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Dan Fogler Talks ‘The Offer’

Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Currently airing on Paramount+ is the new miniseries about the making of ‘The Godfather’ entitled ‘The Offer.’ The series chronicles producer Albert S. Ruddy’s journey to turn author Mario Puzo’s famous novel into a movie.

The series stars Miles Teller as Ruddy, Juno Temple as Ruddy’s assistant Bettye McCartt, Matthew Goode as head of Paramount Pictures Robert Evans, Burn Gorman as Gulf and Western Industries’ Charles Bluhdorn, Colin Hanks as Bluhdorn’s right-hand man Barry Lapidus, Giovanni Ribisi as mob boss Joe Colombo, and Dan Fogler as filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.

Actor Dan Fogler began his career making popular comedies and animated films like ‘Balls of Fury,’ ‘Fanboys,’ ‘Take Me Home Tonight,’ ‘Horton Hears a Who!,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda,’ ‘Mars Needs Moms,’ and ‘Free Birds.’

But he is probably best known for playing Jacob Kowalski in the ‘Harry Potter’ spinoffs ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,’ ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.’

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dan Fogler about playing Francis Ford Coppola in ‘The Offer.’
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You can read our full interview with Dan Fogler below or click on the video player above to watch out interviews with Fogler, and Giovanni Ribisi about ‘The Offer.’

Moviefone: To begin with, were you aware of all the legendary behind-the-scenes stories of the making of ‘The Godfather’ before you started making this miniseries?

Dan Fogler: Yes, we just had one recently on the series that was a legend that came out, which was the famous dinner scene. I remember talking about that in college when I went to acting school because it was such a great tool. Coppola talks about getting all the actors together for dinner, sharing central activities, drinking together, and partying together because that builds the relationships and it makes excellent chemistry.

So, there was this famous dinner that we recreated in the show, where they brought in the cast. It was the day before shooting and Coppola rented out this room in this restaurant and they brought Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Al Pacino. Everyone was there, even Diane Keaton. Everyone started vying for Brando’s attention and everyone kind of sat where you’d think that they would sit as a family hierarchy.

Then all the things that happened in that scene played out, where there’s an insult and Caan gets upset, and it gets heated. Then Brando says, “Did this man hurt you?” to Talia Shire. Suddenly, it was in that moment that Coppola saw, “Oh my God, this is going to work. Everyone’s falling into place perfectly, the chemistry’s working and they’re already in character.” So, it was one of those magical theatrical moments. So yeah, those are legends. Coming up as a young actor, you hear about all these things and then suddenly you’re on set and you’re recreating them and it’s very surreal.

MF: What was your approach to playing Francis Ford Coppola?

DF: So, I’ve been kind of studying Coppola for a while. I saw ‘The Godfather’ when I was in high school as a young actor, and then used that as a mothership of the whole ensemble, just like reverse engineering. I was seeing everything from Coppola, including ‘The Godfather,’ then I went to ‘Apocalypse Now,’ and ‘Hearts of Darkness.’

Just seeing Coppola, the ringmaster at the center of that circus and the kind of person that it takes. The fortitude that it takes to create something like that, the passion, and the energy. So, I was very familiar with him. I understood as a young actor, he was 30 when he did ‘The Godfather.’ There was a real “Orson Welles syndrome” going on with him, where he’s the smartest guy in the room, but he still is got to prove himself.

He won an Academy Award for writing ‘Patton,’ which is just military poetry, but he still had to prove himself as a director. They don’t make a lot of people like that anymore. These real artists, he’s like a real visionary. What I understood about seeing him at the center of that, that he has to put himself in the middle of chaos in order to create his best work. He has to be in the middle of a pressure cooker in order to create, to be at his best.

I understood as a young actor, really trying to prove yourself, being put in a situation where you’re pigeonholed and who would ever cast me is Coppola? I would think John Belushi first, and I would think all of these different people first. I knew I would have to prove myself in order to be the room to audition for Coppola.

But there was something that happened after the audition where I saw myself and I kind of saw what they were hoping to see, like the potential there, which is that I look like him. I look like I could be related to him if I put the glasses on. I got a beard, I put my hair to side, and I really do look like him. So, there was a confidence there where I thought, I got a shot here. So, Coppola has been in my life a long time.

Matthew Goode as Robert Evans in ‘The Offer,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2022. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+

MF: At this year’s Oscar ceremony, Coppola for the first time ever publicly recognized Robert Evans contributions to ‘The Godfather.’ Can you talk about their relationship in the series and what it was like for you to work with Matthew Goode?

DF: If Matthew is not nominated (for an Emmy), then there’s something wrong with the world. I had a front row seat. There’s something that happened to me playing Coppola, which was, I’m playing a director. I had such a love of the ensemble of all their performances. I was just sitting there impressed. I just couldn’t help but root them on and be a coach for them. Anytime someone was like, “I feel nervous or whatever.” I was like, no. You are amazing. I was there for them for the support. Especially Matthew, because he’s a Brit. What he’s doing is he’s just sinking into that, disappearing into that, and becoming Bob Evans. I think that he’s amazing.

On the show, I’m playing a great admiration for the Evans because he’s giving us a chance here. He’s just a huge coach for everybody, but in a real life, that contention really spiraled out of control. There’re so many egos and there’s telegrams that I found, between Evans and Coppola when they were starting to do ‘The Godfather Part II.’ They’re just scathing, and a lot of feelings were hurt.

Here’s the thing. Coppola had this vision and he saw only one person as the Don, and he wanted Brando. He thought that was a long shot. Then when he got Brando, it was just like, “Okay, well then I want Pacino, that’s my only choice.” So, he became like, “It’s my vision, let me see my vision to the end. There’s something here.”

He butts heads with Evans at every point on the road. So, I guess they did butt heads a bit about that. That’s in the show, and those scenes are a lot of fun, but I think my favorite stuff to play is when they’re working together, getting along, and Evans walks in and is just like a knight in shining armor. He just saves the day. There’re a couple moments like that. Those are my favorite moments, the celebratory moments where we’re all winning, and the musketeers are working together.

MF: Finally, have you ever had a chance to meet Francis Ford Coppola?

DF: No, but I’ve met people in his family. I worked with Robert Schwartzman. I did ‘The Argument,’ with him. He’s his nephew. I’ve met and spoken to, in my research, people that want to be off the record, who are very close to him. I got to speak to James Caan, which is as close to him but not in the family as you can get. I hope one day to talk to him and I hope that he sees it. That would be the ultimate badge of honor to get his stamp of approval.

Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+ ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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You can watch an exclusive scene from the finale of Paramount+’s ‘The Offer,’ featuring the premiere of ‘The Godfather,’ by clicking on the video player above.

June 3, 2022
Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren Starring in ‘1932’

( L to R) Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford in 1986’s ‘The Mosquito Coast.’

Taylor Sheridan’s rapidly expanding ‘Yellowstone’ TV universe just keeps adding spin-offs. And big names to go along with them.

Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are the latest actors to sign on to roles, making deals to lead new series ‘1932’.

That show – the date is apparently a working title for now, is still being kept mysterious, though according to Sheridan, “the next story will introduce a new generation of the Dutton family and explore the early twentieth century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition, and the Great Depression all plague the mountain west, and the Duttons who call it home.”

Ford has rarely been a TV man since his career took off with the likes of ‘Star Wars’, but that attitude has been changing of late with him joining Jason Segel in ‘Shrinking’, a new comedy that Segel has created with ‘Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein.

Mirren, though, has much more small screen experience – she played DI Jane Tennison in the popular ‘Prime Suspect’ series in the UK and spent a chunk of her younger days appearing in plays on TV. More recently, she’s been seen in HBO Miniseries ‘Catherine the Great’ and provides a voice for Netflix comedy series ‘Human Resources.

Parent series ‘Yellowstone’, of course, has Kevin Costner as its tough center, while ‘1932’s fellow period spin-off ‘1883’ features the mustachioed gravitas of Sam Elliott, along with Country Music legends Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

‘1932’s first season will shoot this year and is targeting a December launch on streaming service Paramount+.

In this publicity image released by Universal Pictures, Harrison Ford, left, and Daniel Craig are shown in a scene from ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Timothy White)

And that wasn’t the only ‘Yellowstone’ news. With Paramount holding its Upfront presentation for advertisers today, word comes that another spin-off, titled ‘6666’ is headed for a different venue.

Originally announced for Paramount+, ‘6666’ will now find a home at the Paramount Network, as the company looks to spread the Taylor Sheridan wealth across its various outlets.

The series takes place when Comanches still ruled West Texas and no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 is where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing. The 6666 is synonymous with the merciless endeavor to raise the finest horses and livestock in the world, and ultimately where world class cowboys are born and made.

There’s no announced date yet for ‘6666’ to premiere. But at this rate, Paramount might just end up rebranding as the ‘Yellowstone’ Network.

Also, because Sheridan apparently has given up the need to sleep (actually, he’s just good at delegating), there is yet another show confirmed. While ‘1883’ was designed as a one-season drama, it will also have a spin-off, with David Oyelowo starring in ‘1883: The Bass Reeves Story’.

Reeves was known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, and also believed to be the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. Reeves worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing over 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded.

This new miniseries doesn’t have a scheduled date yet, but it will debut on Paramount+.

David Oyelowo attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images).

May 18, 2022
Movie Review: Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Opening in theaters on May 27th is the long-awaited sequel to the groundbreaking 1986 Tony Scott film ‘Top Gun,’ aptly titled ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’

The movie picks up 36 years after the original, and centers on an older Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) who is ordered to return to the TOPGUN flight school to train a group of the Navy’s best pilots for a dangerous secret mission.

In addition to Cruise, the cast also includes Miles Teller as Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late co-pilot Goose (Anthony Edwards), as well as Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer, reprising his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.

The result is an exhilarating sequel that relies only a bit on nostalgia but also creates new characters and situations to test its lead character, played commandingly by Cruise, and features some of the best flying sequences ever captured on film.

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Set 36 years after the original, we are reintroduced to Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise), who is still in the Navy, but has only achieved the rank of Captain due to his infamous insubordination. Maverick is surprised to be called back to his old flight school, TOPGUN, by Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Kilmer), in order to train the best pilots in the Navy for a dangerous secret mission.

But Maverick soon discovers that the son of his ex-partner Goose (Edwards in archive footage), Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Teller), is one of his new students and now Maverick must decide if he is willing to put Rooster’s life at risk or protect him as his father would have wanted.

Meanwhile, Maverick must deal with his commanding officer, Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson (Hamm), as well as revisiting a past relationship with Penny Benjamin (Connelly), “the Admiral’s daughter” that was briefly mentioned in the original film. As Maverick and Rooster come to terms with their anger towards each other, Mitchell must get the recruits ready for the mission of their life.

Of all the 1980’s blockbuster movies, ‘Top Gun’ is the “Holy Grail” of recognizable intellectual property to never be tapped for sequels, which is why the franchise was so ripe for a follow-up now. In a world where movies based on popular IP rule, Tom Cruise was wise to revisit the character of Maverick in a ‘Top Gun’ sequel as creating franchises out of ‘Jack Reacher’ and ‘The Mummy’ failed to work, and the actor can’t just make ‘Mission: impossible’ movies the rest of his life!

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

But unlike other recent “legacy sequels” such as ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ or ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ ‘Maverick’ does not rely on the nostalgia factor quite as much. In fact, with the exception of Tom Cruise, (and archive footage appearances from Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan), Val Kilmer is the only other actor from the original to appear in the sequel.

While the nostalgia kicks in during the opening credits, as soon as you hear the famous ‘Top Gun’ theme, the movie doesn’t rely on nostalgia for story, outside of the main conflict between Maverick and Rooster. That allows the sequel to be its own thing, while capitalizing on the love we all have for the original, and Tom Cruise as Maverick.

But I do wish there were a few more tie-ins to the first film, like bringing back recognizable actors such as Adrian Pasdar or Oscar-winner Tim Robbins to play Maverick’s contemporaries who rose in the Naval ranks while he didn’t. Instead new series actors Jon Hamm and Charles Parnell are cast in those parts, and while effort is made to explain their connection to Maverick, it would have been easier to use characters we were already familiar with.

And while actress Kelly McGillis was missed, Jennifer Connelly was a welcomed addition as Maverick’s love interest Penny, who actually has a connection to the first film. Penny is the “Admiral’s daughter,” the same Admiral’s daughter that Goose mentions Maverick had a fling with in the original movie. While the romantic scenes are not as “steamy” as they were in the original, they are sweet, and demonstrate how Maverick has matured through the years.

Jennifer Connelly plays Penny Benjamin in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Of the returning cast, Val Kilmer is absolutely wonderful as now Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. While the actor was unable to speak much of his dialogue due to an illness from cancer, the filmmakers brilliantly wove that into the character’s own history, which helped drive the story. Kilmer has a very touching scene with Cruise, and it is one of the best moments of the film.

Director Joseph Kosinski, who previously worked with Cruise on the criminally underrated ‘Oblivion,’ does amazing work here capturing some of the best flying sequences ever on film. Cruise and the other actors actually trained as pilots to prepare for the movie and are really up in the air in those jets when we see them on screen. There were no green screens or visual effects, just real actors capturing their actual expressions in those moments. We would expect nothing less from Tom Cruise at this point, but as a filmmaker, Kosinski pulled off those sequences beautifully.

Kosinski also pulls back on the nostalgia by wisely not recreating the “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” scene, and replacing the beach volley ball scene, with a game of football instead. Although, it would have been nice to hear a few of the old Kenny Loggins songs that were so memorable from the original.

But my biggest complaint is the strange “Fade to Black” dissolves that are littered throughout the film. It was a weird way to end a scene, and Kosinski does it repeatedly, almost as if they were laying in where the commercials will go once the film plays on cable TV in a few years. It was an odd choice, that otherwise does not hurt the overall enjoyment of the film.

Miles Teller plays Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

After his work in the mini-series ‘The Offer,’ and now ‘Maverick,’ actor Miles Teller is really on a roll. He is perfectly cast as Rooster, and even resembles Anthony Edwards a bit. Teller gives a spunky performance and has great chemistry with Cruise. His inner-turmoil over his father’s death, and his perceived betrayal by Maverick, fuels the conflict of the film. Also excellent from the new cast is ‘Hidden Figures’ actor Glen Powell who plays Hangman, Rooster’s rival and the Iceman to his Maverick.

But ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ simply works because we all love Tom Cruise in this role! Whether you saw ‘Top Gun’ for the first time in the 80s or years later, the movie is part of our culture and seeing Cruise return to this role after all these years is a complete thrill. It’s interesting to see the character now in his late 50s and compare him to the confident 24-year old character he was in the original.

Cruise still portrays all the charm and arrogance we remember Maverick possessing in his youth, but also reveals a relic of a man, who is grappling with a changing world that could soon find him obsolete. Those are very heavy ideas to take on in a summer blockbuster, but Cruise and Kosinski were more than up for the challenge and certainly succeed on several different levels.

In the end, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a rare legacy sequel, one that is more interested in telling a new story about a beloved character that has changed since the original, and less concerned with playing the greatest hits from its predecessor.

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ receives 4.5 out of 5 stars
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May 13, 2022
Paramount’s Next ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movie is ‘Dead Reckoning Part 1’

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout,’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

It might boast one of the biggest movie stars left in the world – also known as Mr. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV in its stable -but Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation didn’t quite match the scale of some of the other studios preceding it on the schedule.

Still, Paramount did have some news to share, with Cruise sending a video from (because of course) a plane above South Africa where he’s busy filming the eighth ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie. Which is fitting, because the big announcement from Paramount is that the seventh ‘Mission’ movie is called ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’.

That, of course, leads us to assume that it’ll be followed by ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’, but given the fluid nature of all details while Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie are shooting the movies, that may end up changing.

We do know that the two movies are supposed to be connected, and the title gives ominous feelings as to what could be happening to heroic agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise). Still, this is a man who has cheated death many times over, so don’t count him out just yet.

“Let’s all try to have a great summer. See you at the movies!” Cruise exclaimed before his plane plummeted into a canyon (it was all part of a bit, he’s fine as usual). He introduced the first look at a teaser for ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ and the entirety of his latest movie, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. While no direct mention was made, there’s a good chance the ‘Mission’ trailer will be attached to ‘Maverick’ when the long-awaited ‘Top Gun’ sequel touches down on May 27th.

Both the new ‘Mission’ movies feature a mix of returning cast and new faces including Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett, Cary Elwes, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney, and Charles Parnell.

‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ arrives in theaters on July 14th next year, followed by the eighth film on June 28th, 2024.

(L to R) Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega.

Paramount has been having a good year in terms of box office so far – with movies including ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ ‘Jackass Forever’ and ‘Scream’ topping the charts upon release and making money.

“When I started this job six months ago, I was asked what do I think the business will be in a post-pandemic world?” studio chief Brian Robbins told the crowd. “What I responded was pretty much exactly what Paramount looked like so far this year. All four of our releases this year have opened to No. 1 at the box office and with ‘Top Gun’ we think we have a really good shot at making it five for five. None of this would have been possible if we had not doubled down in our faith in our release dates.”

In lieu of bringing up separate filmmakers and actors to introduce its upcoming batch of releases (probably because screening ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ ate up much of the time), the studio showed a sizzle reel.

Amongst the biggest titles was the first look at ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’, which stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. The movie looks epic and full of sweeping location shots, clearly aiming for the biggest screen possible. It’ll reach theaters on March 3rd, 3023.

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ will open in theaters on March 3rd, 2023.

Also shown? Footage from ‘La La Land’ director Damien Chazelle’s new jazz-era old-Hollywood drama. Margot Robbie stars as an anxious actress, demanding her close-up, intoning, “You don’t become a star, you either are one or you ain’t.”

‘Babylon’ also stars Brad Pitt, Katherine Waterston, Olivia Wilde, Tobey Maguire, Jean Smart and Samara Weaving. It’ll be in theaters on January 6th next year.

And the new ‘Mission’ wasn’t the only title announced by Paramount: we now know that the ‘A Quiet Place’ spin-off, to be directed by ‘Pig’s Michael Sarnoski, will be called ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’, and, as the name suggests, is a prequel.

It’ll explore a family other than the usual Abbots of the first two main ‘Quiet Place’ movies trying to survive on the day the aliens first arrive – which was briefly show in the dramatic opening to ‘A Quiet Place Part II’.

‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ will be in theaters on September 23rd next year. ‘Quiet Place’ overseer John Krasinski is also developing a third main movie, though no details were offered.

(L-R) Noah Jupe and director John Krasinski and on the set of Paramount Pictures’ “A Quiet Place Part II.”

April 28, 2022
TV Review: ‘The Offer’

(L to R) Miles Teller as Al Ruddy and Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Premiering April 28th on Paramount+ is the new 10-part mini-series ‘The Offer,’ which chronicles the making of ‘The Godfather.’

The series stars Miles Teller as ‘Godfather’ producer Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Paramount executive Robert Evans, Giovanni Ribisi as mobster Joe Colombo, and Dan Fogler as director Francis Ford Coppola.

The result is a really fun retelling of how ‘The Godfather’ was made, even if most of the facts have been replaced with legend, and serves an entertaining send-up of Hollywood filmmaking with an absolutely brilliant performance by Matthew Goode as the iconic Robert Evans.

The series begins by introducing us to Albert S. Ruddy (Teller), a computer programmer-turned TV writer who wants to produce feature films. He soon meets the head of Paramount studios, Robert Evans (Goode), who desperately needs a hit, and assigns Ruddy to produce Mario Puzo’s (Patrick Gallo) best-selling novel, “The Godfather.”

Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Evan’s righthand-man, Peter Bart (Josh Zukerman) recommends writer Francis Ford Coppola (Fogler) to direct the film and co-write with Puzo. But production of the movie is put in jeopardy when mob boss Joe Colombo (Ribisi) decides to stop the production because he feels the book is negative towards Italian-Americans. Along with his assistant Bettye McCartt (Juno Temple), Ruddy begins a friendship with Colombo that allows the movie to get made.

Meanwhile, Evans battles Paramount owners Charles Bluhdorn (Burn Gorman) and Barry Lapidus (Colin Hanks) to get the movie made and keep his job. As the film goes into production, Ruddy must deal with Colombo and the mob, fighting Bluhdorn and Evans to get actors Al Pacino (Anthony Ippolito) and Marlon Brando (Justin Chambers) cast, and fulfilling Coppola’s vision to make the greatest movie of all-time!

The pilot episode is directed by Dexter Fletcher, who is also a producer on the series and has a flair for telling “based on a true story” movies like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ which he unofficially directed, and ‘Rocketman.’ But the biggest problem with the series, much like HBO’s ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,’ is that it offers legend as fact and mixes the two together, ultimately leaving the audience lost as to what is real and what is a dramatization.

Also blending myth and facts, actor Gianni Russo, who played Carlo in ‘The Godfather,’ has been very vocal over the years about his version of the making of the film, which again, may or may not have been true, and saw him taking on the role of mediator between the studio and the mafia.

The series contradicts that story, having Ruddy as the mediator, and also depicts Russo as physically abusive and a sexual predator on the set. Again, that may or may not be true, but if it is, the series does finally explain why actor James Caan really beat Russo up in their famous fight scene.

Another aspect of the series that may or may not ultimately work, is the way they orchestrated moments from ‘The Godfather’ to happen behind the scenes, as if to say that those “real life” moments inspired the film. This works once in a while, but the series doubles down and does it constantly. For example, on the set of the movie in the Don’s office, Ruddy sits behind the desk answering questions from the crew as if he was the Don. While fun at times, this technique eventually runs out of steam.

Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo of the Paramount+ original series ‘The Offer.’ Photo: Nicole Wilder/Paramount+. ©2022 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

The sub-plot between Ruddy and the mob is at times more entertaining than the story of making the movie, but I have to call into question if any of that actually happened. According to the mini-series, Ruddy and Colombo become very close, and Ruddy is even in attendance when Colombo was assassinated, which may or may not be true.

The series also implies that Lenny Montana (wonderfully played by Lou Ferrigno), the actor who portrayed Luca Brasi, actually worked for Colombo and may have been implicated in the murder of “Crazy” Joe Gallo. With so many true stories told in the series, it becomes confusing when the show takes “creative license.”

Miles Teller gives a strong performance as Albert S. Ruddy and is really the audience’s eyes throughout the series. Juno Temple is also quite strong as his assistant Bettye and transcends her limited role. Some of the supporting roles of famous actors are a bit hard to swallow, including Anthony Ippolito’s caricature-type performance as Al Pacino. But, Justin Chambers perfectly captures both Marlon Brando’s oddness and genius.

Giovanni Ribisi is surprisingly great as Joe Colombo and brings a lot of humanity to an otherwise unredeemable character. Burn Gorman also gives a spot-on performance as Gulf + Western owner Charles Bluhdorn, which is both funny and at times menacing.

Matthew Goode as Robert Evans in ‘The Offer,’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+.

But for me, its Matthew Goode’s performance as legendary producer Robert Evans that really makes this series worth watching. For those that don’t know, Evans is one of the most iconic Hollywood producers of all-time, overseeing not just ‘The Godfather,’ but also hits like ‘Love Story,’ and ‘Chinatown.’ Evans had a very specific way of talking and moving, and Goode nails each aspect of his personality perfectly.

While a supporting character, Evans is as much the star of ‘The Offer’ as Ruddy, and the series tracks his rise, fall, and rise again at Paramount and hints at his drug addiction and failed marriage to Ali MacGraw.

In the end, fans of classic Hollywood filmmaking and specifically ‘The Godfather’ will enjoy this series, whether some of the facts are in question or not. But I do think that anyone with a passing knowledge of ‘The Godfather’ and the legendary stories from behind the scenes will have a more enjoyable viewing than those that do not know the movie’s history.

‘The Offer’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.

‘The Offer’ premieres April 28th on Paramount+
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You can watch an exclusive scene from the finale of Paramount+’s ‘The Offer,’ featuring the premiere of ‘The Godfather,’ by clicking on the video player above.

April 27, 2022
More ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Cast Headed for ‘Star Trek: Picard’

Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard and John de Lancie as Q of the Paramount+ original series “Star Trek: Picard.’ Photo: Trae Patton/Paramount+ ©2022 ViacomCBS. All Rights Reserved.

In what constitutes a good news/bad news situation for fans of Paramount+ series ‘Star Trek: Picard’, the streaming service has announced that more of Patrick Stewart’s former ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ castmates will appear in the third season of the sci-fi series. The bad news aspect? That will also serve to wrap up the show.

‘Star Trek: Picard’, which features Stewart as the venerable former Captain (now Admiral) Picard as he deals with new adventures and threats past, present and future, has not been shy in keeping connective tissue with the 1980s and 1990s series, even as it charts its own course.

Former ‘TNG’ stars Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis guest-starred in Season 1 as Will Riker and Deanna Troi, while Brent Spiner’s Data (and other characters brought to life by the actor) formed a key part of the storyline for that season.

Now, though, Paramount+ has used “First Contact Day” (aka April 5, the day in 2063 in which humans encountered the Vulcans, as seen in 1996 movie that featured the ‘Next Generation’ characters battling a threat from the Borg), to announce that more of that show’s cast will be back to see their old commander.

Frakes, Sirtis and Spiner will all return, joined this time by LeVar Burton’s Geordi LaForge (former Chief Engineer of Picard’s Enterprise), Gates McFadden’s Dr. Beverly Crusher (who had an established connection to Picard before serving on the ship) and Michael Dorn’s Worf (a Klingon raised by humans who was Chief of Security on board for years).

How exactly they will fit into the plot for Season 3 is unknown at this point, but there are subtle clues about legacy in the teaser video put out by the streaming service to mark the announcement. And it looks like Riker in particular will be back in action in a big way.

“I remember watching the premiere of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ almost 34 years ago with my father like it was yesterday. It was the spark that ignited my love for science fiction,” says Terry Matalas, Season 3 showrunner and executive producer. “So, it’s most fitting that the story of Jean-Luc Picard ends honoring the beginning, with his dearest and most loyal friends from the U.S.S. Enterprise. It would be an understatement to say that giving these characters a proper send-off is an honor. The entire ‘Picard’ team and I can’t wait for fans to experience this final, high-stakes, starship-bound adventure in Season 3!”

‘Picard’ Season 3 wrapped filming last month, having kicked off production shortly after Season 2 shot its final scenes. That season is still midway through airing, and brings back another ‘Next Generation’ favorite, as John De Lancie’s troublesome alien Q is part of the storyline.

Seeing the crew of the Enterprise-D properly back together will certainly help us deal with the disappointment of learning that ‘Picard’ is coming to an end. The announcement made no mention of when the season might start, but for now you can find ‘Star Trek: Picard’ releasing new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+, with the season finale due May 5th.

Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard on the Paramount+ series ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Photo: Trae Patton/CBS ©2019 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

April 6, 2022
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Finds a Captain Kirk

Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk of the Paramount+ original series ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Photo: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ ©2022 ViacomCBS. All Rights Reserved.

Even though ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ promises to show us the adventures of the USS Enterprise before the time of the original ‘Star Trek’ series, it appears that the most famous ‘Trek’ starship cannot entirely do without its most iconic captain. Yes, the show has now cast someone to play James Tiberius Kirk.

Paul Wesley, who might still be best known for playing Stefan and various other characters during his run on ‘The Vampire Diaries’, is the latest actor to inherit the role once made famous by William Shatner.

Of course, these days, there are also audiences who identify Chris Pine from the J.J. Abrams movies as Kirk, though Shatner will probably remain the most recognizable example.

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long ‘Star Trek’ fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

Quite how Kirk will fit into the story is being held behind deflector shields for now, but here’s the wrinkle: he’s not showing up until Season 2, which kicked off shooting shortly after the series was renewed in January.

Season 1, meanwhile, will still focus on Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, who was the commander of the ship in the original ‘Star Trek’ pilot ‘The Cage’, famously rejected by the network and re-tooled into two-part episode ‘The Menagerie’, which showed Pike’s fate to be critically injured and forced to spend time in a life-support mobility device.

That tragic destiny also played into Pike’s story in Season 2 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, where he briefly took command of the ship and, upon learning of what lay ahead, decided to quit Starfleet.

Yet because watching him ride horses and hang out in a wooden cabin doesn’t exactly scream “thrilling space adventure”, he’ll be pulled back to duty for this first run of ‘Strange New Worlds,’ which involves a spatial anomaly initially, but seems to promise more episodic storytelling, “alien/planet of the week” in keeping with the classic ‘Trek’ shows.

Anson Mount as Captain Pike on Paramount+’s ‘Star Trek: Discovery.’

Mount’s Pike is joined by Ethan Peck, who returns as the younger Mr. Spock (the science officer at this point on the Enterprise, and Rebecca Romijn as first officer Number One (whose actual name we’ve since learned is Una Chin-Riley).

The rest of the crew is a mixture of established characters played by new actors and team members we’ve not yet met in the history of ‘Trek’.

Babs Olusanmokun plays M’Benga: A human doctor aboard the Enterprise, who was portrayed by Booker Bradshaw in a couple of episodes of the original series.

Celia Rose Gooding has the iconic role of Nyota Uhura, who oversaw communications on Kirk’s version of the Enterprise but is here seen as a cadet. Nichelle Nichols most famously portrayed her, though in the Abrams reboot, it’s Zoe Saldana.

Jess Bush is Nurse Christine Chapel, the character Majel Barrett played after Number One was rejected following that original ‘Trek’ pilot.

Christina Chong appears as La’an Noonien-Singh, a relative of Kirk nemesis Khan Noonien Singh, who the Enterprise crew won’t encounter until Kirk’s era in charge, so it’ll be interesting to see how she fits into the story.

Bruce Horak is Hemmer, An Aenar officer part of the albino subspecies of the normally blue Andorians, who are also usually blind. And Horak makes Trek history by being the first partially blind actor to star on one of the shows.

Finally, we have Lt. Erica Ortegas, about whom very little is known right now.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ will launch on Paramount+ on May 5 with the first episode, and releases episodes weekly.

Teaser art for the Paramount+ original series ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Photo: Paramount+ © 2022 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

March 16, 2022
Latest ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Trailer

Jim Carrey in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.

We’ve reached the stage of film promotion for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ which sees studio Paramount rolling out what it describes as the “final” trailer. And with the movie headed to screens next month, that’s probably true – not counting TV spots and other sneak peeks, of course.

Still, this latest look at the fast-paced sequel offers a lot more detail about the story, which we’d only gotten the basic beats on before.

It opens at the wedding of Rachel (Natasha Rothwell), the sister of Dr. Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter), herself the wife of James Marsden’s Tom. With the Hawaii-set nuptials in full swing, there’s an interruption when Tom’s phone rings (with the ‘Sonic’ game theme as his ringtone for the easter egg hunters).

Turns out Sonic (voiced again by Ben Schwartz) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) are in real trouble on a frosty mountain and could use a ring-powered portal assist from Tom. Cue an avalanche of snow and two CG critters invading the tropical wedding setting.

The chaos springs from the fact that Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey, once again playing the role with all the gusto he can muster), is back from the planet he was banished to from the end of the first movie and has returned more powerful than ever before – he also looks a lot more like the game’s version of the villain.
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His great new power comes with zero responsibility, so he’s looking to cause major problems on Earth, taking out military hardware and responding cops. And to stop Sonic from interfering with his plan, he’s also brought a new, threatening warrior, Knuckles the Echidna, who has speedy, strong fists and the voice of Idris Elba. Definitely don’t go calling this guy a porcupine.

This new look at the movie offers more of Robotnik’s drones, some extra moments for two-tailed Sonic ally Tails (voiced, for those who recognize her, by the games’ O’Shaughnessey) and Marsden’s Tom.

There’s also fresh footage of Sonic’s attempts to be a Batman-like vigilante crusader known as Blue Justice. Let’s just say that his enthusiasm outweighs his actual abilities –he’s not likely to challenge Bruce Wayne on the crime-fighting front any time soon, but he does smile a lot more.

In addition to the returning likes of Adam Pally and Lee Majdoub, the cast now also includes Shemar Moore, playing Rachel’s intended husband.

Written once more by Pat Casey and Josh Miller (with John Whittington also contributing this time), ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ also sees director Jeff Fowler back calling the shots.

The movie will dash into theaters on April 8th.

And it’s clear that Paramount is pumped up about the spiny hero, since a third movie is already in development, alongside a spin-off TV series for Paramount Plus that will, like the movies, blend live-action and CG to focus on Elba’s Knuckles character.

Sonic is not running away from screens any time soon!

(L to R) Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega.
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March 15, 2022
New ‘A Quiet Place’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sequels On the Way

(L to R) Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega.

Paramount saw success with ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ in 2020, one the few movies to do real business during the pandemic. So, it’s perhaps not particularly shocking that it would keep that train chugging along with not just a spin-off (which has already been announced) but also now a new direct sequel.

John Krasinski, who co-wrote, directed and starred in the smash hit 2018 original film (and wrote, directed and cameoed in 2020’s sequel), revealed the news at Paramount’s Investor Day, which saw the studio announce a whole raft of incoming movies and TV series, including a fourth ‘Star Trek’ film featuring Chris Pine and the crew.

Krasinski declined to divulge much in the way of details, including who might be writing and directing this new film. Yet given that it serves as a continuation of the story from the first two movies, it’s a fair bet that he’ll be back behind the camera.

And it should also point to the return of Krasinski’s real-life wife, Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott, still heroically guiding her family (including Millicent Simmonds’ Regan and Noah Jupe’s Marcus) through a terrifying world that is beset by blind aliens with a keen sense of sound, who are only too happy to savage any human they track down.

All that we really know about the new movie for now is that Paramount is targeting a 2025 theatrical release, which makes sense given Krasinski and Blunt’s busy schedules. The former has fantasy adventure ‘If’ in the works now, which he once again wrote and will direct, co-starring with Ryan Reynolds and old ‘Office’ cast mate Steve Carell. Blunt, meanwhile, is filming Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ and has a few potential movies on her future work list.

(L to R) John Krasinski and Emily Blunt in ‘A Quiet Place.’ Photo Courtesy of Paramount.

The spin-off, meanwhile, is further along in the process despite switching directors. Though ‘Midnight Special’s Jeff Nichols was attached at one point to write and direct the movie, that job now falls to ‘Pig’ director Michael Sarnoski.

He’s working on a story set in the ‘Quiet Place’ world but featuring new characters in a different location. That movie is due in theaters next year.

And that’s not the only big screen sequel news that the studio announced. Even before ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ arrives in April, a third film is in “active development”. Which does rather have us picturing the writers sitting around playing lots of ‘Sonic’ while trying to come up with ideas for another movie featuring the speedy character.

Much like the ‘Quiet Place’ news, details are scare, though actor Ben Schwartz, who provides the Hedgehog’s voice, has already hit social media to confirm he’s involved. We’ll wait and see whether director Jeff Fowler returns and if Jim Carrey’s big villain Dr. Robotnik makes it out of the second film.

In related ‘Sonic’ news, Paramount also unveiled a spin-off TV live-action series featuring the character of Knuckles, the popular character from the games who will be introduced to the movie series with this year’s sequel. Idris Elba voices him, and the actor is reportedly returning for the spin-off show, which will appear on streaming service Paramount Plus next year.

‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ races into theaters on April 8th.
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February 16, 2022
Chris Pine and Co. Back for New ‘Star Trek’ Movie

(L to R) Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho and Zoe Saldana in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Ever since ‘Star Trek Beyond’ failed to launch at the box office, the big screen flagship of the ‘Trek’ franchise has been lingering in Spacedock, unsure which course to chart. Now, though it appears that Paramount is ready to engage the warp engines again, with Chris Pine and the rest of the current crew busy making deals to return.

The news comes as part of Paramount’s Investors Day presentation, in which it unleashed enough news to choke the Doomsday Machine, including an early season 2 renewal for the ‘Halo’ TV series (which is only just about to debut), lots of future ‘SpongeBob’ movies and more ‘South Park’.

Yet word on a return for ‘Star Trek’ crew who first boarded the USS Enterprise in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot of the franchise is perhaps the most exciting revelation.

It looked for a while as though Pine’s Captain Kirk, along with Zachary Quinto’s Spock, Zoe Saldana’s Uhura, Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy, John Cho’s Sulu and Simon Pegg’s Scotty might never return to the final frontier, but Paramount is now going at full speed to put them on a new mission.

Abrams himself made the announcement. “We are thrilled to say that we are hard at work on a new ‘Star Trek’ film that will be shooting by the end of the year that will be featuring our original cast and some new characters that I think are going to be really fun and exciting and help take ‘Star Trek’ into areas that you’ve just never seen before,” he said. “We’re thrilled about this film, we have a bunch of other stories that we’re talking about that we think will be really exciting, so can’t wait for you to see what we’re cooking up. But until then, live long and prosper.”

(L to R) Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Yet Abrams won’t – as with ‘Beyond’ – be directing (though he’ll produce via his Bad Robot Company). Instead, ‘WandaVision’s Matt Shakman has that job, and he’ll work from a script by ‘Avatar 2’s Josh Friedman and Shakman’s ‘WandaVision’ colleague Cameron Squires. Their screenplay will be based on an earlier draft by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

As for what’ll happen in the movie? That’s being kept behind the shields for now, though it’s unlikely to be the rumored time-travel concept that would have seen Kirk meet his dad, played (briefly) in Abrams’ original movie by Chris Hemsworth. Actors’ pay deals reportedly scuttled that idea, though it could be resurrected. (Does anyone have a Genesis device to hand?)

And while they appear to be drifting in a nebula for now, the planned expansions of the ‘Trek’ movie universe by ‘Fargo’s Noah Hawley and cult director Quentin Tarantino are still out there, waiting for their chance.

‘Star Trek’s fortunes have certainly turned around of late, with the TV side of things expanding exponentially, and now some positive forward movement on the theatrical end. Of course, any new movie will have to deal with the tragic loss of Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the previous three adventures, and hopefully the team will go the respectful route and have his character off on another mission rather than re-cast.

Still, with luck, a late 2022 shooting start means we could have a new ‘Star Trek’ movie beaming into theaters by the end of 2023. That’s news to even make Spock giggle.
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February 15, 2022