Nearly ten years after ‘Zootopia’, it is time to catch up with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde and see what they have been up to. Surprisingly, ‘Zootopia 2’ is set almost immediately after the events of the first film, making it a seamless transition. For those who have not revisited it in a while, the opening moments remind us of everything that happened in a way that is equal parts entertaining and informative.
The question everyone always asks themselves when it comes to sequels is “is this story worth telling?”. Thankfully, the answer to that when it comes to ‘Zootopia 2’ is yes.
Because this story takes place so close to the one that was being told in ‘Zootopia‘, there isn’t a lot of catching up that has to be done with the characters. This is a major plus when it comes to ‘Zootopia 2’ because it allows viewers to fall right back into this world without any questions or concerns.
Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are now partners on the polic force, but considering that they have not had a lot of time working together, there are some growing pains. This is not only believable, it makes perfect sense as they still do not know each other very well.
Judy and Nick are great at solving mysteries together, that is something that was established in the first movie. Pretty early on a new mystery drops into their laps, and even though it means they need to go on the run, they decide to take it on. Snakes have not been seen in Zootopia for years, and for good reason, everyone is scared of them. However, when Gary De’Snake shows up asking for help, Judy senses he truly needs it.
This sends them on a high stakes, action packed adventure filled with numerous quirky new characters and a whole lot of animal puns that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s faces. Because of this, they visit a lot of new places in Zootopia we have not seen yet, and directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard do a great job of keeping eveything on track and blending well together. What could have easily felt muddled and too much, is not.
Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin solidified themselves as the perfect choices for this unlikely duo in the first film, and they once again nail their performances this time around. All of the returning cast bring their A-game again, showing fans why they fell in love with these characters in the first place.
The real standout, however, is Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake. He has deserved everything that he has gotten in the last several years as he made his way back into the acting world, and he was the right choice to play this misunderstood character. Kids (and parents) are sure to love Gary just as much as they love Ke, and for good reason. He is the heart of this story, and hopefully this is not the last time that we will see him.
‘Zootopia 2’ is just as fun as the first movie. It features a catchy new song, ‘Zoo’, sung by Gazelle (Shakira) of course. It delivers heart as well as humor, something that Disney Animation does extremely well.
Stay through the credits because in true Disney fashion, there is a tease for a possible third movie that will leave viewers excited and eagerly anticipating more from their beloved Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps.
‘Zootopia 2’ receives a score of 85 out of 100.
‘Zootopia 2’ opens in theaters on November 26th.
What is the plot of ‘Zootopia 2’?
In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia 2,” detectives Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.
Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Preview:
Disney brought several movies to its CinemaCon 2025 presentation.
The likes of ‘Tron: Ares,’ ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and more were showcased.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ also showed footage, alongside Pixar’s Elio, Freakier Friday and the new, live-action/CG ‘Lilo & Stitch
While it is still looking to rebuild its fortunes, Disney can at least look back on 2024 as one with several big hits, especially ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’
But it will have to prove that this year’s slate can match past successes. Luckily, the Mouse House has more strings to its bow than even the likes of Universal or Warner Bros., and heavy hitters including Pixar, Marvel and James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ series primed and ready with new entries, plus the return of ‘Tron’ to the grid… er, cinemas.
Following the usual stuff about sponsors and theater owners (got to play to the crowd!), the Disney presentation signaled the end of CinemaCon’s studio events and began with the traditional sizzle reel of upcoming movies, framed in amusing fashion by having ‘Lilo & Stitch’s titular blue troublemaker wander through the rest of the slate.
Getting the presentation off to its formal stage start was Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.
He was joined by Andrew Cripps, head of theatrical distribution at the studio to unveil the typically packed schedule of movies the studio will have across the rest of the year, and to extol the fact that Disney movies are Disney movies are typically in theaters an average of three weeks longer than any other studio.
2025’s live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
The latest animated-to-live-action conversion project faces additional pressure following ‘Snow White’s poor showing at the box office this past month. With Disney bosses pushing pause on a planned ‘Tangled’ live-action movie, ‘Lilo’ will need to perform in order to keep that particular strand of the company’s strategy alive beyond ‘Moana,’ due next year.
Some fresh, sneak peek footage from the new movie was screened for the crowd, featuring Stitch on a trip with Lilo and family; they go to a restaurant where the little blue alien causes the requisite chaos even as Lilo tries to teach him to behave. Some of what was shown has already popped up in the trailer, including Stitch squirting her with a soda gun.
(L to R) Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan were ushered on stage to promote this sequel to the 2003 original, which moves the story forward and features even more body-switching chaos than last time as Curtis’ Tess and Lindsay’s Anna Coleman switch places with their teenage daughter/granddaughter.
Curtis and Lohan cued up a look at some brand new footage from the movie, which according to the duo has been playing well with test audiences.
Curtis says that the film was…
“Made to be seen on a big screen.”
The scene played showed Tess and Anna trying to win back Anna’s boyfriend –– but in different bodies.
‘Freakier Friday’ brings body swap chaos to theaters on August 8th.
(L to R) Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
The studio went all out with a light show to promote the third ‘Tron’ movie, and also brought Jeff Bridges and new franchise face Jared Leto to the stage.
Bridges said,
“To be back on the grid was incredible, and working with Jared… It was a great time.”
For his part, Leto said he was obsessed and this was everything he wanted from a movie. It took him to a world he had never seen before.
Leto described his character, Ares:
“An advanced program that crosses over to real world to fulfill his directive.”
After confirmation of Nine Inch Nails doing the music for the new movie, we got a look at some new footage.
What was screened was a look at Ares riding his bike in the real world, with Bridges’ Kevin Flynn narrating. We also see him ask Ares, “Are you ready? Because there is no coming back…”
‘Tron: Ares’ departs the grid for our world on October 10th.
With ‘The Amateur’ due on screens next week, its chunk of the presentation was minimal, limited to a full version of the scene in the pool we glimpse in the trailer, but show full-length here. It was followed by the trailer.
‘The Amateur,’ as mentioned, will find a way into theaters on April 11th.
Elle Fanning at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Disney.
The new ‘Predator’ movie from ‘Prey’s Dan Trachtenberg immediately looked interesting, since the Predator creature is more of a protagonist in this one, and it takes place on a new planet where he’s been exiled and must fight his way back.
Star (no, not as the Predator!) Elle Fanning arrived on stage to confirm that this movie breaks new ground in the ‘Predator’ universe. She also said something unprecedented happens. Her character is not being chased, she teams up with Predator and you see him in new light.
She cued up the first trailer for the new movie, which sees the Predator battling a giant, nearly invincible beast with Fanning’s help.
‘Predator: Badlands’ stalks into cinemas on November 7th.
Strong, for the record, plays Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager and producer. He said he sees the role as Lewis to Springsteen’s Clark.
White, meanwhile, explains that the movie charts Springsteen’s teenage years to around 1982.
Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere.’ Photo: 20th Century Studios.
We got a first look at the trailer for the new movie, which is directed by Scott Cooper. The footage wraps up showing Springsteen in concert performing ‘Born to Run.’
‘Deliver Me from Nowhere’ has yet to announce when it’ll be delivered to theaters.
(L to R) Emma Mackey and Jamie Lee Curtis at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
James L. Brooks’ new comedy drama stars Emma Mackey as an idealistic young politician who juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor (Albert Brooks).
She co-stars with Jamie Lee Curtis, and the latter returned to the stage alongside Mackey for the presentation.
Brooks, meanwhile, received the Cinema Vérité Award on stage and called for more movies to have a 35-day window in theaters.
Director James L. Brooks receives the Cinema Vérité Award at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
He also had a great quote about previewing movies with audiences:
“A woman came up to me and said the loveliest words: ‘they’re crying in the ladies toilet.’ Compare that to data.”
After Brooks’ emotional speech, we got a first look at the movie itself. The scene that played took place in a bar, where Curtis’ character takes Ella to meet her father, Woody Harrelson. They haven’t spoken in years after he dated her friend.
That was followed the trailer.
‘Ella McCay’ will be in cinemas on September 19th.
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From there, it was time to look at team Searchlight’s output, following a victory lap for the awards success of ‘A Real Pain’ and ‘A Complete Unknown.’ The studio arm’s new offering is…
Unlike the 1989 version, this Jay Roach-directed sees Cumberbatch and Colman as a successful chef and her businessman husband whose lives start to fall apart when he’s fired.
Things go from bad to worse, and as we saw in the trailer that played, it gets to the point where she has him at gunpoint.
‘The Roses’ fights for its place in theaters on August 29th.
Talking of guns, we moved on to one of the studio’s biggest… Marvel!
First up was the next movie from the prolific superhero franchise.
(L To R) David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
The ‘Thunderbolts*’ portion of the show kicked off with a funny bit about the cast being MIA –– Wyatt Russell appeared to have lost a lot of cash in the casino with co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus hoping the movie makes money so they can pay his debts!
The scene featured the Thunderbolts driving through New York as Harbour’s Red Guardian tries to bond with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The team has to fight their way through bad guys to Avengers tower.
(L To R) Hannah John-Kamen, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Wyatt Russell in ‘Thunderbolts*’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
We got an extended look at the Avengers Tower scene where Louis-Dreyfus gathers the gang –– after having sent them to kill each other and being frustrated that they teamed up.
There was also a very brief look at the introduction of Sentry (Lewis Pullman). And following that? A sizzle reel of scenes from the movie, which appears to be full of chaotic fun.
‘Thunderbolts*’ heads to cinemas on May 2nd. Less than a month for this one, folks!
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That was followed by Marvel boss Kevin Feige, currently in the UK on the set of ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ (which is “days away from the start of production”) confirming the appearance of the original X-Men team in the new movie.
We also got our first look at Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer, who cautions that planet Earth is “marked for death.” Kirby’s Sue Storm says they’ll “fight the threat as a family”.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ flies into theaters on July 25th.
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To switch tracks (but still be galactic rather than Galactus), it was the turn of the animation arm(s).
Zoe Saldaña at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Pixar’s latest finds a young lad dreaming of being abducted by aliens.
Zoe Saldaña, who plays the title character’s Aunt Olga, arrived on stage to talk about the new ‘toon.
A scene from the movie was shown in 3D, showing Elio brought on board an alien spaceship that is more like a living planet via a tractor beam, where he meets the vessel’s AI. He’s been recruited to join the universe’s smartest creatures to work together as a collective… But have they made a mistake? Elio meets and bonds with a young alien creature.
‘Elio’ heads into space (and theaters) on June 20th.
Ke Huy Quan introduces ‘Zootopia 2’ at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Thanksgiving sees the return of Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), the mismatched buddy duo of rabbit police officer and crafty fox. This time around, they’re on an undercover mission to stop a murderous reptile (Ke Huy Quan’s Gary).
In a video introduction, we got Bateman changing the show’s title to “ZinemaCon” and there are animal jokes about theaters –– AMZ, Pandango, Fur D X, followed by giving other Disney movies critter-like makeovers (‘Thundercolts,’ ‘Sealio,’ ‘The Fantastic Fur.’)
‘Zootopia 2’. Photo: Disney.
Quan arrived on stage to discuss the sequel and his role as Gary the snake. And that Judy and Nick go to a therapy animal (played by ‘Abbot Elementary’s Quinta Brunson) to sort their strained friendship –– which we saw in a scene from the movie. That was followed by a scene of Nick and Judy at Marsh resort trying to track down Gary.
‘Zootopia 2’ goes wild in theaters on November 26th.
Zoe Saldaña at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
James Cameron appeared via video from New Zealand, where he’s still at work on the latest ‘Avatar’ outing. He was sorry he isn’t there in person, but he did tell the crowd he’d sent some footage.
He promised “increased emotional heart and soul,” and that the Sully family will be put through the wringer (again) as they face the Ash People. We’ll also meet the Wind Traders.
Saldaña (who has been part of the franchise since the 2009 original) returned to the stage to introduce the footage.
Zoe Saldaña at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
We saw Jake and wife Neytiri (Saldaña) flying a dragon creature to Wind Traders’ ship where Miles “Spider” Socorro (Jack Champion), the son of Miles Quaritch, lives now.
That preceded a reel of other scenes, including Jake telling Neytiri they can’t live in hate, humans attacked the Na’vi, a shot of the whale-like creatures we met in ‘The Way of Water,’ the return of Stephen Lang’s Quaritch and Varang, the Na’vi leader of the volcano-dwelling Ash People threatening Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine’s Na’vi avatar who was adopted by the Sully family.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ welcomes us back to Pandora on December 19th.
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And that’s all, folks!
(L To R) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, and Hannah John-Kamen at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
It’s just the latest effort from the filmmakers, who haven’t exactly had a warm critical reception for the work they’ve put out since ending their ‘Avengers’ run (they’re back on that particular duty with the next twomovies), and unfortunately won’t do all that much to change the perception of them.
While the source material offers a basic spine for the plot –– an alternate 1990s where humanity and robots have been locked in a conflict after the latter revolted against being employed to do all the grunt work people don’t want to –– and some of the visual inspiration, the movie takes those ideas and runs with them.
Yet what the team chooses to make its focus doesn’t always work that well. And to add to the feel of borrowed acclaim, chunks of the score sound like composer Alan Silvestri using discarded cuts from his ‘Avengers’ music.
Markus and McFeely have brought us well-thought-out stories before, even ones that must juggle multiple characters.
But in ‘The Electric State,’ the central character is Millie Bobby Brown’s Michelle, whose life is shattered when her parents and genius younger brother are killed in a car crash. At least, she thinks her brother is dead –– but when she’s visited unexpectedly by a robot based on his favourite childhood cartoon, she comes to believe he might actually be alive.
So begins a quest to find him, one that will take Michelle, smuggler Keats (Chris Pratt) and his robot sidekick Herm (voiced by Anthony Mackie) into what is known as the Exclusion Zone, a walled-off corner in the desert where robots were banished following the war.
The plot offers the opportunity for plenty of amusing robo-characters, but the sheer number just makes the film feel busy and underfocused, while the endless quips from the various robots don’t always land. The narrative is also locked into a fairly predictable progression –– you’ll likely guess where it’s all headed before too long.
‘The Electric State’. Photo: Netflix.
Still, there is some genuine emotion infused towards the end of the story.
As directors, the Russos have proved they can handle these big movies, but their more recent efforts on that front, including ‘The Gray Man’ have been blandly reductive releases despite the talent involved both on screen and behind the camera.
For ‘The Electric State’ that means a starry cast (most of them are on voice duty) and some very impressive visual effects, but with a $320 million budget, you’d expect that.
Millie Bobby Brown continues to prove she can anchor genre work, but the role of Michelle, the young woman at the center of the movie, doesn’t always offer her too many chances to prove it. She’s perfectly fine in the role, but little more than that.
Chris Pratt, meanwhile, is largely doing a riff on characters of this type he’s played before –– the lovable rogue we’ve met in the likes of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Jurassic World,’ and Keats is very much a watered-down version of those.
Stanley Tucci is somewhat lumbered with a basic villain role, a tech mogul with shades of Elon Musk who claims to want to help humanity but is only too happy if there’s collateral damage.
(L to R) Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci in ‘The Electric State’. Photo: Netflix.
Giancarlo Esposito is also an antagonist, the hard-nosed drone pilot and robot deactivation specialist Colonel Bradbury, but the part is very much another scowling villain role for the actor, who might want to look into some different parts.
Woody Norman as Michelle’s super-smart brother Chris has some nice notes to play, though he is naturally off screen for much of the running time. Still, if there is genuine emotion to be found at all, it’s in the human connection between Chris and Michelle.
Another Woody, this time Harrelson, plays Mr. Peanut, the southern-fried promotional robot of the snack treat. He’s decent, but mostly speaks in platitudes.
Elsewhere, the voice cast is a mixed bag –– Jenny Slate and Mackie are among the highlights, while Brian Cox is saddled with a one-joke character in Pop Fly, a baseball bot.
‘The Electric State’ seems unlikely to change many peoples’ opinion about the Russo’s non-MCU work. It’s certainly a sweeping story with some fun to be found, but it rarely leaves a mark on the level of movies it has been inspired by.
It’s a shame, as the creative team have clearly poured their hearts into it –– if only the results were better.
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What’s the plot of ‘The Electric State’?
‘The Electric State’ is set in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the 1990s. Millie Bobby Brown stars as Michelle, an orphaned teenager navigating life in a society where sentient robots resembling cartoons and mascots, who once served peacefully among humans, now live in exile following a failed uprising.
Everything Michelle thinks she knows about the world is upended one night when she’s visited by Cosmo, a sweet, mysterious robot who appears to be controlled by Christopher — Michelle’s genius younger brother whom she thought was dead. Determined to find the beloved sibling she thought she had lost, Michelle sets out across the American southwest with Cosmo, and soon finds herself reluctantly joining forces with Keats (Chris Pratt), a low-rent smuggler, and his wisecracking robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).
As they venture into the Exclusion Zone, a walled-off corner in the desert where robots now exist on their own, Keats and Michelle find a strange, colorful group of new animatronic allies — and begin to learn that the forces behind Christopher’s disappearance are more sinister than they ever expected.
(L to R) Ashley (Lio Tipton), Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan), and The Raven (Mustafa Shakir) in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lio Tipton about their work on ‘Love Hurts’, their first reaction to the screenplay, how their character changed, Ashley’s relationship with The Raven, working with Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, and filming the action sequence with director Jonathan Eusebio.
(L to R) Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) and Ashley (Lio Tipton) in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what was your initial approach to playing Ashley?
Lio Tipton: My first reaction, I knew Ke was attached, so that’s always kind of exciting when you read something, and you have a face in mind. Playing comedy, I haven’t gotten to do it as much as I really have wanted to, and that’s kind of what my roots are in. When I saw this role and just how much space there was to honestly go crazy with it and have fun with it, that’s what really drew me to the script initially, and I couldn’t stop smiling as I read it. So that was my first go at it. Then how I approached the character, honestly, the character kind of shifted when I was cast, but the very sardonic dry humor always remains, and I think it was exciting to explore that.
MF: Can you talk about how the character changed after you were cast in the film?
LT: When I first read the script, Ashley was portrayed as extremely gothic, and so when I went into my audition, I did up goth makeup and hair and had, I wouldn’t say even more cynical approach for the outlook of my character, but it was maybe more stereotypical. Jonathan was so incredible at collaborating and really finding the voice of the character and expanding outside of these traditional character types and the boundaries that they might put up. So, we really explored that and I think found some more layers for Ashley.
(L to R) Ashley (Lio Tipton) and Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Was there a lot of improvisation on set and if so, what was it like for you to work that way?
LT: Yes, there was so much improvisation, which was a blast. It makes me so nervous doing it, because you just never know. I mean, some people are trained in improv, and the actors that were around me in scenes that are on the screen for two seconds, they were incredible. The improv skills of all the secondary characters, I mean, really enriched every scene and every take. I feel like the way that I kind of learned comedy was honestly on the set of ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ with Steve Carell, and those directors just really supported and encouraged trying different things. Of course, Steve was the pro and would kind of throw these out. So, I learned in reaction. There were just endless things to react to on this set. So, I think a lot of the humor did come from working with the people around me and having the freedom given by the director and the producers to explore.
MF: Ashley seems bored with their job and where their life is going, can you talk about what they are looking for?
LT: I don’t think Ashley knew what they were looking for in their life, to be honest. It’s something else. I think I tried to use that, and I think Mustafa and I really kind of worked on the feeling of knowing that there is something else and that we don’t always need to know what that else is to have the courage and the drive to move forward. I feel like Ashley kind of probably stays where she is, but I think the other aspects of her life creatively open her up in the end.
Mustafa Shakir as The Raven in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Can you talk about the relationship Ashley forms with The Raven and the attraction between those two characters?
LT: It was hard not to bust up as we were filming, especially watching Mustafa read some of the poetry, and it’s so intense and it took so much energy to not just lose it as it was happening. I think it really became this tug of war of don’t laugh or I will laugh. It was a battle of who can stay serious for the longest. I think Ashley had never met anyone like The Raven and had not been seen, which I think is a very common thing where we’re stuck in a place that we feel doesn’t understand our hearts or that we can’t feel where our soul is at in that job. When you meet someone who just sees this side of you that you didn’t even know wants to be seen, I think that was the crux of our relationship, just seeing each other.
MF: What was it like working with Mustafa Shakir and creating that relationship with him?
LT: He’s a gem. He’s truly such a gem of a person, of an actor. The way that he approaches things, he was just so open and ready for conversations. That jacket that he wore, this is a fun little fact, that was 50 pounds and wool. It was 100% wool and we’re moving it. I mean, when you are shooting something, you can’t have the AC running because of the sound. So, with the lights on set, it gets miserably hot, and it would take two people to remove his jacket and carry it between shots. He had to whip this stuff around like crazy, which ended up looking amazing and totally worth it. But the poor man, and he was just so good-hearted, good-natured about it, but he went through a lot with having to just continuously do all these action scenes with an elephant over his shoulders.
(L to R) Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) and Ashley (Lio Tipton) in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Can you also talk about working with Ke Huy Quan? What was he like to work with on set?
LT: I mean, from the get-go Ke is, and I think you’ll hear this across the board, genuinely one of the kindest, most wonderful people to work with. His energy is bright and positive and uplifting, and there’s no one that can be around him and not feel excited to be there, which he really did from day one. I was so nervous going in, I think I met Ke for the first time on set on the day that we were filming, and I was nervous and anxious, and he just has this way of reminding you that we’re just making a movie. There are other things in the world going on, we’re just making a movie. That mentality I think is healthy to have, because we can all kind of get locked in our own heads and in our own world, and Ke has a way of unlocking that and getting people out of their shell and making people feel like they can do things that they never thought they could, which is such an incredible quality in a human. I’m so happy to watch all the wonderful things that are happening for him right now. I think as an actor, you just never know when your next job is going to be, and to watch and witness this incredible Hollywood story, which it is, in a way it’s a redemption story, and I’m so happy to watch someone so kind succeed in the way that he is succeeding. He truly deserves it.
MF: Can you talk about the friendship between Marv and Ashley, and creating that with Ke?
LT: Because I didn’t have much time with Ke off set, I had no idea how it was going to come across, but I think the genuine love that I instantly felt for Ke was something that I could easily pull from for Ashley. As cynical and as curmudgeon as Ashley is, I found that Marvin is very similar to Ke in that you can’t help but want to have them succeed and you can’t help but be drawn to their positivity even though Ashley despises it. I think that the relationship with Marv, Ashley really holds on to Marv because she wants to believe that there is something better and more, and he does represent that, as miserable as she is in other situations.
(L to R) Ke Huy Quan, producer Guy Danella, director Jonathan Eusebio and stunt designer and coordinator Can Aydin on the set of ‘Love Hurts’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Director Jonathan Eusebio has a background in fight coordinating, what was it like working with him on the action sequences?
LT: I mean, honestly the trust that was there, but also, I learned so much seeing how he put the scenes together. I had never really understood the choreography and the character arcs that are placed within the choreography. There’s always a goal within the fight scenes. We’re not just fighting. There’s never just a fight sequence to have a fight sequence. Jonathan was very particular about every fight has a different goal. I think the best example of that is when Marvin is trying to save his star employee plaque and there’s this huge fight going on, but it is so important that he just keeps this safe, and that allows a richness into these fight scenes that I really don’t think I understood could be such a part of a film before. He very much makes me rethink fighting and action within a story and kind of had a high bar and to the character development as well within them. So, it wasn’t just action. I mean, he had a vision and I think that’s what really amazed me.
MF: Finally, were the action scenes fun for you to shoot?
LT: Are you kidding? It’s like being Superman for whatever length of time that you get to do that action sequence. I just felt like I dressed up and put on a cape and could go out and conquer anything. But also, stunt people are some of my favorite crew members. They’re so kind and positive and have this level of support and go-get-them attitude that is infectious. So those were some of my favorite days, and they were long, but everyone just had the best attitude towards it, which is not always the situation. It was very fortunate I think that that kind of environment was the case in ‘Love Hurts’.
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What is the plot of ‘Love Hurts’?
Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is a successful realtor who’s past as a violent hitman comes back to haunt him when his former partner (Ariana DeBose) reveals that his brother (Daniel Wu) is hunting him.
Ke Huy Quan as Marvin Gable in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘Love Hurts’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
Punching its way into theaters on February 14th, ‘Love Hurts’ wants to be your date-night alternative with extra punching to balance out its (admittedly minor) romantic subplot.
Yet unfortunately for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, who finally seizes the chance to be the main lead of a movie, that film is a decidedly weak affair. Though that’s not the fault of the person at the top of the call sheet, who puts in a dedicated performance that alternates between the cheery man we usually know him as and a steel-spined badass.
(L to R) Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) and Rose Carlisle (Ariana DeBose) in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Perhaps the biggest issue with this new effort from the 87North production company (overseen by former stuntman-turned-director David Leitch) is that it feels so completely tied to their usual formula that it doesn’t have the chance to establish its own identity.
While the action genre got a shot in the arm (and the head, and legs and…) via ‘John Wick,’ later movies looking to bottle some of that stunt-heavy madness have fallen into a predictable routine.
We’ve had ‘Violent Night,’ in which Santa Claus proved to be a grumpy, ass-kicking fighter and most pertinent here, 2021’s ‘Nobody’ in which Bob Odenkirk played a hapless family man hiding a secret past as a ruthlessly efficient government agent, whose past comes back to haunt him.
In ‘Love Hurts, Quan’s Marvin Gable is… a hapless, friendly realtor hiding a secret past as a ruthlessly efficient killer whose –– you guessed it! –– past comes back to haunt him. There is a distinct feeling of the writers copy and pasting much of the basics and tweaking a few elements here and there.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Ke Huy Quan, producer Guy Danella, director Jonathan Eusebio and stunt designer and coordinator Can Aydin on the set of ‘Love Hurts’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
The screenplay from Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard and Luke Passmore fills us in on the basics –– we meet Melvin in his present life, but what he got up to in previous years invades his seemingly meek and tranquil existence when Rose (Ariana DeBose) shows back up, defacing his realtor bus ads and posters, and sending cryptic love notes.
What transpires is a truly generic tale of money stolen from a powerful violent gangster named Knuckles (Daniel Wu), who also happens to be Marvin’s brother. There are the expected colorful criminal characters, here including a knife-toting assassin who is also a poet and two squabbling heavies.
‘Love Hurts’ tone pivots wildly from silly comedy to bone-crunching violence as though it’s being kicked around a room, while it attempts to find a balance, it never quite does, one death in particular being nasty and unnecessary, another, of someone played by a performer with more of a background in the property reality TV world at least amusing.
(L to R) Ke Huy Quan and director Jonathan Eusebio on the set of Love Hurts’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Making his directorial debut is Jonathan Eusebio, the latest recruit from the stunt ranks given the chance to call the shots. He brings enough style to the movie without too much visual trickery obscuring what he knows the majority of the audience is here to see: the fights.
Yet while there are certainly some well-staged moments of action to be found, even those start to become numbing after a while. One major clash set at Marvin’s home is bursting with entertaining gags, but the big final rumble smacks of overload, a batch of nondescript henchmen dispatched and a climactic showdown between two main characters disappointing, and surely easily solved were another character to simply intervene earlier.
Logic and sense are rarely the focus of movies such as these, but this one has some particularly egregious examples including characters who seemingly get knocked out with one punch at times, while at others they can absorb all sorts of punishment and keeping on fighting.
Performances
Ke Huy Quan as Marvin Gable in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Quan deserved better than this, but he still puts everything he has into the role and plays both versions of Marvin –– the friendly, meek realtor and the stone-cold assassin –– with his whole heart. Yet he can’t quite make it all hang together.
And the less said about the attempts to conjure a romantic connection between his character and Ariana DeBose’s Rose (20 years his junior) the better. DeBose, meanwhile, doesn’t fare all that well either, though she brings an insouciant air to most of her scenes.
Ariana DeBose as Rose Carlisle in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Daniel Wu, meanwhile, does what he can with an underwritten role as a the big bad (and Marvin’s brother), whose defining trait besides anger and violence is his love of Boba tea.
Around them are the supporting villains, including The Raven (Mustafa Shakir), the poet/assassin, who takes an unexpected shine to Marvin’s harried assistant Ashley (an amusing Lio Tipton), and back-talking duo Otis (André Eriksen) and King (athlete-turned-actor Marshawn Lynch), who are… fine?
Final Thoughts
(L to R) The Raven (Mustafa Shakir) and Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Given his triumphant, award-winning return to our screens, you really would’ve have hoped for more for Ke Huy Quan.
But while the stunt team show their usual level of inventiveness, the movie around them is a blandly generic, only sporadically funny affair. To paraphrase one of the lead’s classic roles: “Dr. Jones, we’ve little time for ‘Love Hurts.’ ”
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What is the plot of ‘Love Hurts’?
Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is a successful realtor who’s past as a violent hitman comes back to haunt him when his former partner (Ariana DeBose) reveals that his brother (Daniel Wu) is hunting him.
(L to R) Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose star in ‘Love Hurts’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Academy Award winners Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose to talk about their work on ‘Love Hurts’, their first reactions to the screenplay and their characters, working together, the action sequences, collaborating with director Jonathan Eusebio, and if the movie is a love story or a revenge film.
You can read the full interviews below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Quan, DeBose, and director Jonathan Eusebio.
Ke Huy Quan as Marvin Gable in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Moviefone: To begin with, Ke, what was your first reaction to the screenplay, and did you recognize right away that this would be a perfect role for you to play?
Ke Huy Quan: No. When I read the script, I liked the script, but I just couldn’t see myself as Marvin Gable. I think it’s because over the years I was never offered the leading role. I’m so accustomed to forgetting about getting the job and auditioning for minor characters. I think because it’s been like that for so long, in some ways I’ve been conditioned to think that I’m not deserving to be number one on the card. So, when I read this, I couldn’t connect to it. I couldn’t see myself as Marvin Gable, and the producers, 87 North, they were very persistent, and I was so confused, and I reached out to my favorite filmmaker, (Steven) Spielberg, and he was so gracious with his time. I told him about the story, I told him that they offered me the lead, and this is a Universal Studios picture. I said, “What do you think? Should I do this?” Very quickly he said, “Ke, this is incredible. You should do this.” Suddenly, I’m like, “Oh wow, he thinks I’m perfect for this.” Then I went in and met with our creative team, and through that conversation I realized that one, they were trying to create a different kind of action hero, because I’m so accustomed to seeing movies with (Arnold) Schwarzenegger and (Sylvester) Stallone and Jason Statham. They don’t look like me, but they were trying to change the status quo with a new kind of action hero that looks like me, that doesn’t look lethal at all until you mess with him, and then you really find out how badass he is. Immediately I was just fascinated, and I began to change my own internal narrative. Now I’m beginning to say, “Oh, I can be the action hero. I can be the number one,” and that is what’s so thrilling about this entire process, this entire production. That’s incredible.
MF: Ariana, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what excited you about playing this character?
Ariana DeBose: Oh, I thought it was a very ambitious little piece. It’s doing many things. There’s a romantic heart to it. It is a full-fledged action flick, but there’re brotherly love. It’s sewing this very fine seam together. It was doing a lot. Then at the heart of it, the backbone of the film was this woman, Rose, who without her you don’t have central conflict in a way. It felt like she was unapologetically just flipping the table and then asking questions later. It’s like she planned up until a certain point and then she’s like, “Whoa, let’s see what happens.” I loved that because I think there comes a point in everyone’s life where they must do that. It’s like a radical acceptance of the unknown and then fly by instinct and see where things fall. I really loved that about her.
Ariana DeBose as Rose Carlisle in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Ariana, do you think the movie is a love story or a revenge film, or both?
AD: Both, really. I think there are characters who start out with what they would call a revenge plan and it turns into something else. There’s always something underneath revenge. It’s never one color. It makes it fun as an actor. I look at it as painting. I talk about dance in color too, but acting is also about color. I’m never drawn to a character that is just one color. I don’t really know what to do with that because as people, we have so many multitudes within us. So, for me, those are the characters that I feel very strongly drawn to.
MF: Ariana, director Jonathan Eusebio has a background in fight coordinating, what was it like working with him on the action sequences?
AD: Oh, it was so, so fun. Again, the impetus of all of this was just fun. I remember sitting down with JoJo when we met about the film and he was like, “Are you open to it?” I was like, “I want to do everything that I can myself.” I had a great stunt double, Aisha (Hussain), who was there if something went wrong or if there was something that perhaps I wasn’t equipped to do. I’m very quick to be like, “Nope, that’s not in my wheelhouse. Safety first.” But they’re pretty much most of the things you see in the film, I was able to do myself. In fact, I learned how to drive a Trans-Am. I drove a stick. I learned how to do it in an hour. I’m very proud of that because driving a stick is hard. Yes, I’m a millennial, don’t judge me, but it’s hard. But the fight sequences were an extension of dance for me. I took to this work, this genre in a way that I don’t know that I have had before in some other types of genre films that I’ve explored. So, this one was fun. It was great. We couldn’t do any of it without our incredible stunt team. Every single member. It was just like a big family.
(L to R) Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) and Rose Carlisle (Ariana DeBose) in ‘Love Hurts’, directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Ariana, you presented Ke Huy Quan with his Oscar when he won Best Supporting Actor for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’. What was it like to finally work with him on this movie?
AD: Oh, I can tell you, it’s so nice to watch someone through an award season, have a moment like that and then be on set and feel affirmed in all the things that you thought. He’s everything that you think he is. I think we both grew so much on this film. We both got to express different parts of our talent that I don’t know that audiences had been able to see thus far. We worked from a space of real mutual admiration and partnership. I think that’s why we have the film we have regarding the two characters and their connection. But we had a really good time. It was nothing but fun. It’s a feat to get any movie made. It could be hard, but it’s such a rewarding thing when you get to do it with someone you really enjoy and admire.
MF: Finally, Ke, what was it like for you to have an opportunity to work with Ariana on this movie after she presented you with your Academy Award?
KHQ: Come on. When she opened the envelope and announced my name with so much emotion, I was so touched, and I loved her. Since then, when I see her, I always go up and give her a big hug and I say, “Oh, come on, let’s do a movie together.” So, when this came and her name was mentioned for Rose, I immediately said, “Yes, yes, it’s got to be her. Please reach out and give her anything she wants so she says yes.” Of course, we had an incredible time, and I could not have asked for a better partner. Now I see this movie, and I’m so proud of what we have made.
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What is the plot of ‘Love Hurts’?
Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is a successful realtor who’s past as a violent hitman comes back to haunt him when his former partner (Ariana DeBose) reveals that his brother (Daniel Wu) is hunting him.
The first pictures from new sci-fi movie ‘The Electric State’ have landed.
Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt star.
Joe and Anthony Russo are the directors.
Since wrapping up their successful run of movies at Marvel, capped with the huge blockbuster ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ directing/sibling duo Joe and Anthony Russo have seen more mixed fortunes in terms of their filmmaking.
While they set up their own production company, their actual movies have been hit and miss –– the likes of ‘Cherry’ and ‘The Gray Man’ haven’t seen the same pop cultural impact as their time with Iron Man and the rest of the Marvel gang.
The new movie is set in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the 1990s. Brown plays Michelle, an orphaned teenager navigating life in a society where sentient robots resembling cartoons and mascots, who once served peacefully among humans, now live in exile following a failed uprising.
Everything Michelle thinks she knows about the world is upended one night when she’s visited by Cosmo, a sweet, mysterious robot who appears to be controlled by Christopher — Michelle’s genius younger brother whom she thought was dead.
Determined to find the beloved sibling she thought she had lost, Michelle sets out across the American southwest with Cosmo, and soon finds herself reluctantly joining forces with Keats (Pratt), a low-rent smuggler, and his wisecracking robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).
As they venture into the Exclusion Zone, a walled-off corner in the desert where robots now exist on their own, Keats and Michelle find a strange, colorful group of new animatronic allies — and begin to learn that the forces behind Christopher’s disappearance are more sinister than they ever expected.
“The note that I would always get is, she’s still human. She’s rebellious and yes, she doesn’t want to follow the rules and she’s incredibly hurt because she’s dealing with a lot of grief. But she’s not invincible. We’re technically both the same age, so I feel like it was just: What are moments that I wouldn’t show my weakness? What are moments that I would? And I just played with that. I really want her to show that she’s made of stone because I want that to be the perception of who she is. But actually, as you get to know her, she softens and she warms up. And I tried to implement as much of my own experiences into her as possible.”
Netflix has yet to confirm when the movie will be arriving, beyond setting it for a 2025 release. Given the scale of this thing, we’d imagine the company will at least grant it a limited theatrical run ahead of it arriving on users’ accounts.
Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.
Arriving in theaters on Friday, March 8th, ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ marks the return of the animated adventures for Jack Black’s martial arts panda. Revisiting the Valley of Peace after nearly a decade, the movie will need to prove itself even more than your average sequel.
Which has us asking, of course…
Is ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ a Worthy Continuation of the Franchise?
There is good news to report for ‘Kung Fu Panda’ fans (Fandas?) –– the new outing, the first since ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ in 2016 (not counting the TV spin-offs) is a frothy, diverting affair. While it suffers in not really having a great villain, the usual spirit of Kung Fu Panda lives on in this new offering.
Somewhat naturally that has a lot to do with the effervescent charm of Jack Black, who fully inherits and powers the role, but he’s backed up by an able assortment of returning and new performers.
Jack Black voices Po in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’, directed by Mike Mitchell.
The script, by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Darren Lemke shows the hallmarks of writers who have plenty of experience with this world and its characters. Both Aibel and Berger have scripted the other ‘Panda’ films, while Lemke has worked on a few DreamWorks Animation movies, but also has experience on the likes of ‘Shazam!’ and ‘Goosebumps’ (the latter starring Black).
It is also helpful that while it certainly references the franchise’s past (the villain’s plot involves invoking old baddies to steal their powers and fighting styles to augment her own, and Po’s two dads receive their own subplot that eventually ties into the main story), it also has one eye on the future.
Having Po facing the dilemma of giving up being the Dragon Warrior –– a role and responsibility he has less grown into than more grown comfortable with –– while also being tasked with choosing a successor is a helpful, organic framework with which to plot new storylines. Because you just know if this one is a success, DreamWorks will want more.
Finally, it doesn’t hurt that the screenplay is light on its feet and features a number of solid gags, both one-off and runners that work well (one highlight is a guard at the big bad’s palace who points out the error in her plan until his colleagues demand he stops).
Po (Jack Black) in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ directed by Mike Mitchell.
On the directing front, the movie’s in good hands with Mike Mitchell, who has plenty of experience on both the animated and live-action front and has proved to deliver regularly for DreamWorks.
Here working with co-director Stephanie Ma Stine, he proves to be the right person to bring this latest film to life, working with the animation and tech teams to find creative ways to explore action set pieces and getting the best out of the voice cast. Particularly impressive is a sequence set in the Jade Palace, where Black’s Po confronts crafty, thieving fox Zhen (Awkwafina) and multiple priceless antiquities are put at risk.
Yes, older audiences will see where the story is going from the minute the two leads meet, but the journey in this case is an engaging one.
Performances
(from left) Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.
With Black back in a role that he typically shines in, Po is his usual friendly, hungry self. There’s really not much to having the character work besides the actor’s energy and the occasional “Skidoosh!”, but Black makes it so that you’re happy following our hero along on his latest adventure.
Awkwafina, meanwhile, has been proving her voice-acting mettle in the last few years, working on projects for Disney and Illumination. If she finds her way into an English dub of a Miyazaki movie, she’ll have worked for most of the major animation companies releasing movies in the States.
Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.
Her Zhen is a lively, quick-witted type, the writers finding gags that work for her and the animators locking in on her offbeat energy.
Viola Davis fares less well as the villainous Chameleon. Her role is very much a standard scheming baddie with a magic plot to harness powers and rule… well, everything. Davis brings her usual gravitas to the part, but aside from some fun abilities once she goes through with her scheme, Chameleon is less memorable than, say, Ian McShane’s Tai Lung (the baddie from the first movie, here drawn back from the spirit world).
On the supporting front, the likes of Bryan Cranston, James Hong and Dustin Hoffman offer typically light-hearted spins on their characters’ schtick, while Ke Huy Quan makes an impression as Han, the king of thieves who factors into both Zhen’s backstory and the final act.
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’: Final Thoughts
(from left) Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.
Smartly focusing on just a few characters (some franchise faithful fans will be disappointed to learn that the Furious Five –– AKA the masters voiced by Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu are conveniently busy off on their own missions, though they do show up for near wordless cameos right at the end), ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ justifies this long-anticipated return to the venerable DreamWorks movie series, without too much of the cash-in effect.
It suffers from a less-than-fantastic villain, but if we’re honest, the bad guys are usually an excuse to give Po his latest mission. And between Black, Awkwafina and some of the other cast, it’s more crowd-pleaser than animated slog.
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’?
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to… give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.
That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.
Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.
So, Po’s going to need some help…
Who else is in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’?
Alongside Black and Davis, the cast also includes Awkwafina, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane and Ke Huy Quan.
Po (Jack Black) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ directed by Mike Mitchell.
Ke Huy Quan poses backstage with the Oscar® for Actor in a Supporting Role during the live ABC telecast of the 95th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Preview:
Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan is leading new action pic ‘With Love’.
Jonathan Eusebio is making his directorial debut with the movie.
It hails from David Leitch and Kelly McCormick’s 87North company.
He’s showed up in the likes of Marvel projects (‘Loki’s second season) and fellow Disney+ series ‘American Born Chinese’ and has more movies on the way. He’s now taking the leap into an even more action-orientated sphere as he’s set to star in Universal action movie ‘With Love’.
What’s the story of ‘With Love’?
Ke Huy Quan as Waymond Wang in A24’s ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’
So far, according to Deadline, the studio has not released any plot details for the new movie, though we do know that Luke Passmore (‘Archenemy’) is writing the latest draft of the script, following work by Josh Stoddard (‘Warrior’) & Matthew Murray.
Given the title, are we to speculate that this could be a riff on Bond movies (as in ‘From Russia With Love’)? Or could it be a blend of rom-com and kick-ass action?
Whatever it turns out to be, this could do for Quan what ‘Nobody’ did for Bob Odenkirk. And he’s already got a leg up since Quan has years of experience as a stunt choreographer.
(L to R) Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brad Pitt in Sony Pictures’ ‘Bullet Train.’
The new movie comes from 87North, the production company run by ‘Bullet Train’ director David Leitch and wife/producing partner Kelly McCormick. The pair, who have plenty of action filmmaking experience between them (Leitch co-directed ‘John Wick‘ and has also worked on the likes of ‘Atomic Blonde’ and ‘Deadpool 2’, while producing ‘Nobody’, ‘Violent Night’ and more), are shepherding this one as producers.
The ‘Violent Night’ connections continue via the director, Jonathan Eusebio, who has been a colleague of Leitch and McCormick for years. His resume includes stunt coordination or 2nd unit directing experience on movies including the aforementioned Santa thriller plus ‘Deadpool 2’, ‘Black Panther’, ‘Birds of Prey’, and Leitch’s upcoming ‘The Fall Guy’. ‘With Love’ will mark his directorial debut.
He’s just the latest stunt expert to graduate to directing from working with Leitch –– previous examples have included Sam Hargrave, who has since made both the ‘Extraction’ movies for Netflix.
‘With Love’ is at an early stage and doesn’t have a release date set yet, but we will see Quan in the RussoBrothers’ ‘The Electric State’, which should arrive via Netflix this year. And before that, we’ll hear him as the character Han in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’, due to be released on March 8th.
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ will be in theaters on March 8th 2024.
‘Loki’s second season scored huge viewership on Disney+ upon its return last week.
Only ‘The Mandalorian’s Season 3 premiere this last March had higher initial viewership.
The show sees the return of Tom Hiddleston’s Marvel character, whose original season debuted in 2021.
After some less than thrilling reviews and audience figures for recent Marvel series such as ‘Secret Invasion’, Disney must be breathing a sigh of relief and offering up blessings to the God of Mischief.
Because the first episode of Season 2 for ‘Loki’, starring Tom Hiddleston, has racked up some healthy viewing figures.
What were the viewing figures for the premiere of ‘Loki’ Season 2?
The premiere of the new season, which dropped on Thursday, October 5th, has garnered 10.9 million views globally within three days of becoming available for streaming, at least according to Disney’s own calculations.
And the Marvel series was not just popular with viewers, but also critics. Season two of ‘Loki’ holds an 88% score on review site Rotten Tomatoes, which makes it certified “fresh”. That goes along with a stellar 94% audience score on the site.
So clearly, people are happy to see the return of Loki and the Time Variance Agency. And we also enjoyed the latest episode.
In fact, the only series that has scored higher than ‘Loki’ is the third season of ‘The Mandalorian’, which landed on Disney+ this past March. Mando’s triumph is not really a surprise since there was plenty of pent-up demand for the return of the ‘Star Wars’ series.
‘Loki’ similarly benefitted from fan anticipation since Season 1 landed all the way in 2021.
The new season picks up immediately in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki (Tom Hiddleston) finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority.
Along with Mobius (Owen Wilson), Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), Judge Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.
Returning from Season 1 is Eugene Codero as Casey, a low-ranking TVA worker who was shown as a Hunter in a parallel timeline at the end of that first season but will be back in his original role to help Loki and co. Jonathan Majors, meanwhile, is once more playing another Kang variant, this time a 19th century professor named Victor Timely (first glimpsed in an end credits scene of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’) who has a strong connection to the organization.
