Halle Berry attends the European Gala Screening for Amazons: ‘Crime 101’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 28, 2026 in London, England. Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Academy Award winner Halle Berry is one of the most accomplished and beloved actresses of her generation.
First appearing in supporting roles in now classic movies like ‘Jungle Fever‘, ‘The Last Boy Scout‘, and ‘Boomerang‘, Berry won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in 2001’s ‘Monster’s Ball‘, becoming the first and only Black woman to ever receive that honor from the Academy.
Not to mention starring in critically acclaimed movies like ‘Losing Isaiah‘, ‘Bulworth‘, and ‘Could Atlas‘. Her latest, the new crime thriller ‘Crime 101‘, opens in theaters on February 13th.
In honor of the new film’s release, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best movies of Halle Berry’s long and impressive career, including her latest.
(L to R) Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier’s former ally, Magneto (Ian McKellen).
In this new psychological thriller/horror, as an Evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother (Berry), and her twin sons (Percy Baggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins) is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.
Terrorists hijack a 747 inbound to Washington D.C., demanding the release of their imprisoned leader. Intelligence expert David Grant (Kurt Russell) suspects another reason and he is soon the reluctant member of a special assault team that is assigned to intercept the plane and hijackers.
Several players from different backgrounds try to cope with the pressures of playing football at a major university. Each deals with the pressure differently, some turn to drinking, others to drugs, and some to studying.
Jordan Turner (Berry) is an experienced 911 operator but when she makes an error in judgment and a call ends badly, Jordan is rattled and unsure if she can continue. But when teenager Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin) is abducted in the back of a man’s car and calls 911, Jordan is the one called upon to use all of her experience, insights and quick thinking to help Casey escape, and not just to save her, but to make sure the man is brought to justice.
(L to R) Halle Berry, John Travolta, Don Cheadle and Hugh Jackman in ‘Swordfish’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Rogue agent Gabriel Shear (John Travolta) is determined to get his mitts on $9 billion stashed in a secret Drug Enforcement Administration account. He wants the cash to fight terrorism, but lacks the computer skills necessary to hack into the government mainframe. Enter Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman), a n’er-do-well encryption expert who can log into anything.
Khaila Richards (Berry), a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin (Jessica Lange), and her husband, Charles (David Strathaim). Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.
A suicidally disillusioned liberal politician (Warren Beatty) puts a contract out on himself and takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture.
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods as they join forces with their younger selves in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.
James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul, who is funding the development of an international space weapon.
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, ‘Crime 101’ weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
Marcus (Eddie Murphy) is a successful advertising executive who woos and beds women almost at will. After a company merger he finds that his new boss, the ravishing Jacqueline (Robin Givens), is treating him in exactly the same way. Completely traumatized by this, his work goes badly downhill.
Two mutants, Rogue (Anna Paquin) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), come to a private academy for their kind whose resident superhero team, the X-Men, must oppose a terrorist organization with similar powers.
When an attack on the Kingsman headquarters takes place and a new villain rises (Julianne Moore), Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) are forced to work together with the American agency known as the Statesman to save the world.
When the girl (Berry) that detective Joe Hallenback (Bruce Willis) is protecting gets murdered, the boyfriend (Damon Wayans) of the murdered girl attempts to investigate and solve the case. What they discover is that there is deep seated corruption going on between a crooked politician and the owner of a pro football team.
(L to R) Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry in ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Super-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.
A successful and married black man (Wesley Snipes) contemplates having an affair with a white girl (Annabella Sciorra) from work. He’s quite rightly worried that the racial difference would make an already taboo relationship even worse.
Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his team of genetically gifted superheroes face a rising tide of anti-mutant sentiment led by Col. William Stryker (Brian Cox). Storm (Berry), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) must join their usual nemeses—Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn)—to unhinge Stryker’s scheme to exterminate all mutants.
(L to R) Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in ‘Cloud Atlas’. Photo: Warner Bros.
A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. ‘Cloud Atlas’ explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future.
Sadly, while ‘Never Let Go’ has some interesting initial ideas about faith, delusion, paranoia and suspicion, it wastes most of them in a predictable scare-a-thon that ends in disappointing fashion.
(L to R) Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
The idea of a mother going to outrageous lengths to protect her kids from some danger –– be it real or imagined –– is far from new. ‘Never Let Go’ throws us into a post-apocalyptic world where Halle Berry’s mother lives in one of the few places still untouched by the nameless, faintly Biblical-seeming evil (there are several examples of serpent imagery) she is convinced will hurt them if they venture beyond the safety of their rickety wooden house. Tying ropes around their waists that are also connected to the house’s foundations is their main method of protection, even if it appears massively inconvenient (and indeed, that starts to factor into the drama).
Despite the interesting notion of an evil that may or may not be real and the small-scale storytelling, ‘Never Let Go’ still stumbles. It’s never as scary or truly thrilling as it thinks it is and there are long stretches, designed to illustrate how tough the family’s life is becoming as winter hits hard and supplies dwindle that act like a dropped rope –– it goes slack, and the interest severely wanes to a degree that it never quite picks up again, even the in face of a frantic climax.
Script and Direction
‘Never Let Go’ director Alexandre Aja.
Writers Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby have come up with a cool concept, but then don’t really find a way to do much that is fresh with it. There are some twists and turns we won’t specify here, but many of them will be something you’ll guess, and the final act descends into overt silliness.
Likewise Aja’s directing is solid but uninspired here. Initial jump shocks give way to long tortuous sequences of ritual, routine and repetition, and he never manages to make the concept truly work on screen.
Performances
This is really a three-hander, since our focus is almost exclusively on Berry and the kids…
Halle Berry as June/Mama
Halle Berry as Momma in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
You can see why Berry might have been attracted to the role, which gives her the chance to play unyielding but also desperate and vulnerable. Her mother character is powered by the faith that what she sees is real, even in the face of one of her sons starting to question the nature of it all.
Yet at the same time, the role mostly asks her to be nervy and wiry, becoming increasingly gaunt as the food starts to run out and she ponders turning the family’s beloved pet into their next meal. It sinks to a level of instability that begins to uproot the film, and never recovers. Berry has made a few questionable choices of late, and this is the latest.
Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
As the “oldest” (by a few minutes) of his mother’s twins, Samuel is more mature than his brother, and the one who stays the course in believing what she says. Even as his own faith wavers, he keeps up the party line about the rope and the house. Jenkins puts in decent work, playing well off of Berry and Daggs.
Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
Daggs is well matched with his brother as the “younger” twin, and as his belief in what his mother is telling them starts to crack, it ups the tension and drama.
It’s not much of a spoiler to say that figures from Berry’s character’s past make appearances in what she firmly believes are manifestations of the evil. Aside from one other we won’t explore at this time, Catlett plays Berry’s seemingly dead husband, and he’s effectively creepy without needing to dive into horror tropes.
Supporting cast
With its tight focus on the family unit, there are only a few other characters who appear, and they are mostly to drive the plot. They’re perfectly adequate, though so limited in scope the only ones who really make any sort of impact are Matthew Kevin Anderson as a hiker who shows up at the cabin and Mila Morgan as a young girl who may be more than she appears.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
Despite committed performances from Berry and the boys, this is an ultimately frustrating cinematic experience. It has some style via Aja’s experience with horror thrillers, but the story ay its core is never satisfying enough for anything to carry it through.
There was certainly scope for an exploration of how parents put rules in place to protect their kids or how those with mental health issues deal with handling the outside world. But this isn’t an effective vehicle for either.
By the end, you may be thinking that this is less ‘Never Lets Go’ and more “Never Gets Good.”
‘Never Let Go’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Never Let Go’?
A family consisting of a mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons (Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins) has suffered from the torment of a malicious spirit for many years. However, when one of the boys starts to doubt the existence of the evil, the family’s sacred bond is broken, leading to a dangerous fight for survival.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure sitting down in-person with Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins to discuss their work on ‘Never Let Go’, their first reaction to the screenplay, their characters, working together, collaborating with director Alexandre Aja on set, and if it is fun or scary making a horror movie.
Moviefone: To begin with, Halle, can you talk about your first reaction to this screenplay and your approach to playing this character?
Halle Berry: I was blown away because one of my favorite movies growing up was ‘The Shining’. When I read this, it had elements of that kind of complexity, not horror, but psychologically thrilling and deep, and I loved that. I love this idea of generational trauma. I love this version of a mama. I’ve never played a mother quite like this, but I’ve always related to those mama bear character mothers that want to save their children at all costs. We always say as mothers, “I would die for my children,” but would you really? Would you really go that far? How far would you go to protect them? So, it felt like a movie that I hadn’t seen before. I thought, “This seems like something we should dig into.”
MF: Anthony, can you talk about your approach to playing your character, his relationship with his brother and how it changes through the course of the movie?
Anthony B. Jenkins: I could say his relationship with his brother is that he knows that his brother does some sneaky stuff behind Mama’s back, but at the same time, he still loves his brother. He wants to keep him safe. That’s why he’s usually like, “Oh, why are you doing this? Listen to Mom. Listen to Mom. Listen to Mom.” So, he wants to keep the entire family safe also. But he’ll do anything, especially for his brother, even though his brother’s a bit annoying at times.
(L to R) Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
MF: Percy, can you talk about your approach to playing your character, and what his relationship with his mother is like?
Percy Daggs IV: My character is Nolan. He’s the questioning, adventurous side of Mama. He loves adventure and he loves to understand things. His relationship with Mama is he loves his mama. He always wants to take care of his mama, but sometimes he questions the things that she says, and he wonders, “Why this? Why that?” That creates some bubbling in the water.
MF: What was it like having Halle Berry play your mom?
PD: Awesome. She was amazing. She’s one of the greatest actresses of all time, and it was such an honor to work with her.
(L to R) Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Halle, what was your experience like working with these two young actors and what did you learn from watching them work?
HB: Well, what I learned was watching how open and free they are. That’s why I always love working with kids. They haven’t been trained so much that they’ve lost that spontaneity and that reality of what it is to be real. These two had it in spades. Every day they would come to set, I saw something authentic and real coming out of them. Even when they went off book and they had to improv something, they always had this ability to stay in the moment and stay right in the scene and come up with things that were right for the scene but weren’t on the page. It came from the spontaneity of just being who they are and being free, and I loved that. That’s what older actors like me try to make sure we capture, that innocence that we had when we first started. I love when this gets to rub off on me.
MF: Anthony, is it fun or scary making a horror movie?
ABJ: I’d say it’s more on the fun side because you know it’s not real because you’re doing it and you’re not really watching it, you’re doing it. So, when you really watch it, you’re like, “Oh, I remember that.” Also doing it at the same time, like at the scary parts, it would be more fun because you’re like, “Oh, I can’t wait to do that.” So maybe if you’re having to, not like this happens, but if you’re having to jump up 50 feet in the air and go straight towards a person, that would be fun because you would have a harness and ropes and it would put you up.
(L to R) Percy Daggs IV as Nolan and Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
MF: Percy, did you have fun making ‘Never Let Go’ and did you ever get scared on set?
PD: Sometimes it was scary in the horror moments of the movie. Sometimes me and AJ would get to see some of that. It was scary at times, but a lot of the times it was fun, like with the stunts and all the things like that, it was fun. It was a great opportunity, and we had a great time.
MF: Finally, Halle, what was it like collaborating with Alexandre Aja on set and what was he like to work with as a director?
HB: Well, I’ve always loved his work. From ‘The Hills Have Eyes’, he’s been someone I’ve admired, so he’s so good in this genre. I knew that with this, we had early talks with him, that it would be a stylized world that I knew it would be safe in his hands. Maxim Alexandre our DP really illuminated this scary world, and that was key. The world was like another character along with our house. Alex was fantastic. I think he wanted to not just make a down-the-middle horror movie. He was very intent on putting those layers in there and not answering every question. We leave enough for the audience to surmise their own answers or take from it what feels right for them.
Halle Berry as Momma in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
MF: Just to follow up, do you like movies with open endings?
HB: I want to talk about it when it’s over. I want to say, “Huh, I wonder if it was this or that,” and have healthy debate. That’s what I love about movies, that water cooler talk, that talking for an hour after the movie’s over about how it impacted you and what you thought was true about it versus what somebody else thinks is true about it. That’s what art’s all about.
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What is the plot of ‘Never Let Go’?
A family consisting of a mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons (Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins) has suffered from the torment of a malicious spirit for many years. However, when one of the boys starts to doubt the existence of the evil, the family’s sacred bond is broken, leading to a dangerous fight for survival.
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Emotions run high when three estranged sisters (Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon and Elizabeth Olsen) reunite in a cramped New York City apartment to watch over their ailing father during his final days.
A former Marine (Aaron Pierre) confronts corruption in a small town when local law enforcement unjustly seizes the bag of cash he needs to post his cousin’s bail.
(L to R) Peter Dinklage in ‘The Thicket’. Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films.
An innocent young man, Jack (Levon Hawke), goes on an epic quest to rescue his sister Lula (Esme Creed-Miles) after she has been kidnapped by the violent killer Cut Throat Bill (Juliette Lewis) and her gang. To save her, Jack enlists the help of a crafty bounty hunter named Reginald Jones (Peter Dinklage), a grave-digging alcoholic son of an ex-slave (Gbenga Akinnagbe), and a street-smart prostitute (Leslie Grace). The gang tracks Cut Throat Bill into the deadly no-man’s land known as The Big Thicket — a place where blood and chaos reign.
A girl (Nadine Crocker) suffering from depression is forced to get her life together when she is taken involuntarily to a mental institution after trying to follow in her fathers footsteps, but failing in her suicide attempt. She finds unlikely friends, unwavering love, and a life she never imagined possible for a girl like her. All to find out some decisions can’t be undone.
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Wanda (Edie Falco), a single mother with a pregnant daughter (Kayli Carter), a wayward son, a mother (Jeannie Berlin) who believes is dying. Barely having time for herself and living to take care of her family but everyone around her doesn’t seem to accept it, why isn’t that enough?
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Dave Bautista in ‘The Killer’s Game’. Photo: Lionsgate.
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Director Susanna Fogel’s ‘Winner’. Photo: Vertical.
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Halle Berry as Momma in ‘Never Let Go’. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher.
In this new psychological thriller/horror, as an Evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother, played by Oscar-winner Halle Berry, and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.
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Diagnosed with a black hole growing inside her chest and stuck in a loop reliving the last five days of her life, a 55-year-old wife and mother (Mary-Louise Parker) from Miami, Florida decides to solve time travel in order to go back and be the person she always intended to be.
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Kate Winslet ‘Lee’. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.
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In order to escape the police after a robbery, two estranged siblings lay low in a metaphysical farmhouse that hides them away in a different time. There they reckon with a mysterious force that pushes their familial bonds to unnatural breaking points.
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Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in filmmaker John Crowley’s decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.
Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) unleashes chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
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Ann (Heather Graham) is a yoga teacher struggling to achieve inner peace despite the fact her family is driving her crazy and her dating life is miserable. She doesn’t know how to say no and wants to fix everyone’s problems.
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About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
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(L to R) André Holland and Andra Day in ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
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(L to R) Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
Eleven-year-old Mildred’s (Nell Fisher) life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and estranged, American magician father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), comes to look after her. Hoping to entertain the bookish tween, Strawn takes Mildred camping in the notoriously rugged New Zealand wilderness, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding – a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.
(L to R) Carrie-Anne Moss and Douglas Smith in ‘Die Alone’. Photo: Filmoption.
Lost in a world reclaimed by nature and overrun by mysterious creatures, a young man with amnesia teams up with an eccentric survivalist to find his missing girlfriend.
Eddie (Tom Hardy) and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
From director Edward Berger (‘All Quiet on the Western Front’) ‘Conclave’ follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting a new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of The Church.
(L to R) Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in ‘Red One.’ Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
After a villain kidnaps Santa (J.K. Simmons) from the North Pole, an E.L.F (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative (Dwayne Johnson) must partner with the world’s most accomplished tracker (Chris Evans) to find Santa and save Christmas.
Paul Mescal plays Lucius in ‘Gladiator II’ from Paramount Pictures.
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus (Russell Crowe) at the hands of his uncle (Joaquin Phoenix), Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
(L to R) Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Granda is Glinda in ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), an ostracized but defiant girl born with green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), a privileged aristocrat born popular, become extremely unlikely friends in the magical Land of Oz. As the two girls struggle with their opposing personalities, their friendship is tested as both begin to fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and The Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical ‘Moana 2’ takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.
183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy, a sudden attack by Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra (Gaia Wise), the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven the Hunter in ‘Kraven the Hunter.’
Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.
Shadow (Keanu Reeves) in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.
Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba), and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow (Keanu Reeves), a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Rafiki (John Kani) relays the legend of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) to lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé). Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) —the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion a journey of misfits searching for their destiny and working together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
Robert Eggers’ ‘Nosferatu’ is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Bill Skarsgård in ‘The Crow.’ Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.
Preview:
Lionsgate brought the likes of ‘The Crow’ and ‘Borderlands’ to CinemaCon.
Stars including Henry Cavill and Halle Berry promoted their new movies.
The studio revealed several movies that have yet to lock down release dates.
Following a somewhat subdued and honestly lacking 2023 presentation, Lionsgate has a much more packed release schedule this year.
With movies such as the new take on ‘The Crow’, video game adaptation ‘Borderlands’ and an actual update on ‘John Wick’ spin-off ‘Ballerina’ –– there is plenty for the company to drum up excitement for.
But before talking about the movies coming in 2024, there was a chance to tease even further in the future, with confirmation of ‘Shang-Chi’ director Destin Daniel Cretton adapting the ‘Naruto’ manga and anime, the third ‘Now You See Me’ in development with Ruben Fleischer directing and, even more intriguingly, Jason Blum’s Blumhouse working on a new ‘Blair Witch Project’ and Margot Robbie intending to make a ‘Monopoly’ movie with her LuckyChap company.
‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ opens in theaters on April 19th. Photo Credit: Daniel Smith.
The upcoming release of Guy Ritchie’s World War II based-on-truth spy action thriller gave the company the chance to also tease his early 2025 release, which we now know is called ‘In The Grey’ and features criminals who work in a gray area of the world, somewhere between right and wrong.
Henry Cavill was brought out on stage to promote ‘Ministry’ and ‘In The Grey’, which he’s also appearing in. ‘In The Grey’ will see him once more appearing alongside ‘Ministry’s Eiza Gonzalez, with the addition of Jake Gyllenhaal and Rosamund Pike. It’s a heist thriller that looks slick and fun.
And because he’s Mr. Lionsgate right now, Cavill also talked up the ‘Highlander’ reboot movie series that has Chad Stahelski in the director’s chair.
According to Cavill, the new movies will dig much deeper into the lore of the characters and the world in ways the previous films did not. “I’m a lover of the original movies, for better or for worse, and it’s one of those things where when I was reading the script for the first time I wasn’t quite too sure where they were going to go with it.”
He also teases that, “If you thought you’ve seen me do sword work before, you haven’t seen anything.” Showoff!
‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ opens next week on April 19th, ‘In The Grey’ will be in theaters on January 17, 2025. The ‘Highlander’ movie has yet to score a date.
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The presentation then moved on to a quick look at…
Director Renny Harlin’s ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1.’ Photo: Lionsgate Films.
The reboot of the horror franchise comes from Renny Harlin and kicks off a fresh trilogy.
This first new movie follows what happens when a couple driving cross-country to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest sees their car break down and is forced to spend the night in a secluded rental, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.
A trailer was shown, but you can see the previously released version below.
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‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ will be in theaters on May 17th.
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Onwards to what the studio is no doubt hoping will be one of its heavy hitters in an era where video game adaptations are ruling the genre roost…
Bill Skarsgård in ‘The Crow.’ Photo Credit: Larry Horricks for Lionsgate.
The presentation for the supernatural thriller remake begins with a lot of talk about how the new movie draws more from James O’Barr’s graphic novel source material more closely than the 1994 adaptation.
With Rupert Sanders directing this one, the cast includes Bill Skarsgård, FKA Twigs and Danny Huston in the story of a couple who are murdered when the woman’s past catches up to her, only for the guy to be brought back to mystical life to take violent revenge on the criminals responsible.
The new trailer for the movie played to the room, which vastly improved on the first. It’s a lot grittier and more violent and spends a little more time building up the relationship between Skarsgård and Twigs and then being told, “The Crow will guide you to put the wrong things right. Kill them. Kill them all…”
We watch our hero getting into impressive scraps and needing to rebuild his body after a nasty encounter with traffic. Could this turn around word on the new movie?
It’s the story of a family who have been haunted by an evil presence for years –– or at least, that’s what their mother claims –– begins to question the truth of their situation. Berry talked about how she’s an adrenaline junkie who grew up loving ‘The Shining’ and looked to be part of a story she’s never seen before.
And she also mentioned going Full Method to play an overprotective mother who lives with her kids in a cabin in the woods –– including learning to skin a squirrel.
The movie features Dave Bautista as an assassin who falls for Sofia Boutella and looks to start a family. But then alas! He’s diagnosed with a fatal disease, so to help those around him avoid the pain of a long illness, he takes out a contract on his own life… until he learns he was misdiagnosed and learns that the contract is still valid –– and a lot of his former colleagues (including an enthusiastic killer played by old ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ pal Pom Klementieff) are still looking to collect.
‘Day Shift’s’ J.J. Perry is behind this one, and it looks fun, but it has yet to confirm a release date.
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Now, to one people might have something to say about…
‘Flight Risk’
A thriller directed by Mel Gibson and starring Mark Wahlberg? Yeah, surely that won’t be controversial.
Still, the film, which features Wahlberg as a scenery-chewing mob hitman who takes over piloting a charter flight transporting a prisoner (Topher Grace) to New York to stand trial had a footage reel. The biggest thing to draw attention appeared to be Wahlberg’s accent and hair…
‘Flight Risk’ is still being edited, so it has yet to announce a release slot.
It’s the story of Ansari’s struggling Los Angeles-based assistant, who is visited by a “budget guardian angel” (how could Reeves be a budget anything?), who helps him find meaning and value in his life. And how is that accomplished? A body-swap twist with Rogen’s wealthier sort, so both can see how the other half lives.
When you have Ansari behind your movie, you naturally have him come out on stage to be funny, and so he does, poking fun at Henry Cavill and how theater owners (the primary crowd here) frequent strip clubs in Vegas.
He also tells a story about Keanu Reeves –– a man who has survived ‘Matrix’ and ‘John Wick’ movies ending up on crutches while shooting this film… by tripping on a rug on his way back to his trailer. He kept on working, shooting everything bar one dance sequence, for which Ansari, in a moment of genuine gratitude, described him as an actual angel.
‘Good Fortune’ is another movie without a release date in place.
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’ Photo Credit: Murray Close.
The ‘Wick’ spin-off starring Ana de Armas as an assassin has been the subject of much speculation, most pointedly because it has been delayed more than once.
After little to talk about on this one last year, the company had more to say on this one, including extra details on how the release delays allowed director Len Wiseman to go in an add extra action scenes.
The first trailer for the film screened which, to no-one’s surprise, includes Reeves’ appearance as John Wick in the movie. And, also less than surprising, it factors in the High Table, the Continental, and some key cast from the franchise. From the looks of it, Reeves’ Wick will be training de Armas’ character.
‘Ballerina’ will land in theaters on June 6th next year.
Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael.’ Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur
It’s still in production, so director Antoine Fuqua couldn’t make it to Vegas, but Lionsgate still wanted to make sure we all know the Michael Jackson biopic is on the way next year. Producer Graham King (who has no little experience with musical movies about big stars after ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’) was on hand to offer a first look. Behind-the-scenes buzz-builder ahoy!
King revealed that the movie will feature more than 30 songs from Jackson’s oeuvre, and that it’ll dig into various aspects of his life in music and beyond. How far it’ll probe still remains to be seen, but King seemed confident in the filmmakers’ approach.
‘Michael’ is due to arrive on April 18th next year.
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Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo to portray Jackson Family Patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International’s Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael.’
