Moviefone Editorial

Tag: jovan-adepo

  • TV Review: ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’

    Bill Skarsgård in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Bill Skarsgård in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    Arriving on HBO Max on October 22 with its first episode is ‘IT: Welcome to Derry,’ which turns the clock back to 1962 so as to explore more of the dark history of the titular town and the equally titular presence, who feeds on fear and terrorizes the locals.

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    Developed for television by ‘IT’ filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs (‘Wonder Woman’), the show stars Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Blake Cameron James and Chris Chalk, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as the fearsome Pennywise.

    Related Article: Bill Skarsgård will Return as Pennywise for the ‘It’ TV Prequel

    Initial Thoughts

    (L to R): Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack and Jack Molloy Legault in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    (L to R): Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack and Jack Molloy Legault
    in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    While prequels have been around for years, it feels like we’ve been besieged by them in recent years, especially as studios and TV networks seek to find new ways to explore established franchises.

    It’s a tough tightrope to walk –– audiences can tire of learning too much about certain characters (‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is an example), while lazy storytelling can creep in. But refreshingly, ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ is a worthwhile addition to the canon of a story that began with Stephen King’s 1986 novel and has been most famously adapted into two big screen outings.

    Script and Direction

    Chris Chalk in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Chris Chalk in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    ‘Welcome to Derry’, thanks to the presence of some of the filmmaking team, faithfully connects to the movies without too many overt references. The show’s plotline and characters are smartly drawn, offering layered approaches to a variety of stories, not the least of which is Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo as Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon, the latter of whom links the townsfolk with the nearby army base and the military’s attempts to learn more about its dark secret.

    Andy Muschietti, who directed both the more recent movies, gives the show its own signature blend of everyday life and gory, bone-chilling scares.

    Cast and Performances

    Taylour Paige in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Taylour Paige in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    It’s kudos to both the creators and the rest of the cast that the series doesn’t lean on Skarsgård’s creep-tastic Pennywise to generate its scares, at least not in his actual clown form. Paige and Adepo are both great, but the real winners are among the younger cast (including Amanda Christine and Clara Stack, who offer naturalistic work in the face of some truly terrifying set pieces.

    Final Thoughts

    Blake Cameron James in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Blake Cameron James in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    ‘Welcome to Derry’ proves to be that rare prequel that works to enhance what has gone before, and finds interesting angles to peek into beyond even Stephen King’s source work.

    Kicking off just before Halloween, it’s ideal creepy viewing for a fall evening.

    ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ receives 82 out of 100.

    Kimberly Guerrero in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Kimberly Guerrero in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    What’s the plot of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’?

    The show is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of ‘IT: Chapter One’ (which updated the book’s 1957 setting to 1988). The show dives into the lore of Pennywise and the town’s horrific history, drawing heavily from the “interludes” in King’s original novel — the eerie flashbacks and historical tragedies Mike Hanlon researched as an adult.

    Who stars in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’?

    • Taylour Paige as Charlotte Hanlon
    • Jovan Adepo as Leroy Hanlon
    • Blake Cameron James as Will Hanlon
    • Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann
    • James Remar as General Shaw
    • Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Clown
    (L to R): Clara Stack, Amanda Christine in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    (L to R): Clara Stack, Amanda Christine in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘It’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘It’ Movies On Amazon

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  • Bill Skarsgård to Play Pennywise for ‘It’ TV Prequel

    Bill Skarsgård in 2017's 'It'.
    Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Bill Skarsgård is slapping on his Pennywise make-up again.
    • He’ll appear in the ‘It’ prequel series on Max.
    • Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo and Chris Chalk are among the cast.

    Given the success of the two ‘It’ movie adaptations, it was somehow inevitable that the story would continue somehow. And indeed, a TV prequel –– with the working title of ‘Welcome to Derry’, after the town in the movies and Stephen King’s book –– was announced as in the works last year.

    And now a key element of the movie is returning, as Bill Skarsgård is ready to head to clown town again, reprising his role as demonic entity Pennywise.

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    What’s the story of the ‘It’ prequel?

    Bill Skarsgård in 2017's 'It'.
    Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    ‘Welcome to Derry’, or whatever it ends up being titled, is also based on King’s ‘It’ book, with the movies’ director Andy Muschietti working with producer/sister Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs (who revised the ‘It: Chapter Two’ script and was a co-producer on that movie) to devise a new story that takes place before the events of the movies. Brad Kane and Fuchs are running the show, and the cameras have been rolling since April.

    Andy Muschietti is directing four episodes of a planned nine-episode season.

    How Pennywise fits into the story remains to be seen, but we predict he’ll be up to his old tricks terrifying (and killing) people.

    Who is in the ‘It’ prequel series?

    Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    The cast for the series already includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. And while Skarsgård previously indicated he wasn’t sure if he’d be involved with the series, it sounds like he was just waiting for a deal to be locked in.

    What has Skarsgård been saying about his prior Pennywise experience?

    Bill Skarsgård stars in 'John Wick: Chapter 4.'
    Bill Skarsgård stars in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’

    The actor has been talking recently about an uncomfortable early experience with the role of Pennywise, revealing that he wasn’t sure about Warner Bros.’ idea to showcase his look as the character a year before the first movie itself arrived.

    Here’s what he told Esquire:

    “When you are 26, you don’t feel young at all, but now, looking back at it, I was a kid. [The studio] did a thing that I felt was kind of mean. It was fairly early on in my career to take on something that had so many eyeballs and expectations on it. I was so incredibly nervous to start this job, and then the Internet is having so many hateful opinions on the weird, strange look of the thing.”

    Related Article: Bill Skarsgård Talks ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ and Working with Keanu Reeves

    When will the ‘It’ prequel series be on screens?

    While HBO/Max haven’t confirmed an exact launch date for the series, it should be on TV in 2025 (surely nearer Halloween since that feels like the right time for an ‘It’ project).

    Bill Skarsgård in 2017's 'It'.
    Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘It’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘It’ Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘3 Body Problem’ Interview: Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham

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    Premiering on Netflix March 21st is the new series ‘3 Body Problem,’ which is based on the popular Chinese novel ‘The Three-Body Problem’ by author Liu Cixin and was created by ‘Game of Thrones’ co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo (‘True Blood’).

    The series stars Benedict Wong (‘Doctor Strange’), Jovan Adepo (‘Babylon’), Eiza González (‘Ambulance’), Jonathan Pryce (‘The Two Popes’), and Liam Cunningham (‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’).

    Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham talk '3 Body Problem'.
    (L to R) Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham talk ‘3 Body Problem’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham about their work on ‘3 Body Problem’, the book the series is based on, how they approached playing their characters, and shooting the game sequence.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Wong and Cunnigham, as well as Jess Hong, Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Alex Sharp, Rosalind Chao and Zine Tseng.

    Related Article: TV Review: ‘3 Body Problem’

    Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    (L to R) Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Benedict, were you familiar with the book the series is based on before you signed on for the project?

    Benedict Wong: No, I wasn’t. I met the guys on Zoom whilst I was filming ‘Doctor Strange.’ I was just immediately very suspicious, why did they need three showrunners for this project? Then delving deep into the first novel is so dense, this science and this world of the game world. I was thinking, I don’t even know how this is going to be filmed. It’s such a challenge. I just picked up the gauntlet and ran with them.

    MF: Liam, did you read the book before you started shooting?

    Liam Cunningham: No, I’m going to wait till I’m done. I generally don’t do it. Even the last project I did with David and Dan (‘Game of Thrones’), I never read those books. I didn’t want two voices in my ear. My blueprint was the scripts and that’s what I was employed to deliver. If I read the books, if I’d had trouble with any of it, I would’ve used that as a reference. But that’s when I think I might be in trouble when I must go somewhere else for information. So, I didn’t want two voices in my ear, the book voice and the script voice. So, I am going to keep that treat until we’re all done on this. Then I’ll sit down on a beach somewhere under a palm tree and I’ll dig deep into the book.

    Liam Cunningham as Wade in '3 Body Problem.'
    Liam Cunningham as Wade in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2023.

    MF: Liam, can you talk about your preparation and approach to playing this role?

    LC: We do enormous amounts of preparation. Enormous amounts, but we prepare for the scene. Our showrunners are very good at formulating a character that is not about, he went to school here or anything like that. In fact, I had a couple of small questions, but I don’t think I ever talked about where he comes from.

    MF: Benedict, how did you prepare to play your character?

    BW: I think the world builds around you and within this center of your universe, you have everyone at your command. The calls that you make are answered and there’s so much power within that, and that builds that level of who this person is. We did get the blessing of Cixin, the author, and he knew that this was going to be inspired from the books because they were telling a global story but then it still had this Asian spine of myself, being from Manchester and Jess (Hong) being from New Zealand, and then the character of Ye Wenjie played by Zine Tseng and Rosalind Chao. But to tell much more of a global story of look, we have someone who’s Irish in command with this duo and its fascinating to watch because it’s almost like, well, how did they get there? And they have every right to get there too.

    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Finally, Liam, can you talk about shooting the game sequences?

    LC: It was very much what the guys are very good about it, but they kept it to a minimum. So, these cinematics as they call them, the room we were in was very high-tech. It wasn’t that volume that they used on ‘The Mandalorian,’ that semicircular LCD wall. It was a very particular lighting setup on an enormous level. They gave us this huge amount of room to wander about in this place. There were minimal sets. What you hang your hat on is what happens. What’s the information that’s given? You’re seeing this AI representation of whatever word the threat is. So, there was a certain amount, and you did have to use an enormous amount of your imagination and paint the pictures in your head, which can be interesting if it’s very important to the storytelling. It was a joy to do. It was quite a challenge, but a real joy.

    '3 Body Problem.'
    ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    What is the Plot of ‘3 Body Problem’?

    Ye Wenjie (Rosalind Chao) is an astrophysicist who saw her father brutally murdered during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Later, she was conscripted by the military because of her scientific background and sent to a secret radar base in a remote region. Her fateful decision at the base echoes across space and time to a group of scientists in the present day, forcing them to face humanity’s greatest threat.

    Who is in the Cast of ‘3 Body Problem’?

    • Benedict Wong as Da Shi
    • Jess Hong as Jin Cheng
    • Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand
    • Eiza González as Augustina “Auggie” Salazar
    • John Bradley as Jack Rooney
    • Alex Sharp as Will Downing
    • Rosalind Chao as adult Ye Wenjie
    • Jonathan Pryce as Mike Evans
    • Liam Cunningham as Wade
    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in '3 Body Problem.'
    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    Movies Similar to ‘3 Body Problem’:

    Buy Benedict Wong Movies On Amazon

  • TV Review: ‘3 Body Problem’

    Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    (L to R) Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    Launching on Netflix with all eight episodes on Thursday March 21st, ‘3 Body Problem’ represents two gigantic challenges all at once: how do the creators of the ‘Game of Thrones’ TV adaptation follow their mammoth fantasy undertaking, and how do they do it using one of the most acclaimed science fiction novel series of recent years?

    As it turns out, the answer is: with an abundance of brains and style, putting together a quality cast and fully using the resources offered by Netflix’s deep pockets to bring the novels’ story (or at least the first in the ‘Remembrance of Earth’s Past’ trilogy, which in book form is known as ‘The Three-Body Problem’) to life.

    Related Article: TV Review: ‘The Brothers Sun’

    Does ‘3 Body Problem’ solve the adaptation challenges?

    Eiza González as Auggie Salazar in '3 Body Problem.'
    Eiza González as Auggie Salazar in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    ‘3 Body Problem’ is excellent right out of the gate, even more so than ‘Thrones’. It’s audacious, detailed, emotional and sweeping, hooking you with a teasing mystery (at least for those who have not read the books) that slowly and logically unfolds.

    A hefty challenge is that a chunk of the narrative revolves around some big physics concepts, but the show smartly explains them in ways that anyone can understand. You won’t feel like you have to have ‘A Brief History of Time’ open on your lap as you watch.

    The story weaves its way towards big revelations, but never feels out of reach, grounding its concept in human behavior and satisfying character interactions –– the main group all feel like people you want to spend time with as you take this journey alongside them.

    Script and Direction

    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in '3 Body Problem.'
    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    D. B. Weiss and David Benioff know plenty about adapting sprawling stories with big casts, but here, even more than with ‘Thrones’, they smartly choose to follow a (relatively) small group so as to keep viewers engaged.

    So while the story trips through two different time periods and focuses on a few different places across the planet (plus an advanced, immersive video game system that becomes key to the plot), you’re never left wondering who is doing what and why.

    Working alongside fellow showrunner Alexander Woo (‘True Blood’), they stay mostly faithful to the book while making necessary changes for the new medium. Thanks to certain moments, they do get to indulge in what you might expect given their previous show –– the series kicks off with some serious head trauma and there is some nudity (though not sexual) in a future episode.

    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in '3 Body Problem.'
    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    And with luck, they’ll avoid the pitfalls of ‘Thrones’ controversial final season, as the ‘Remembrance’ novel trilogy has an actual ending (no disrespect to George R.R. Martin there).

    The show employs ‘Thrones’ veteran director Jeremy Podeswa plus Minkie Spiro, Derek Tsang and Pixar leading light Andrew Stanton, who has been building his live-action directing career steadily with the likes of ‘Legion’ and ‘For All Mankind’, and they all contribute some fantastic visuals as well as subtle and entertaining character work.

    There are moments in this series that will have your jaw drop, though we won’t spoil anything here –– trust us, though, you’ll be sorely tempted to watch all the episodes as soon as possible.

    Performances

    Eiza González as Auggie Salazar, Jess Hong as Jin Cheng, Saamer Usmani as Raj Varma, Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand, Alex Sharp as Will Downing in '3 Body Problem.'
    (L to R) Eiza González as Auggie Salazar, Jess Hong as Jin Cheng, Saamer Usmani as Raj Varma, Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand, Alex Sharp as Will Downing in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    Having clearly been happy with a lot of their cast on ‘Game of Thrones’, a few of key actors carry over here.

    John Bradley plays Jack Rooney, a man who has hit it rich with his snack business but is still close to his college friends. Rooney offers Bradley the opportunity to play a polar opposite of ‘Thrones’ Samwell Tarley, a cocky but still loveable sort who is one of the first start playing the mysterious game that will be a core element of the early chunk of the story.

    Liam Cunningham, meanwhile, feels more like his ‘Games’ character of Davos Seaworth, sharing the cunning brain and salty tongue of the Westeros resident, but as Thomas Wade, a man with a definite mission to protect humanity (no matter the cost), he’s authoritative and darkly funny –– suffering zero fools.

    ‘Thrones’ High Sparrow, Jonathan Pryce, meanwhile, plays a character who… Well, that would be telling.

    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    On Wade’s team is Benedict Wong’s Da Shi, and this is honestly the best role the actor has enjoyed for years. He knocks it out of the park as the world-weary but funny not-quite-cop who is investigating what is happening to scientists in the UK. While we’re big fans of Wong’s role as, well, Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has more to do in one scene here than most of the movies he’s shown up in.

    The core of the characters is the scientist group who are friends with Rooney, who all feel like actual buddies instead of actors swapping dialogue. And they’re all very different personalities, brought to life by the likes of Eiza González, Alex Sharp, Jess Hong and Jovan Adepo.

    ‘3 Body Problem’ is a show blessed with a near note-perfect cast: everyone is worth watching here.

    Final Thoughts

    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in '3 Body Problem.'
    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    Our advice for this one is: if you’ve yet to read the books, stay away from them and avoid Wikipedia! It’s absolutely recommended to go into this one knowing as little as possible, so the surprises hit harder, and the characters feel fresh.

    Book readers are likely to be happy with the adaptation, which certainly doesn’t embarrass itself when put up against the literary source. But having seen the whole series, we’re confident in saying that this is a superior, satisfying piece of science fiction TV we can easily see ending up on Best of 2024 TV lists.

    ‘3 Body Problem’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

    John Bradley as Jack Rooney in '3 Body Problem.'
    John Bradley as Jack Rooney in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    What’s the story of ‘3 Body Problem’?

    ‘3 Body Problem’s story begins in 1960s China when a young woman makes a fateful decision that reverberates across space and time into the present day. When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel, a tight-knit group of brilliant scientists must join forces with an unflinching detective to stop humanity’s greatest threat.

    Who is in ‘3 Body Problem’?

    The ‘3 Body Problem’ cast includes Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Rosalind Chao, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Jess Hong, Marlo Kelly, Alex Sharp, Sea Shimooka, Zine Tseng, Saamer Usmani, Benedict Wong and Jonathan Pryce.

    Vedette Lim as Vera Ye in '3 Body Problem.'
    Vedette Lim as Vera Ye in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    Movies Similar to ‘3 Body Problem’:

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  • ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Interview: Grace Caroline Currey

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    Currently playing in theaters is ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ which is a sequel to 2019’s ‘Shazam!’ and is once again directed by David F. Sandberg (‘Annabelle: Creation’).

    What is the plot of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods?’

    Set a few years after the events of 2019’s ‘Shazam!,’ Billy Batson (Asher Angel), Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), and their foster siblings can now transform into powerful superheroes by using the magic words “Shazam.” But with the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) missing, when the daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler) return to Earth to claim back their magic, it’s up to Billy and his siblings to save the wizard and stop the evil sisters before they destroy Earth.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods?’

    ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ features returning cast members Asher Angel and Zachary Levi (‘American Underdog‘) as Billy Batson/Shazam, Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Freddy Freeman, Meagan Good and Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Ross Butler and Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, D.J. Cotrona and Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield, and Djimon Hounsou as the Wizard Shazam, as well as new cast members Helen Mirren (‘The Queen’) as Hespera, Lucy Liu (‘Charlie’s Angels’) as Kalypso, and Rachel Zegler (‘West Side Story’) as Anthea.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Grace Caroline Currey about her work on ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ playing Mary in her superhero form, wearing the costume and doing stunts, her DC Comics research, Zachary Levi’s leadership on set, reuniting with the cast, and working with new cast members Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler.

    Grace Caroline Currey attends the World Premiere of 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' in Westwood, CA.
    Grace Caroline Currey attends the World Premiere of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ in Westwood, CA. Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Grace Caroline Currey about ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods.’

    Moviefone: To begin with, when did you learn that you would not only be returning for the ‘Shazam!’ sequel to play Mary Bromfield but that you would also be playing the character in her superhero form?

    Grace Caroline Currey: I mean, quite a few years had passed and every year that passed I feel like our whole cast would say, “Has anyone heard anything? Are we going to get a sequel? When is it happening?” So finally I got the call that we were going to get a sequel, it was happening, and it was a very long awaited phone call. Obviously, we have a massive cast and getting everyone’s schedules together was wild. But then also getting to be told, not only was I coming back for the sequel, but that I was going to get to be in the suit as well. That was another moment of, is this real? I think it didn’t feel real until I was in fittings and actually putting a costume on and looking at myself in the mirror and going, I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s happening and I’m here. It was crazy.

    Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene and Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene and Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

    MF: Was it ever explained to you why the decision was made for you to be the only actor playing both your character and their superhero counterpart?

    GCC: I mean, technically speaking, and I think comic book wise, Mary didn’t visually change a whole ton when she was Mary Marvel in her comic book run. So it was actually pretty comic book accurate to have me doing both. But I will say, if you were going to have any of the kids do it, she’s the only one that makes sense because she’s the oldest, she is an adult. I think also technically speaking, when you have an adult actress playing the human form, it does visually get a little tricky when you have two adults playing the same role. I had a wonderful time getting to play Mary’s dramatic moments and then getting to play the entirety of her in her superhero form. They just said, “Let’s do it. Let’s have you be responsible for her human form, and her superhero form.” That was the best for me as an actor because I got to really plot out who Mary is through and through and be responsible for that continuity. That was the best. But yeah, the explanation was just that I’m the oldest and I’m an adult, and there you go.

    Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary and D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary and D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

    Related Article: Zachary Levi Talks ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ and Playing a Superhero

    MF: What was it like for you to finally wear the costume and perform some of your own stunts in the action sequences?

    GCC: Oh gosh, what a level up. I guess it was a level up for the human form of our characters too because we got to ride unicorns this time around and have a lot of action going on even in our human forms. But I really love doing stunts. I really love being in the stunt harness. It feels like the harness is a superpower in a way because I put it on and suddenly I’m able to fly. I’m able to flip upside down while flying and do all sorts of fun stuff, thanks to the harness. I’m able to land from a crazy high height and do a fun superhero landing. So, definitely getting to explore playing a superhero and then nerd out and have the kind of thoughts of, how do I pose my body when I’m flying or standing, and how is this different from when I’m human? That was really fun. I was talking to someone in our costume department and I was like, this is my first day on set, and I don’t know how to stand. Why is this feeling so complicated? I know it’s not, but I grew up looking at comic books. I grew up watching the ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ and ‘Justice League.’ I wanted to look like a superhero and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. He’s like, “You’ve got to look at Olympic athletes and their physicality. Look at the photos of athletes because that was what comic book artists were using for their illustrations. They would grab stills of runners when they’re about to run.” That was really cool, looking at those. You’ve got that athletic feeling, you’re ready for action with your hands in fists and just this kind of I’m ready feeling. Whereas when it’s Mary in her human form, she’s sitting on a beanbag chair reading her organic chemistry book in a hunched over position.

    Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi and Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi and Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

    MF: Mary Bromfield (or Mary Marvel, as the character was originally known), has played an important role in the pages of DC Comics. Did you dig into any of the comic books to research your character’s history, or did you choose not to so you could approach the character with a fresh perspective?

    GCC: I have a drawer of Mary comics that have been given to me. When I first played Mary, there actually was talk of, do we want to have the same actor for her human form and her superhero form? They were juggling and I was told, they hadn’t decided if I would be doing both or not. Then they ended up obviously going with the adult counterpart, which I think really sold the whole Shazam family into adults payoff. I feel like you really need that. So I had for the first one, a really dear friend of mine got me this giant box of Mary comics with different appearances and volumes, and I was just digging through trying to see, what’s the common thread of her mannerisms? She’s written a specific way that is different than some of her other appearances. We do see a little bit of this Mary in ‘The New 52’ because you’ve got the foster system, but it was still really cool to learn about her having this history of being Billy’s twin sister at one point, or the whole thing with her parents at an archeological dig storyline. All that stuff was so fun to learn about. I’m a bit like Mary, where I get really curious about things and I just want to get intellectually in it and know as much as I possibly can, and get as much knowledge as I can. So in prep for Superhero Mary, I had a lot already in my brain from the first ‘Shazam.’ If anything, it was just carrying over that established thing and just being mindful that at the end of the day, Mary’s the one with the wisdom of Solomon. That’s all.

    Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, Zachary Levi as Shazam and Grace Caroline Curry as as Super Hero Mary in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, Zachary Levi as Shazam and Grace Caroline Curry as as Super Hero Mary in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

    MF: What was it like working with Zachary Levi, and as number one on the call sheet, what type of tone does he set during production?

    GCC: He is incredibly on it, always. I think he’s the most on it actor I’ve ever worked with. He’s so on it that sometimes it’s like, we can relax, let’s just take five. Because when he gets on set, he’s aware of what everybody is doing, how time could be managed better, and he’s really mindful that he is not contributing to time not being managed well. So he is always on his mark, he’s always ready, and he’s mindful where we need to be. He’s almost a Mary within the realm of filmmaking and it definitely comes from his experience on ‘Chuck.’ When you work on a TV show, you are so aware of how the sausage is made. So I think him being our leader, it’s great because it doesn’t feel like we’re sitting around twiddling our thumbs, because he’s always just on it. He knows what’s going on. I know this is sad to say, but sometimes you get on sets and your number one does not know their lines. It’s so sad to say that, but sometimes they just are not prepared and it’s always the most baffling thing to encounter because it’s like, do you want to be here? I love this and this is a job. Thank goodness he is not that person ever! So we’re really lucky to have Zach on ‘Shazam’ because he’s the glue. Everybody goes back to his house at the end of the day to hang out, play video games, and eat barbecue.

    Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield and Ian Chen as Eugene Choi in New Line Cinema’s action adventure 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield and Ian Chen as Eugene Choi in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

    MF: What was it like reuniting with the other actors that play the foster kids, and also what was it like working for the first time with the adult actors that play the superheroes?

    GCC: Oh, it was really cool. I feel like I get all the presents because I’m with the kids, and I’m with the adults. I hang out with everybody the most. I selfishly felt like my joke is that I get invited to all the birthday parties. I get to be with the kid group chat and the adult group chat. I was running around the streets of Georgia with Djimon Hounsou for a lot of the movie, and he is an incredibly warm human, that’s very thoughtful and that was really cool to be. But then the superheroes, I mean, D.J. Cotrona’s become my Hollywood big brother. I’m always texting him being like, “D.J. I’ve come against this situation. What’s your advice?” Everyone in the adult cast seemed to have a moment where they were helping me with something. But working with the adults was really cool and there’s no bad egg, which is, when you have so many people, it’s rare. I’ve worked with lovely people. I don’t want to make it sound like I haven’t, but this experience was really special.

    Grace Caroline Currey and Helen Mirren attend the World Premiere of "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" in Westwood, CA.
    (L to R) Grace Caroline Currey and Helen Mirren attend the World Premiere of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” in Westwood, CA. Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau.

    MF: Finally, Oscar winner Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler join the cast as the villainous Daughters of Atlas. What was your experience like working with them, and can you talk about what they brought to this sequel?

    GCC: Well, the cool thing I have to say about Helen is that you really wonder what the set is going to feel like when you have someone who’s such a legend. There’s definitely this feeling where it’s like, we’re in a Helen Mirren movie. Helen’s in our movie, Dame Helen Mirren! But I got to say, I was surprised by the fact that she felt like one of us. Sometimes it can feel a little bit like, “Everybody get ready. This person’s coming to set, who is a big deal.” But no, you turn around and she’s just right there and she’s ready to go. She’s at her mark before anyone else or anyone tells her, and she’s in the stunt harness getting picked up over Zach’s head. I’m watching this thinking, I’m afraid of Helen. She’s such a boss and also so inspiring. I want to be like Helen when I grow up. It was also really fun to have moments of sitting on the steps while we were waiting to shoot with Helen because she wasn’t the actor that was going immediately back to her trailer. She was there sitting on the steps and chatting with me. Then Lucy’s jumping up and telling our props department that because of the wood table we just smashed against the wall, there are now wood chips are on my cape and they could hurt me. Out of the blue, she’s stepping in and saying, “Everybody, I want you guys to be aware that these were on her cape. I’m going, ‘Thank you,” and she’s saying, “I got your back.” Then of course, I love Rachel. I feel like everybody knows I love Rachel. Rachel’s my buddy, and she’s awesome. She’s just a good egg and she’s such a great human.

    Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla and D. J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro in New Line Cinema’s action adventure Shazam! Fury of the Gods,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Grace Caroline Currey as Super Hero Mary, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla and D. J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro in New Line Cinema’s action adventure Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC.

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    ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ is produced by New Line Cinema, The Safran Company, and DC Films, and is scheduled for release on March 17th.

  • ‘Babylon’ Interview: Composer Justin Hurwitz

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    Currently available on digital and streaming, and arriving on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 21st is the Oscar nominated movie ‘Babylon,’ which was directed by Oscar winner Damien Chazelle (‘La La Land’).

    What is ‘Babylon’ about?

    ‘Babylon’ follows the rise and fall of a group of characters during Hollywood’s transition from silent film to talkies in the 1920s.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Babylon?’

    ‘Babylon’ stars Brad Pitt as movie star Jack Conrad, Margot Robbie as young actress Nellie LaRoy, Diego Calva as assistant turned producer Manny Torres, Jean Smart as journalist Elinor St. John, Jovan Adepo as musician Sidney Palmer, Li Jun Li as performer Lady Fay Zhu, and Tobey Maguire as gangster James McKay.

    The movie also features appearances from Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, Spike Jonze, Chloe Fineman, and Olivia Wilde.

    How many 2023 Academy Award nominations did ‘Babylon’ receive?

    ‘Babylon’ has received three 2023 Academy Award nominations including Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score for composer Justin Hurwitz.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with two-time Academy Award winning composer Justin Hurwitz about his Oscar nominated work on ‘Babylon,’ collaborating with his friend director Damien Chazelle, watching dailies and creating music for the elephant.

    'Babylon' Composer Justin Hurwitz.
    ‘Babylon’ Composer Justin Hurwitz.

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

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to Damien Chazelle’s screenplay for ‘Babylon’ and the themes that you wanted to explore with the score?

    Justin Hurwitz: So I got the draft in fall of 2019, and I was just so entertained by it. I mean, my jaw was kind of on the floor for a lot of these scenes, and there were great monologues and really beautifully written emotional scenes as well. So it was just such a great read. The first thing I thought was, “Oh, my God, there’s going to be a lot of music in this movie.” So Damien and I started talking about it.

    Of course it’s set in old Hollywood, but what got me excited about it was right off the bat, Damien said he didn’t want the music to sound like 1920s jazz. He didn’t want it to sound like old movie music. He wanted to do something very different than that. So that got me excited, because I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the script. I was thinking super entertaining movie, but I don’t want to have to write period music, and luckily he didn’t want to do that either.

    Director Damien Chazelle on the set of 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Director Damien Chazelle on the set of ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    MF: You’ve composed all of director Damien Chazelle’s previous movies. Can you talk about collaborating with him, your working relationship, and how the process of scoring one of his films works?

    JH: Well, so much of it feels exactly like it did when we were 20-years old working on the ‘Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench,’ which was our student film that kind of ballooned into a small feature. Just the process of sitting at the piano, coming up with ideas, making voice notes, sending idea, after idea to Damien getting, “No, no, no, maybe, no, no, no,” before you finally get, “Yes, I love it, that’s the one.” I rely on him so much to help steer me into my best ideas, and that has never changed. Even the process of sitting at the piano and making little MP3s hasn’t changed. But we’ve gotten more efficient over the years at certain things.

    I love the way we have sort of developed it in post-production where we get offices next to each other so he can cut the movie with (editor) Tom Cross for a year or so, and I can be there the entire time, literally sharing a door. We have a suite with a shared door, so I can be in their room all the time and Damien’s coming into my room. We’re just going back and forth working on picture and music. That’s a process we’ve kind of refined over the years, and I love it. Probably my favorite time is when we’re in post, and we’re all under one roof, and we can finish the movie together, and the score can really take shape and come together. So that’s something that we learned from the past couple of movies, and we’ve sort of fallen into those practices.

    Damien is full-time with Tom Cross, the editor, so they’re working together, and then Damien’s full-time with me, really. So that’s why we have these shared offices. So he can be very hands-on with the editing and very hands on with the score. What’s great about Damien is he has such a specific vision, and he’s such a specific filmmaker. He knows what he wants visually, sonically, everything, but he also lets creative people do what we do.

    So it’s this very tricky balance and I think he’s found the right balance. He does it very well, and you don’t want to work with a filmmaker that doesn’t know what they want. It’s good to work with filmmakers that are very specific, and very hands on, but they need to give the latitude to the collaborators to come up with their own ideas, and explore, and be creative people of our own. So Damien does both of those things very well.

    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Related Articles: Damien Chazelle Talks ‘Babylon’ and Working with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie

    MF: Do you watch dailies and take inspiration from the actor’s performances for the score?

    JH: Absolutely. There were kind of two phases of scoring this movie. We had to create about an hour of music in pre-production before we could even shoot the movie. So I was doing tons and tons of demos. We were building that for about a year and a half. We were in the studio recording that. All of that was before the movie was shot. I was going off of the script, and I was going off of Damien’s storyboards. He makes literally thousands of pages of hand-drawn storyboards, and he cuts animatics and we build to that.

    Then the movie’s shot, and I’m on set. So I’m there experiencing the feeling of the shoot and the scene. The performance is actually live in front of the camera. Then we have post-production and I made about another hour of music in post-production. At that point, that’s more of the traditional film scoring approach, where I’m watching the dailies, the cuts, the scenes, and then the entire cuts.

    For that last hour of score, these are the scenes that you have to just watch, and you have to just respond to what’s in the scenes. So the Manny/Nellie cues, those relationship cues, you just have to watch and respond to the rhythms of the dialogue, and the feeling of it, and the way it’s cut, and what you’re seeing in the design of it all. There were plenty of cues of that sort. So there is really kind of two totally different approaches to this movie. The hour of music we did before it was shot, and then the hour of music we did after it was shot, and it’s about two hours of score in total.

    I mean, it’s so well planned because like I said, Damien has storyboarded this thing down to the fraction of a second. While I’ve been building the demos, he’s been building the storyboards. He’s like, “Give me two more seconds here, cut a half second from there.” It’s like we are refining this. Of course things change, and that becomes part of my job. I said, an hour of music is created beforehand. I’m still rebuilding that music through post-production as well, because as the cut comes together, we are lengthening, or shortening, or rebuilding, and moving things around. Things are always changing. But I don’t think there were any pieces of music that we recorded that just got cut from the movie or anything that was that drastically rethought when it comes to those pre-recorded tracks.

    MF: Finally, what was it like scoring the scenes with the elephant?

    JH: Well, I wasn’t on set for the actual defecation scene. But the elephant does burst into the party a little bit later. That was fun because the track “Voodoo Mama” is the track that’s going on, and that’s where Nellie, Margot Robbie’s character is dancing, crowd surfing, and completely owning this room. It’s a real fun jazz band meets rock and roll, meets dance music sort of track. That track, as soon as the elephant bursts through the door, takes a big turn into circus music. So we have kazoos and slide whistles, and the band starts playing almost like a circus band in with all these crash symbols and circus sort of music. So the track takes a big turn there, and that was a very fun genre to play in.

    We actually use circus sounds throughout the score. We bring a lot of those sounds back even during some of those really intimate Manny/Nellie cues. Those cues are kind of this mixture of three pianos that have this very fragile, broken, half out of tune quality. But in those cues, sometimes we pull in little circus sounds as well because their relationship is a bit of a circus, and it’s just sort of a motif in this movie. So we had a lot of fun with many different colors in this score, including circus colors.

    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

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    ‘Babylon’ is produced by Paramount, Marc Platt Production, Material Pictures, C2 Motion Picture Group, Wild Chickens and Organism Pictures. ‘Babylon’ debuts on digital and streaming January 31st, and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 21st.

     

  • Movie Review: ‘Babylon’

    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Debuting in theaters on December 23rd, ‘Babylon’ is the latest film from Damien Chazelle, the writer-director of ‘Whiplash’ and ‘La La Land’. Unfortunately, it is also his weakest effort, though not for lack of ambition and scale.

    Starting, perhaps as it means to go on with a desire for shock and even a metaphor for what happens to many of the characters in the movie, ‘Babylon’ features an elephant defecating noisily and filthily across an unfortunate man helping to push the truck it is riding in up a hill, the result also splattering the camera.

    The animal is on its way to be the star attraction a lavish Hollywood bash being held in the hills, and one of the people helping to get it there is Manny Torres (Diego Calva), who fortunately avoids being covered in Proboscidea poop.

    He ends up hired to help out at the party and has his first experience of roaring ‘20s Hollywood––or at least its decadent, wild excessive side––where sweaty, near-naked crowds writhe in time to jazz music. Drugs and booze are in free supply, all thanks to the host, veteran actor Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) who shows up with his latest soon-to-be-ex-wife, played in a brief scene by Olivia Wilde.

    Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Looking to gatecrash is Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), an ambitious young woman convinced she has untapped star power, and who ends up scoring a lucky break, setting her star on the rise as Jack starts to see his own begin to fall.

    Manny––who befriends Nellie––is captivated by the idea of working in Hollywood, and sees his own prospects enhanced when one of Jack’s team asks him to make sure the sozzled actor gets home safely. From there, Manny works his way up the ranks, his good ideas for movies helping boost his career in the fictional film studio of the story.

    ‘Babylon’ is primarily the story of Manny, Nellie and Jack, with some attention paid to jazz musician Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo), who will carve his own path out in the entertainment industry, performer Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li), and gossip columnist Elinor St. John (Jean Smart).

    The characters’ arcs weave in and out of each other, as Nellie becomes more and more famous (while her gambling habits and other addictions catch up to her) and Chazelle roams from party to party, interspersed by scenes where movies are made.

    Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Around them, Hollywood begins to evolve from the silent era to the age of talkies, and from rough-and-ready shooting in the desert to cavernous soundstages.

    Robbie is particularly vibrant in the film, finding different layers to her character as she moves through the business, and is convincing at every step. Whether she’s conniving to get her name in lights, or overhearing people talking her down, this is further proof that she’s one of the best working at the moment. Pitt, meanwhile, commits to the easy charm of Conrad, whose career is on the wane as audiences don’t warm to him once talking pictures come along.

    Calva, who is probably best known to American audiences from ‘Narcos: Mexico’, is something of a revelation, a soulful presence in the movie who worries that his soul is tainted as he climbs the executive ranks and then has to help Nellie out of her money problems.

    Smart, whose gossip hound flits in and out of the story, is particularly strong, though she’s not often on screen for more than a minute or so. But her big scene with Jack, where she explains his downward slide, is a highlight. Li, meanwhile, who is also largely on the sidelines, makes the most of her role.

    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    And there are certainly elements to recommend here: in some scenes, ‘Babylon’ has a pleasing level of comedy, especially when director Ruth Adler (Olivia Hamilton) and Nellie are trying to shoot a scene in the early sound era, where mic positions, concerns over volume and particularly an overheating cameraman, provide memorable laughs.

    A stacked cameo cast largely exists for the audience to play Spot The Actor, with the likes of Eric Roberts, Max Minghella (playing Irving Thalberg, one of the few actual Hollywood legends in the mostly fictionalized movie), Katherine Waterston, Lukas Haas, Flea and Samara Weaving all showing up at different times.

    Chazelle unfortunately loses focuses when it comes to the theme of the film, though. Certainly, there is plenty to be mined from the idea of Hollywood and this time, but ‘Babylon’, for all its length and intertwined stories, merely scrapes the surface. The concept that the entertainment industry is a place for excess and fraught with problems for those who seek stardom is hardly a fresh one, and the movie has little to say that is new or interesting.

    This is much bigger than his previous efforts, but it soon becomes ungainly, and is loaded down with flabby scenes that add little. Even a crazed moment for Calva, where he’s seeking financial help from the distinctly dodgy James McKay, played by Tobey Maguire, which takes in freaks, torture implements and an alligator, feels like it could easily be lost in the service of reducing the movie’s overinflated running time.

    Tobey Maguire plays James McKay in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Tobey Maguire plays James McKay in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    The less said about the final montage that wraps up the movie, the better, to be honest. It’s meant to celebrate the movies but ends up an embarrassingly amateur example, cramming in easy highpoints and coming across as something out of a film school offering.

    Given that he’s been planning and writing the movie in his head for around 15 years, we’re sorry to report that Chazelle has fumbled this one. ‘Babylon’ is not without its charms and some diversion, but beyond the main cast’s appeal, it is a lot of sound and fury, signifying––not nothing––but not much.

    ‘Babylon’ receives 2.5 out of 5 stars.

    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
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  • ‘Babylon’ Interview: Writer and Director Damien Chazelle

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    Opening in theaters on December 23rd is the new film from Academy Award-winning writer and director Damien Chazelle (‘Whiplash,’ ‘La La Land’) entitled ‘Babylon.’

    The new movie follows the rise and fall of a group of characters during Hollywood’s transition from silent film to talkies in the 1920s.

    The incredible all-star cast includes Oscar-winner Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Tobey Maguire, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Chloe Fineman, Ethan Suplee, and Lewis Tan.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with writer and director Damien Chazelle to talk about his work on ‘Babylon,’ what audiences can expect from the new movie, why he was interested in this point in Hollywood’s history, casting Pitt and Robbie, and the importance of music in his films.

    'Babylon' writer and director Damien Chazelle.
    ‘Babylon’ writer and director Damien Chazelle.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Chazelle, as well as actors Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to moviegoers getting ready to sit down and watch this film to prepare them for the experience they’re about to have?

    Damien Chazelle: That’s a good question. I would say just to prepare yourself for a wild ride. It’s not the kind of movie about older Hollywood that I think anyone is expecting. It’s shocking, it’s wild, it’s crazy, it’s a roller coaster ride, it’s an adventure, and it’s a party. I would say to go in with that in mind.

    But beyond that, I don’t know, I wouldn’t say much. I think ultimately I made this movie for audiences, for them to have an experience. I think whatever mindset you’re in when you sit down in the theater for this movie, it will sweep you up and it’s going to take you for a ride whether you want to or not.

    MF: What was it about this era in Hollywood’s history, the period moving from silent films to talkies, that really fascinated you and what were some of the themes you wanted to explore with this movie?

    DC: Well, a lot of it had to do with just how unhinged the society was at that time. I just hadn’t realized the extent to which people at that time partied, how hard they lived, how hard they worked, and how recklessly and transgressively they operated. It was this circus atmosphere that I think in many ways got lost once Hollywood became a little more sanitized and regulated, and became more of a corporate industry.

    The Hollywood in this movie is right before that. It’s the last gasp of the wild West of early Hollywood when it was still unregulated. It was like people pitching a tent in the desert and making their movies, and doing them the way they wanted to. There was just this manic, hysterical atmosphere where anything went. That was key to try to capture that and take that as far as it went.

    Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    MF: Can you talk about casting and working with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie?

    DC: It was amazing. As a director, it’s a dream come true. They’re such seasoned actors so, yes, on the one hand, you’re getting these larger-than-life movie stars, and they’re playing larger-than-life movie stars in the movie, so that’s kind of perfect. But they’re also just real thespians.

    They deliver. They know how to craft performances that move you and make you laugh and cry and break your heart. They take you on a ride. I think they help ground this movie and make it human, so that even at its most excessive, larger-than-life, outrageous, shocking moments, you still feel a beating heart underneath. That’s thanks to them, I think, and the rest of the cast.

    MF: Margot has a scene in the movie where her character has to cry on cue. Did she actually do that on set, or did you have to enhance it in post?

    DC: That is Margot! Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to shoot it. You can’t CG that!

    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about Justin Hurwitz’s music for the film and the importance of music in all your movies?

    DC: Music comes early on for me. I work with the same composer, Justin Hurwitz, for all my movies. We’ve worked together since college. We have a shorthand at this point. As soon as I have a script, I hand it to him, and he starts working on the music.

    By the time I’m shooting, I’ve got a lot of the music already in place. We can play it on set and we can set the mood with it. We can have the actors dancing to it and thinking about it, and just letting it seep into their body. You get a sense of what the tone is right away. That’s really important to me, and especially with this movie. I knew I needed a very specific tone and a specific kind of energy and pulse, and that’s what the music provides.

    Director Damien Chazelle on the set of 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Director Damien Chazelle on the set of ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
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