Moviefone Editorial

Tag: matt smith

  • Matt Smith to Join Jared Leto in ‘Morbius’

    Matt Smith to Join Jared Leto in ‘Morbius’

    Matt Smith in The Crown
    Netflix

    The Marvel spinoff “Morbius” has added a princely cast member.

    Matt Smith is reportedly joining the project. The “Crown” vet is in late negotiations for a major role in the upcoming film, according to Variety. He’ll star alongside Jared Leto, who is playing the title character.

    Smith’s role in the story hasn’t been revealed yet. The film centers on the Spider-Man villain Dr. Michael Morbius (Leto), a character created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in 1971. He’s a biochemist whose attempt to cure his own blood disease goes badly wrong. He ends up becoming vampire-like, with fangs and the desire to drink blood.

    The script was written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, and Daniel Espinosa is directing. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Lucas Foster are producing, while Palak Pate serves as an executive producer for Sony.

    “Morbius” adds to Smith’s growing list of upcoming films. He also has roles in “Mapplethorpe,” “Charlie Says,” “Official Secrets,” and “Star Wars: Episode IX,” all of which hit theaters this year.

    [via: Variety]

  • Matt Smith Joins ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’

    Matt Smith Joins ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’

    Netflix

    The “Star Wars” universe just keeps expanding: Matt Smith has joined the sprawling cast of the upcoming “Episode IX.”

    Variety has the scoop that the “Doctor Who” and “The Crown” alum will be featured in the flick, playing a “key role.” As per usual with Disney and Lucasfilm flicks so early on in the production process, no other details about Smith’s casting were available.

    “Episode IX” has already added a number of high-profile stars to the galaxy far, far away in recent weeks, including two who have previously worked with director J.J. Abrams: Keri Russell (who played the titular character on Abrams’s WB series “Felicity,” and later appeared in the director’s “Mission: Impossible III“) and Dominic Monaghan (who starred on the Abrams-produced “Lost”). They join fellow “Star Wars” newcomers Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant.

    As if those impressive names weren’t enough, the returning cast list is equally starry and ridiculously sprawling. It includes Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Mark Hamill. The late Carrie Fisher will also be featured, in the form of bonus footage from the filming of “The Last Jedi.”

    We can’t wait to see how Smith factors into the production. (And can’t wait for this movie, period.) The film is shooting now in the UK.

    “Star Wars: Episode IX” is due in theaters on December 20, 2019.

    [via: Variety]

  • Claire Foy Reportedly Received $275,000 Back Pay After ‘The Crown’ Wage Gap Scandal

    Splashy Netflix series “The Crown” was tarnished earlier this year after it was revealed that its star, Claire Foy, received a lower salary than her co-star, Matt Smith, despite playing the queen of freaking England. Now, a new report suggests that the team behind the show has finally made the situation right.

    According to the Daily Mail, Foy has received £200,000 — approximately $275,000 — in back pay for her role as Queen Elizabeth II on the first two seasons of “The Crown.” It’s unclear exactly who ponied up the cash, since the Daily Mail’s report simply says it came from “the show’s producers.” The likely benefactor is production company Left Bank Productions (which previously took responsibility for the wage gap), though based on how much money the streaming service initially threw at the series, it seems like Netflix could definitely afford to shell out some additional cash.

    Whoever reportedly wrote the check, it was a smart decision, since Foy wound up being the breakout of the series, snagging a Golden Globe, a SAG award, and lots of critical accolades for her work. Left Bank Productions initially defended their decision to give Smith more money, since his role on beloved British series “Doctor Who” meant he was a much bigger star than Foy when filming on “The Crown” started. But after fan furor boiled over, they quickly issued an apology.

    Smith alluded to Foy’s overdue payday in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, telling the trade earlier this month that he agreed with the backlash.

    “Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all,” the actor told THR. “I support her completely, and I’m pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that’s what needed to happen.”

    We couldn’t agree more. All hail the queen.

    [via: The Daily Mail, The Hollywood Reporter]

  • ‘The Crown’ Producers Apologize to Claire Foy, Matt Smith Over Salary Gap Controversy

    “The Crown” is seeking a royal pardon after controversy erupted about the salary gap between stars Claire Foy and Matt Smith.

    Last week brought the revelation that Foy was paid less than Smith, even though she plays the titular role of Queen Elizabeth II and he plays Prince Philip.

    Smith received a higher salary because he was more famous when Season 1 started (he had played “Doctor Who”). Foy went on to win a Golden Globe and two SAG Awards for her performance.

    Left Bank Pictures, which produces the Netflix drama, said, “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen,” but that wouldn’t do much for Foy, since the entire cast is changing over. Olivia Colman takes over the role starting in Season 3. Outraged fans called upon Smith to donate the disparity to the Times Up legal defense fund.

    Now, Left Bank has issued an apology to both stars:

    “We want to apologize to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the center of a media storm this week through no fault of their own. Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on ‘The Crown’ have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity.”

    “As the producers of ‘The Crown,’ we at Left Bank Pictures are responsible for budgets and salaries; the actors are not aware of who gets what and cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues.”

    “We understand and appreciate the conversation which is rightly being played out across society and we are absolutely united with the fight for fair pay, free of gender bias and for a rebalancing of the industry’s treatment of women, both those in front of the camera and for those behind the scenes. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that these issues are tackled, and as a leading production company we want to make our contribution to the debate. As company policy we are engaged in conversations with ERA 50:50 and going forward are keen to talk to Times Up UK; organizations which are working to ensure all women have a voice.”

  • Queen Elizabeth II Takes Control in Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ Trailer

    the crown, queen elizabeth, netflix, claire foyNetflix reportedly pumped a whopping $156 million into its upcoming original series, “The Crown,” which chronicles the early rule of England’s Queen Elizabeth II, and based on the show’s sumptuous first full trailer, it looks like every penny was put to good use.

    Claire Foy stars as Elizabeth, who must assume the throne after her father, King George VI (played by “Mad Men” alum Jared Harris), dies. Elizabeth is still quite young (she’s only 25 when she begins her rule), and complicating matters is the fact that those in power in England (read: a bunch of men) aren’t entirely keen on having a woman in charge of them.

    Then there’s Elizabeth’s new marriage to Philip (Matt Smith), which is strained by the fact that she literally rules over her husband.

    “Are you my wife or my queen?” Philip asks Elizabeth in one tense exchange.

    “I am both, and a strong man would be able to kneel to both,” Elizabeth replies.

    The supporting cast includes John Lithgow as prime minister Winston Churchill, and the creative team is stellar, pairing writer Peter Morgan (an Oscar nominee for another QEII project, “The Queen”) with director Stephen Daldry (Oscar-nominated for “The Reader,” “The Hours,” and “Billy Elliot”). So far, it appears that this series is a solid investment for the streaming service.

    “The Crown” debuts on Netflix on November 4.

    Photo credit: Netflix