Moviefone Editorial

Tag: liam-hemsworth

  • ‘Lonely Planet’ Interview: Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern

    (L to R) Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern star in 'Lonely Planet'.
    (L to R) Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern star in ‘Lonely Planet’.

    Premiering on Netflix beginning October 11th is the new romantic comedy ‘Lonely Planet’, which was directed by Susannah Grant (‘Catch and Release’), and stars Liam Hemsworth and Oscar-winner Laura Dern (‘Marriage Story’, ‘Jurassic Park’) and Liam Hemsworth (‘The Hunger Games’, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’).

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern about their work on Netflix‘s ‘Lonely Planet’, Dern’s approach to playing her character, Hemsworth’s character’s troubled relationship with his girlfriend, and how he and Dern got along working together on set.

    Related Article: Milo Ventimiglia Talks ‘Land of Bad’ and Working with Liam and Luke Hemsworth

    Laura Dern as Katherine Loewe in 'Lonely Planet'. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.
    Laura Dern as Katherine Loewe in ‘Lonely Planet’. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Laura, can you talk about your approach to playing Katherine and some of the aspects of this character you were excited to explore on screen?

    Laura Dern: Rule number one in playing Katherine, love Liam Hemsworth! You meet him, you love him, and the rest is history. I felt like there wasn’t much research to prepare for connection. You either have it or you don’t. So, we were very blessed to have it from the moment we met. I do think, no matter how much research one can do to play a character, a novelist, understanding who she is, why her life feels broken at the time, the film is about being seen and deeply connecting to another person. It can be invented, but it will never feel the same. So, we felt the luxury of feeling the very same connection they felt from the minute we met, and that was just amazing.

    (L to R) Diana Silvers as Lily Kemp and Liam Hemsworth as Owen Brophy in 'Lonely Planet'. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.
    (L to R) Diana Silvers as Lily Kemp and Liam Hemsworth as Owen Brophy in ‘Lonely Planet’. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Liam, can you talk about Owen’s troubled relationship with his girlfriend and what happens when he meets Katherine?

    Liam Hemsworth: When we meet Owen, you quickly see that things are not quite right in the relationship he’s in. He’s really at a crossroads of trying to figure out if that’s fixable or if they’re just on different journeys now, and it might be better to part ways. He’s also at the same time, dealing with who he is as an individual. Is what he’s doing really fulfilling and does it really translate to where he wants to go in life? By meeting Katherine, I think it’s a reminder and a realization that there’s more to love and love is being seen and heard and understood. He’s not exactly getting that in that relationship. But he’s also got some soul-searching to do for himself and to figure out what is important to him as an individual so that he can also be a good partner to someone else. Their relationship, as it evolves, you see that they bring out the best in each other and they really do listen, hear and are able to be vulnerable and explore these things that make love so important.

    (L to R) Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth in 'Lonely Planet'. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.
    (L to R) Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth in ‘Lonely Planet’. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Finally, Liam, what was it like working with Laura on this project?

    LH: The first time we met there was this instant sort of connection and trust between us. For some reason, we felt like we could tell each other everything and be seen and heard and all these things that are in the film. We had that off the bat and we didn’t have to work for that. Sometimes, you can work with another great actor and you’re still able to do that sort of thing on screen, but maybe not necessarily have that in real life. We had both and it was a real gift for us to have that.

    What is the plot of ‘Lonely Planet’?

    At an idyllic writers retreat in Morocco; a newly single novelist (Laura Dern) finds an unexpected connection with a younger man (Liam Hemsworth) who’s reevaluating his life choices.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Lonely Planet’?

    (L to R) Laura Dern as Katherine Loewe and Liam Hemsworth as Owen Brophy in 'Lonely Planet'. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.
    (L to R) Laura Dern as Katherine Loewe and Liam Hemsworth as Owen Brophy in ‘Lonely Planet’. Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024.

    Other Liam Hemsworth Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Liam Hemsworth Movies on Amazon

  • ‘Land of Bad’ Exclusive Interview: Milo Ventimiglia

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    Opening in theaters on February 16th is the new action thriller ‘Land of Bad,’ which was directed by William Eubank (‘The Signal’) and stars Liam Hemsworth (‘The Hunger Games’), Russell Crowe (‘Gladiator’), Milo Ventimiglia (‘Creed II’) and Luke Hemsworth (‘Next Goal Wins’).

    Milo Ventimiglia as Sugar in the action film, 'Land of Bad,' a release by The Avenue.
    Milo Ventimiglia as Sugar in the action film, ‘Land of Bad,’ a release by The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Milo Ventimiglia about his work on ‘Land of Bad.’ The popular actor discussed his new movie, his first reaction to the screenplay, his character, preparing for the action sequences, working with Luke and Liam Hemsworth, being disappointed that he does not have any scenes with Russell Crowe, and collaborating with director William Eubank.

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

    Milo Ventimiglia talks 'Land of Bad.'
    Milo Ventimiglia talks ‘Land of Bad.’

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of your character that you were excited to explore on screen?

    Milo Ventimiglia: Dave Frigerio and Will Eubank, they wrote a wonderful script that I think attracted the best actors. You got Luke Hemsworth, Liam Hemsworth, Russell Crowe, Ricky Whittle and me. So, you start fundamentally with that. But then beyond that, for me, I spent a lot of time in the military space. I got a lot of friends in Army Special Forces, spread out around the military, active duty, veterans, and I do a lot of work with Gold Star families, so families that lost loved ones in combat, advocating for them. So, when the opportunity came up to play someone in that world that I do work closely with, it made a whole lot of sense. It made a whole lot of sense to jump in and take some of the knowledge that I have from my friends in uniform and apply it to Hollywood, and hopefully kind of reverse engineer it back to honoring those that are in uniform, representing the group and making sure that people understand, general populations and civilians understand that we’re still very operational out in the world. I know there’s a lot going on, but there’s a lot of good work still being done out there.

    MF: Have you gone through military, combat and weapons training in the past, and if so, how did that experience prepare you for this role and how did you prepare physically for this project?

    MV: I mean, I’ve set charges on doors, and I’ve jumped out of airplanes with special parachute teams. I’ve done quite a bit of work in that regard, but still not enough. So aside from having friends that I could bounce ideas off that are Army Special Forces, we had a military tech, an Australian Special Forces guy who was there making sure that we were proficient with our weaponry, proficient with our movements and would drill us and drill us until we got it right. We were freeing ourselves from those little mistakes that we would make as actors that don’t have that technical specificity. So, it was great coming to the project with a bit of knowledge and then learning a lot more. Once we were on set, we had this safe space to be able to put it all together. Then on top of it, you got to be physically fit. So, there was the technical know-how, the weaponry and the movements, but beyond that, we’re moving up and down hills and mountains all day for two months with 40-50 pounds extra on us, aside from weight we put on, but also muscle we put on for the movie. So, when I wasn’t filming, I was running, I was lifting weights, and I was drilling with the guides the technical aspect of weaponry and everything and just kind of immersing myself in it.

    Milo Ventimiglia as Sugar and Liam Hemsworth as Kinney in the action film, 'Land of Bad,' a release by The Avenue.
    (L to R) Milo Ventimiglia as Sugar and Liam Hemsworth as Kinney in the action film, ‘Land of Bad,’ a release by The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: Was there any sequence in particular that was especially difficult to execute?

    MV: I’ll name two. There was a big gun battle toward the beginning when our position gets exposed and we’re just taking heavy fire. That was difficult because there were so many pieces and so many sides to it, but we made it through, but it took a long time. The other difficult scene was when Liam and I are breaching the compound and it’s just the two of us and we don’t have our actual weaponry. We’ve kind of have whatever AK that we picked up on the road and my tour knife. That was hard. That was that close-quarter combat. That fight scene was stressful. We had one day, I think we had seven hours to get that, because we had other things we had to film. So, I was working with our stunt team ahead of time, going through the dance of the actual battle. Liam was doing the exact same thing on the other side, and then we had no time to get it, so we just went as hard and as fast as we could. When Will’s telling me I got to flip over a table backwards and the camera’s going to follow, I say, “Okay, let me flip over the table backwards and the camera’s going to follow.” So, it was a technically difficult day that I’d earned a good meal at the end of it.

    MF: In the movie, your character, Captain Sugar is the leader of an elite military team and is forced to work with a new member, Kinney played by Liam Hemsworth. How does Sugar feel about Kinney joining the team and can you talk about the trust that builds between them throughout the course of the film?

    MV: I mean, this happens all the time in the military space where you must work with outside groups. Air Force must work with the Army, Army must work with the Navy. It all kind of goes hand in hand. The Marines, they always travel on Navy boats, and things like that. So, Sugar is the team leader. He’s there to keep everybody together, but he also knows that Kinney doesn’t have the proficiency that his guys do, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t look out for him. He’s got to look out for him. He must bring everybody home safe. So, I think that’s what’s nice about Sugar, he really does want success for the team. I think everybody wants success for the team, but he must take that on a little bit more in his role as the team leader. Then when things don’t go right, you got to find a way out of a bad situation. The guy that’s tasked to protect you, it doesn’t quite work out that way, but when it comes back around, you’ve got to find a way so that trust that is built. Sugar must find multiple ways to get Kinney to move forward. That’s a wonderful side of the character that I see all the time from the guys and gals that wear uniforms. They’re constantly inspiring and thinking outside themselves, but they have a mission, they have a job they must do, and they’re going to get it done. So, they’re going to say the inspirational words to move someone forward that’s really having a hard time with the given situation. It’s absolutely like coaching while you’re also on the field in the last two minutes of a big game.

    nd Luke Hemsworth as Abel in the action film, 'Land of Bad,' a release by The Avenue.
    (L to R) Liam Hemsworth as Kinney and Luke Hemsworth as Abel in the action film, ‘Land of Bad,’ a release by The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: You got to work with two out of three Hemsworth brothers on this movie! What was it like acting opposite Liam and Luke?

    MV: Luke and Liam are wonderful. I mean, I know all the brothers and they’re just a good family. But I tell you what, Luke is crazy talented, as is Liam. They both have such a deep well of emotion as men and experienced men, on top of, they’re just good guys. You want to show up, you want to do the good work for them, you want to support them because you know that they’re there supporting you and doing the hard work. You’re not going to let each other down. I really had just a great experience, and the Hemsworths are kind of like the Australian Royal Family. So aside from being on set with these two powerhouse talent actors, we were walking around with the most beloved of the country when we were not filming. So, they’re making tables at restaurants for us that don’t exist when we walk in and serving us off-menu items because they’re the Hemsworths! Everybody loves the Hemsworths … and Russell Crowe! I mean, we didn’t get a chance to cross paths with Russell. We shot our portion in six to eight weeks ahead of time, and then Russell shot his in the two to three weeks following ours, so we never crossed paths. I’ve still never met Russell, but he did such a wonderful job in the film too. It doesn’t disappoint.

    Related Article: Russell Crowe Talks ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ and What to Expect from the Film

    MF: Did it seem like you were making two different movies, and is it disappointing to be in a Russell Crowe film but not have any scenes with him?

    MV: Very much so, two different movies. But that’s kind of what it is in real life, these guys and gals that are operating on the ground, they’ve got eyes and ears in the sky and a voice telling them to stay calm from these different places that they are communicating from, but you never meet. It’s like, “How do you in that position draw inspiration from someone that you’re just hearing a voice from?” I think Russell did a wonderful job in his character and pushing Liam and his character forward in those tough moments in those communications. So, it’s a little heartbreaking when you do a Russell Crowe film and you don’t get to work with him, but at the same time, I’m still in a Russell Crowe picture, so I’m happy about that.

    Milo Ventimiglia and Director/Co-Writer William Eubank behind the scenes of the action film, 'Land of Bad,' a release by The Avenue.
    (L to R) Milo Ventimiglia and Director/Co-Writer William Eubank behind the scenes of the action film, ‘Land of Bad,’ a release by The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: Finally, I really enjoyed director William Eubank’s past films, ‘Love’ and ‘The Signal.’ Had you seen his previous movies before making this film, and what was it like collaborating with him on set?

    MV: Yeah, I’d seen ‘The Signal,’ and I’d seen ‘Underwater.’ I mean, he’s a visionary. He’s a great director. When I first had a meeting with him, he talked the whole time, but he talked so specifically in detail about what he wanted to accomplish with this wonderful script that I’d read, what he was looking for, and what he needed out of Sugar. He didn’t disappoint. There were a lot of hard days on set. He was under the gun with timing. We didn’t have a whole lot of days and daylight to make the movie, but we had a great experience. I think he led the group of us, and he led us well, and he made sure that the entirety of the vision came together in those tough moments. Will’s a great director and just a good dude.

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    What is the Plot of ‘Land of Bad’?

    Captain Eddie “Reaper” Grimm (Russell Crowe), a US Air Force drone pilot, provides air support from a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper to a US Army Delta Force team on the ground in the Philippines. After a mishap, Sergeant JJ “Playboy” Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), a young air force TACP officer attached to the drone team as its JTAC, finds himself part of an extraction team relying only on Reaper’s remote air support.

    Who is in the Cast of ‘Land of Bad’?

    • Liam Hemsworth as Kinney
    • Russell Crowe as Reaper
    • Luke Hemsworth as Sergeant Abel
    • Ricky Whittle as Bishop
    • Milo Ventimiglia as Captain Sugar
    • Chika Ikogwe as Sergeant Nia Branson
    Russell Crowe as Reaper in the action film, 'Land of Bad,' a release by The Avenue.
    Russell Crowe as Reaper in the action film, ‘Land of Bad,’ a release by The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Land of Bad’:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Land of Bad’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Russell Crowe Movies On Amazon

  • Laurence Fishburne joins the Cast of ‘The Witcher’

    Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King in 'John Wick: Chapter 4.'
    Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.

    Preview:

    • Laurence Fishburne is the latest recruit for ‘The Witcher’.
    • Liam Neeson has taken over starring in the show.
    • The fantasy series will see the characters reeling after world-altering events.

    Fans of ‘The Witcher’ were thrown for a loop in 2022 when Henry Cavill announced he was hanging up his sword after three seasons of playing gruff, monster-fighting main character Geralt of Rivia.

    And though it was revealed that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over from Cavill as Geralt, there was a huge concern about the show’s future. But it is at least adding a genre veteran in Laurence Fishburne, who is taking a key role.

    Fishburne, of course, is known for his varied career, including movies such as ‘The Matrix’, ‘Apocalypse Now’, the ‘John Wick’ franchise and ‘Man of Steel’ (which coincidentally starred Cavill as Superman).

    Related Article: Henry Cavill to Leave ‘The Witcher’, Liam Hemsworth Replacing Him

    What’s the story of ‘The Witcher’ Season 4?

    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's 'The Witcher.'
    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s ‘The Witcher.’ Photo: Jay Maidment.

    Adapted from Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series by show creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, ‘The Witcher’ is set in a world where humans and others battle monsters.

    After the shocking, Continent-altering events that close out Season 3, the new season follows Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, who are faced with traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons apart from each other. If they can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire — and finding one another again.

    Who stars in ‘The Witcher’ Season 4?

    Liam Hemsworth as Kinney in the action film, 'Land of Bad,' a release by The Avenue.
    Liam Hemsworth as Kinney in the action film, ‘Land of Bad,’ a release by The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    Though Hemsworth and Fishburne are new to the series, stars Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), Freya Allan (Ciri) and Joey Batey (Jaskier) are returning to their roles. Netflix has yet to announce who else will be back and any other new casting.

    Who is Laurence Fishburne playing in the new ‘Witcher’ season?

    Laurence Fishburne as 20/20 Mike in 'Once in the Life.'
    Laurence Fishburne as 20/20 Mike in ‘Once in the Life.’ Photo: Trimark Home Video.

    Fishburne is joining the ensemble to play Regis, a fan favorite from the ‘Witcher’ books and games. The character of Regis, introduced in the novel ‘Baptism of Fire’, is a world-wise Barber-surgeon with a mysterious past who joins Geralt on his journey.

    Here’s what Fishburne said about the new gig:

    “I’m very excited to be joining the cast and look forward to exploring the wondrous world of The Witcher.”

    When will ‘The Witcher’ return to TV screens?

    With production set to start on the new season in the Spring, it seems unlikely that the show will be back this year, given the hefty effects workload to create the various creatures that populate the ‘Witcher’ world.

    Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus in 'The Matrix.'
    Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus in ‘The Matrix.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

    Other Laurence Fishburne Movies:

    Buy Laurence Fishburne Movies on Amazon

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  • Henry Cavill to Lead ‘Warhammer’ Series

    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's 'The Witcher.'
    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s ‘The Witcher.’ Photo: Jay Maidment.

    It’s been a rough couple of months for Henry Cavill, career-wise. At the end of October, the announcement came that he was stepping away from Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’, with Liam Hemsworth taking over playing the lead role, Geralt of Rivia (Cavill will still be seen as the character in the upcoming third season next year).

    At the time it was thought that the decision was down to him deciding to focus instead on his big screen career, since just before the ‘Witcher’ news broke, he’d taken to social media to confirm his return as Superman in the DC movies, with––spoiler alert––a cameo in the end credits of ‘Black Adam’. As it turns out, more recent reports suggest that he’d become increasingly dissatisfied with the creative direction of ‘The Witcher’ and made the choice to move on.

    Still, he had Superman waiting, right? Wrong! The other shoe dropped just this week when new DC Studios co-chief James Gunn used his own twitter feed to announce that the movie universe would be going forward with a new movie he wrote… One that won’t star Cavill.

    So, what is the actor to do? Fortunately, he can fall back on something that has long been a passion: ‘Warhammer 40,000’.

    Amazon has secured the rights to the game, produced by Games Workshop, after months of negotiations and fending off rival companies, aiming to make both TV for its Prime Video service, and movies. It appears that Cavill is aboard to star in and produce the initial series alongside Vertigo Entertainment.

    Henry Cavill Officially Returning as Superman.
    Henry Cavill Officially Returning as Superman.

    “I have loved ‘Warhammer’ since I was a boy, making this moment truly special for me. The opportunity to shepherd this cinematic universe from its inception is quite the honour and the responsibility,” said Cavill. “I couldn’t be more grateful for all the hard work put in by Vertigo, Amazon Studios and Games Workshop to make this happen. One step closer to making a nigh on lifelong dream come true.”

    If you’re looking at ‘Warhammer’ and saying “Whathammer?”, allow us to provide a military briefing. The ‘Dungeons & Dragons’-style sci-fi dice game is set 40,000 years into the future where the situation is dark and dire.

    Human civilization has stopped progressing and is in an unending war with aliens and magical beings, with gods and demons figuring into a theological class system.

    The humans make up the Imperium of Man, who are militaristic. A race of skeleton-like androids are known as the Necron; there is an elvish race known as Aeldari as well as Orks; Tyranids are nasty aliens; and the T’au is a blue-skinned alien race that may offer some hope. So now you know.

    ‘Warhammer’, which first launched in 1987, is one of those games that has influenced lots of other projects and faces potential criticism that it is like all of its cinematic and TV progeny.

    But at least it means Cavill has a new gig, and one he absolutely will be committed to.

    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's 'The Witcher.'
    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s ‘The Witcher.’ Photo: Jay Maidment.
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  • New Teaser for Netflix’s ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’

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    There was bombshell news for fans of ‘The Witcher’ last weekend, as it was announced that Henry Cavill would be hanging up his swords as Geralt of Rivia, handing over the role to Liam Hemsworth.

    But in case you think this spells doom for the entire franchise, take heart because it keeps expanding. Case in point: the teaser for limited series prequel spin-off ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’.

    Unlike animated adventure ‘Nightmare of the Wolf’, this live-action adventure will fully connect to the ‘Witcher’ universe already established, though it’s set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of the main show. ‘Blood Origin’ will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal conjunction of the spheres, when the world of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

    The four-part series is being overseen by showrunner and writer Declan de Barra, with Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson sharing directing duties. ‘Witcher’ developer and showrunner Lauren Hissrich is an executive producer here.

    A definite highlight is having Michelle Yeoh as Scían, a sword master, the last of her tribe, who is key to the story. And with the star of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ – who has a long history in action movies to go with her dramatic side – leading the cast, this is a series we’re looking forward to.

    Michelle Yeoh as Scian in Netflix's '‘The Witcher: Blood Origin.'
    Michelle Yeoh as Scian in Netflix’s ‘‘The Witcher: Blood Origin.’

    Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain, meanwhile, play Éile and Fjall, two warriors estranged from their opposing clans. Mirren Mack is Princess Merwy, Francesca Mills appears as Meldof, Zach Wyatt and Lizzie Annis are celestial twins Syndril and Zacaré, while Huw Novelli is Brother Death.

    More intriguing are Lenny Henry (with the British actor having quite the time in fantasy between this, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’, a voice cameo in ‘The Sandman’ and next year’s upcoming ‘Anansi Boys’) as Chief Sage Balor and Minnie Driver as a Seanchai, a shapeshifting collector of old lore with the abilities to travel between time and worlds. In other words, she’s a tour guide of sorts for those who might need more of an introduction to the ‘Witcher’ universe.

    Other supporting cast members include Amy Murray as Balor’s apprentice Fenrik, Mark Rowley as King Alvitir, Daniel Fathers and Faoileann Cunningham as Osfar and his daughter Ryl. Kim Adis is Merwyn’s handmaid Ket, Nathaniel Curtis portrays Brían, Dylan Moran is Uthrok One-Nut and Hebe Beardsall is the lowborn Catrin. Ella Schrey-Yeats portrays the young prophet Ithlinne and her mother Aevenien is played by Claire Cooper.

    ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ arrives on Netflix on December 25th, so it’ll count as a holiday gift to fans of the show.

    Michelle Yeoh as Scian, Sophia Brown as Éile, and Laurence O'Fuarain as Fjall in Netflix's '‘The Witcher: Blood Origin.'
    (L to R) Michelle Yeoh as Scian, Sophia Brown as Éile, and Laurence O’Fuarain as Fjall in Netflix’s ‘‘The Witcher: Blood Origin.’
    ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ arrives on Netflix on December 25th.
    ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ arrives on Netflix on December 25th.

  • Henry Cavill Leaving ‘The Witcher’

    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's 'The Witcher.'
    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s ‘The Witcher.’ Photo: Susie Allnutt.

    It’s a good news/bad news situation for fans of ‘The Witcher’, and for fans of Henry Cavill in particular.

    Because Netflix has announced that the fantasy series will be back for a fourth season. That’s the good news.

    The bad? Cavill will no longer be playing main character Geralt of Rivia. In a surprising move, the character is not being killed off, nor is Netflix taking the opportunity to cancel the show (not surprising given that it’s one of the streamer’s most popular series).

    Instead, Liam Hemsworth will finally realize the sort of warrior role he was denied when another Hemsworth – Chris – scored ‘Thor’ back in 2011. He’s stepping into Cavill’s armor.

    “My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4,” Cavill said in a statement on Instagram. “In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”

    Hemsworth, meanwhile, was suitably enthusiastic about the new gig in his own social media statement…

    “As a ‘Witcher’ fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia,” he says. “Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honored that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into ‘The Witcher’ world.”

    Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth in 2010's 'The Last Song.'
    (L to R) Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth in 2010’s ‘The Last Song.’

    Cavill has played Geralt, stern slayer of supernatural creatures since the show launched in 2019. ‘The Witcher’ itself is a story of the intertwined destinies of three individuals in the vast world of The Continent, where humans, elves, witchers, gnomes, and monsters battle to survive and thrive, and where good and evil is not easily identified. The show also stars Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan.

    And while fans will have to wait until summer 2023 to see Cavill take his final stab/slash etc. at the role for Season 3, a spin-off is on the way before that.

    ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ stars Michelle Yeoh, Sophia Brown and Minnie Driver and will launch on Netflix on December 25th this year.

    The decision to depart ‘The Witcher’ comes as Cavill’s movie career continues to expand in healthy directions, and he has plenty of future work on his plate. And here, we’ll offer a spoiler alert in case you haven’t seen a recent big movie.

    He’s officially announced that he’ll be back as Superman following his recent – don’t say we didn’t warn you – post-credits appearance as the character, meeting Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam in the anti-hero’s eponymous recent movie.

    Plans are a little less clear beyond that, though we do know that Warner Bros. Discovery has a follow-up to ‘Man of Steel’ at the script stage, which would certainly be a big way to bring his take on Krypton’s famous son back in even bigger fashion.

    He’ll also most likely interact with other DC heroes, assuming there is any sort of team-up movie planned by incoming DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    Henry Cavill Officially Returning as Superman.
    Henry Cavill Officially Returning as Superman.

    Beyond the Man of Steel, there are other jobs he’s busy with.

    In the “already filmed” category, we have his return as Sherlock Holmes opposite Millie Bobby Brown’s title character in ‘Enola Holmes 2’, landing on Netflix next week. And he’s playing the lead in new Matthew Vaughn spy movie ‘Argylle’ alongside the likes of Bryce Dallas Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cena, Ariana DeBose, Sam Rockwell, Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston and Catherine O’Hara.

    There’s a further connection to a just-announced job, as he’ll be back in spy territory for Guy Ritchie’s next film.

    The director has Cavill and ‘Baby Driver’s Eiza González starring in ‘The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare’, a World War II action adventure. The script, by Ritchie and Arash Amel, is based on war correspondent and military historian Damien Lewis’ popular book of the same name.

    The movie, inspired by real events, will chart British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s and James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s secret World War II combat organization. The clandestine squad’s unconventional and entirely ‘ungentlemanly’ fighting techniques against the Nazis helped change the course of the war and in part gave birth to the modern Black Ops unit.

    Cavill will play the leader of the secret combat organization, while González, most recently seen in Michael Bay’s ‘Ambulance’, is a military sniper with extraordinary spy craft abilities.

    Ritchie, as with Vaughn, is hoping this one might spawn a new film franchise, and according to Deadline, the cast around the main pair will be filled with colorful characters, bringing to mind Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’.

    Despite the presence of power producer Jerry Bruckheimer behind the scenes, Ritchie’s latest hasn’t had the easiest journey to screens – in development at Paramount originally (where Bruckheimer has a longstanding deal), the studio has opted not to move forward with the movie, and financiers Black Bear will have the distribution rights up sale at next month’s American Film Market.

    No doubt Ritchie will be keeping in mind the last time he tried to launch a spy franchise with Cavill as one of the leads and is hoping that this one has better luck than ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ in 2015.

    He was also probably hoping that this would be the biggest Cavill news to happen along this weekend, but Netflix (and Cavill himself) had other ideas. Still, perhaps Netflix will look to keep its relationship with the actor strong and swoop in to add this to their roster of splashy, star-lead spy thrillers including the likes of ‘The Gray Man’ and ‘Extraction’.

    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's 'The Witcher.'
    Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s ‘The Witcher.’ Photo: Jay Maidment.
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  • Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth Starring in ‘Land of Bad’

    Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth
    (L to R) Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth to star in ‘Land of Bad.’

    When you title your action thriller ‘Land of Bad’, that points to the fact that things are going to go very wrong for the protagonists. In this case, this will be Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth playing two characters thrust into an urgent military rescue mission.

    Written by ‘Crypto’s David Frigerio and ‘Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin’s Will Eubank (he’ll also direct), the film is scheduled to start principal photography this September in Australia.

    Crowe will play Reaper, an Air Force drone pilot supporting a Delta Force special ops mission in the South Philippines. After the mission goes terribly wrong, he has 48 hours to remedy what has devolved into a wild rescue operation.

    Hemsworth will play the rookie air controller who is thrust into the middle of a high-stakes extraction which involves no weapons and no communication other than the drone above. Sounds like a real nightmare.

    “Working with such talented actors as Russell and Liam is a dream come true. They are both incredible performers who will showcase the powerful sense of brotherhood between the two lead characters,” says Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser, whose company is producing the new movie.

    “I am thrilled to work with Russell and Liam and couldn’t be more grateful to this whole team in helping bring this project to life,” enthuses Eubank.

    Russell Crowe in 'Gladiator' (Photo by Karine Weinberger/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
    Russell Crowe in ‘Gladiator’ (Photo by Karine Weinberger/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

    “I couldn’t be more stoked to be making this timely film especially with my good friend Will Eubank piloting the ship. I am beyond excited to watch Russell and Liam bring these characters to life. Buckle up!” added Frigerio.

    In addition to his ‘Paranormal Activity’ work, Eubank wrote and directed 2014’s ‘The Signal’ and directed 2020’s ‘Underwater’.

    Crowe has been busy of late, what with shooting and starring in his second directorial effort ‘Poker Face’ a crime thriller that happens to co-star one Liam Hemsworth. It suffered a shooting delay after a confirmed Coronavirus case amongst the crew caused a temporary shutdown.

    Also on the acting front, he plays Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, with the Marvel movie due on July 8th (and means he shares screen time with another Hemsworth – Chris). He’s also got ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ making its way through post-production and has been at work on Sony Marvel movie ‘Kraven the Hunter’.

    As for Hemsworth, in addition to his role in ‘Poker Face’, he has a role in ‘Lonely Planet’, written and directed by Susannah Grant and co-staring Laura Dern.

    The cameras are already rolling on ‘Land of Bad’, and Highland Film Group will be selling rights to the film at the Cannes Film Market, which will run alongside the festival between 17th-25th May.

    Given that ‘Land of Bad’ doesn’t yet have a distributor, that also means it doesn’t have a scheduled release date on the books.

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  • Liam Hemsworth to Star in Action Series For Mobile Streaming Service Quibi

    Liam Hemsworth to Star in Action Series For Mobile Streaming Service Quibi

    Blue Fox Entertainment

    Liam Hemsworth didn’t see a lot of action in “The Hunger Games,” but now he’ll be center stage in an upcoming TV series at streaming mobile service that Quibi that sounds just as dystopic.

    The short-form series — which doesn’t yet have a name — follows Dodge Maynard Hemsworth),  a man with a terminal illness who accepts an offer to participate in a deadly game in order to take care his pregnant wife before he dies. He soon discovers that he’s not the hunter, but the hunted.

    It’s written by written by Nick Santora and directed by Phil Abraham and produced by CBS Television Studios

    Other Quibi series in the works include one based on the rise of Snapchat; a sci-fi drama starring Don Cheadle, a stunt driving show from Idris Elba, and a new beauty series produced by and starring Tyra Banks.

    Per Vice, Quibi will launch in April 2020 as a mobile-only streaming service offering serialized shows that you can watch on your phone in “bite-sized chunks.”

    Hemsworth will next be seen in “Killerman,” a crime-thriller in which he plays a New York money launderer who cannot remember his past.

    So he’ll be seeing him doing a lot of running in the near future. Got it.

    [Via The Wrap]

  • ‘Isn’t It Romantic?” Trailer Transports Rebel Wilson Into a Romantic Comedy

    ‘Isn’t It Romantic?” Trailer Transports Rebel Wilson Into a Romantic Comedy

    Isn't It Romantic
    Warner Bros.

    Romantic comedies are all the rage (again) these days thanks to “Crazy Rich Asians” and Netflix hits like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” But the genre is a nightmare for Rebel Wilson in the trailer for “Isn’t It Romantic?”

    The movie stars Wilson as a cynical New York City architect who thinks rom-coms are “lies set to terrible pop songs.” Then, after suffering a head injury, she wakes up to find her life has become a rom-com, complete with cliches like a huge apartment with all the shoes, a handsome suitor (Liam Hemsworth) falling at her feet, and flash mobs dancing in the streets.

    The trailer definitely has a tongue-in-cheek vibe and indicates the movie will relish poking fun at itself and others of its ilk. Wilson’s dry humor seems to be a perfect fit for a satirical take on romantic comedies.

    “Isn’t It Romantic?” opens in theaters February 14.

  • ​What Happened to ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ at the Box Office?

    We’re in a weird place where a summer blockbuster can open with the huge numbers that “Independence Day: Resurgence” did and still be considered a box office flop.

    The alien-invasion sequel premiered with an estimated $41.6 million; opening wide on 4,068 screens, that’s an average of $10,226 per screen. Those are the kind of numbers most movies would kill for.

    But remember, the first “Independence Day,” a movie not based on a previously-existing property, and with no big stars, debuted with $50.3 million, and that was in 1996 dollars. Today, that would be the equivalent of a $97.5 million debut.

    The sequel’s distributor, Fox, had expected the new film to open around $50 million as well, but adjusting for inflation, that means the new film did only about half as well as the 20-year-old original. Predictions by outside analysts ran from $40 to $55 million; that the movie opened on the low end of those expectations, and well below Fox’s own modest prediction, is not good news.

    Plus, the movie cost at least $165 million to make. (Some sources say as much as $200 million; compare that to $75 million to make “ID4” two decades ago.) Given its likely promotional costs and the splitting of revenue with theater owners, “Resurgence” will have to gross about $660 million worldwide for Fox just to break even. That’s going to be nearly impossible given the movie’s slow domestic start.

    What went wrong? Here are a few of “Resurgence’s” missteps.

    1. The Wait
    Two decades is an awfully long time to wait between installments. It’s not insurmountable; the “Mad Max” franchise waited 30 years, but “Mad Max: Fury Road” was still a hit last year. In part that was because it offered the kind of spectacle and in-camera effects that you couldn’t see anywhere else.

    But the kind of modern-day disaster-film blockbuster that Roland Emmerich pioneered with the first “Independence Day” became commonplace by the time he made the second one. In a multiplex dominated by “Avengers” and “Transformers” movies, it’s easy to forget how novel “Independence Day” was — if, indeed, you’re old enough to remember it at all.

    2. No Star Power
    The original “ID4” made Will Smith into a bankable box office star and the king of July movies. His luster has dimmed in recent years, but if he’d been aboard this installment, he’d still have been the biggest box office draw in the cast. (Sorry, but Liam Hemsworth is not a big box office draw, and neither are returning “ID4” stars Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum.) Smith’s presence could have been worth tens of millions of dollars, especially overseas, where he remains a bigger star than he is here.

    3. The Reviews
    They’ve been pretty terrible, just 33 percent fresh at Rotten Tomatoes. Not that Emmerich’s destruct-o-thons are ever the critics’ cup of popcorn (though they did give “ID4” a 62 percent fresh rating in 1996). Still, the movie needed to attract older, nostalgia-minded viewers, the ones who still read reviews. Of course, these summer action blockbusters are usually critic-proof, but audiences didn’t think much of “Resurgence” either, judging by the tepid B grade they gave it at CinemaScore. Which means that viewer word-of-mouth seems to back up the critical complaints, that “Resurgence” doesn’t really deliver.

    It also didn’t help that Fox knew they had a turd on their hands, which is why they did not screen the film for press — or junket it — in an attempt to control their losses.

    4. Sequel Fatigue
    A handful of exceptions aside — notably, “Finding Dory,” “Captain America: Civil War,” and “The Conjuring 2” — this hasn’t been a good year for sequels at the box office. The 2016 release slate has been pockmarked with such cratering sequels as “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” “Now You See Me 2,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” “The Divergent Series: Allegiant,” “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” “London Has Fallen,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” and “Zoolander 2.”

    Many of these were plagued by some of the same problems as “Resurgence:” poor execution, long delays between installments, and the loss of major players from the franchise. That doesn’t necessarily mean audiences are rejecting retreads and craving originality; in fact, “Zootopia” is the only movie among the top 10 earners so far in 2016 that’s based on an original screenplay. But viewers do want sequels that deliver the goods the franchise has promised in the past, and as this year’s sequels that have fallen short of that promise are proving, having a familiar title alone without the content to back it up isn’t enough to ensure a hit anymore.

    5. Bad Timing
    “Resurgence” opened during the most crowded weekend of the summer so far. It’s competing against two other new wide release movies, one a prestige drama (“Free State of Jones“) aiming at the same older adults that “Resurgence” hoped would be drawn by nostalgia for “ID4,” and “The Shallows,” the Blake Lively-vs.-a-shark action movie that does seem to deliver the summer movie thrills, at a fraction of the scale and budget.

    “Shallows” did very well, opening at No. 4 with an estimated $16.7 million, about as much as the film cost to make, while “Jones” opened one spot below with an estimated $7.8 million, an underwhelming number, though at least the Civil War drama cost just $50 million to produce.

    More important, the Fox film was opening against several established hits. “Finding Dory,” going after the same broad, all-ages audience as “Resurgence,” remained at No. 1 in its second week, with an estimated $73.2 million. Also in its second weekend, “Central Intelligence” held its share of the action crowd and continued to appeal to men and women alike to earn an estimated $18.4 million, good for third place. And “The Conjuring 2,” out now for three weeks, came in a hair behind “Jones” with an estimated $7.7 million.
    Next weekend, everyone’s calendar will offer its own built-in advertisement for the “Independence Day” sequel, along with a four-day weekend. And aside from next week’s “The Legend of Tarzan” and the “Ghostbusters” reboot two weeks later, there’s not another galactic-scale action spectacle until “Star Trek Beyond” (pictured above) a month from now.

    And there’s also the foreign audience. To date, “Resurgence” has taken in an estimated $101.5 million abroad, for a global total of $143.1 million. That’s not bad, but even if “Resurgence” continues to earn 71 percent of its grosses outside of North America, it’ll still have to take in about $468 million overseas and $192 million here to break even.

    That’s about as likely as the government admitting it’s holding captured aliens at Area 51.
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