Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Evans Vestal Ward/Peacock.
Premiering with its first four episodes on Peacock on January 26th, ‘Poker Face’ marks Rian Johnson’s latest successful stab at the mystery genre.
The filmmaker, who made his name with Sundance sensation ‘Brick’, has often tackled mysteries in his work, most notably with the two ‘Knives Out’ movies, in which Daniel Craig’s smart sleuth Benoit Blanc uncovers dastardly deeds among spoiled rich folk (in the 2019 original) and weird influencers (in last year’s follow up).
Along with an abiding affection for Agatha Christie and other mystery writers, Johnson has often professed his love for TV series such as ‘Columbo’, where Peter Falk’s scruffy, genius detective first befriends and then unmasks killers.
Adrien Brody as Sterling Frost Jr. in ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Phillip Caruso/Peacock.
‘Poker Face’ channels the latter, featuring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a casino worker with a special gift—she can tell when people are lying. She can’t always figure out exactly why they’re lying, but she knows a falsehood, which has made her an enemy of the gambling boss, represented by casino boss Sterling Frost Jr, played perfectly by Adrien Brody in the premiere.
Despite his casino magnate father wanting Charlie away from the tables, Frost convinces Charlie that they can scam one of the “whales” (a big gambler who is now running private poker games from his suite) at the establishment with a rigged game. It all falls apart when Charlie’s friend Natalie (Dascha Polanco), a member of the housekeeping team, catches the whale with something illegal and goes to her boss, who has his enforcer Cliff Legrand (Benjamin Bratt) to kill the whistleblower and her deadbeat husband.
An impressive pilot sets out the show’s stall, introducing us to Charlie’s world––she lives in a trailer near the casino and tries to stay out of trouble––and then shattering it in the wake of her figuring out what really happened to Natalie. The resulting, potentially lethal blowback sends Charlie on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of Cliff, who is sent to find and silence her.
Benjamin Bratt as Cliff Legrand in ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock.
Thus the basic premise of the show, which finds Charlie traveling from place to place and stumbling upon liars, cheats and murderers wherever she goes.
As with ‘Columbo’s basic format, ‘Poker Face’ shows the audience exactly how the murder of the week went down before spinning the clock back a couple of days to reveal how Charlie came to be involved. And then it gets down to the meat of the series, to show Charlie investigating and then solving the murder.
In a neat twist, her own fugitive status means that the stories never get wrapped up in a neat bow with Charlie able to call the police. Doing as much as she can to stay off the radar (even getting money from an ATM is fraught with the risk that Cliff will be able to track her down), she accepts odd jobs, which leads to her being drawn into the mystery.
Rian Johnson, Creator and Executive Producer of ‘Poker Face’ at the Hollywood Legion Theater on January 23, 2023. Photo by: Jesse Grant/Peacock.
Because of that trick of showing how the murder plays out, ‘Poker Face’ falls into the category that’s less whodunnit and more “howcatchem”––Charlie rocking up and figuring out what’s really going on. Though the crimes are frequently ridiculous, there are still stakes to be found. And no one is coming to this show for gritty, overinflated “realism” as peddled by so many case-of-the-week shows cluttering up network television. It also looks great––no doubt helped by some of Johnson’s cinematic team crossing over. The mix of classic style and modern sheen works.
Charlie moving on each week like David Banner on TV’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’ means that Johnson and co. (he wrote and directed the pilot but worked on the series with showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman) can rely on a rich field of guest stars.
Across the first six episodes provided for review, the stories include one set amongst a punk rock band (anchored by Chloe Sevigny as the bitter lead singer who is trying to tour again after working for years at a home improvement store), another at a care home for the elderly whose resident roster boasts the likes of former revolutionaries with a score to settle played by Judith Light and S. Epatha Merkerson. A highlight is an episode featuring Tim Meadows and Ellen Barkin as actors looking to revisit their glory days whose shared resentment just might turn deadly.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Peacock’s ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock.
Lyonne has found a fertile creative ground in TV, between the likes of ‘Orange is the New Black’ and, more recently, the time-twisting ‘Russian Doll’. ‘Poker Face’ represents her latest captivating turn, playing Charlie with charm and intuition. Despite the constant specter of death (and the threat to her own life), she keeps it fun and light, proving to be a more than disarming anchor for the stories.
Though we’ve all gotten used to serialized shows being held up as the gold standard in the age of “prestige TV”, Johnson and his team definitely find something new in a seemingly old format. Procedural it may be, but ‘Poker Face’ is anything but a bluff. It’s more like a winning hand.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock.
The rise in the genre’s popularity is a result of box office successes like Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot series, including ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ and ‘Death on the Nile,’ and director Rian Johnson‘s ‘Knives Out,’ and its new sequel, ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,’ which is currently in theaters and premieres on Netflix December 23rd.
In honor of ‘Glass Onion’s release, Moviefone is counting down the 25 greatest mystery movies of all time!
Without further ado, grab your detective hat and let’s begin!
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption. Starring Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, and Chris Hemsworth.
On a long-awaited trip to Europe, a New York City cop (Adam Sandler) and his hairdresser wife (Jennifer Aniston) scramble to solve a baffling murder aboard a billionaire’s yacht.
In a world where people collect pocket-size monsters (Pokémon) to do battle, a boy (Justice Smith) comes across an intelligent monster (Ryan Reynolds) who seeks to be a detective.
Eccentric consulting detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Doctor John Watson (Jude Law) battle to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy England.
When Claire Spencer (Michelle Pfeiffer) starts hearing ghostly voices and seeing spooky images, she wonders if an otherworldly spirit is trying to contact her. All the while, her husband (Harrison Ford) tries to reassure her by telling her it’s all in her head. But as Claire investigates, she discovers that the man she loves might know more than he’s letting on.
Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a dedicated mother and popular vlogger, befriends Emily (Blake Lively), a mysterious upper-class woman whose son Nicky attends the same school as Miles, Stephanie’s son. When Emily asks her to pick Nicky up from school and then disappears, Stephanie undertakes an investigation that will dive deep into Emily’s cloudy past.
Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) faces a parent’s worst nightmare when his 6-year-old daughter, Anna (Erin Gerasimovich), and her friend go missing. The only lead is an old motorhome that had been parked on their street. The head of the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), arrests the driver, but a lack of evidence forces Loki to release his only suspect. Dover, knowing that his daughter’s life is at stake, decides that he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
After Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for the dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband’s World War II cronies, Tex (James Coburn), Scobie (George Kennedy) and Gideon (Ned Glass), who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines. But why does Peter keep changing his name?
World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor (Ben Kingsley).
Directed by Robert Altman, in 1930’s England, a group of pretentious rich and famous gather together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, each one of these interesting characters becomes a suspect.
Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg), a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It’s up to Kermit and Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
With his wife’s (Rosamund Pike) disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man (Ben Affleck) sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent.
A private eye (Ryan Gosling) and a thug (Russell Crowe) investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.
This English-language adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson follows a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), as he investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch’s niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) whose crimes are based on the “seven deadly sins” in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Sommerset (Morgan Freeman) researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer’s mind, while his novice partner, Mills (Brad Pitt), scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife’s killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he’s going, or why.
A teenage loner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend (Emilie de Ravin).
In 1935, when his train is stopped by deep snow, detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before.
A petty thief (Robert Downey Jr.) posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who’s been training him for his upcoming role…
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.
Clue finds six colorful dinner guests (Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren) gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving) — who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the killer among them, the guests and Boddy’s chatty butler (Tim Curry) must suss out the culprit before the body count rises.
(L to R) Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc and Janelle Monáe as Andi in ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’ Photo: Courtesy of John Wilson/Netflix.
When Blanc is accidentally invited to a “murder mystery party” held on a private Greek island by tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), he soon discovers that all the other guests have close ties to Bron. But when someone is actually murdered, Blanc is on hand to crack the case.
(L to R) Kathryn Hahn, Madelyn Cline, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., and Kate Hudson in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
Johnson has truly assembled an all-star cast that in addition to Craig and Norton also includes Janelle Monae as Bron’s ex-business partner Cassandra Brand, Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella, the governor of Connecticut now running for Senate, Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay, an ex-supermodel turned fashion designer, Jessica Henwick as her assistant Peg, Dave Bautista as YouTube star Duke Cody, Madelyn Cline as his girlfriend Whiskey, and Leslie Odom Jr. as Lionel Toussaint, Miles’ loyal employee.
The result is a fun and funny sequel, which features great performances, a gorgeous production design, and an unpredictable twist, but relies too much on the basic formula of the original and features a group of fairly unredeemable characters.
Director Rian Johnson is a terrific filmmaker, as evident in his early movies like ‘Brick’ and ‘Looper.’ At one time it looked like he would be given the keys to the ‘Star Wars’ kingdom after his brilliant work on ‘The Last Jedi,’ but toxic fans made sure that would never happen. So, I’m glad that he has found a franchise of his own with ‘Knives Out,’ as Netflix already plans a third installment.
Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
It’s also a revival of sorts for actor Daniel Craig, as finding a second franchise has been difficult for many former James Bond actors, but Craig shines as the comedic Benoit Blanc. Part Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Inspector Clouseau, Foghorn Leghorn and Colonel Sanders, Craig has completely made the character his own and is excellent again in the sequel.
In fact, the all-star ensemble of actors were all really well cast, and play off their personal public personas, whether accurate or not. Edward Norton, known for his dedication to his craft, plays the pompous and conceited tech CEO. Kate Hudson, the “It girl” of the early 2000’s plays a party-girl and former model. Former Wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista plays a man who wants to be known for more than just his muscles. While Kathryn Hahn, known for playing tough yet funny characters, portrays a Marjorie Taylor Greene type politician. The entire supporting cast is excellent and really bring their otherwise unredeemable characters alive on screen.
However, actress Janelle Monae’s performance is filled with potential spoilers, so I’ll just say that acting wise, the singer and actress definitely had the most challenging role and completely nailed it. She created a very mysterious character, that is fully formed even if the audience does not realize it until the end of the film. Monae’s performance drives the drama and is the heart of the movie.
Janelle Monáe as Cassandra “Andi” Brand in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
My biggest problem with the film is something that often happens when a movie that was not expected to become a franchise spawns sequels. With a sudden influx of success from the original, common thinking is that the sequel needs to be bigger, which is not always the case. With ‘Glass Onion,’ moving the story from a Massachusetts mansion to a Greek island was more than enough, and already made the film “bigger” than the original.
But Johnson shoehorns in a lot of needless cameos, or worst, big name actors in very tiny roles that distract from the rest of the project, and I’m not talking about the main cast of recognizable actors. Without giving anything away, there are two extremely well-known actors that appear in very small roles, basically a line or two each, and it’s very distracting. As an audience member you are almost like, “Hey, what’s that guy doing here?” There are also a few celebrity cameos where the famous person plays themselves, which is mostly used for comic effect and works. But with so many famous faces occupying the main cast, I found the other stunt-casting to be unnecessary.
The movie itself starts off slow, and is at about the half-way point before any murder even takes place, and I do think we could have gotten to that faster. There is a clever and inventive twist, which I of course won’t give away, but just say that it saves the film from being a complete rehash of the original. Without it, you are basically looking at the same movie, the outsider detective who stumbles upon a murder in a exotic remote location where a “family” of wealthy but despicable people are all suspect, and ultimately the detective must team-up with the only respectable character in the group to solve the mystery and catch the killer.
In some ways, ‘Glass Onion’ is not a “Whodunit” as much as it is a “When will they do it” movie. It’s fairly easy to know from the beginning of the film who the killer will be, but the fun is trying to figure out how they will do it, and who they will kill? In that sense, Johnson crafts an intriguing mystery, which is very fun and funny to watch unfold.
The movie also struggles with the despicable characters at the root of the film, as it’s hard to know who to root for besides Blanc. In fact, the main group of characters are so unlikable, it’s hard to care about what will happen to them at certain points in the middle of the movie, which is why it drags. But luckily the murder eventually kicks in reinstating the audience’s interest in Blanc solving the case and seeing these characters receive what they deserve.
In the end, writer and director Rian Johnson crafts another clever and funny mystery with ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,’ which is gorgeously shot and very well acted, but relies a bit too much on the original film’s formula and Craig’s new signature character.
(L to R) Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Janelle Monáe, and Daniel Craig in ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Rian Johnson clearly enjoys being a man of mystery. Not in an ‘Austin Powers’ way – he’s a master at coming up with mystery stories.
These days, he’s very focused on the ‘Knives Out’ franchise, having secured a huge two-movie deal with Netflix off the back of the box office success of the 2019 original.
‘Glass Onion’, the latest outing, which sees Daniel Craig back as drawling detective Benoit Blanc, will be in on limited release in theaters from November 23rd, ahead of its launch on Netflix’s servers on December 23rd.
And mystery helped him secure his big break with Sundance success story ‘Brick’ back in 2005. The drama saw a teenage loner pushing his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
It’s perhaps no mystery, then – pun intended – that Johnson would whip up a mystery for his first stab at a TV show, conjured with Natasha Lyonne in the lead role of Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road in her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Peacock’s ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock.
“Never underestimate the power of a good dinner conversation between friends. What started as a discussion over steak frites about detective shows and what made them such a reliable pleasure — the exploration of little worlds within each new setting, the guest stars playing killers and victims, and most importantly, a scrappy protagonist you were always ready to kick back with and see win — ultimately resulted in the creation of Charlie, the driving force behind ‘Poker Face’,” say Johnson and Lyonne in a statement.
“We invite you to follow Charlie on a cross-country road trip as she meets a rogue’s gallery of characters and avenges a new injustice each episode, armed with little more than her uncanny ability to detect lies and a genuine appreciation for her fellow humans (and the occasional dog). Now please leave the overthinking to Rian, who has masterfully crafted ten self-contained puzzles for Charlie to solve. Just jump in the back of her ‘69 Plymouth Barracuda and enjoy the ride,” they add.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt! However did he score that guy? Oh, right… they’ve worked together multiple times, including on ‘Brick’.
‘Poker Face’ will launch on Peacock with its first four episodes on January 26th. The remaining six episodes will land weekly on Thursdays.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Peacock’s ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock.Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Peacock’s ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock.
“Lock the doors. Stay in your rooms. Everyone is in danger.” So says detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, back with his southern-fried accent) in the first teaser for Rian Johnson’s latest stab at the ‘Knives Out’ franchise, ‘Glass Onion’.
Given that 2019’s ‘Knives Out’ made more than $300 million at the box office off the back of a thrifty $40 million budget, it was all but guaranteed that there would be more, assuming Johnson and Craig wanted to make them.
No shocker, then, that Netflix was quick to offer up a hefty $469 million deal, which locked in Johnson, Craig, and producer Ram Bergman for two sequels, of which ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ is the first.
Traveling far from the chilly Massachusetts mansion of the original, ‘Glass Onion’ finds Blanc headed overseas.
When tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, well, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?
Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
“The phrase I kept coming back to and talking about the first movie is, ‘It’s a roller coaster and not a crossword puzzle,’ says Johnson, who writes and directs again. “It’s a common mistake in writing whodunits, thinking that you’re making a crossword puzzle, and that the fun is that the audience is actually going to analyze all this and figure it out. I know when I’m reading or watching a whodunit, I always let go of the notion of figuring it out about a third of the way through it.”
Yet he knows that it’s not just the compelling mystery that is key to making a good movie such as this. “The reality is that what makes something successful is a story, and that’s true of a whodunit as well,” he continues. “Are there characters that you care about? Are you pulled through emotionally? Are you on a ride with them with this story? Then the revelation of it all coming together and the whodunit, and the fact that it is all layered in there, is part of the fun of the genre. But, in a way, it can’t be the spine that actually is supporting the body of the whole thing. You just need a good story.”
‘Knives Out’ was certainly a good story, blending different characters together and slowly peeling away the layers of dispute and discord to find the truth of the matter. ‘Glass Onion’ promises more of the same, with the bonus of a fun overseas setting.
‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ will be on limited releases in theaters on a date to be announced, ahead of its arrival on Netflix on December 23rd. Merry deathmas?
(L to R) Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Dave Bautista in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’(L to R) Kathryn Hahn, Madelyn Cline, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., and Kate Hudson in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’(L to R) Kate Hudson and Jessica Henwick in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’(L to R) Dave Bautista and Madelyn Cline in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’Janelle Monáe as Cassandra “Andi” Brand in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ will begin streaming on December 23, 2022.
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(L to R) Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Janelle Monáe, and Daniel Craig in ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
It’s hardly a mystery as to why Netflix quickly snapped up the rights to two more ‘Knives Out’ movies after writer/director Rian Johnson’s star-studded murder mystery did well at the box office in 2019.
‘Knives Out’ made more than $300 million at the box office, which might not seem like a lot in a time of billion-dollar earners, but that was off the back of a thrifty $40 million budget.
So Netflix was quick to offer up a hefty $469 million deal, which locked in Johnson, Craig and producer Ram Bergman for two sequels. The first, ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ arrives on the streaming service later this year and we have a new look at the movie.
Traveling far from the chilly Massachusetts mansion of the original, ‘Glass Onion’ finds Blanc headed overseas.
Director Rian Johnson and Janelle Monáe on the set of ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
When tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, well, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?
“You try and invite people that you like,” Johnson says. “But the reality is you never know. At the end of the day, just trying to get the best actors in each part, the actors that are most right for each individual part. So, you also just throw the dice and hold your breath. Luckily, we got a great group that really meshed.”
And one of the big elements this time is learning more about our main man, the dude with the drawl and the keen detective skills.
“You definitely get to know him a little bit better,” Johnson says. “In the first one, because of the way it was structured, Marta, Ana’s character, was very much the protagonist. In a big way, Blanc was the threat. He was almost the antagonist in terms of just the story structure because you were worried, even as they got closer, that he was going to catch her and he was going to have to turn her over at the end. Whereas, in this one, Blanc gets an invitation to come to this murder mystery on this island. We’re very much meeting these people and getting into this world through his eyes.”
‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ will be out for a limited theatrical release (details forthcoming) ahead of its Netflix launch on December 23rd. We suspect… foul play.
Daniel Craig in Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out.’
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Last September, Netflix offered fans some intriguing looks at upcoming shows and movies, and proved to be a major success, garnering over 25 million views, with the total number of views for the pre-shows, clips, trailers, and other content from the fan event totaling nearly 695 million views with over 3.3 billion impressions across 184 countries.
It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that the company would look to do it again, so mark September 24th on your calendar, as that’s when Netflix will launch the next TUDUM fan event via YouTube.
The schedule for 2022’s TUDUM: A Netflix Global Fan Event will kick off at 11:00 am KST (which is 7:00 pm PT on September 23rd). This first event will focus on the many exciting projects that are coming out of Korea for the streaming service – which means we could possibly get some news about the second season of ‘Squid Game’ and much more.
The next event will be held a few hours later at 11:00 am IST (or 10:30 pm PT on September 23rd). This event will focus on projects coming to Netflix from India.
US viewers get their official turn at 10:00 am PT on September 24th, where fans will get exclusive news from the shows and movies coming out of the United States and Europe, as well as an additional event that previews the projects that are coming from Latin America.
Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event Is Back September 24, 2022.
Finally, the last event will be held at 1:00 pm JST on September 25 (9:00 pm PT on September 24th), during which TUDUM will shine a light on shows and films from Japan.
“Tune in for an exciting day of exclusive news, never-before-seen footage, trailers, and first looks, as well as interviews with Netflix’s biggest stars and creators,” says the official announcement. “The free virtual event is a celebration of Netflix fandom and is dedicated to sharing the scoop on over 100 fan favorite shows, films and specials from across the globe.”
Netflix isn’t revealing exactly what will be featured during the new event – you’ll have to be patient – but we can surely expect updates on the likes of ‘Bridgerton’s third season, the next run of ‘The Crown’, and ‘Knives Out’ sequel ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’.
And even though the latest seasons of ‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘The Sandman’ will have already launched, we may still get interviews with the stars and creators, plus behind the scenes secrets.
The first TUDUM was a lot of fun, featuring Millie Bobby Brown, the ‘Bridgerton’ cast and more, and delivered plenty of updates. This next incarnation promises to be even bigger. Fingers crossed for some huge revelation – ‘The Gray Man 2’, anyone?
Mostly what we’ve heard of the new film from ‘Killing Them Softly’ director Andrew Dominik has been about its controversial NC-17 rating. Now, for the first time in teaser form, we’re getting our first – chaste – look at ‘Blonde’.
‘Blonde’ aims to reimagine the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, ‘Blonde’ blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.
The teaser makes this very clear – an emotional Norma Jeane, shy and withdrawn, slowly transforms into the sparkly Marilyn that is seen on stages and screens. There are glimpses from elsewhere in the movie, though it’s mostly her public persona.
And, of course, we’re treated to a slowed down/distorted cover of a song, in this case, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, as performed by Marylin in 1953’s ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, with the scene recreated in the new movie.
Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s ‘Blonde.’
“Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the start — to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens,” says de Armas. “He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen.”
This take on her experiences gave Dominik real scope to explore the private life of an icon. “She’s deeply traumatized, and that trauma necessitates a split between a public self and a private self, which is the story of everyone, but with a famous person, that often plays out publicly, in ways that may cause additional trauma,” he says. “The film’s very much concerned with the relationship with herself and with this other persona, Marilyn, which is both her armor and the thing that is threatening to consume her.”
He’d also prefer that people focus less on the perceived wrangling over the NC-17 rating. The film is sincere. It’s made with love. It’s made with good intentions. But it’s full of rage at the same time,” says Dominik, “I seem to get myself in these situations where people regard me as provocative, but it’s never what I’m trying to do. I’m just trying to say it as clearly as I can. My ambition is to make you fall in love with Marilyn.”
‘Blonde’ will arrive on Netflix on September 23rd.
Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s ‘Blonde.’Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s ‘Blonde.’Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s ‘Blonde.’
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Christopher Plummer accepting the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards for ‘Beginners’
This week marks one year since we lost legendary film actor Christopher Plummer. Best known to several generations as Georg von Trapp in ‘The Sound of Music,’ Plummer’s acting career spanned over 70 years before the actor died last year at the age of 91.
With the anniversary of the late actor’s passing upon us, let’s look back at eight of the greatest performances of Christopher Plummer’s long and acclaimed career.
The Sound of Music
Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in ‘The Sound of Music’
The film is set in the years before the Second World War and follows Maria (Julie Andrews), a tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey who becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain (Plummer) with seven children. Before too long, Maria reintroduces the love of life and music into their home.
This is the role that made Plummer a household name, and the music from the movie is still iconic to this day. However, the actor technically doesn’t sing in the film, as his voice was dubbed over by musician Bill Lee.
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The Return of the Pink Panther
(L to R) Herbert Lom, Christopher Plummer, Peter Sellers, and Catherine Schell in ‘The Return of the Pink Panther’
The forth in the series, and widely considered the best, ‘The Return of the Pink Panther‘ features star Peter Sellers also returning to the role after an absence. The famous Pink Panther jewel has once again been stolen and Inspector Clouseau is called in to catch the thief, who he is convinced is his old rival, the Phantom. Plummer plays Sir Charles Litton, also known as the Phantom, a role previously played by David Niven in the other films.
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Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country
Christopher Plummer in ‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscoverd Country’
The film’s plot serves as an allegory for the Cold War, with the Federation and the Klingon empire on the verge of peace, when an unexpected attack puts everything in jeopardy. Plummer plays Chang, a one-eyed Klingon general, and is widely considered (right behind Ricardo Montalban) as one of the best villains ever to appear in a Star Trek movie.
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The Insider
(L to R) Christopher Plummer and Al Pacino in ‘The Insider’
In this 1999 movie from director Michael Mann (‘Heat‘), Plummer co-stars with Russell Crowe and Al Pacino as ’60 Minutes’ host, Mike Wallace. The movie tells the true story of the CBS news series’ exposé of the tobacco industry, as seen through the eyes of whistleblower, Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe). The movie went on to earn seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
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Inside Man
(L to R) Denzel Washington and Christopher Plummer in ‘Inside Man’
One of director Spike Lee‘s best movies, ‘Inside Man‘ follows Denzel Washington as Detective Kieth Frazier, who must negotiate with a bank robber (Clive Owen) that has taken hostages at a Manhattan bank.
But no one is who they seem, including the Mayor’s mysterious friend (Jodie Foster), who is a little too eager to help Detective Frazier with the situation. Or the bank’s shady owner played by Plummer, who is keeping some deep, dark secrets of his own.
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Beginners
(L to R) Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor in ‘Beginners’
Directed by Mike Mills, this is the film that finally earned Plummer his long overdue Academy Award. He won Best Supporting Actor for playing Hal, a man that comes out of the closet at the age of 75 after his wife’s death. Ewan McGregor plays his son, and the film is told from his point of view in flashbacks, after Hal’s death.
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All the Money in the World
(L to R) Christopher Plummer and Mark Wahlberg in ‘All the Money in the World’
While it did earn Plummer his third and final Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, ‘All the Money in the World‘ is infamous for how and why Plummer received the role. The movie follows the story of the real life kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III, the grandson of billionaire Jean Paul Getty, who refuses to pay the ransom.
The role of John Paul Getty was originally played by Kevin Spacey. When his scandal broke, just months before the release of the film, director Ridley Scott decided to recast the part with Plummer and reshoot a large amount of the movie.
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Knives Out
Christopher Plummer in ‘Knives Out’
One of Christopher Plummer’s final film roles was in director Rian Johnson‘s extremely successful mystery-comedy, ‘Knives Out.’ The movie tells the story of renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Plummer), who is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday.
Enter the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. Blanc begins questioning Harlan’s dysfunctional family, and with the help of Harlan’s nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas), who has a physical condition that will not allow her to tell a lie, he eventually discovers the true murderer.
This fall brings some big movies, including “Frozen II,” “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” and the second chapter of “IT,” as well as Oscar hopefuls “Joker,” “Ad Astra,” “Harriet,” and “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” to name a few.
Here’s 33 movies you’re going to want to see in theaters. (Check back later for our Winter/Holiday preview closer to December. )
The members of the Losers Club are all grown-up, but no less haunted by the evil Pennywise in “Chapter Two.” We can’t wait for the conclusion to this horror epic, whose stellar cast is led by Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and, of course, Bill Skarsgard as the child-eating clown they can’t seem to escape.
Ansel Elgort stars as Theo in this mystery based on the best-selling book by Donna Tartt. Theo was just 13 when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The search for the truth about that day — and the missing painting of a goldfinch — unravels in surprising ways.
The TV series comes to the big screen as the Crawleys and their staff prepare for a royal visit from the King and Queen of England. Naturally, there will be scandal, romance and intrigue. Written by series creator Julian Fellowes and starring the original cast — at least those who were still standing at the series’ end.
Brad Pitt is an astronaut trying to unravel the mystery of his father’s doomed mission 30 years ago in James Gray‘s “paranoid space thriller.” Between the (mostly) rave reviews this is getting and Pitt’s acclaimed turn in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” could he be a double Oscar nominee this year?
Sylvester Stallone returns as John Rambo for the fifth — and supposedly final — film in the franchise, this time facing off against a ruthless Mexican cartel. As he says in the trailer (set to “Old Town Road,”) he’s ready for a bloody showdown: “I want revenge. I want them to know that death is coming. And there’s nothing they can do to stop it.”
Renée Zellweger plays iconic singer/actress Judy Garland as she arrives in London for a series of sold-out concerts in 1968. (As Garland fans know, the singer passed away the next year at age 47.) Zellweger, who is doing her own singing, will release her first ever solo album of Judy Garland covers in conjunction with the film.
Teenager Yi (Chloe Bennet) helps a young Yeti named Everest reunite with his family — and protect him from a wealthy collector (Eddie Izzard) and an obsessed zoologist (Sarah Paulson) in this family film.
A decade after Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his brilliant Joker in “The Dark Knight,” Joaquin Phoenix takes another potentially awards-worthy run at the legendary character in a film that shows how an ordinary man became a supervillain.
Natalie Portman plays an astronaut who begins to unravel after she returns to Earth. It’s from Noah Hawley, the creator of mind-bending FX series “Legion,” and is loosely based on the real story of an astronaut who broke very bad.
Oscar Isaac is Gomez Addams and Charlize Theron is Morticia in this animated version of our favorite ooky, gooky family. Now we just want a live-action version since Isaac is such perfect casting as Gomez. Hollywood, make it happen.
Will Smith is an assassin who faces off with a younger version of himself (also Smith, who’s been digitally de-aged.) Ang Lee directs this sci-fi thriller.
Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe play 19th century lighthouse keepers trying to keep from going insane in the second film from Robert Eggers, director of the indie horror movie “The Witch.” Based on the trailer, we’re guessing sanity does not prevail.
Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) flies into a rage with the announcement of Aurora (Elle Fanning)’s engagement to Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson, who replaces Brenton Thwaites in the role). The sequel adds Michelle Pfeiffer as cross-bow-wielding Queen Ingrith, whose possessiveness of Aurora sets up an epic battle.
10 years after the first film, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and occasionally each other.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, and Nicholas Hoult star in this drama about the historic battle between inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse over which electrical system — “alternating current” or “direct current” — would become the industry standard.
Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo of “Widows” and “Bad Times at the El Royale” stars as legendary ex-slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who helped hundreds of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”) directs.
Edward Norton directs and stars in this mystery about a man with Tourette’s syndrome trying to solve the murder of his detective mentor (Bruce Willis). It’s based on the terrific 1999 novel of the same name by Jonathan Lethem.
Original “Terminator” star Linda Hamilton is back as Sarah Connor for the first time since “T2” and we are stoked. She’s joined by Mackenzie Davis as a human-cyborg hybrid sent from the future to protect a young woman (Natalia Reyes) who’s targeted for termination. That’s not gonna happen on Sarah’s watch.
“The Haunting of Hill House” director Mike Flanagan helms this highly anticipated to Stephen King’s “The Shining,” with Ewan McGregor playing a grown-up, deeply troubled Danny Torrance. Need we say more?
Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this semi-autobiographical look at a troubled child star’s life — and plays his own father — in this Sundance favorite. Noah Jupe stars as young actor Otis, with “Manchester by the Sea” star Lucas Hedges playing Otis in his 20s. Alma Har’el (“Bombay Beach”) directs.
“Crazy Rich Asians” star Henry Golding romances “Game of Thrones”‘s Emilia Clarke in this romcom set during the holidays. Is there a tragic twist? Twitter seems to think so!
Christian Bale and Matt Damon play, respectively, a fearless race car driver and a race car designer, who are Ford’s best bet to beat racing giant Ferrari in this Oscar-baiting biopic directed by James Mangold.
The first team-up of Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Helen Mirren is a definite must-see. McKellen is a con man who finds himself falling for the wealthy woman he’s targeting (Mirren). This thriller reunites McKellen with his “Gods and Monsters” and “Mr. Holmes” director Bill Condon.
In the sequel to one of Disney’s biggest hits, we get to know more about Anna and Elsa’s mother, Queen Iduna (Evan Rachel Wood) and more about how Elsa gained her powers. Sterling K. Brown plays new character General Mattias, who was a soldier in the Arendelle army.
America’s most beloved movie star as America’s most beloved children’s TV host: Tom Hanks plays Mr. Rogers in this biopic that’s sure to be a three-hanky pic. The trailer alone had us tearing up.
Chadwick Boseman is a disgraced NYPD detective looking for redemption during a citywide manhunt in this crime thriller. Irish director Brian Kirk has helmed some of our favorite shows, including “Luther,” “Game of Thrones” and “Penny Dreadful.”
An all-star cast, including Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Toni Collette, are suspects in the murder of a wealthy patriarch. It’s up to detective Daniel Craig to solve the crime in this eagerly anticipated mystery from “Looper” and “Brick” director Rian Johnson.
We’re riveted by the explosive trailer for this modern-day Bonnie and Clyde story starring “Get Out”‘s Daniel Kaluuya and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith. While out on their first date, they get pulled over by a cop. When the traffic stop takes a violent turn, they have to go on the run together. The film is from writer Emmy-winning writer Lena Waithe and director Melina Matsoukas.
