Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Preview:
Bill Skarsgård is slapping on his Pennywise make-up again.
He’ll appear in the ‘It’ prequel series on Max.
Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo and Chris Chalk are among the cast.
Given the success of the two ‘It’ movie adaptations, it was somehow inevitable that the story would continue somehow. And indeed, a TV prequel –– with the working title of ‘Welcome to Derry’, after the town in the movies and Stephen King’s book –– was announced as in the works last year.
And now a key element of the movie is returning, as Bill Skarsgård is ready to head to clown town again, reprising his role as demonic entity Pennywise.
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What’s the story of the ‘It’ prequel?
Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
‘Welcome to Derry’, or whatever it ends up being titled, is also based on King’s ‘It’ book, with the movies’ director Andy Muschietti working with producer/sister Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs (who revised the ‘It: Chapter Two’ script and was a co-producer on that movie) to devise a new story that takes place before the events of the movies. Brad Kane and Fuchs are running the show, and the cameras have been rolling since April.
Andy Muschietti is directing four episodes of a planned nine-episode season.
How Pennywise fits into the story remains to be seen, but we predict he’ll be up to his old tricks terrifying (and killing) people.
Who is in the ‘It’ prequel series?
Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
The cast for the series already includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. And while Skarsgård previously indicated he wasn’t sure if he’d be involved with the series, it sounds like he was just waiting for a deal to be locked in.
What has Skarsgård been saying about his prior Pennywise experience?
Bill Skarsgård stars in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’
The actor has been talking recently about an uncomfortable early experience with the role of Pennywise, revealing that he wasn’t sure about Warner Bros.’ idea to showcase his look as the character a year before the first movie itself arrived.
“When you are 26, you don’t feel young at all, but now, looking back at it, I was a kid. [The studio] did a thing that I felt was kind of mean. It was fairly early on in my career to take on something that had so many eyeballs and expectations on it. I was so incredibly nervous to start this job, and then the Internet is having so many hateful opinions on the weird, strange look of the thing.”
While HBO/Max haven’t confirmed an exact launch date for the series, it should be on TV in 2025 (surely nearer Halloween since that feels like the right time for an ‘It’ project).
Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
(Left) Jeffrey Wright attends the Los Angeles Premiere of MGM’s ‘American Fiction’ at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images for MGM. (RIght) HBO Max’s ‘The Last of Us.’ Photo: Warner Media.
Preview:
Jeffrey Wright is joining ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2.
He’ll play Isaac, a militia leader.
The second season is now shooting.
As work continues apace on the second season of hit video game adaptation ‘The Last of Us’, we’ve been learning about the various people who are joining the likes of stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the cast for the HBO series.
The latest recruit for the show is Jeffrey Wright, who needs little introduction at this point, but already has a history with the game itself –– he voiced (and was used for performance capture) of a character called Isaac in ‘The Last of Us Part II’.
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What’s the story of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2?
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us.’ Photo: Warner Media.
‘The Last of Us’ takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Producers/Showrunners Craig Mazin (‘Chernobyl’) and Neil Druckmann (creator of the original game) have yet to detail exactly what the new season will cover.
The first season of ‘The Last of Us’ covered much of games ‘The Last of Us Part I’ and ‘The Last of Us: Left Behind’, which means it is likely that Season 2 will cover at least part of ‘The Last of Us Part II’. There is also potential for it to cover some of the time between Part I and Part II, as there is a five-year time jump in the video game. Ellie, 14 in Part I and Left Behind, is 19 in Part II, and she and Joel have been living in Jackson since they left the Fireflies in Salt Lake City.
Mazin has said that because of its size, Season Two will only adapt part of the second game.
Who is Isaac in the world of ‘The Last of Us’?
Wright’s Isaac in the game is the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group, known as the Washington Liberation Front, who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.
Wright is the second actor to reprise his own voice role, after Merle Dandridge did the same for her character Marlene in Season 1.
When will ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 be on screens?
HBO has yet to indicate when the show will return, but given the production schedule and heavy effects load, the company has already warned fans not to expect the new season before 2025.
(L to R) Frank Grillo and director James Gunn on the set of ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Preview:
Frank Grillo will join ‘Peacemaker’ for Season 2.
He’s playing Rick Flag Sr.
It’s a role he’ll also voice in the animated series Creature Commandos.
We already knew that genre favorite and all-round bad-ass Frank Grillo had made the leap from the MCU to DC for one of the first projects in James Gunn’s new vision for the DC universe of movies and TV series, as he’d been cast to voice Rick Flag Sr. in the animated series ‘Creature Commandos’.
Now, though, he’s taking Rick into live-action territory, as he’ll also play the character in Season 2 of ‘Peacemaker’, which was created by Gunn.
‘Peacemaker’ continues the story of Christopher Smith (John Cena), the violent, insecure vigilante who was first brought to cinema screens in Gunn’s 2021 ‘The Suicide Squad’.
The series broadened and –– yes, even deepened –– our understanding of the character, showing his fractured family background and even more neuroses. All the while introducing an alien scheme to take over the world and a group of other characters he interacts with.
Nothing has been revealed about what the second season will be about, though there were some dangling plot threads.
But with the presence of Flag Sr., we have one very big clue. Because in ‘The Suicide Squad’, Smith was ordered to stop Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) from delivering evidence to the press of the American government’s involvement in an alien conspiracy. He did so by killing him. You’d have to figure that Flag’s dad will come looking for a little vengeance…
Who is making ‘Peacemaker’?
(L to R) Frank Grillo and director James Gunn on the set of ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Gunn wrote all of Season 1 and it appears he’s also scripted the vast majority of the second season, also. He directed five of that season’s eight-episode run.
And despite already being hard at work on ‘Superman’ (which is in production for an 11th July 2025 release), he’s somehow found time to direct several episodes of the new ‘Peacemaker’ season.
DC Studios’ ‘Creature Commandos.’ Photo: DC and Warner Bros.
‘Creature Commandos’ adapts Pat Broderick and| J.M. DeMatteis’ comic book series, and focuses on a black ops team of monsters assembled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), led by Flag Sr. Among the characters we have the Bride of Frankenstein, Dr. Phosphorous, Eric Frankenstein, G.I. Robot and Weasel.
The show will launch on the Max streaming service later this year.
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When will ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 be on screens?
James Gunn has yet to announce when ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 will arrive on Max, but in Eagly we trust!
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in ‘Hacks’ Season 3. Photograph: Beth Dubber/Max.
Debuting on HBO and Max with the first two episodes of its third season on May 2nd, ‘Hacks’ returns to our screens with more outrageousness from Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance and more conflicted, panicky support from Hannah Einbinder’s Ava.
While Smart continues to be the focus, Einbinder still proves she’s right there with her on the acting side of things, while the wider ensemble also brings fun elements to the story.
Jean Smart in ‘Hacks’ Season 3. Photograph: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Max.
If you were worried that ‘Hacks’ might be going off the boil in this third season, the new run of episodes (we’ve seen the whole season) proves that the creative team and cast still has what it takes to deliver consistent comedy.
Though one or two storylines might be getting a little more tired at this point, the vast majority of the narrative is still great, with Smart in particular able to deliver the killer lines she’s handed with all the attitude she has brought previously. Deborah Vance remains a fascinating creation –– ferociously funny, but also overbearing and, at times, monstrous. This season, the story explores more of her human side and vulnerability.
Hannah Einbinder’s Ava, meanwhile, continues to walk the line between sympathetic and annoying, her rekindled relationship with her ex-girlfriend a combination of grounded and frustrating.
‘Hacks’ Season 3: Script and Direction
(L to R) Jean Smart, Megan Stalter, and Paul W. Downs in ‘Hacks’ Season 3. Photograph: Jake Giles Netter/Max.
Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs (who also appears on screen as Deborah’s embattled manager trying to start his own company) and Jen Statsky, ‘Hacks’ third season maintains the quality level we’ve come to expect from this series, carefully basing its comedy on human reactions while also continuing a solid line in prodding at celebrity excess.
This year’s major throughline includes a brand new potential opportunity for Deborah (one that we won’t spoil here), which allows her to show that even at her level, there are some things even she must truly fight for, especially as a female performer.
There are also some fun moments featuring yet more chaos from her daughter, DJ (Kaitlin Olson), who has her own revelation to drop on her mother, another fertile source for both comedy and drama. As with other storylines, this is powered not just by finding what will make you laugh, but also what will make you feel for these people.
The direction from the likes of Aniello, Downs and Michelle Ouellet continues to be perfectly fine –– unshowy and naturalistic, letting the script and the performances do the heavy lifting.
‘Hacks’ Season 3: Performances
(L to R) Megan Stalter, Paul W. Downs, Jean Smart, Mark Indelicato and Carl Clemons-Hopkins in ‘Hacks’ Season 3. Photograph: Eddy Chen/Max.
You can almost always rely on Jean Smart when she’s given the right sort of material, and Deborah really is a gift to the actress, who deploys nuclear level sarcasm when the moment calls for it, is completely believable as a comedian with a long career behind her (and the chops to power it) and, despite outrageous privilege thanks to her wealth, a hard working person with her own neuroses and issues to deal with. She might have houses in Vegas, LA and elsewhere, and fly where she needs to go via private jet, but she’s also filled with concern about how she hasn’t done right by members of her family.
And as Ava, Einbinder continues to be a human bag of nervy energy, worried about how her life is shaping up and, in the early going, seemingly happy to be out of Deborah’s circle. Their legal issues last season would seem to mean that she’s able to move on, but ‘Hacks’ wouldn’t really be ‘Hacks’ without their dynamic at its heart, so of course she’s back working for her before too long. And thank goodness, as the Ava storyline outside of Deborah, while it has some fun moments, is nowhere near as satisfying.
Hannah Einbinder in ‘Hacks’ Season 3. Photograph: Eddy Chen/Max.
Around the main pair orbits their various friends, family, colleagues and hangers-on. Prime among them is Downs’ Jimmy, aided (sometimes) by show breakout Megan Stalter as Kayla, the world’s worst assistant –– now his partner in his new company. While a little of Kayla goes a long way, the writers’ know when to deploy her. And Downs continues to bring Jimmy to life as a constantly frustrated nebbish.
We would also be remiss if we didn’t shout out ‘Succession’ veteran J. Smith Cameron, who here plays Deborah’s long-estranged sister, a character a world away from Gerri Kellman. She’s superb in the role, twitchy and odd, but with clear regret towards what she did to Deborah.
‘Hacks’ Season 3: Final Thoughts
(L to R) Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jean Smart in ‘Hacks’ Season 3. Photograph: Beth DubberMax.
‘Hacks’ is back, and that can only be a good thing. Though not everything continues to work as it once did, there is still much to recommend it, even without the Smart factor. It might not push the boundaries in terms of tone and character, but it’s not trying to be something along the lines of ‘Baby Reindeer’.
Taken on its own terms, and thanks to its primary performances, ‘Hacks’ is still one of the best traditional comedies on TV.
‘Hacks Season 3’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Hacks’ Season 3?
A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles.
But as Deborah pursues a new opportunity and Ava returns to her orbit, how will their strained relationship affect their lives?
The full teaser trailer for ‘The Penguin’ has landed.
Colin Farrell reprises his role in the TV spin-off of ‘The Batman’.
This show is due on Warner Bros.’ Max service later in 2024.
Though it was originally aiming to debut in the middle of this year, the strikes of 2023 have somewhat put the brakes on ‘The Penguin’s plans.
Yet the series, which spins off from Matt Reeves’ well-received 2022 outing ‘The Batman’ and sees Colin Farrell once more slapping on prosthetics to play ambitious criminal type Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, is now back on track for later in 2024 and has a first teaser trailer online.
In it, we see Oz waxing poetic about an old gangster he knew of growing up who was garlanded when he died, clearly intending to be remembered the same way –– all intercut with flashes of Oz doing dark deeds.
The series, which has been described as in the style of classic crime drama ‘Scarface’ will pick up the story of Farrell’s character as he rises to power in Gotham City. Mild spoiler alert in case you’ve yet to see ‘The Batman’, but part of the movie’s plot involves Oz’s bosses either dying or heading to jail, leaving him a path to achieve his aims.
Yet given that there’s a whole series to fill with this story, we doubt the road will be an easy one. And there’s still that pesky Caped Crusader lurking around (even if Batman likely wouldn’t appear much if at all in the show).
Farrell’s character will face off against other notorious Gotham crime bosses, including Salvatore Moroni, played by Clancy Brown.
One of Carmine Falcone’s chief rivals, he’ll be back on the streets for the series and ready to make his move now that he’s no longer at the mercy of Falcone (who, again spoiler alert, died in ‘The Batman’).
Matt Reeves, who co-wrote and directed ‘The Batman’ is an executive producer here, but while he’s certainly had input (alongside the movie’s fellow producer, Dylan Clark), he won’t be overseeing the day-to-day work of the show, what with being busy writing the big screen sequel.
That job instead falls to Lauren LeFranc, a veteran of shows including ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’, ‘Chuck’ and ‘Hemlock Grove’. Craig Zobel, director of movies such as ‘The Hunt’ who has also worked in TV on the likes of ‘Mare of Easttown’ and ‘Westworld’, shot the first three episodes of a planned eight.
Here’s what LeFranc said when the show was announced:
“I have long been a fan of the world of ‘The Batman’, and Matt’s film is such a powerful and bold entry into the canon. I am excited and humbled to continue telling stories in the grimy world of Gotham City –– and what better excuse to channel my inner villain than to tell the story of Oswald Cobblepot? I am thrilled to work with Colin, Matt, Dylan, 6th & Idaho, Warners, and Max as we work to bring this story to the screen.”
When will ‘The Penguin’ be on our screens?
As of right now, the show doesn’t have a formal date, but it’s expected later this year.
Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot in Max’s ‘The Penguin.’
Two new trailers have landed for ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’s second season.
Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke and Matt Smith are among the returning actors.
The new season launches on June 16th on HBO and Max.
Have you chosen your side yet? No, not in the elections for later this year, this is for something far more important: the civil war that has ripped House Targaryen asunder in ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’.
HBO has been making sure that we’re all aware that the new season of ‘Dragon’ is headed our way atop a roaring, fire-breathing dragon this coming June (so now might be a good time to buy a flame-retardant TV).
The new season of the show, which chronicles the internecine chaos that befalls the powerful house years before we meet the ‘Thrones’ characters, promises to be even more full of war and big character speeches than the first.
And to keep that in our minds, we’re all being asked which side we support by watching one of two new trailers for the show, which feature footage either focused on Olivia Cooke’s Queen Alicent or Emma D’Arcy’s Princess Rhaenyra, both of whom have claims to the throne. Don’t worry; you can watch both if you want to get the full effect.
What’s the story of ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2?
Tom Glynn-Carney in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.
Continuing the story adapted from George R. R. Martin’s prequel novel, ‘Fire & Blood’, the show is set 200 years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ tells the violent story of House Targaryen.
Season 2 picks up after the fateful events of the first as Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower’s (Olivia Cooke) forces go head to head — well, dragon to dragon.
Alicent believes her son, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), born of the recently deceased King Aegon is the rightful heir to the big chair. Not so Rhaenyra, who is firmly of the opinion that her late father meant for her to take his place and bring order to Westeros.
Who else is in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2?
(L to R) Bethany Antonia and Phoebe Campbell in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.
When will ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 be on screens?
The show touches down for its second season premiere on HBO (and streaming service Max) on June 16th.
Matt Smith in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Theo Whitman/HBO.(L to R) Harry Collett, Emma D’Arcy, and Oscar Eskinazi in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Theo Whitman/HBO.Olivia Cooke in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.Phia Saban in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.Sonoya Mizuno in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.(L to R) Fabien Frankel and Ewan Mitchell in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.(L to R) Steve Toussaint and Eve Best in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO.‘House of the Dragon’ season 2. Photograph Courtesy of HBO.
The sequel to ‘The Batman’ will now be released in 2026.
Matt Reeves is once again directing.
Beyond Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, the cast has yet to be confirmed.
Those who have been eagerly awaiting director Matt Reeves’ sequel to his darkly gritty take on the Caped Crusader, ‘The Batman’, will have to be more patient.
Warner Bros. has announced that the new movie will not now be released on October 3rd, 2025, but instead heads back a year to October 2nd, 2026.
Part of the reason for the delay is that the ‘Batman’ sequel has reportedly just begun filming, and that Reeves has been at work on the script with Peter Craig and Mattson Tomlin. The shift from a potential shoot last year means that the production has had to wait for soundstages to be available.
Robert Pattinson is returning as Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, though there has been little confirmation of any other casting –– Jeffrey Wright has said he’ll be back as Commissioner Jim Gordon, while we’d predict Andy Serkis once more playing loyal Wayne family butler Alfred.
The plot, however, is a mystery, and the villain for the new movie has yet to be revealed.
Also, while the film is considered an “Elseworlds” title and not directly connected to the new DC movie universe, the delay means that James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ will get a clear shot at launching the fresh DCU on the big screen with its July 11th, 2025, release date.
This delay for ‘The Batman Part II’ hasn’t yet impacted TV spin-off ‘The Penguin’, which sees Colin Farrell playing crime boss Oswald Cobblepot. That show is still due to arrive later this year on streaming service Max.
With the new ‘Batman’ movie on the move, there is a hole in Warner Bros.’ schedule. The studio has now given that October 3rd, 2025, slot to ‘The Bride!’ (yes, it apparently does have an exclamation mark at the end of its total), the take on ‘Frankenstein’ to be directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley and Peter Sarsgaard.
Colin Farrell is a private eye in new series ‘Sugar’.
Mark Protosevich created the new show.
The series launches on Apple TV+ on April 5th.
A perennial go-to genre across pop culture, the detective drama is as healthy as ever. We’ve had Clive Owen playing one of the most famous examples for ‘Monsieur Spade’, Jodie Foster digging through a chilled cold case in ‘True Detective: Night Country’ and Mandy Patinkin investigating murder at sea on ‘Death and Other Details’.
But Apple TV+ being Apple TV+, the company naturally wanted to raise the stakes. In ‘Sugar’, Oscar nominee Colin Farrell is John Sugar, the latest in a long line of private eyes whose own life is just as complicated as the cases they tackle.
What’s the story of ‘Sugar’?
Colin Farrell in ‘Sugar,’ premiering April 5, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Farrell here is a slightly tarnished private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler ), the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell).
As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.
And from the looks of the trailer, Sugar’s own life is almost as knotty and filled with mystery. He’s certainly handy with his fists (and the odd weapon), but he also has his own obsessions.
It also boasts the sheen you expect from an Apple series, which usually hands out a hefty budget –– so of course things look good when they need to and grubby in the right places. Plus, you can expect plenty of the detective standby: the voice-over, with Farrell intoning that if you tipped the world on its side, everything loose lands in Los Angeles.
This also marks the first of Farrell’s leading roles in TV to arrive –– we’re also still waiting to see his turn as Oswald Cobblepot in ‘The Batman’ spin-off ‘The Penguin’, which should be on Max later this year.
Who else is in ‘Sugar’?
(L to R) Amy Ryan and Colin Farrell in ‘Sugar,’ premiering April 5, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
Premiering on HBO and Max on Sunday, March 3rd, ‘The Regime’ is an attempt to create a new satirical series to fill the gap left by ‘Succession’, and also to provide another welcome starring role for Kate Winslet, who shines in an oddball role.
Yet the whole in this case is somewhat less than the sum of its parts, and it leaves you feeling sometimes disappointed, even as it has great moments.
(L to R) Kate Winslet and Guillaume Gallienne in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
The way the world is moving towards ever more polarized politics, and that our peace is under threat from despotic types, it’s perhaps the right time for the sort of satirical take on the subject deployed by, say Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’ or more topically, the work of Armando Iannucci (who brought terrible people to screens in the shape of HBO series ‘Veep’ and before that, the British likes of ‘The Thick of It’ and its movie spin-off, ‘In the Loop’).
But is ‘The Regime’ the right show for the right (wing) time? That’s a more complicated question to answer. As a showcase for Kate Winslet, it’s certainly worth a watch. And there are some other solid performances around her too.
As whole, however, while the show has some good darkly comedic moments, it feels like it runs out of steam at a certain point, and even Winslet’s character has some issues that mean Chancellor Vernham doesn’t work as well as she might.
Script and Direction
Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
Will Tracy handles the lion’s share of the scripting (running a writing team that also includes Seth Reiss, Sarah DeLappe, Gary Shteyngart, Jen Spyra and Juli Weiner), and while the ‘Succession’ veteran doesn’t look to replicate the style of his previous gig (or movie ‘The Menu’, which he co-wrote), he does channel some of its more vicious sides. In the early going in particular, there are annoyed underlings whose grumbling about their boss and her various eccentricities or pushing their own agendas would certainly fit in the halls of Waystar Royco.
Still, as the story develops and Matthias Schoenaerts’ character begins his rise to more of a powerful influence in her circle, that emphasis falls away and it all becomes something else, which is honestly less fun.
As for the look of the movie, with Stephen Frears setting the tone and feel, it has a prestige sheen that doesn’t lose the madcap undertone. It’s clear that HBO has spent some money on this one, and the director –– alongside ‘The Crown’ and ‘Broadchurch’ veteran Jessica Hobbs, makes sure that every dollar is on screen.
Performances
(L to R) Matthias Schoenaerts and Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
Winslet walks the fine line of steely and offbeat here, Chancellor Vernham the sort of despot whose layers are many and varied, and whose neuroses are just as plentiful. This is a person who we meet as she’s obsessed with the humidity and mold in the palace and finds plenty of other issues to worry about as her reign hits real turbulence.
She’s never less than believable in the role and though she’s a truly awful person at times, Winslet and the writers work hard to give her a grounding in relatable problems –– a serious case of (dead) daddy issues, a voracious need to be loved and the sort of disposition that leads itself to influence. Though it’s that last aspect that causes the show to derail somewhat; Vernham switches tracks so often that it becomes more annoying than satirical.
But it’s not just her show; Schoenaerts’ Zubak also has his own journey, a soldier who led a violent action against some striking miners and finds himself set up initially as the latest patsy for the regime to pawn off on Vernham. But he has much more up his sleeve and quickly becomes more of a mentor figure to her. Their twisted relationship is at the core of the show, but like Vernham’s personality, it also starts to become wearing after a while.
Andrea Riseborough in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
That said, Schoenaerts is great in the role, bringing plenty of conflicted charisma to the role and fully embracing his journey through the various stages of being the Chancellor’s confidante.
Andrea Riseborough is worthy of particular mention from those around the central pair –– a devoted lieutenant and seeming best friend to Vernham, she also suffers through her son being treated as the ruler’s own. A son, it should be noted, who has epilepsy and needs regular medication. But she’s no shrinking violet; she has her own spine of steel when called upon and has a no-BS attitude.
Finally, there’s Hugh Grant, who plays the former chancellor, a man who has been thrown into a gulag and ends up being influential in his own right. It’s a small role, but an enjoyable kooky one.
Final Thoughts
Hugh Grant in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
This is certainly a worthy show for those who prefer their comedy dark and a little twisted, but don’t go expecting the next knockout series.
Still, we firmly predict Kate Winslet to get nominated for some awards, because let’s face it –– she’s Kate Winslet and she rules. It’s just a shame the series around her doesn’t always meet the same high standards.
‘The Regime’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
What’s the story of ‘The Regime’?
The new show tells the story of life within the walls of a modern authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel.
After not leaving the palace for quite some time, Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) has grown increasingly paranoid and unstable when she turns to a volatile soldier, Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), as an unlikely confidant. As Zubak’s influence over the chancellor continues to grow, Elena’s attempts to expand her power eventually result in both the palace and the country fracturing around her.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Frank Grillo about his work on ‘Lights Out,’ his first reaction to the screenplay, why Duffy was a perfect character for him to play, Duffy’s friendship with Max, working with Mekhi Phifer, and shooting the fight sequences.
(L to R) Mekhi Phifer as “Max Bomer” and Frank Grillo as “Michael ‘Duffy’ Duffield” in the action/thriller, ‘Lights Out,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
The actor also talked about his work on DC Studio’s upcoming animated series ‘Creature Commandos,’ if he’s finished recording and who he recorded with, when it will be released, when we might see him reprise his character in future DCU live-action projects, and a conformation that he will definitely not be in ‘Superman: Legacy.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Grillo, Mekhi Phifer, Jamie King and director Christian Sesma.
(L to R) Scott Adkins as “Don ‘The Reaper’ Richter,” Frank Grillo as “Michael ‘Duffy’ Duffield” and Mekhi Phifer as “Max Bomer” in the action/thriller, ‘Lights Out,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay, and did you realize admittedly that Duffy was a perfect Frank Grillo character?
Frank Grillo: The screenplay was a solid C+ when I first read it. It was okay, but it was a home run for me. I knew I could knock this one out of the park, so I was not concerned with that. I wanted to get the script to a place where it made sense, and it worked. Look, my buddy Stallone did a movie called ‘Rambo,’ and it’s that guy that I love. It’s that exact kind of character. I’m not comparing myself to the great Sylvester Stallone, but it’s that world.
MF: To follow up, what were some of the changes you wanted made to the script so that this it would work for you?
FG: There was some structural stuff. I can’t get into all of it, but I needed the script to flow a little differently. Then there were some tropes and cliches that needed to come out and kind of make it where people talk less and do more, which I find makes action movies a little bit more interesting. Then to build a relationship with Mekhi’s character and my character, because I thought that was the heart and the core of the film. So, stuff like that, but you got all those great actors. I knew everybody was capable.
(L to R) Frank Grillo as “Michael ‘Duffy’ Duffield” and Mekhi Phifer as “Max Bomer” in the action/thriller, ‘Lights Out,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Can you talk about that relationship between Max and Duffy, why Duffy chooses to help this man that he hardly knows, and what it was like working with Mekhi Phifer?
FG: I think he chooses to help him because I truly think there’s something about Mekhi that draws him in. I think Duffy needs a purpose. He wants to get a headstone for his mother. That’s kind of a reason for him to make believe he wants to go to a certain place, but he finds somebody who gives him a purpose. We never feel more enlightened than when we’re helping somebody else. I think it gives him a sense of that. Mekhi is, as charming as he is on-screen, he’s 10 times as charming in person, and we’re both New Yorkers. I fell in love with Mekhi the minute I met him, I mean immediately. It was a 30-year relationship in 12 minutes. So, I knew on screen, much like I did with Anthony Mackie when we did ‘Point Blank’ together, it would be this cool combination. I love movies where there’s a black guy and a white guy. I just love it culturally when they mix it up. I’m Italian and we’re both from New York, and I think it comes across really cool on screen. I love that dynamic. I really do. I know everybody’s politically correct, but Mekhi and I even got a chance to kind of play with that thing, you know what I mean? That’s what life is about. Then after that, we did another movie together. I had another movie that I put together, a bigger movie, and he was my choice. He was my guy. I said, “Please come and do this,” and he did. We went to Columbia and Puerto Rico together and that’s the kind of relationship that it blossomed into.
MF: Can you talk about preparing and working out the choreography for the fight sequences?
FG: I mean, at this point I didn’t know the fight coordinator well, although he was good. My stunt coordinator, my double, comes with me on every movie, Greg Fitzpatrick, who’s done stuff with Robert Downey Jr. He’s been with Downey for a long time, and all of Ben Stiller‘s stuff. He’s so amazing. I know we didn’t have a lot of time, so we came in and choreographed at least all my stuff, all the fights, to make them authentic. This is about underground fighting. It shouldn’t look like ‘John Wick.’ Hats off to Brandon Burrows, the producer, because once I saw the original cut and the fights, I said, no Bueno. This all looks fake, and you got to make this so that the one judicious guy in the back who knows fighting says,” I believe that.” I think that’s what we kind of were able to pull off. It was Herculean to get it to the place that it is, but when I saw the final cut, I’m like, “Wow, I’m impressed.” If people knew the effort that it took to get it to that, you’d have to appreciate it a bunch more, and Brandon, the producer, was a big part of this.
DC Studios’ ‘Creature Commandos.’ Photo: DC and Warner Bros.
MF: The last time we spoke you revealed that you will be starring in the animated series ‘Creature Commandos,’ which will be the first TV series from James Gunn’s new DC Universe. Have you finished recording for the first season, and were you able to record with the other actors?
FG: Yes. I recorded with (David) Harbour and I may have recorded with Maria (Bakalova). But it’s great. I love James Gunn and Peter Safran and what they’re doing at DC and for the DCU, and these characters are living in all their movies. I’m going to be around for a while, and I wish I could tell you what I have coming up with them, but I can’t. But it’s exciting. I was just with the RussoBrothers, Kevin Feige and Lou D’Esposito and it’s kind of like, “I miss those guys, but you blew it.” Now we’re going over here.
MF: Do you know when the series will premiere?
FG: Yes. I believe Sean Gunn just said something (about it). I believe around end of the summer, beginning of the fall.
Writer, director, co-chairmen and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn. Photo courtesy of James Gunn’s Twitter account.
FG: Yes, I do. Again, in a world filled with great talent, actors and famous movie stars, I mean what James Gunn and Peter Safran has entrusted in me with this character and with the future of what they’re doing in that company, I’m humbled.
MF: Finally, is it possible we’ll see you in ‘Superman: Legacy’?
FG: No. I wish.
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What is the Plot of ‘Lights Out’?
A drifting ex-soldier (Frank Grillo) turns underground fighter with the help of a just released ex-con (Mekhi Phifer), pitting them both against corrupt cops (Jamie King) and hired killers (Dermot Mulroney) gunning for them and all those they care about.
(L to R) Mekhi Phifer as “Max Bomer” and Frank Grillo as “Michael ‘Duffy’ Duffield” in the action/thriller, ‘Lights Out,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
