(L to R) Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, and Zazie Beetz star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Having not made a movie for nearly a decade, Gore Verbinski has certainly found the right project with which to burst back on the scene. You can’t exactly imagine that Sarah Connor would have responded quite so well had she been confronted by someone as manic and shady as Sam Rockwell’s Man from the Future in ‘The Terminator’, but the new comedy certainly channels some of that movie’s concerns about the future.
Rockwell brings his typically nervy energy to the role, but it’s not a one-man show.
Script and Direction
‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ director Gore Verbinski. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Written by ‘Love and Monsters’Matthew Robinson, ‘Good Luck’ harkens back to wild time-travel movies such as ‘Twelve Monkeys’ in particular, but has its own weird sensibility. While it doesn’t completely hold up towards the end –– several disparate storylines have to be knotted together, and it’s not always the cleanest fit –– the whole is happily more than the sum of its parts.
Verbinski, meanwhile, is clearly relishing the chance to cut loose once more, freed from studio restraints and letting a smaller budget be the mother of invention. There are various standout moments, and the movie is satisfying by the time the credits roll.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Asim Chaudhry, Juno Temple, Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, Zazie Beetz and Haley Lu Richardson star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Rockwell is the central figure here, driving the narrative and spilling exposition in a way that it remains interesting and (usually) easy to follow. He’s also a compelling, crazed and, as his full story is revealed, emotional figure.
The rest of the cast are more of a mixed bag in terms of how much they have to do, but Richardson and Temple in particular are great in this.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, and Haley Lu Richardson star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
It might not hit every beat it takes aim at, but ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ proudly finds its own groove, and once you’re on its wavelength, it’s hard not to have fun taking the wild ride.
‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ receives 80 out of 100.
Sam Rockwell stars in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
What is the plot of ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’?
A man (Sam Rockwell) from the future travels to the past and recruits the patrons of a Los Angeles diner he arrives in to help combat a rogue artificial intelligence.
Who is in the cast of ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’?
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Gore Verbinski, Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña, and Haley Lu Richardson about their work on ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’, why Verbinski wanted to make the movie and his choice to use a chapter structure, Beetz, Peña, and Richardson’s first reactions to the script, Beetz and Richardson’s experience working with Verbinski on set, and what it was like for Richardson to work with the rest of the ensemble cast.
(L to R) Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña and director Gore Verbinski discuss ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ director Gore Verbinski. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Moviefone: To begin with, Gore, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to make it?
Gore Verbinski: I thought Matthew’s opening monologue scared me, but also was brilliant. Matthew Robinson, our writer. I think you normally don’t start a movie with an 11-page monologue. I was nervous, but then I was also aware of the fact that the audience is like the patrons of norms. If we pull this off, they’re coming for the ride. So, breaking that down, dissecting that and knowing immediately I wanted Sam. I don’t think there’s anybody else who could do it. Sam Rockwell just has that ability to underpin all of that with a sense of some deep pain. There’s something honest underneath all of it. It’s not just exposition. So that was probably what first initially drew me to the project. Then we did a lot of work. Matthew’s draft was written in 2017, so AI was still something on the horizon back then. I think I was like, “Well, it’s here.” So, we needed to change all of that. The antagonist of the movie I think had to be more relevant to what we’re experiencing in our daily lives.
MF: Zazie, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and the dystopian future it predicts?
Zazie Beetz: I get sent a bunch of different scripts all the time, which is wonderful, and most are fine. The gift really is, I feel like once a year or once even every two years, you read a script where you’re like, “Oh my God. Hell yes.” I talk a lot about if something isn’t a “Hell yes” then it’s a “Hell no” when you’re choosing projects. But usually, it’s gray. There’s a lot of things you must muddle through and figure out what really is the right fit or not. It’s rarely ever just yes. I felt that way the first 10 pages of this script, reading the diner scene, which is the first 10 minutes of the movie and picturing Sam doing this and with Gore at the helm. I was like, “This is just sparkling for me.” I also just resonated so much with the message, and I thought audiences would too. I just was like, “I need to be a part of this project.”
(L to R) Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, and Zazie Beetz star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
MF: Michael, did you feel the same way about your character and the project when you first read the script?
Michael Peña: Yeah, absolutely. I know that there’s some people that don’t read everything they’re offered or anything that they’re being considered for. I tend to do that. I love reading scripts from The Black List. They’re good, and I’ve done a couple of those movies, which I think is awesome, and I recommend any actor or producer, read everything off The Black List because it’s the best of the best. But I love reading scripts and I love story in general. Like Zazie said, there’s a couple of times where you read a script and you’re like, “I love it”, when you don’t exactly know why you want to do a movie. It’s just like a vibe. There are some feels attached to it. I was like, “Wow, I can’t sleep.” I’ve had that with ‘Crash’, I had that with ‘End of Watch’, and I had that with this. I’m like, “I just want to be a part of it. I don’t know why.” A lot of times when they’re not huge budgets, you’re not being compensated crazy, but the passion I think shows up.
MF: Haley, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what it says about the world we live in and our possible future?
Haley Lu Richardson: Well, it says a lot, and my reactions were a lot. I keep saying that this was the funniest script I’ve ever read, but also the most unsettling. It’s a crazy movie. Gore’s been describing it from day one as his psychotic opera, which it very much is. It’s psychotic and ridiculous, but in a way that’s what makes it unsettling is that it’s not unrealistic. The themes in the movie are direct reflections of our reality. The things we have experienced already in our existence and the things we’re imminently up for, I don’t necessarily think when we were filming it was a potential future, but now it kind of feels like this is literally what’s happening, and that’s a lot to process.
Haley Lu Richardson stars in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’.
MF: Gore, can you talk about the unique chapter structure of the film and getting a chance to tell each character’s story in a specific way?
GV: I think there are films like ‘Pulp Fiction’, I suppose. There are films that do that, that go back. You don’t really have a three-act structure when you do that. Sometimes you have, particularly in our case, we have five narrative threads that are all pulling themselves together. It’s tricky because I think when I first started out in this business, they would say, “You can’t mix genres. You can never mix a genre.” But that’s all we do now. There are romantic comedies with vampires. All we do is mix genres now. Then they’re like, “Well, you can’t mix tone.” But can you? Can you mix tone? We have a lot of tonalities in this movie. I think that’s what keeps you guessing. There used to be a thing where, tone was the thing that had to be consistent because otherwise you’ll break something. But I think if you take five stories with slightly different tones, you can weave them together. They’re all relative to our third act. They’re all drawing us towards this sense of inevitable. So, it was challenging, and it was fun to play with that because I think we have a lot of humor, we have a lot of social commentary, and we have a lot of taboos that we’re dealing with. So, holding that all together, there was not going to be one sort of tonal package that was going to make that work.
MF: Haley, what was your experience like working with Gore on set and watching the specific way he makes movies?
HLR: Well, I was pleasantly surprised by Gore’s boyish inner child and excitement. His passion is so giddy and childlike, in a beautiful way. We called him “Night Shoot Gore” because he would come out and have a cigar and be rabid with his monitor on top of a roof, which was probably unsafe because he wasn’t harnessed in or anything. He’d just be standing on a roof with his cigar and his monitor watching a scene of us fighting off teenage zombies and he’d be saying all the lines to himself and shaking. He’s manic and he’s so excited. When you’re working with someone that’s the leader, that’s excited and cares, he just keeps the energy up. He was as protective of Ingrid as I was of Ingrid, which is also new for me. Sometimes I feel like I must actively stand up and fight for protecting a character and things that they need, artistically or emotionally in moments. But Gore was actively protective of these characters in this movie. In the trailer, it says, “From Unhinged Gore Verbinski.” I’m like, yeah, that’s accurate in the best way.
(L to R) Asim Chaudhry, Juno Temple, Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, Zazie Beetz and Haley Lu Richardson star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
MF: Zazie, what was your experience like working with Gore on this project?
ZB: Gore, I would say is truly the captain of his ship. He has a very clear vision, and I think that’s also very important for a movie like this where there’s a lot of heightened energy, a lot of hectic and chaotic energy where I feel like the flow could get lost if there isn’t someone who’s very clear about how he wants this structured. So, it was great to have him to lean on if I had questions about tonal elements or about where my character was at. He had thought this movie through. You could really lean on him for that if you felt like, “Wait, where am I at?” Mike and I, we did a lot of work together, but he was this rock-solid board you could be like, “Okay, you’re telling me to do what?” So that was good.
MF: Finally, Haley, what was it like for you working with Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Zazie, Michael, and the rest of the ensemble cast?
HLR: Honestly, I literally couldn’t have been with a better group of humans. Truly, we had so much fun. I felt a similar thing on ‘The White Lotus’ when it’s like, we’re all so different. We’re all different ages. We all have different life experience, but somehow you put us all together and we have a night out drinking and dancing and it works. It’s the best time. We had so many night shoots on this movie. It was just a blast. I just really love those guys. We had fun together and I also felt safe with them. I love them all for different reasons and think they’re amazing in the movie.
(L to R) Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, and Haley Lu Richardson star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
What is the plot of ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’?
A man (Sam Rockwell) from the future travels to the past and recruits the patrons of a Los Angeles diner he arrives in to help combat a rogue artificial intelligence.
Who is in the cast of ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’?
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in ‘Roofman’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst about their work on ‘Roofman’, the true story it is based on, Tatum’s first reaction to the screenplay, Dunst’s research into her role, and what it was like working with director Derek Cianfrance.
You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.
Moviefone: To begin with, Channing, how aware were you of the true story the film is based on, and what was your first reaction to reading the screenplay?
Channing Tatum: I was not aware of the actual story. He’s 10 years older than me, so I was probably young when it came up. I asked my parents as well, and they didn’t really know of it. But in talking to Derek about it, the script is incredible. The script feels like fiction and it’s just not. You go, “How could this guy have made this many decisions or this many things even happen?” There’s one thing to want to do it, and there’s another thing to pull it off. Talking to him, you realize he’s very, very smart. The first time I ever talked to him, I had all these questions, and I didn’t have to ask any of them because he kind of took care of me on the phone. By the end of it, you just end up loving the guy. I genuinely like this man, and I care about him, and I hope he gets out earlier than what he should. I personally don’t think he should have gotten that many years. That’s my first conversation with him after reading the script. I just liked this man, and I had some sort of connection to him that I can’t really explain.
MF: Kirsten, can you talk about the research you did to play Leigh, and did you come to understand how she could fall for Jeffrey Manchester?
Kirsten Dunst: I mean, that’s really what happened. This was a true love story. They really fell in love, so I wanted to tell that in a very authentic way with having two girls to worry about and knowing that this experience for her was truly an adventure. You don’t really see that in people anymore, that they have that grace to look and step back and not have animosity towards each other or anything like that. They both have a very high spiritual understanding of what’s important in life, and I think that she could understand and overlook the obvious lies and see a man that was really who she wished she could have been with.
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
MF: Kirsten, I’ve heard you say that working with director Derek Cianfrance was a “dream”. What did you love about working with him?
KD: He loves actors so much, and whenever you’re in a place that someone is championing you to do your best work and your most authentic, like the way he sets the tone on set for you, he just cares so much and there’s no ego in that relationship. So, it lends itself to an honest, real performance, and that’s why with his movies and shows you feel it deeply. It doesn’t feel like acting in my opinion.
MF: Finally, Channing, was Derek a filmmaker that you’ve been wanting to work with for a while and what was the experience like working with him on this movie?
CT: I mean, absolutely. I stupidly turned down ‘Blue Valentine’ like 19 years ago. He’d seen a movie that I was in at Sundance, offered me the movie, I read it, and it was just so sad. At that time in my life, I didn’t understand how to be in a relationship like that, I guess. I didn’t have a real perspective of it and really believed that I could have pulled it off and I said, no, stupidly. That was Ryan Gosling’s movie, I guess. It was all serendipitous and this one was what we were supposed to end up connecting on and this many years later. I just went for a walk with him, and I just genuinely love him as a human and as a creator, but if we never make another movie, I hope we just get to hang out a lot because I learn something every time that I’m around him. But I would also come and just hang out on set with him. I love him as a brother. He’s a special human.
Theatrical one-sheet for Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.
In theaters on October 10 via Paramount Pictures is ‘Roofman’, which is inspired by the odd true story of Jeff Manchester, who got the titular nickname by breaking into McDonald’s restaurants through their roofs and created a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us store.
Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.
When you consider his past work –– doomed romance ‘Blue Valentine’ and tension-filled crime thriller ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ –– Derek Cianfrance might not seem like the first choice for a true story that, on the face of it, could come across as goofy. And yet, in the director’s hands, it has become something warm and surprisingly sweet.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Cianfrance wrote the script with Kirt Gunn (‘Sound of Metal’), a former advertising executive who hired the director years ago to work on a campaign.
Together, they have wrangled Jeff Manchester’s story –– albeit changing a few of the details into something that, while it doesn’t let him off the hook for his actions, does at least try to understand why he turned to robbery and burglary.
Cast and Performances
Peter Dinklage stars in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Channing Tatum is the beating heart of the movie –– it utilizes the full power of his charisma but also gives him a chance to explore some deeper, darker sides.
And his chemistry with Kirsten Dunst, who plays the single mother for whom Manchester falls, makes for a romantic, sweet side to the film, even if their love story doesn’t have happiest ending.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Juno Temple, LaKeith Stanfield and Channing Tatum star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Cianfrance infuses the story with more meaning, but doesn’t forget to keep it entertaining and heartfelt.
‘Roofman’ receives 80 out of 100.
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
What’s the story of ‘Roofman’?
Based on an unbelievable true story, ‘Roofman’ follows Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), a former Army Ranger and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman.
After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.
Who is in the cast of ‘Roofman’?
Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester
Kirsten Dunst as Leigh Wainscott
Ben Mendelsohn as Ron Smith
Peter Dinklage as Mitch
Uzo Aduba as Eileen
Juno Temple as Michelle
Emory Cohen as Otis
LaKeith Stanfield as Steve
Theatrical one-sheet for Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Jason Sudeikis in ‘Ted Lasso,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Preview:
Apple TV+ is officially bringing ‘Ted Lasso’ back.
Jason Sudeikis returns to star and produce.
Juno Temple is also making a deal to come back.
It’s time to believe again.
Last August, we got the surprise news that despite the third season seemingly wrapping the story up, Apple TV+ and Warner Bros. TV were exploring opportunities for a new season of hit soccer comedy drama series ‘Ted Lasso.’
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At that time, the only people likely to return were Hannah Waddingham (team owner Rebecca Walton), Brett Goldstein (growling veteran player-turned-assistant-coach Roy Kent) and Jeremy Swift (Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins) –– who are all British actors contracted via the U.K’.s Equity representation organization.
But for the new season to have any real hope of success, the streaming service needed to lock in Jason Sudeikis, who both played the titular soccer coach and had a hand in the writers’ room.
Now, via an official announcement from Apple TV+ comes news that Sudeikis is indeed back,
Here’s Sudeikis’ comment on his return:
“As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to ‘look before we leap. In season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.”
Matt Cherniss head of programming for Apple TV+ seems happy to have the show back:
‘Ted Lasso’ has been nothing short of a juggernaut, inspiring a passionate fanbase all over the world, and delivering endless joy and laughter, all while spreading kindness, compassion and unwavering belief, Everyone at Apple is thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Jason and the brilliant creative minds behind this show.”
And according to Deadline’s sources, Juno Temple, who played Keeley Jones, who evolved from a player’s girlfriend to the girl boss of her own PR agency, is in negotiations to also return, though she’s believed to have a scheduling conflict that is being worked out as the show plans a July shoot in Kansas and the U.K.
(L to R) Brett Goldstein, Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt in ‘Ted Lasso,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
‘Ted Lasso’ was originally created by Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt (who played Coach Beard), Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence, and were based on based on a series of NBC Sports commercials about Lasso, an NFL coach drafted into manage a failing British soccer team.
Sudeikis, Kelly and Hunt, along with a writing team, expanded the story out to show Ted being drafted in to coach the lackluster AFC Richmond, though he was originally hired by Rebecca in the hopes that the idea would fail, dooming the team she inherited from arrogant ex-husband Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head).
Yet Ted’s homespun wisdom and cheery demeanor wins over more than just the management –– he starts to inspire more confidence in the players. And if Richmond’s fortunes don’t massively change, they do shift.
The show was a slow-burn hit that, in its first season at least, was a much-needed burst of positivity, since it launched at the height of the pandemic in August 2020. The comedy became an instant global hit and Apple’s signature and — until recently — most-watched original series ever.
In addition to its immense popularity and marquee pop culture status, ‘Ted Lasso’ earned 13 Emmy Awards during its original three-season run, including two back-to-back Outstanding Comedy Series trophies and acting wins for Sudeikis, Goldstein and Waddingham.
What will happen in Season 4?
Jason Sudeikis in ‘Ted Lasso,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
In the Season 3 finale, Keeley and Rebecca impulsively, partnered on a potential new venture, AFC Richmond women’s team. That was seen as possibly kicking off the next chapter in the Ted Lasso franchise, and it would certainly qualify as a leap of faith.
The last time we saw Ted at the end of the Season 3 finale, he was coaching his son on a soccer field in Kansas. The handful of Kansas-set scenes in the first three seasons were actually filmed in California, so this would be the first time Kansas native Sudeikis would be heading to the Sunflower State for the show.
With the majority of the returning cast part of the management/office coaching team as portrayed on the show, it seems certain that the focus will move to a new group of players (though we can imagine the series’ producers will look to include cameos from audience favorites from past seasons).
Who is making the new season?
(L to R) Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham in “Ted Lasso,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
For Season 4, veteran comedy showrunner and Emmy Award winner Jack Burditt (who has worked on the likes of ‘Nobody Wants This,’ ‘Modern Family’ and ‘30 Rock’) is joining the show as executive producer under his new overall deal with Apple TV+.
Sudeikis will once again be an executive producer alongside Hunt (who has no acting deal yet but seems sure to also return in front of the camera as Coach Beard), Joe Kelly, Jane Becker, Jamie Lee and Bill Wrubel.
Goldstein, in addition to playing swear-happy player-turned-coach Roy Kent will again pull double duty as writer and executive producer alongside Leanne Bowen. Sara Walker and Phoebe Walsh, who are writers and producers for season four, while Julia Lindon and Dylan Marron are new additions to the writing room.
And finally, though he already has several projects in the works (including the filming third season of ‘Shrinking,’ a second run of ‘Bad Monkey,’ an untitled new show with Steve Carell and a potential reboot of his hit network medical sitcom ‘Scrubs’, Lawrence executive produces via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros.
When will ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 be on screens?
Apple TV+’s big announcement about the return of Ted and co. doesn’t mention a release date yet, but given that potential July shoot, we’d be surprised if it didn’t head to screens next year.
(L to R) Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein in ‘Ted Lasso,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock/Venom in Columbia Pictures ‘Venom: The Last Dance’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
Let’s be clear about one thing: when we say that ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ is the best of the three movies starring Tom Hardy as both former reporter Eddie Brock and the voice of the alien symbiote that lives inside him, we’re talking about a very low bar. ‘Venom’ (2018) and ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ (2021) were genuinely painful to sit through, with the latter in particular being unwatchable gibberish. ‘The Last Dance,’ written and directed by Kelly Marcel (from a story by Marcel and Hardy), is nonsense too – but it leans all the way into its ridiculousness from the start, which gives it a big advantage.
Whereas it was never fully apparent in the previous two movies, this time it seems like everyone is in on the joke – not just Hardy. So thin on plot that it’s practically transparent, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ wants you to laugh at it from the start – which makes for a better time and even allows room for a smidgen of heart here and there.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Director Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘Venom: The Last Dance’. Photo: Laura Radford.
“Story” is a decidedly loose term here. As explained to us at least twice during the course of the film, the symbiotes (the species to which Venom belongs) have imprisoned their creator, a superbeing named Knull, on the planet Klyntar because he aims to destroy them as well as the rest of the universe (we’re kind of hazy on why, what else is new). The only way for Knull to break free is if he can obtain a “codex” – which looks like just a glowing light – that appears on symbiotes when they’re fully activated within their hosts. Only Venom has the right codex, so Knull sends an army of grotesque aliens called xenophages to find and kill our favorite symbiote and get the thingamajig.
Eddie and Venom, on the lam from the law and the government, are hiding out in Mexico, where we left them at the end of ‘Let There Be Carnage.’ After that quick trip to the MCU universe we saw during the post-credits scene of that film (“I’m sick of this multiverse s**t!” exclaims Venom when they return, echoing numerous moviegoers), they’re back in the Sony Spider-verse when Knull’s first tracker arrives (why they only come one or two at a time is a mystery that’s never adequately explained). The xenophage sets off in pursuit of our pals, a task made difficult by Venom deliberately remaining mostly a voiceover for the first 30 minutes or so of the film.
Meanwhile, a secret government operation located in a facility deep below Area 51, headed by Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) and General Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor), is tasked with collecting as many symbiotes as possible. They’ve already got Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham), who was infected in the previous film, but they want Venom as well. Between Strickland and his forces and Knull’s xenophages – who are all eventually going to clash — it’s no wonder that Eddie can barely keep a pair of shoes on his feet for more than five minutes.
(L to R) Director Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘Venom: The Last Dance’. Photo: Laura Radford.
That description gives the narrative more credit than it may deserve. For its first half, ‘The Last Dance’ is a loosely connected string of bits, jokes, and ideas, with Eddie and Venom bickering more like an old married couple than ever before (“I want to see a Broadway show!” rumbles the symbiote as they discuss their sketchy plans to hide out in New York City). Their back-and-forth – with Hardy once again literally talking to himself in an admittedly impressive comic performance – is as ludicrous as ever, but a little more endearing. Because the film starts from a place of absurdity and stays there, the half-formed collection of skits that passes for a plot goes down easier this time.
The rest of the film finds Eddie/Venom turning a horse into a symbiote, catching a ride with a hippie family led by one-time ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ super-villain Rhys Ifans in a psychedelic Volkswagen van, and taking a side trip to Vegas that serves no purpose except to allow Venom to participate in a dance sequence. All of it leads to an extended climax in which the plot strands, such as they are, unravel in an orgy of CG mayhem.
Marcel, making her directorial debut after toiling for years as a screenwriter, opens up the action more than the previous films, dumping Eddie in the Southwest and giving us the occasional nice vista to take in. But the entire third act takes place in one dark, bland military location, recalling the smallish feel of the first two films, and while she has a solid sense of place during the action scenes, the preponderance of CG-generated monsters in the third act turns much of the climax into sludge.
Yes, there is a bit of heart involved as well, with Eddie and Venom potentially facing the end of their marriage – sorry, we mean parasitic relationship – but none of it really matters. Whatever entertainment value ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ has all comes down to the fact that it revels this time out in its own dumbness, and is better off for it…as far as that goes.
The Cast
(L to R) Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in Columbia Pictures ‘Venom: The Last Dance’. Photo: Laura Radford.
This is the Tom Hardy show through and through. Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor are accomplished actors, but their characters are barely fleshed out beyond “stock scientist” and “stock soldier,” with Temple given some half-baked back story about she and her brother getting hit by lightning on a beach. Rhys Ifans’ Martin is the only other character who gets some significant runway, but even his character – along with his ever-patient wife and annoying kids – contributes pretty much nothing meaningful to the story.
Hardy, on the other hand, fills the screen, and even though Eddie isn’t the most articulate guy on the planet (although he’s a regular Chatty Kathy compared to Hardy’s grunting, mumbling motorcycle club leader in ‘The Bikeriders’), he’s clearly just letting rip here and having the time of his life without a thought about whether any of it makes a lick of sense. His throw-it-all-at-the-wall work across all three ‘Venom’ films may end up being the oddest sustained performance of any actor’s career.
Final Thoughts
Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock/Venom in Columbia Pictures ‘Venom: The Last Dance’. Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
As we stated at the beginning, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ is not a good film – but it is a marginally more satisfying experience than its predecessors. Maybe it’s the crazy, old-school British comedy feel that Marcel and Hardy somehow filter their twisted superhero movie through, or perhaps it’s Eddie’s surprising admission that Venom is “his best friend,” but this one feels a little more bearable.
Having said that, three movies is enough. ‘The Last Dance’ does bring Eddie and Venom’s journey to a conclusion, although the post-credits scenes, of course, leave room for more. But Sony’s universe of Spider-Man villain movies without Spider-Man has been running on empty for a long time, and the ‘Venom’ franchise should go out now on what passes for probably the highest note it’ll ever hit. Let it be the last dance indeed.
‘Venom: The Last Dance’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Venom: The Last Dance’?
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his alien symbiote Venom are on the run – not just from government authorities and law enforcement, but from Venom’s creator, the powerful entity known as Knull.
Who is in the cast of ‘Venom: The Last Dance’?
Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom
Chiwetel Ejiofor as General Rex Strickland
Juno Temple as Dr. Payne
Rhys Ifans as Martin
Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen
Stephen Graham as Patrick Mulligan/Toxin
Venom in Columbia Pictures ‘Venom: The Last Dance’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
Jason Sudeikis in ‘Ted Lasso’ season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Preview:
Apple TV+’s ‘Ted Lasso’ may return for a fourth season.
The production company behind the show has picked up options on several actors.
Negotiations will be needed with the likes of creator/star Jason Sudeikis to return.
After a slow start in August of 2020, the (initially) sweet-natured ‘Ted Lasso’ took pop culture by storm as it became reliable pandemic viewing for those in need of a shot of kindness and uplift.
It ran for two further seasons, with the most recent wrapping up last year, seemingly ending the show for the foreseeable future.
Turns out, the foreseeable future might not be as long as we all thought. According to Deadline, there is chatter about a potential fourth season.
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What’s happening with ‘Ted Lasso’?
(L to R) Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein in ‘Ted Lasso’ season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Nothing is concrete as yet, but there are some encouraging signs.
Warner Bros. TV, which financed and produced the series created by Jason Sudeikis (who also starred), Brendan Hunt (who played Coach Beard), Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence, based on a series of NBC Sports commercials about Lasso, an NFL coach drafted into manage a failing British soccer team, has picked up three actors’ options.
The three –– Hannah Waddingham (team owner Rebecca Walton), Brett Goldstein (growling veteran player-turned-assistant-coach Roy Kent) and Jeremy Swift (Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins) –– are all British actors who were contracted via the U.K’.s Equity.
And lest you think this is leading the one of the proposed spin-off shows, Deadline also mentions that WBTV is exploring negotiations with SAG-AFTRA members Sudeikis, Hunt and Juno Temple (who played Keeley Jones).
And that’s not all –– though an official greenlight is still far away at this point, there are hints that a writers’ room for a potential new batch of episodes that, if things work out, could be shooting next year.
Who might not return for a fourth season of ‘Ted Lasso’?
(L to R) Nick Mohammed, Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein in ‘Ted Lasso’ season two, now streaming on Apple TV+.
So far, the likes of Phil Dunster (cocky star player Jamie Tart) seems unlikely to come back, since he’s already got a couple of shows on the go: Prime Video’s ‘The Devil’s Hour’ and Apple’s own ‘Surface’.
And while the cast have generally said they’d be thrilled to return to the roles, they’re all very popular in the wake of the series’ ending, so schedules may have to be juggled.
Plus, it’ll all depend on whether Sudeikis, who has always been the lynchpin for this one, actually has a good idea for a new run of episodes. Whether the show continues without him or not is something we’ll have to wait and find out.
Should ‘Ted Lasso’ return?
(L to R) Nick Mohammed and Jason Sudeikis in ‘Ted Lasso,’ season 3 coming soon to Apple TV+.
That’s a much bigger question. Even by Season 2, there were concerns that the dial was being shifted from the cuddly comedy side to weightier dramatic demands, and opinions were further mixed on Season 3.
Still, it ended on a relative high, so any future season will be judged against it, and that’s not something anyone should go into blindly. Do we want more ‘Ted Lasso’? Yes, but not if it turns into ‘Led Tasso’ (the “evil” alter ego Ted has sometimes used in coaching).
Brett Goldstein in ‘Ted Lasso’ season 2, now streaming on Apple TV+.
The third ‘Venom’ Movie’s title is ‘Venom: The Last Dance’
Tom Hardy is back to star, with co-writer Kelly Marcel directing.
This new film will now be released in October.
Things are changing for the third movie in the successful (though seemingly despite itself) ‘Venom’ franchise –– and for once in the increasingly beleaguered superhero genre, it’s more in a positive direction. Not only has the film been moved forward in terms of its release, but we now know it’ll be called ‘Venom 3: The Last Dance’.
‘Venom’ has proved to be one of the few bright spots of Sony’s Marvel-adjacent Spider-Man universe. While they have never been the biggest hit among critics, the Tom Hardy-starring movies have certainly scored with audiences, as the box office figures have shown.
So what can we speculate based on that title? ‘The Last Dance’ suggests the end of the story for now, but also the potential for a musical element. Given the bizarre partnership of man and symbiote that are a key point of the movies, we could certainly posit a crazed musical sequence.
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What’s the story of ‘Venom’ so far?
Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom in 2021’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage.’
Launching in 2018 with the first movie, ‘Venom’ sees Hardy as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist struggling to keep his career afloat and hang on to his crumbling social life.
His world is already falling apart before he’s accidentally infected with the alien symbiote, which takes over his body and causes him to become a violent creature that is only too happy to eat people.
Eddie eventually forges an unlikely partnership with the creature that shares his body, and they end up fighting evil (and occasionally, yes, still eating people) together.
Though the original ‘Venom’, directed by ‘Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer, scored some awful reviews, it was a big box office hit, earning more than $850 million dollars.
Naturally, Sony commissioned a sequel, which saw Kelly Marcel, a long-time friend/collaborator of Hardy working together with the actor to write the script (they’d taken over from previous writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg on the first movie, sharing credit that time).
2021’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ saw actor-turned-director Andy Serkis taking over the director’s chair, with Eddie and Venom facing off against violent, psychopathic serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), who merges with another symbiote and becomes the terrifying monster known as Carnage.
It was another blend of less-than-enthusiastic reviews but still healthy box office, ending up with a little over $500 million.
Who is making ‘Venom 3: The Last Dance’?
(L to R) Director Andy Serkis and Tom Hardy on the set of 2021’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage.’
Even with the latest title news, there are few plot details available for the new movie. We can expect some of the usual hand (tentacle?) wringing about whether he’s an antihero or a slavering, sarcastic alien beast, and probably some of the comedy for which the franchise has been known so far.
For the third, Marcel has stepped up to direct, which might seem like a daunting task, but we’ll wait and see how it works out. Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Clark Backo are all among the cast joining Hardy on screen this time.
The first proper look at the fifth season of FX’s crime series ‘Fargo’ has arrived.
Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, ‘Stranger Things’ Joe Keery and more are all in the cast.
The new season starts on FX on November 21.
Thanks partly to the pandemic and creator/show-runner Noah Hawley’s busy schedule (he’s also been working on an ‘Alien’ spin-off series), we’ve had to wait longer than usual for the latest instalment of his fun crime series that draws inspiration from the Coenbrothers’ 1996 cult classic.
As usual with the small screen ‘Fargo’, we’re introduced to a new group of oddball criminals and associated characters, with this year’s story revolving around a woman (‘Ted Lasso’s Juno Temple) whose past comes back to haunt (and in some ways help) her when she’s the target of kidnappers tied to a powerful local official (played by Jon Hamm, who’s having a busy TV year between ‘The Morning Show’ and now this).
Jon Hamm as Sheriff Roy Tillman in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.
The official plot description for the new ‘Fargo’ season has the show this time set in Minnesota and North Dakota, 2019. After an unexpected series of events lands Dorothy ‘Dot’ Lyon (Temple) in hot water with the authorities, this seemingly typical Midwestern housewife is suddenly plunged back into a life she thought she had left behind.
North Dakota Sheriff Roy Tillman (Hamm) has been searching for Dot for a long time. A rancher, preacher and a constitutional lawman, Roy believes that he is the law and therefore is above the law.
At his side is his loyal but feckless son, Gator (Joe Keery), who is desperate to prove himself to his larger-than-life father. Too bad he’s hopeless. So, when it comes to hunting Dot, Roy enlists Ole Munch (Sam Spruell), a shadowy drifter of mysterious origin.
Juno Temple as Dot Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.
Who else in ‘Fargo’ Season 5?
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lorraine Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.
The cast for the new season also stars David Rysdahl as Dot’s husband, Wayne, with Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Wayne’s mother Lorraine Lyon, the head of the largest debt collection agency in the country.
Dave Foley appears as Danish Graves, Lorraine’s in-house counsel and advisor. Richa Moorjani plays Minnesota Police deputy Indira Olmstead, with Lamorne Morris as North Dakota deputy Witt Farr.
Though it was initially met with skepticism by fans of the original movie, ‘Fargo’ has proved to be a real delight, spinning darkly comic crime stories that feel spiritually of a piece with the film while also charting their own course.
It remains to be seen whether any of the characters in this new season will have ties to previous episodes (there have been links in the past), but the fun of it will be to see a new cast put through their paces in a chilly community.
Dave Foley as Danish Graves in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.
When will ‘Fargo’ Season 5 be on TV?
Season 5 of ‘Fargo’ will debut on FX on November 21st.
Sam Spruell as Ole Munch in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.David Rysdahl as Wayne Lyon in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.Joe Keery as Gator Tillman in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.Richa Moorjani as Indira Olmstead in ‘Fargo’ season 5. Photo: Michelle Faye/FX.
Juno Temple in ‘Ted Lasso,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Would you swap the comfy hugs and aphorisms of ‘Ted Lasso’ for the potential terror and loss of life you risk when you appear in a ‘Venom’ movie? Juno Temple doesn’t really have a choice, since the Apple TV+ series is –– at least as far as anyone will say –– ending with its current third season and Temple has to keep her career expanding.
The actor, who plays the upbeat Keeley Jones on ‘Lasso’, is, according to Deadline, now making a deal to appear in ‘Venom 3,’ which will see Tom Hardy back as down-on-his-luck, scruffy journalist Eddie Brock and (thanks to voice work and lots of CGI) the alien symbiote that shares his body
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What’s the story of ‘Venom’ so far?
Launching in 2018 with the first movie, ‘Venom’ sees Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist struggling to keep his career afloat and hang on to his crumbling social life.
His world is already falling apart before he’s accidentally infected with the alien symbiote, which takes over his body and causes him to become a violent creature that is only too happy to eat people.
Eddie eventually forges an unlikely partnership with the creature that shares his body, and they end up fighting evil (and occasionally, yes, still eating people) together.
Though the original ‘Venom’, directed by ‘Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer, scored some awful reviews, it was a big box office hit, earning more than $850 million dollars.
So of course, Sony commissioned a sequel, which saw Marcel and Hardy working together to write the script (they’d taken over from previous writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg on the first movie, sharing credit that time).
2021’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ saw actor-turned-director Andy Serkis taking over the director’s chair, with Eddie and Venom facing off against violent, psychopathic serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), who merges with another symbiote and becomes the terrifying monster known as Carnage.
It was another blend of less-than-enthusiastic reviews but still healthy box office, ending up with a little over $500 million.
(L to R) Director Andy Serkis and Tom Hardy on the set of 2021’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage.’
Details are mostly scarce on the new ‘Venom’ outing, especially in regard to the story. Obviously there will be more chaos from Eddie/Venom, and a big new threat for him to face. Expect some of the usual hand (tentacle?) wringing about whether he’s an antihero or a slavering, sarcastic alien beast, and probably some of the comedy for which the franchise has been known so far.
Kelly Marcel, a long-time friend/collaborator of Hardy and the screenwriter of movies such as ‘Saving Mr. Banks’, the first ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ (and a Story By credit on Disney’s ‘Cruella’), worked on the script for the first movie, then wrote the script for the second.
For the third, she’s stepping up to direct, which might seem like a daunting task, but we’ll wait and see how it works out. There’s no release date on the books yet for ‘Venom 3’.
Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom in 2021’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage.’
