that this movie shows that “how you wear the mask is what makes you a hero.”
‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ will swing into theaters on June 2nd this year, with ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ due next year.
Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
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‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Sequel
There was also a video from Jason Reitman and the team making the sequel to ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ (on which Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan have swapped jobs this time, Kenan directing while Reitman produces) confirming the story’s return to the New York haunts of the original 1984 ‘Ghostbusters’. The new film –– whatever its title –– hits theaters on December 20th.
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‘Napoleon’
While ‘The Equalizer 3’ wrapped things up, there was also room for a big get by the Sony executives, who had scored the chance to release Ridley Scott’s Joaquin Phoenix-starring ‘Napoleon’ in partnership with Apple.
“I know that he can do things cinematically that filmmakers half his age, can’t do,” Rothman said of the 85-year-old director.
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The clip shown had Joaquin Phoenix’s title character commanding the French army in a foggy, blurry wintery epic battle with the Russian and Austrian forces. Napoleon knows it’s coming; he has invited the attack. Lots of bayonets slicing and soldiers falling in the icy water.
‘Napoleon’ should be in theaters this Thanksgiving, followed by its arrival on Apple TV+ after that.
All in all, some big moves, and big movies from Sony.
Sony’s 2023 CinemaCon Presentation. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Movies Presented at Sony Pictures 2023 CinemaCon Presentation:
Releasing in theaters on October 28th before premiering on Apple TV+ on November 4th is the new drama ‘Causeway’ from Lila Neugebauer (‘Room 104’).
The film stars Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence (‘Silver Linings Playbook’) as Lynsey, a U.S. soldier who reluctantly returns home to New Orleans to live with her alcoholic mother (Linda Emond) after she suffers a traumatic brain injury during a tour in Afghanistan.
As Lynsey struggles to adjust to civilian life, she meets James Aucoin (Brian Tyree Henry), a car accident survivor and amputee that blames himself for a family tragedy. Soon, Lynsey and James become friends and help each other cope with their grief and try to move on with their lives.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking to Brian Tyree Henry about his work on ‘Causeway,’ his character’s grief, the challenges of playing an amputee, James and Lynsey’s friendship, and working with Jennifer Lawrence.
Brian Tyree Henry stars in ‘Causeway,’ premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Brian Tyree Henry.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your approach to playing James, and embodying the grief and regret that he feels on a day-to-day basis?
Brian Tyree Henry: My approach? Well, I first wanted to just figure out a little bit about who he was, and where he came from, and why that grief was a part of his life. James, as you know, is from New Orleans. He was born and raised there, and suffered a great loss, and stayed there. I always wanted to really figure out what that was for somebody who suffered a loss that was in their home, or a place that they call their home and why they choose to stay there.
Is it because they feel like they deserve to go through this, that they deserve to have these reminders, or is it that there was no other way? I think that James is a little bit of both. I think that we find James in this place feeling like he deserves to stay where he was, especially with the loss that he suffered of losing his leg, which made it a little harder to run and leave. So, I think that I really wanted to just figure that out and get to the heart of what that meant for somebody who endured a great loss like that and chose to stay.
Brian Tyree Henry in ‘Causeway,’ premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
MF: As an actor, can you talk about the challenges of playing an amputee?
BTH: Well, most amputees live their lives of rehabilitation trying to remain the same way they were before they were an amputee. So, I didn’t want there to be a huge movement of James always being uncomfortable walking, because that’s not how he wanted to be treated either.
So, what I really wanted to discover was what it was like for him to mask it more than to showcase it? What does it look like for someone to try to move like that? Because I think most of the times when we suffer great tragedies, we do this huge thing of trying to mask it and cover it. We don’t want the scars to show. I think that that’s where the truth shines through the most, is that you can see through that.
So, for me, I wanted to just make sure that James felt like he was standing on his own two feet. That he felt like he was the same person he was before he suffered that tragedy, so I really leaned into that. Now, when it came to removing the prosthetic and moving about with that, I did talk to a few people. I talked to a few amputees to make sure that I knew that I was putting the sleeve on the right way and things like that. But I think in essence, truly, it was about him moving in a normal way.
MF: Finally, can you talk about Lynsey and James’ relationship, why they gravitate towards each other and what it was like working with Jennifer Lawrence?
BTH: Well, there’s a thing called trauma bonding that’s been very common, especially after everything we had gone through in 2020. There’s a thing that we started relating to each other in a way of comparing traumas. It was this thing of really linking to somebody, this weird codependency that we created in our relationships through trauma. You see that in a big way in this movie between James and Lynsey, but what we also wanted to show is what the other side of that looks like. Because we didn’t want to just show the one side of these two characters steeped in their trauma, and that’s all it is.
We really wanted there to be a showcase of a connection and hope of what could be on the other side, which is an actual friendship. That was a part of a lot of the conversations that Jennifer and I had, because we realized that our connection was growing a lot in between takes. We realized that the sinew of what the movie was, was based on how we were connecting with one another, how we called each other out on our stuff, how we talked about all, it was about us. So, we discovered that, that is in essence what we wanted to see between James and Lynsey as well.
(L to R) Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence in ‘Causeway,’ premiering November 4, 2022 on Apple TV+.
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(L to R) Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Stars Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth are shown in character in what looks like a surprisingly relaxed moment for a ‘Hunger Games’ movie, which usually busy themselves with showing young people battling in a post-apocalyptic environment.
‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is set 64 years before the story of Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen. In this throwback to an earlier era of the Hunger Games, the new narrative follows 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) long before he’s the cunning president of post-apocalyptic nation Panem.
Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.
But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird and a snake.”
Rachel Zegler to star as Lucy Gray Baird in Lionsgate’s ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo credit: Nathan Johnson.
It’s all adapted from ‘Hunger Games’ novelist Suzanne Collins’ 2020 prequel book, and the film, written by Michael Lesslie (working from initial drafts by Collins and Michael Arndt) does promise to be quite different from the other films – while still feeling of a piece.
“It’s completely different stylistically, in terms of design, character, and point of view,” producer Nina Jacobsontells Vanity Fair. “To be able to show a different side of Panem at a different time in its history has been really exciting.”
“This is very much a story about love,” Lawrence says. “It’s this kind of love story set in a different kind of a world in a different time. A very intimate love story.”
But fans of the original book trilogy and the four movies that it spawned won’t be let down in terms of callbacks.
“Suzanne has done such a great job of going back into the mythology and telling a story about the creation of the world,” adds Lawrence. “You get a little background of Katniss. You will obviously get a lot of the background of Snow, the history of the Games, the history of some of the music, where songs like ‘The Hanging Tree’ actually come from.”
