Moviefone Editorial

Tag: john-lee-hancock

  • Glen Powell and Anthony Mackie Join ‘Monsanto’

    (Left) Glen Powell stars in Sony Pictures' 'Devotion'. (Right) Anthony Mackie as Falcon/Sam Wilson in Marvel Studios' 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
    (Left) Glen Powell stars in Sony Pictures’ ‘Devotion’. (Right) Anthony Mackie as Falcon/Sam Wilson in Marvel Studios’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern are leading the cast of ‘Monsanto’.
    • It’ll focus on a real-life case brought against the chemical giant.
    • John Lee Hancock co-wrote the script and will direct.

    Stories of real people taking on giant corporations (and, we assume, winning, or else the story tends to be a little depressing) are prime fodder for movies. Writer/director John Lee Hancock is the latest to bring such a tale to the screen.

    Hancock, who has some experience with based-on-truth tales such as ‘The Blind Side’ and ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ is developing ‘Monsanto’, which will see a case brought against the chemical behemoth.

    And he’s already wrangled quite the cast for this new project, as rising star Glen Powell is joining the more established likes of Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern in the drama.

    Related Article: Glen Powell joins Daisy Edgar-Jones in Tornado-fuelled sequel ‘Twisters’

    What’s the story of ‘Monsanto’?

    Glen Powell in 'Hit Man'.
    Glen Powell in ‘Hit Man’. Photo: Netflix. Copyright: © 2024.

    The film follows the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who in 2019 took on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used the company’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper.

    Dern plays Dr. Melinda Rogers, the Monsanto Company’s chief toxicologist, who testifies with certainty that Roundup is safe during the landmark cancer trial.

    Here’s Powell’s comment on the movie:

    “I’ve always been fascinated by true stories of ordinary people against extraordinary odds. This story encapsulates that spirit with a critical issue that affects us all. And it’s a privilege to bring it to audiences with an exceptional filmmaker and powerful cast.”

    Who is making ‘Monsanto’?

    Adam McKay attends the Academy’s 2018 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, November 18, 2018.
    Adam McKay attends the Academy’s 2018 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, November 18, 2018. Credit/Provider: Troy Harvey / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

    Hancock is directing from a script he’s worked on with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc and Ned Benson.

    This is what the filmmaker said about why he chose to make the movie:

    “I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny and of critical importance in today’s world. My ambitions are to deliver a smart, thoughtful and commercial legal drama that takes the audience on a human journey.”

    Adam McKay, no stranger to stories of real-world outrage (think ‘The Big Short’ and ‘Vice’), will produce the film.

    Here’s what he had to say about the new movie:

    “These days stories about the ‘little guy’ taking on huge institutions seem few and far between. Both in real life and on the big screen. So, when a story as riveting and inspiring as this one shows up on our desks we get excited. Why? Because people love and need these movies. They always have and always will. I legitimately think I can list 200 wildly successful and beloved films about real people standing up against overwhelming odds with only fairness and truth on their side. So, let’s make number 201.”

    When will ‘Monsanto’ be in theaters?

    The film is awaiting a distribution partner and has its rights for sale at this month’s Cannes Film Market, so there are no details on a release date yet.

    Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios' 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' exclusively on Disney+.
    Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

    Other John Lee Hancock Movies:

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  • First Trailer for ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’

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    Last month brought the first images from new Stephen King adaptation ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’, the latest movie drawn from the iconic author’s work. And, in keeping with King’s style, it blends emotion, life lessons and creepiness.

    With John Lee Hancock writing and directing this one, the first trailer is now also online.

    ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’, which was first published in 2020 as part of a King collection titled ‘If It Bleeds’, follows the likes of ‘Gerald’s Game’ and ‘In The Tall Grass’.

    The story follows Craig (Jaeden Martell, while Colin O’Brien plays him as a younger kid), who lives in a small town. He befriends Mr. Harrigan, an older, reclusive billionaire (Donald Sutherland), the two begin to form an unlikely bond over their love of books and reading.

    Craig is a quiet, shy boy and has been dealing with bullying at school. He asks Mr. Harrigan how he dealt with people looking to take advantage of him in his day and gets a quick answer… “Harshly”.

    Jaeden Martell as Craig and Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan in 'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.'
    (L-R) Jaeden Martell as Craig and Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan in ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.’ Cr. Nicole Rivelli/Netflix © 2022.

    And when Mr. Harrigan (mild spoiler alert, though it’s really part of the basic concept) sadly passes away, Craig discovers that not everything is dead and gone and strangely finds himself able to communicate with his friend from the grave through an iPhone (the movie is set in the first year of the iconic communication device’s existence).

    Naturally, Craig, who finds his bullies stepping up their campaign of violence, turns to his friend for help, even if Mr. Harrigan has passed to the great beyond. And the body count soon start to mount. Certain connections, it turns out, are never lost. Which will come as a surprise to anyone who has ever used a mobile phone.

    With Ryan Murphy (who has plenty of his own Netflix experience) producing, the cast for the movie also includes Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Joe Tippett, Cyrus Arnold, Thomas Francis Murphy and Peggy J. Scott.

    Hancock accepted the challenge of turning a relatively short story into a movie. “Because it’s a novella and it’s only 80-something pages, you have to jump in and grab onto thematically what I think he’s trying to say and activate some of it into scenes that aren’t necessarily all in the novella,” he tells Netflix’s Tudum blog.

    His biggest concern, though, was pleasing the man behind the story. “You finish a script and you realize you’ve got to send it to Stephen, and you’re going to get a thumbs up or a thumbs down,” Hancock says. “You go, ‘Oh my God, Stephen King’s reading my script. I hope he likes it.’”

    We’ll all see if we like it when the movie lands on Netflix on October 5th.

    Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan in 'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.'
    Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan in ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.’ Cr. Nicole Rivelli/Netflix © 2022.
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  • Rami Malek in Talks to Star Opposite Denzel Washington in ‘Little Things’

    Rami Malek in Talks to Star Opposite Denzel Washington in ‘Little Things’

    USA

    After his Oscar-winning turn as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Rami Malek is once again set to rock the big screen, this time across from another A-list, award-winning talent.

    Deadline has the scoop that Malek is in talks to co-star in the crime drama “Little Things” opposite acting legend — and fellow Oscar winner — Denzel Washington. Here’s the scoop on the film’s plot, per the trade:

    Malek is making a deal to play a sharp young detective who teams with a seen-it-all deputy sheriff [Washinton] on the hunt for a serial killer. The sheriff has a nose for the “little things” that are helpful in putting clues together, but he’s got baggage and a willingness to cut corners that bristles with his younger partners.

    Filmmaker John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side,” “Saving Mr. Banks“) wrote the script for “Little Things,” and is also directing. Production is expected to start in September.

    This is Malek’s second high-profile project in the works post-Oscar, following his casting as the as-yet-unnamed villain in the as-yet-unnamed upcoming “Bond 25” flick, directed by Cary Fukunaga. That film is currently slated for release in early 2020.

    [via: Deadline]

  • ‘The Blind Side’ Director John Lee Hancock Developing ‘Oklahoma!’ TV Series

    ‘The Blind Side’ Director John Lee Hancock Developing ‘Oklahoma!’ TV Series

    20th Century Fox

    Old school musical “Oklahoma!” is getting a modern update.

    John Lee Hancock, director of “The Blind Side” and “The Highwaymen,” and Bekah Brunstetter (“This is Us,” “American Gods”) are writing a contemporary take on the 1943 Rodgers & Hammerstein musical.

    Skydance Television has partnered with The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and Concord to develop the series. Hancock will also direct the first episode and serve as executive producer with Brunstetter.

    The TV series will be set in (we assume) Oklahoma and include music by the legendary musical team. However, classic songs such as the title track will be “reimagined” for a contemporary audience and there will also be new music.

    Sorry, but after Leland Palmer (Ray Wise) sang “The Surrey With the Fringe On Top” in “Twin Peaks,” we’ll always associate it with a mad murder spree, not young love.

    The 1955 film starred Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Rod Steiger, and Gloria Grahame. It was nominated for four Oscars and won two.

    A 2018 Broadway revival also updated the setting to modern times.

    [Via Broadway World]

  • What Movies Are Out: The Founder, Split, Live by Night

    Michael Keaton in The Founder
    Michael Keaton in The Founder

    What Movies Are Out – The Founder, Split, Live by Night

    You may have a new appreciation for that Quarter Pounder once you check out “The Founder,” the true story of the man who built the McDonald’s fast-food empire, and this week’s episode of Made in Hollywood has all the behind-the-screen details.

    Michael Keaton channels Ray Kroc, who maneuvered himself into a position to buy the 1950s Mac and Dick McDonald restaurant stand to create a billion-dollar company serving up burgers and fries around the world.

    “This is a driven visionary, hardworking, ambitious guy who did it on his own,” Keaton tells Made in Hollywood reporter Julie Harkness Arnold. “Classic American bootstrap story, right? … So this is a guy who said, ‘I’m going to be something,’ and then saw this opportunity.”

    In “Split,” James McAvoy plays an evil kidnapper with at least 23 personalities, including that of a kinky nun in high heels.

    “I kept getting told by the women on set that I was wearing very comfortable heels,” McAvoy tells reporter Kylie Erica Mar. “And I was just like: You have to be kidding me. These are comfortable? And that did weirdly make playing the character quite difficult.”

    And the gangster drama “Live by Night” gives a new-look role to Zoe Saldana, shedding her intergalactic action star persona for Graciela, the pure and graceful love interest of Ben Affleck.

    “I felt that I needed to play a woman like that to sort of just ground myself,” Saldana explains. “I’m on this quest to try to discover just how multi-dimensional we are as women and try to define what strength means to me. The last 10 years strength meant to me that I needed to be physically apt, to jump and do all these like action scenes and stunts. But to play a woman who knows who she is and who has owned her experiences and is on a path of redemption and is going to love the way that she wants to love .. I really surrendered to her strength.”

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