While there has been chatter of late about a potential follow-up to the movie, it has taken an encouraging step forward, with writer/director Thomas Bezucha telling CNN that he’s writing a sequel.
(L to R): Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Elizabeth Reaser and Diane Keaton in ‘The Family Stone.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In the first film, Sybil and Kelly (Keaton and Craig T. Nelson) host their adult kids (Mulroney, McAdams, Luke Wilson and Elizabeth Reaser) for the holidays, as she prepares to tell the family about her terminal illness.
The visit is complicated by Everett’s (Mulroney) plans to propose to his high-strung girlfriend Meredith (Parker), of whom Sybil does not approve.
What did Bezucha say about the sequel?
(L to R): Diane Keaton, Tyrone Giordano, Claire Danes, Craig T. Nelson and Dermot Mulroney in ‘The Family Stone.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
While Keaton’s character has passed away by the end of the movie (which shows the family a year later), Bezucha has said he fully intends it to honor Keaton, who herself died in October:
“I’ve been haunted by the loss of Sybil for months now while I worked on it, and so this was a blow on a tender bruise already. Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already.”
And he fully intends to have the original cast back, having reached out to them and received positive reactions (though no deals are done yet). He has said he also wants to do right by the surviving actors:
“I’m not interested in the Brady family reunion without the original Jan.”
When will the ‘Family Stone’ sequel be on screen?
With none of the acting deals signed and no official greenlight, we’ll have to wait and see when 20th Century Studios decides to make this one a reality.
(L to R): Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton in ‘The Family Stone.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In honor of Anderson’s new movie, ‘The Phoenician Scheme‘, which opens in select theaters on May 30th before opening wide on June 6th, Moviefone is counting down every film of Wes Anderson’s impressive career, including his latest.
Four tales unfold in Wes Anderson’s anthology of short films adapted from Roald Dahl‘s beloved stories, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”, “The Swan”, “The Rat Catcher”, and “Poison”.
(L to R) Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson in ‘The Darjeeling Limited’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Three American brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman) who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other — to become brothers again like they used to be. Their “spiritual quest”, however, veers rapidly off-course (due to events involving over-the-counter pain killers, Indian cough syrup, and pepper spray).
(L to R) Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson in ‘Bottle Rocket’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony (Luke Wilson) joins his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson), who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a hair-brained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry (James Caan).
The cast of ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned (Owen Wilson), a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane (Cate Blanchett), a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou’s past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston).
(L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.
The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.
A scene from ‘Isle of Dogs’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that’s a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy (Koyu Rankin) arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.
(L to R) Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman in ‘Rushmore’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
When a beautiful first-grade teacher (Olivia Williams) arrives at a prep school, she soon attracts the attention of an ambitious teenager named Max (Jason Schwartzman), who quickly falls in love with her. Max turns to the father (Bill Murray) of two of his schoolmates for advice on how to woo the teacher. However, the situation soon gets complicated when Max’s new friend becomes involved with her, setting the two pals against one another in a war for her attention.
(L to R) Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton in ‘Moonrise Kingdom’. Photo: Focus Features.
Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.
Ralph Fiennes stars in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The Grand Budapest Hotel tells of a legendary concierge (Ralph Fiennes) at a famous European hotel between the wars and his friendship with a young employee (Tony Revolori) who becomes his trusted protégé. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting, the battle for an enormous family fortune and the slow and then sudden upheavals that transformed Europe during the first half of the 20th century.
George Clooney as Mr. Fox in ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox (George Clooney) bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers (Michael Gambon, Robin Hurlstone, and Hugo Guinness). The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family.
(L to R) Bencio del Toro and Léa Seydoux in ‘The French Dispatch’. Photo: Searchlight Pictures.
The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories featuring an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.
The cast of ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and his wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston) had three children (Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Luke Wilson) and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary — all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father’s fault. “The Royal Tenenbaums” is the story of the family’s sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.
Riding into theaters on June 28th, ‘Does ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ is Kevin Costner’s latest attempt to breathe fresh life into the Western, a genre that was once dominant in theaters before fading away to be replaced by others, re-emerging occasionally as filmmakers such as Clint Eastwood and Costner himself found new ways to present some well-trodden tales.
The big question is, in an era (admittedly closer to the end than the beginning) of superhero dominance, will there still be a demand for horse-drawn epics of rough-hewn frontiersmen and cowboys fighting to secure territory, power or wealth? And has the baton been handed to the small screen where the likes of ‘Yellowstone’ (formerly starring one K. Costner) and its period-set spin-offs are filling that need?
It’s clear that Kevin Costner firmly still believes in the power of the Western. After all, ‘Horizon’ (you’ll forgive us for not writing the whole title out again) is three hours long and represents just the first part of a planned four-chapter story. Costner has ‘Chapter 2’ due on August 16th, with ‘Chapter 3’ in production and ‘Chapter 4’ in development.
While there is plenty to like about the movie –– sun-dappled vistas, a wealth of storylines and even (not shocking coming from the director/star of ‘Dances with Wolves’) a nod to balancing the portrayals of settlers and natives –– ‘Horizon’ really ends up feeling overstuffed, even at three hours long, and one big set up for what is become, meaning the narrative is never all that satisfying (including a montage at the end serving as a trailer for what is to come, which has the feel of a student padding their history essay with footnotes).
Writing with novelist Jon Baird, Costner here aims to turn the clock back to both the Western’s roots and his own work in the genre with the likes of ‘Wolves’ and ‘Wyatt Earp’. Together the duo have crafted a sprawling, multi-story tale of hardy settlers, the natives they come into conflict with and the various characters who orbit both groups. Trouble is, it’s so sprawling and so clearly designed to lay the narrative railroad tracks for the movies to come that it can’t help but turn out unsatisfyingly unfinished, the story less wrapping up than left dangling. One or two of the plotlines have the appearance of completion, but in reality this is more a pilot for a limited series (‘Horizon’ was going to be one at some point in its long gestation) than a fully rounded movie.
Directorially, it’s predictably accomplished, Costner and his crew making full use of the sweeping, glorious vistas of the American countryside and staging some epic standoff scenes (the story is bookended by a violent Apache attack on settlers and a vengeful raid by “white-eyes” on the natives near the end). The trouble comes with some of the characters and performances, whose quality vary wildly from well-sketched (the likes of Sienna Miller’s Frances Kittredge, who loses her husband and son in the first attack) to basic Western cliché (Jon Beavers’ scowlin’, spittin’, villainous Junior Sykes). And aside from Miller, and to a lesser degree, Abbey Lee’s Marigold, the majority of the women are disposable or, in the case of snippy, snooty Juliette Chesney (Ella Hunt) mostly the butt of jokes.
Costner, of course, gives himself a plum role (albeit a character who doesn’t show up in the story for roughly an hour), playing Hayes Ellison, a badass –– but humble! –– travelling worker who is handy with a six-shooter and instantly attractive to beautiful women. Must be nice to be the boss…
With such a full cast, it would be impossible to spotlight them all, but the majority of the actors do what they can with limited screentime (surely something the completed set of movies will repair) and occasionally slim characterization.
A military man, and part of the Union army (since the movie is set during the Civil War but only peripherally touches upon it), Sam Worthington is the anchor for one of the big stories. He’s actually better here than he tends to be in the ‘Avatar’ movies, finding a low-key but authoritative gear and notching solid chemistry with Miller’s widowed woman.
The Apache warrior who leads the initial, brutal assault on the settlers, he’s portrayed as a complicated, hot-headed young man who is looking to fiercely defend his family, tribe and land from the invading new arrivals. That brings him into conflict with the elders, especially his father, who would rather lay low in the relative safety of the mountains. Owen Crow Shoe puts in a solid performance in a couple of scenes.
Luke Wilson gets to show a gruffer side of himself than usual as the leader of a caravan wending its way along the risky the Santa Fe Trail. Not every scene of his storyline works, but he certainly acquits himself with the required grit.
Kevin Costner is certainly to be applauded for keeping the faith with the movie, insisting it stay a big screen experience when there was a thought it could end up on streaming.
Yet the movie is not without some big flaws. Its old-fashioned nature leads to a stew of manly Western man and flighty female cliches, plenty of the dialogue could have used some polishing and the native characters need more shading if they’re to function effectively. Still, if Costner manages to finish the whole film series, there are plenty of hours ahead.
And talking of hours, ‘Chapter 1’ could easily have lost a few sequences that little served the narrative –– it would have functioned perfectly well at two to two-and-a-half hours.
‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the Plot of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?
“Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won — and lost — through the blood, sweat and tears of many.
Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Kevin Costner’s movie chronicles a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.
Who is in the Cast of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?
Luke Wilson stars in Prime Video’s ‘Merry Little Batman.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Luke Wilson about his work on ‘Merry Little Batman,’ playing the Dark Knight, his specific version of the character, his relationship to his son, Damian Wayne, and why this Batman has a beard.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Wilson and director Mike Roth.
Moviefone: To begin with, Luke, you’re Batman! What was it like to voice the iconic character and what was your approach to playing this specific version of the Caped Crusader?
Luke Wilson: Well, that’s what I was just going to say, is I’m a very different version of Batman. I mean, you can tell by just the title of the movie, ‘Little Batman,’ that it’s not going to be this kind of dark dystopian take on it like the most recent ‘The Batman,’ and then the Christian Bale versions, which were so good. But my approach to it was just thinking about friends I have that have smaller kids, and you watch them watch something, and they are very dialed in, in a way that I feel like even you and I as adults, with movies even that we like, we’re just kind of watching and happy. But you watch a little kid, and they’re not even blinking while they watch it. So, I was just trying to put a little energy and fun in my voice, which it’s not that kind of gruff voice. I was just trying to take a fun approach to it.
MF: Can you talk about Bruce Wayne’s overprotective parenting skills and his relationship with his son, Damian Wayne?
LW: I mean, I think my Bruce Wayne as a parent, he’s like a lot of parents, trying to be a good dad, but trying to also be the cool dad, while also having to be the disciplinarian at times. So, I think he’s kind of, at times seems like he can handle crime, he can handle villains, but sometimes with his own son, he can have his hands full and not quite know how to handle it. Like, the idea of I’m going off to fight crime, so I leave Damian behind at the Wayne Mansion, and I’ve left him with the special bracelet so that he can get in touch with me. I was just trying to do a fun version of it. He’s a little overprotective and bumbling at the same time.
MF: Finally, Batman has a beard in this movie, which could be very controversial with hardcore Batman fans. What is your opinion on the Bat-Beard?
LW: I don’t want to say I didn’t get it, but it’s a choice. I certainly hope it wasn’t affected by me going in there for one of the recording sessions and being bearded. But I didn’t quite get the Bat-Beard, because when I first saw the preview, I thought, “Okay, Batman’s got a beard. He’s eventually going to shave this off, or maybe he’s undercover.” But that was a choice by the people that are above me in this process, so I don’t want to put my own job in jeopardy by questioning their artistic choices. I don’t know about the Bat-Beard, but maybe it could become a thing. It’s like I saw the progression from Adam West to Michael Keaton to getting darker with Christian Bale and then the most recent one with Robert Pattinson, so maybe it’s just the way things go.
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What is the plot of ‘Merry Little Batman’?
After Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) is left alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he transforms himself into “Little Batman” to safeguard his home and the rest of Gotham City from supervillains during the holiday season.
‘Merry Little Batman’ premieres on Prime Video December 8th.
‘Merry Little Batman’ is a cute and fun Christmas themed superhero story that places the Dark Knight’s parenting skills front and center and focuses on his relationship with his son and future Robin, Damian Wayne. While the animation is odd and messy, its punk-style and the rock n’ roll soundtrack fits the project well and meshes with Damian’s rebellious attitude. The movie falls into some holiday cliches but is otherwise a fun new take on the Caped Crusader.
The movie begins on Christmas Eve in a new crime free Gotham where Bruce Wayne (Luke Wilson) and his butler Alfred (James Cromwell) are raising Bruce’s 8-year-old son, Damian Wayne. (Yonas Kibreab) With all the super-villains either retired or behind bars, Bruce has hung up the cape and cowl, and is now focusing on being a single dad. But Damian, who also goes by the name “Little Batman” desperately wants to be a superhero like his dad and secretly wishes crime would come back to Gotham. While Bruce does not think Damian is ready for that, he does give him a gift on Christmas Eve, which is his very own utility belt. However, the belt is absent of any of the cool Bat-Gadgets, and Damian is tired of his father treating him like a child.
When a Justice League emergency calls Batman away on Christmas Eve, Damian is left behind with Alfred. But while Alfred runs out to grab hot coco, Damian ends up home alone when burglars attack Wayne Maynor. Damien attempts to protect his home, but soon loses his utility belt and goes on a journey throughout Gotham to retrieve his Christmas gift. However, Damian and Batman both soon realize that it was all a trap set by some of the Dark Knight’s most dangerous enemies to get Batman out of town and take advantage of Damian. Now, the future Robin must protect Gotham and save Christmas before it’s too late, and Bruce must learn to trust his young son.
Director Mike Roth wisely keeps the focus on Damian and his journey while also commenting on Batman’s parenting skills and his relationship with his son. Roth’s use of punk and hip-hop music blends well with the unique animation, to create a fresh look at the Caped Crusader. Working off a strong script from screenwriters Morgan Evans, Jase Ricci, and Etan Cohen, Roth succeeds in creating an unusual, family friendly Christmas-themed Batman movie.
Young actor Yonas Kibreab’s voice is perfect to play this specific version of Damian Wayne, who unlike the comics, was not trained by his grandfather (Ra’s al Ghul) to be an assassin. While there are references to his mother (Talia al Ghul), she does not seem to be part of Damian’s life, as Bruce and Alfred are raising him by themselves. So, this version of Damian is much more of a “normal” kid than the comic book version fans may be used to, and in that sense, Kibreab superbly captures the youth and excitement of this Damian.
Luke Wilson brings his signature charm to the voice role of Batman, and in doing so, shows us a side of the Dark Knight we usually do not see: Batman as a father. This version of Batman is an overprotective parent, and while Wilson’s performance reinforces that idea, the actor never loses the recognizable elements of the character that has made him so popular over the years. James Cromwell lends his voice to an older and wiser Alfred Pennyworth, while Reid Scott plays a bumbling version of Commissioner Gordon.
Brian George voices The Penguin and gives us a familiar interpretation of the character, while Dolph Adomian is clearly channeling Arnold Schwarzenegger from ‘Batman and Robin’ for his voice work. But it’s David Hornsby’s work as The Joker that really makes the character equally intimidating and fun. The Clown Prince of Crime’s masterplan is to convince Robin that he is really a super-villain, and the character almost succeeds, coming across as both creepy and hilarious.
The animation is purposely messy and avant-garde, not unlike ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ or ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.’ While at times it can be jarring, the animation does have a punk youthfulness to it and mostly fits well with the story. Speaking of which, the story does skew very young and while this is a family movie, very young audiences will probably relate to it best.
But the biggest problem with ‘Merry Little Batman’ for Batman purists will be the fact that this version of the character sports a beard. It makes sense, since this Bruce Wayne has been retired from crime fighting for years, the beard helps illustrate the passing of time and Batman’s retired status. But something just doesn’t look right about facial hair poking out of the iconic cowl, and it’s a choice by the filmmakers that just doesn’t work.
In the end, ‘Merry Little Batman’ features a fresh look at Batman as a dad, and a version of Damian Wayne seldomly seen. While the animation is purposely rough and the movie is intended for very young audiences, it still features enough holiday fun for the whole family and a different look at the Batman mythology.
‘Merry Little Batman’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Merry Little Batman’?
After Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) is left alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he transforms himself into “Little Batman” to safeguard his home and the rest of Gotham City from supervillains during the holiday season.
The new action movie ‘The Best Man,’ which opens in theaters, On Demand and digital April 21st, was written and directed by Shane Dax Taylor (‘Bloodworth’).
What is the plot of ‘The Best Man?’
In ‘The Best Man,’ when a team of ruthless mercenaries violently seize control of a remote resort hotel looking for revenge, former Special Ops soldiers Bradley (Brendan Fehr) and Anders (Dolph Lundgren), who are attending their best friend Cal’s (Luke Wilson) wedding to Brook (Nicky Whelen), along with the bride’s sister Hailey (Scout Taylor-Compton), must rely only on their wits and training to combat the terrorists and save the hostages held for ransom.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dolph Lundgren about his work on ‘The Best Man,’ his character, his approach to his work now, the ‘Die Hard’ type plot, working with Luke Wilson, playing the piano, and even teased the upcoming ‘The Expendables 4.’
Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, your character has been to war and its changed him. Where is he at mentally when the film begins?
Dolph Lundgren: Well, the way it was written was this slightly lighthearted character who drinks and he is a bit of a rogue, he’s a bit of a drunk, but he is still sharp enough to do his job. So, I sort of focused on that part of him, not the military side of it because that I could do in my sleep and so many people play that. So I was trying to have fun with the character and make him a little irresponsible, and I thought it came across fairly well, at least in the first half of the movie.
MF: Can you expand on your approach as an actor when you are playing a role like this and the idea of “not playing the military side” of the character?
DL: Well, yes. I started that when I got older. When I was younger, you played a tough guy because it’s in your DNA and you’re trying to impress people or impress yourself. I don’t know. But I sort of started doing that. I think it started with ‘The Expendables’ franchise where I had this character in the first ‘Expendables.’ He was supposed to be killed off actually, but he was kind of a bit of a drunk, crazy and certainly didn’t care that he looked tough and he didn’t care what he looked like. He didn’t dress all cool and his hair was all hanging around. So I think it started there and I realized that people seem to enjoy that, and they kind of set me apart a little bit. There’s an ‘Expendables 4’ coming out, and I enjoyed going back and having fun with that unpredictability and also because I’m such a big guy. If you’re bigger than everybody else, you have to play something else. You can’t play tough because then it’s tough upon tough and it doesn’t really work. I mean, unless you’re a villain or somebody who’s totally over the top.
Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: You have a few scenes in the movie where your character plays the piano. Was that improvised, and is that an example of you choosing to focus on another aspect of the character?
DL: Yes, I enjoyed that. That was in the script and I was afraid that it was going to be covered more in detail and I was going to have to practice. But I kind of spoke to the pianist a little bit about how to do it, but you’d only see me play and it was more the playfulness of that moment. I used to play trombone and I used to play drums in a couple of different bands, so I like music and I thought it was an interesting little departure.
MF: The movie is sort of ‘Die Hard’ at a wedding, and if terrorists were going to attack at your wedding, these are the guys you want there. Can you talk about how your character springs into action when the trouble starts?
DL: Yeah, you’re right. I mean, everybody’s armed for some reason. I was trying to figure that out, but I guess it’s in America. It could be in a state where everybody’s got a carry license, which they seem to have because everybody’s got a concealed weapon. Yeah, it’s like trying to rob a sheriff’s convention, bad idea, and I think here Anders and the other guys are ex-military. It was just a bad idea for these guys to try what they were trying to do.
Luke Wilson as Cal in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: Finally, have a great scene at the bar with Luke Wilson, what was it like working with him?
DL: I loved working with Luke. He is a lot of fun, very easy, easygoing guy, relaxed, and he improvised a lot of that scene. We ended up improvising and he started it, so he started improvising and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed working with him. I wish he would’ve had more scenes. Maybe next time.
(L to R) Luke Wilson as Cal, Nicky Whelan as Brooke and Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film,’The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
Opening in theaters, On Demand and digital April 21st is the new action movie ‘The Best Man,’ from writer and director Shane Dax Taylor (‘Bloodworth’).
What is the plot of ‘The Best Man?’
In ‘The Best Man,’ a team of ruthless mercenaries violently seize control of a remote resort hotel looking for revenge. Former Special Ops soldiers Bradley (Brendan Fehr) and Anders (Dolph Lundgren), who are attending their best friend Cal’s (Luke Wilson) wedding to Brook (Nicky Whelan), along with the bride’s sister Hailey (Scout Taylor-Compton), must rely only on their wits and training to combat the terrorists and save the hostages held for ransom.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Brendan Fehr about his work on ‘The Best Man,’ the ‘Die Hard‘ type plot, his character, the stunts and weapons training, and working with Luke Wilson and Dolph Lundgren.
Brendan Fehr as Bradley in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Brendan Fehr about ‘The Best Man.’
Moviefone: To begin with, the movie is sort of “’Die Hard’ at a wedding.” What was your first reaction to the screenplay?
Brendan Fehr: Action movies are always fun. You never exactly know how it is going to turn out. For me, obviously it has to do with the story and ‘The Best Man,’ and I’m the Best Man. So, I was like, “Oh, that’s cool. Let’s go.” Every kid dreams of being a hero of some sort and saving the day. As an adult, I think we still have those delusions of grandeur, I suppose, of being put in that situation. Fortunately in my career, I get to sometimes, not actually do that, but play out those fantasies. So, that’s always fun. Then you’re looking at the people that are involved as well and getting to work alongside Luke, and I knew Scout from earlier. It’s always just an opportunity to do something fun and learn, and with all the ingredients put in there, see what comes out on the other side.
Luke Wilson as Cal in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: What was it like working with Hollywood legends like Luke Wilson and Dolph Lundgren?
BF: I mean, they definitely have their different process. Actually, it was funny, I was thinking about this today. I don’t think I say anything to Dolph in the entire movie. I don’t think I actually talk to him. We do all hug in a group setting. I have scenes with him, but I actually don’t think I ever chat with him the entire movie, which is interesting. So, I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with either of them. It was a very quick shoot. It was kind of in and out. The movie’s a little bit of a run and gun, and so was the actual filming of it. But it’s one of those things where you realize everybody has just a different process. Having done this for 30 years, you’re always just kind of observing what’s their process. Do they like to talk a lot before the scene? Do they like to do this? Okay, that person goes off into the corner and they do this, and they got their scene. So for me, if the opportunity obviously presents itself, then you ask questions and you kind of get into it, but you don’t want to really talk about acting necessarily when you’re acting. You don’t know if that’s going to throw the other person off. So, it’s just more about observing and you kind of pick and choose what you think works for you or, “Oh, that’s interesting how they go from that to that.” Some people transform, some people want to stay in character. So, you never stop learning in this business.
Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: A lot of your scenes are with Scout Taylor-Compton, and you mentioned that you knew her previously, did that make it easier to perform the action sequences with her?
BF: Yeah. I had kind of a cameo in a movie that’s not out yet that she stars in. I actually play the father of her boyfriend or love interest, which is hilarious. Now we’re playing a couple of sorts. So, we had briefly met on that movie, and I really got along with her in the short time I was there. So, when I knew she was on this and then the role she was playing, I thought that would be a lot of fun. But with this one I saw the way she worked and she took it seriously and just very collaborative. So, ultimately we spent this entire movie together. All our days, the long days, it was a lot of me and her. She’s always looking to, how do we make this scene better? How do we elevate it? What can we do that’s fun? I’m very much the same way. When you have a partner throughout a movie that you spend a lot of time with, you hope that you do get along naturally. Sometimes you don’t, and that’s just the way it works. But this one, we were really open with each other. So, it’s that kind of creative spirit that I think I’m looking for in any project I do. We worked really well together in that respect.
Scout Taylor-Compton as Hailey in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: You play a Special Ops soldier, but he’s not invincible, he gets hurt a lot in this movie and does not win every fight. Do you think that added the realism of the film?
BF: Yeah. Obviously it opens up the movie establishing that, in this case, these are men that have seen a lot and been through a lot. That can go a couple different ways. That can bond people, or it could be, even though you’re bonded, there’s trauma there but you don’t necessarily have the capacity to deal with. My character, Bradley, goes off on the ranch, kind of lives alone, doing his own thing. Dolph’s character travels the beaches all around the world, kind of living it up with what appears to be a little bit of an alcohol problem. Then Luke falls in love with the person that we rescue. So, everyone’s kind of got their different coping mechanism with it, which you hoped those establish the characters a little bit early on, giving them their own journey and then obviously being thrown back into it with the ambush at the wedding. So, yeah, it was just a great way, I thought, to, in an action way, give them their own sense of where that led them. Then they’re all thrown back together again in what’s going to happen from there.
Brendan Fehr as Bradley in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: Finally, can you talk about the weapons training you had for the film, and the attention to safety on set?
BF: Safety’s always a priority. I’ve worked with a bunch of experts in guns and armor throughout my career, and I go through my own checklists. So, everyone’s extra careful. It’s not like I’m a massive gun guy, but you’re always looking to make it as realistic as possible. So, you ask the armorer and other people around who have that experience, but I’ve been doing this long enough that I kind of know most everything I do. Then as far as the fights, again, I’ve done a couple fighting movies. So, I enjoy doing those kinds of things. It’s fun and you learn it on the day. It’s a real run and gun thing, like I said. So it’s just like, “Okay, this is what we’re doing.” The fight scene in the hotel that I have, there’s a couple of pieces to it. I always say that I learn it three moves at a time. So, you practice the first three moves and you go through that. It’s like a phone number, you get that sequence down. Okay, now the next three moves are this. Okay, now you put that together. So, now you got the first six down and once you got that, you move on to the next three. That’s a really good way to quickly learn something so that everyone’s in sync, no one gets hurt, and you look like someone who knows what they’re doing.
Brendan Fehr as Bradley in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
The upcoming film adaptation of Jim Dent’s novel “12 Mighty Orphans” has found its Coach Rusty Russell.
Luke Wilson has boarded the Great Depression-era drama, Deadline reports. He’ll star as a Texas football coach who leads a team of 12 orphans. Ty Roberts is directing the film from a script he adapted with Lane Garrison.
Wilson’s character is a WWI vet and an orphan himself. His mother left him as a child, ultimately leading him to take a job coaching at a high school/orphanage as an adult. Coach Russell will turn his team into a contender for the Texas state championship.
Wilson has had a busy acting career for the last two-plus decades. He was part of the ensemble cast of “Berlin, I Love You,” out earlier this year, and has multiple films on the way, including “The Goldfinch” and “Zombieland: Double Tap,” among others. He also has a recurring role in the upcoming DC series “Stargirl” and previously starred in Showtime’s “Roadies.”
“12 Mighty Orphans” will be produced by Mike De Luca, Houston Hill, Angelique De Luca, and Greenbelt Films’ Brinton Bryan. Executive producers will be George Young Jr., Rhett Bennett, Greg McCabe, and J. Todd Harris. The project will begin production in the fall in Fort Worth, Texas.
Luke Wilson is the latest star to join “Zombieland: Double Tap.” We don’t yet know what kind of role he’ll be playing (we’re guessing it’s not a zombie), but it’s good to see him in something other than that “close talking” Super Bowl ad.
Also new to the franchise, as previously announced: Zoey Deutch, Thomas Middleditch, and Rosario Dawson.
In the sequel, the zombie slayers will be battling new kinds of living dead that have evolved since the first movie.
Wilson most recently starred on the showtime series “Roadies” and the Mike White film “Brad’s Status” with Ben Stiller. He recently joined the DC series “Stargirl,” which will start streaming later this year.
DC’s upcoming “Stargirl” series is getting a major dose of star power: Luke Wilson has joined the ensemble.
Deadline reports that Wilson has been tapped to play Pat Dugan, a mechanic-turned-superhero who pilots Stripe, a 15-foot robot he built himself. And according to showrunner Geoff Johns — who just happens to be the person who created the character of Stargirl while writing for DC Comics back in the 1990s — Wilson’s casting was meant to be.
Johns said in a statement:
“When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1996 and saw ‘Bottle Rocket,’ I became a huge fan and admirer of Luke’s. And I literally wrote this part for Luke, hoping that someday and somehow he’d play Pat Dugan. I only envisioned him. And now I feel like I won the lottery! Luke’s talent, humor, compassion — his presence and professionalism — and his creative collaboration, his ideas — we’re so lucky to have him alongside Brec in ‘Stargirl.’”
Wilson’s role is crucial to the plot of “Stargirl,” essentially setting in motion the titular heroine’s origin story. Here’s his official character description from the series:
“Pat Dugan once went by the less-than-inspired superhero name of Stripesy, sidekick to a young hero known as the Star-Spangled-Kid and later Starman of the legendary Justice Society of America. Today, Pat has left his sidekick life behind him. But when his new step-daughter, Courtney Whitmore, discovers Pat’s secret past and takes on Starman’s legacy to become Stargirl, Pat is forced to come out of retirement and once again become a sidekick — to his step-daughter — this time piloting a 15-foot robot called Stripe.”
Brec Bassinger is playing Courtney/Stargirl, and Joel McHale will recur as Starman. The rest of the cast includes Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Rex Tyler/Hourman, Brian Stapf as Ted Grant/Wildcat, Henry Thomas as Charles McNider/Dr Mid-Nite, and Anjelika Washington (playing an undisclosed role).
“Stargirl” is set to debut on DC’s streaming service sometime in 2019.
