(Left) Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Peacock’s ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock. (Right) Marvel Studio’s ‘Fantastic Four.’
Preview:
Natasha Lyonne is the latest addition to ‘The Fantastic Four’.
Her character is a mystery for now.
The movie will be out in July 2025.
We’re always glad to see Natasha Lyonne show up in a movie or TV series –– her particular brand of crackly-voiced sarcasm usually helps make whatever it is better.
Marvel clearly feels that way, as according to Deadline, Lyonne is now joining ‘The Fantastic Four’, the company’s big chance to add its First Family to its Cinematic Universe. And Lyonne seems to fit right in with an eclectic ensemble that is already raising eyebrows –– and expectations.
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What’s the story of ‘The Fantastic Four’?
Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Photo courtesy of Pinterest.
The movie, which finally see Marvel’s most famous comic book superheroes (though X-Men fans might argue that) join the company’s sprawling Cinematic Universe, is mostly being kept under wraps.
Marvel has not said anything about the story, though its first imagery suggests a period setting.
In addition to Lyonne, the eclectic ensemble for this one includes British actor Ralph Ineson (as planet eating troublemaker Galactus), ‘Ozark’s Julia Garner (as a version of the Silver Surfer), Paul Walter Hauser and John Malkovich (both of whom are without confirmed characters at this point).
As for who Lyonne’s playing? That has also not yet been revealed. So take your own guess! A gender-swapped Wilhelmina Lumpkin? Voicing H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot? (Probably not). Whatever it turns out to be, we’re interested.
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ director and executive producer Matt Shakman.
Matt Shakman, who worked on ‘WandaVision’, is directing the film, working from a script that has seen contributions from Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. And ‘WandaVision’s Peter Cameron did some work once Shakman boarded the project, also.
Where else can I see Lyonne?
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in ‘Poker Face.’ Photo by: Evans Vestal Ward/Peacock.
The actor has been busy of late, and not just performing. She co-created and starred in brain-twisting Netflix series ‘Russian Doll’ and, more recently, was a producer and star of crime series ‘Poker Face’, in which she played a woman blessed/cursed with the ability to know when people are lying to her and uses that to solve crimes.
While ‘Russian Doll’ appears to be in limbo, ‘Poker Face’ will return for a second season. In addition to the shows, Lyonne is lending her voice to the animated ‘The Smurfs Musical’ (due February 14th next year), and has a role in Taika Waititi’s new film, sci-fi drama ‘Klara and the Sun’.
When will ‘The Fantastic Four’ be in theaters?
Disney and Marvel are aiming to have the movie in theaters on July 25th, 2025.
(Left) John Malkovich in ‘Burn After Reading’. Photo: Focus Features. (Right) Ralph Ineson in ‘The Last Victim.’
Preview:
‘Fantastic Four’ has added actors John Malkovich and Ralph Ineson.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bacharach are among the leads.
The movie will be on screens in 2025.
As it starts to really fill out its cast –– Paul Walter Hauser was the most recent addition –– details on Marvel’s new cinematic plans for its First Family are starting to come into focus.
And with two new casting additions, we have one big new chunk of information about the movie.
Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Photo courtesy of Pinterest.
The movie, which finally see Marvel’s most famous comic book superheroes (though X-Men fans might argue that) join the company’s sprawling Cinematic Universe, is mostly being kept under wraps.
Marvel has not said anything about the story, though its first imagery suggests a period setting.
Hauser’s character is unknown for now, but we did learn that Julia Garner has joined the cast as Shalla-Bal, a version of Silver Surfer.
And that connects directly to Ineson’s casting, as he’ll play Galactus, one of the more powerful character in Marvel lore. While he isn’t always a clear-cut villain (he has in the past, worked with both the Four and the Avengers in the comics), the fact that he consumes whole planets and everything on them usually means that he’s bad news for any hero team he comes into contact with. The Surfer is usually the herald of Galactus who scouts worlds for his next meal.
Marvel Comics’ Galactus. Photo: Marvel Comics.
Whether Ineson will be heading into a voice booth or showing up on set in a performance capture suit a la Thanos actor Josh Brolin may depend on how the movie is portraying the character. He’s often visualized as a giant in a suit and a helmet, though movies have previously chosen to go the weird cloud of energy route.
Ineson is probably best known to genre fans for several projects –– a British actor who played the obnoxious Finchy on the original, UK ‘The Office’, he’s had some choice movies, including in Robert Eggers’ ‘The Witch’, David Lowery’s ‘The Green Knight’ and, more recently in ‘The Creator’ and ‘The First Omen’. He’s reunited with Eggers for ‘Nosferatu’, which will be in theaters on December 25th.
As for Malkovich, we don’t yet know who he’ll be playing.
Who is making ‘The Fantastic Four’?
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ director and executive producer Matt Shakman. Photo: Apple TV+.
Matt Shakman, who worked on ‘WandaVision’, is directing the film, working from a script that has seen contributions from Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. And ‘WandaVision’s Peter Cameron did some work once Shakman boarded the project, also.
When will ‘The Fantastic Four’ be in theaters?
Disney and Marvel are aiming to have the movie in theaters on July 25th, 2025.
Alden Ehrenreich as Luke in ‘Fair Play.’ Cr. Courtesy of Netflix.
Preview:
Alden Ehrenreich is joining ‘Weapons’.
It’s the new horror movie from ‘Barbarian’s Zach Cregger.
Josh Brolin and Julia Garner are also in the cast.
Given that his breakout film, horror movie ‘Barbarian’ in 2022 generated huge buzz for its tricky, intense structure and went on to earn $45 million worldwide (which doesn’t sound like much, but was 10 times its production budget), it’s hardly surprising that writer/director Zach Cregger saw plenty of studio interest in his follow-up.
Justin Long in ‘Barbarian’. Photo: 20th Century Studios.
Neither Cregger nor New Line have been particularly forthcoming about a plot for ‘Weapons’ which we can understand –– after all, ‘Barbarian’, about an Airbnb stay that goes gruesomely wrong, worked because people didn’t know what to expect.
What we’ve learned so far is that ‘Weapons’ has been compared to Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Magnolia’, hinting at a web of interconnected stories and characters related to a central mystery.
But whatever it turns out to be, the concept is clearly intriguing enough that studios and streamers offered to buy it sight unseen when the announcement came that Cregger had a new script in the works. New Line emerged triumphant, guaranteeing him a healthy payday, a guaranteed greenlight and final cut.
This is what New Line’s president and CCO, Richard Brener, said in a statement:
“Zach proved with ‘Barbarian’ that he can create a visceral theatrical experience for audiences and that he commands every tool in the filmmaker toolbelt. We couldn’t be happier that he, Roy Lee and Miri Yoon, and J.D. Lifshitz and Rafi Margules chose New Line to be the home of his next film, and hope it is the first of many to come.”
Cregger has been in pre-production on the movie, with the shoot scheduled to kick off in May.
You bet! Thanks to the film’s development needing to be delayed because of the writers and actors’ strikes, there has been some shifting on the ensemble front. While Pedro Pascal and ‘The Worst Person in the World’s Renate Reinsve were attached at one point, they’ve both since had to move on to other projects (Pascal is a particularly busy man with ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 underway and work on Marvels’ ‘The Fantastic Four’ on his To Do list).
Still, Brolin, Garner and now Ehrenreich are nothing to sniff at in terms of casting, and you know Cregger will have attracted others on the strength on his previous work.
Ehrenreich had a busy 2023, appearing in a variety of projects including ‘Cocaine Bear’, ‘Fair Play’ and a little movie called ‘Oppenheimer’.
When will ‘Weapons’ be locked and ready to load into theaters?
New Line has not yet announced a release date for ‘Weapons’, which given that cameras are only now about to roll, feels wise.
Alden Ehrenreich in 2018’s ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story.’
Julia Garner is the latest addition to Marvel’s ‘The Fantastic Four’.
She’ll play the enigmatic, powerful character in the superhero pic.
The latest adaption of the famous comic book title will be on screens in July next year.
Now that Marvel has, after years of speculation, finally locked down its main cast for ‘The Fantastic Four’, the company is assembling the cast around them.
Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Photo courtesy of Pinterest.
Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing are key players in the pages of Marvel, known as the “First Family”, and introduced in 1961. They are among most anticipated characters (alongside the X-Men) to be included in the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe.
They’re canonically exposed to galactic radiation and end up cursed/blessed (depending on how you view it) with strange abilities. Reed can stretch his body in a variety of ways, Sue can turn invisible and generate forcefields, Johnny’s body becomes engulfed in flame (and he can fly), while Grimm becomes a rock-covered, incredibly strong creature.
And to be clear here, Pascal will be Reed, Kirby’s playing Sue, Quinn is taking the role of Johnny and Moss-Bachrach will be Ben.
They’ve been brought to screens before –– an unauthorized Roger Cormanversion floats around the internet after being traded on bootleg videos years ago, and then there were the Fox efforts, 2005’s ‘Fantastic Four’ and 2007 sequel ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’. They were followed by the dark, gritty and unsuccessful reboot in 2015.
Who is the Silver Surfer?
Marvel Comics’ Silver Surfer. Photo: Marvel Comics.
Before anyone starts complaining that they thought the Surfer was a dude, cool your jets. And also remember that the expansive universe of comic books makes for many variations of characters.
Though the character has often been seen in its Norrin Radd form (the original Silver Surfer), there exists a woman named Shalla-Bal, who was his love interest that ended up taking on the mantle of the Surfer.
Either way, the character usually serves as the herald for the god-like, planet-consuming villain Galactus, so there’s a chance he/it could show up to threaten our heroes.
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ director and executive producer Matt Shakman. Photo: Apple TV+.
Matt Shakman, one of the key directors on ‘WandaVision’, is overseeing the new film.
This one has been in development for a long time now, with Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer among those who have worked on drafts of the script. ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ co-writer Josh Friedman is crafting the latest version.
When will ‘Fantastic Four’ be in theaters?
‘Fantastic Four’ currently has a release date of July 25th, 2025.
Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and more have joined Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’
The movie reunites Aster with his ‘Beau is Afraid’ star Joaquin Phoenix.
Austin Butler, Clifton Collins Jr., Luke Grimes and Micheal Ward are all aboard.
Given how strange, divisive and –– probably most crucially –– unsuccessful at the box office ($11.9 million worldwide gross on a $35 million budget) Ari Aster’s ‘Beau is Afraid’ proved to be last year, you might suspect that Aster would be languishing in the darkest depths of director jail.
And yet studio A24, which produced ‘Beau’, is clearly ready to believe in his vision again, and the fate of that movie did not detract from Aster’s ability to attract solid talent, as he’s got an excellent cast lined up for his new movie.
‘Eddington’, which has cameras now rolling, will feature recent Oscar winner (for the second time) Emma Stone, ‘The Last of Us’ Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix, who reunites with the director after starring as ‘Beau’s twitchy protagonist.
(L to R) Joaquin Phoenix and director Ari Aster on the set of ‘Beau Is Afraid.’
As is his way, Aster –– who also brought us the nightmarish visions of ‘Hereditary’ and ‘Midsommar’ –– is keeping much of the detail close for now.
But with a script once more by the director, ‘Eddington’ reportedly focuses on a small-town New Mexico sheriff with lofty aspirations. And it’ll be in the Western genre, as confirmed by A24’s Instagram post on the start of production.
Behind the camera, Aster has legendary cinematographer Darius Khondji ready to shoot whatever warped concepts he’s cooked up this time.
Stone, of course, is no stranger to offbeat directors, having seen success (including that second Oscar, for her role in ‘Poor Things’) working with Yorgos Lanthimos, with whom she has another movie, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ due this year.
When will ‘Eddington’ be in theaters?
A24 has yet to announce when Aster’s latest movie will make it to theaters. ‘Beau’ took a couple of years from filming to hit screens, but with luck the director will have this one ready for next year.
Joaquin Phoenix in director Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid.’
(L to R) Margaret Qualley as “Jamie” and Geraldine Viswanathan as “Marian” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
With the Coen brothers taking some time off from each other after more than three decades of making films together, Joel Coen directed the eerie, intense ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ with Denzel Washington, while Ethan Coen has gone in a decidedly different – if also somewhat more familiar — direction.
Writing with his wife (and occasional Coens editor) Tricia Cooke, Ethan has come up with ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a combination of road movie, comedic caper, and lesbian romance that comes across in the style of earlier Coen brothers laughers like ‘Raising Arizona’ or ‘The Big Lebowski.’ But while the two leads have a sweet and even sexy chemistry, the laughs are only intermittent and the movie ends up as a trifle more than anything else.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Actor Margaret Qualley, actor Geraldine Viswanathan and director/writer/producer Ethan Coen on the set of ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) are two young women who are part of Philadelphia’s lesbian community circa December 1999. Jamie is spur-of-the-moment, unfiltered, and endlessly horny, wrecking her latest relationship with cop Sukie (Beanie Feldstein) when she is caught cheating on her. Marian, on the other hand, is uptight and generally unhappy with her life, which Jamie sees as a cue that her friend needs to get out in the world and get some action.
The two decide to reboot their lives with a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida, where Marian wants to do some reading and bird-watching while Jamie wants to stop at every lesbian bar they can find along the way and get them both laid. The pair hit the road in a one-way rental courtesy of drive-away agency operator Curlie (Bill Camp) – except that Curlie has given them the wrong car.
Unbeknownst to the ladies, the trunk contains cargo both strange and decidedly illegal, and the two women find themselves soon pursued by two goons (C.J. Wilson and Joey Slotnick) sent in hot pursuit by their boss (Colman Domingo), who answers to an even higher, more sensitive authority. How Jamie and Marian deal with the situation could either shatter their friendship, end their lives, or both.
(L to R) Actor Geraldine Viswanathan, actor Margaret Qualley, and director/writer/producer Ethan Coen on the set of ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
As one might ascertain, ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ (the original title, ‘Drive-Away Dykes,’ was deemed not marketable by the studio) sounds a lot like it’s in the vein of the deadpan, surreal comedies that Joel and Ethan Coen were perhaps best-known for during their 34 years of making films together. While the siblings have made more somber films together as well, like the brilliant ‘No Country for Old Men,’ as well as drama/comedy hybrids like ‘Fargo’ and ‘A Serious Man,’ it’s their zanier work like ‘Raising Arizona,’ ‘The Big Lebowski,’ and ‘O Brother Where Are Thou?’ that audiences arguably associate most with them.
‘Drive-Away Dolls’ is squarely in the latter tradition, with a slightly different spin. In addition to directing (this is Ethan’s first narrative feature on his own, following a 2022 Jerry Lee Lewisdocumentary), Ethan also wrote the script with his wife Tricia Cooke, who identifies as queer. Perhaps the freshest aspect of ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ is that its leads, Jamie and Marian, are not solely characterized by their sexuality; yes, the movie features a heaping of sex, and Jamie is determined to get some nookie for both herself and Marian, but it’s not the driving factor of the story or part of its overall themes. It’s just part of who they are.
The relationship between Jamie and Marian is at first caustic, of course – these two couldn’t be more opposite – but it soon unveils a sweeter undertone as they (somewhat predictably) begin to realize that their feelings for each other run deeper than suspected. Qualley and Viswanathan are great together in that regard, and the strongest element of the movie. But the plot – a mishmash of ‘60s and ‘70s road trip B-movies with a dash of psychedelia – is so slight, the ultimate mystery so silly, and the humor so intermittent that ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ ends up feeling like a lark more than anything else. It has its fun moments, but it dissolves from one’s mind the minute it’s over.
Characters With No Names
(L to R) Colman Domingo as “The Chief”, C.J. Wilson and Joey Slotnick as “The Goons” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features
Part of the problem with ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ is that it feels almost like a rough draft version of a Coen brothers film (since Cooke, a film editor by trade, frequently edited the movies made by her husband and brother-in-law, she was an integral part of that process as well). The Coens’ comedies are often fizzy in nature, but the best of them have had either incredibly compelling characters or either a darker or more emotional underpinning that helped turn them into classics.
There’s little of that in ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ outside of the chemistry between Qualley (who looks a lot like her mom, Andie MacDowell, in this film) and Viswanathan, both of whom have great timing, highly expressive faces and effortless presence. Qualley is particularly strong here. But once you get beyond them, the rest of the characters are barely sketched in.
Pedro Pascal stars as “The Collector” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
Most of them don’t even have names, in fact. Domingo, always excellent, is just called the Chief; his goons are literally listed as The Goons in the credits. A cameoing Pedro Pascal is known simply as the Collector (there are a couple of other cameos as well, from Matt Damon and a star we won’t name). We’re always a little suspicious when we see cast lists like this: it’s often a clear sign that these characters are nothing more than stock figures, and little attempt is made to give them any more depth than that (the Goons’ scenes together – one of them constantly yammering and the other mostly silent – also feel like reheated leftovers from two similar characters in ‘Fargo,’ played in that film by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare).
But that’s the nature of ‘Drive-Away Dolls’: it’s so sketchily pulled together that despite the warmth of its leads and a few fleeting jokes than land well, it feels like half the movie is missing in a way. And in one sense, it is.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Geraldine Viswanathan as “Marian”, Margaret Qualley as “Jamie” and Beanie Feldstein as “Sukie” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
The Coen brothers have made some of the most memorable movies of the last 40 years, from their still-stunning debut ‘Blood Simple’ to some of the later masterpieces we mentioned earlier. But from the two narrative movies we’ve seen them make separately – Joel’s ‘Macbeth’ and Ethan’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ — it seems like they have very different sensibilities. Based on watching the latter, it almost seems that Ethan needs his brother’s sense of gravitas to balance out his goofier impulses.
We certainly admire the lead performances and the film’s successful attempt to make a queer-centric movie that doesn’t feel like exploitation (not the good kind) or heavy-handed social commentary. But we wish those were in service of something that was funnier in a more organic way and less of a one-dimensional pastiche.
‘Drive-Away Dolls’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the Plot of ‘Drive-Away Dolls’?
This comedy caper follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Who is in the cast of ‘Drive-Away Dolls’?
Margaret Qualley as Jamie
Geraldine Viswanathan as Marian
Beanie Feldstein as Sukie
Colman Domingo as Chief
Pedro Pascal as Santos
Bill Camp as Curlie
Matt Damon as Senator Channel
Joey Slotnick as Arliss
(L to R) Margaret Qualley as “Jamie” and Geraldine Viswanathan as “Marian” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
(L to R) Geraldine Viswanathan, Margaret Qualley and Beanie Feldstein talk director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Geraldine Viswanathan, Margaret Qualley and Beanie Feldstein about their work on ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ their quirky characters, and working with director Ethan Coen.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Geraldine Viswanathan stars as “Marian” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
Moviefone: To begin with, Geraldine, can you talk about your first reaction to Ethan Coen and Trisha Cooke’s screenplay and the aspects of this character you were excited to explore on screen?
Geraldine Viswanathan: I think getting the script was just so exciting. I feel like Ethan and Trish are some of the greatest writers of our time. It was just such an original and fresh script with so many cool elements and so many surprising turns, and I really fell in love with the character, Marian. I feel like at first, I thought I was really different from her, but I also kind of understood her and related to her and the way that I get introverted or sensitive and shy. I felt excited to play into those parts of myself a little bit more.
Margaret Qualley stars as “Jamie” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
MF: Margaret, Jamie is really a free spirit, can you talk about your approach to playing her?
Margaret Qualley: Playing Jamie, she’s a total free spirit. It was very inspiring. I would like to have a little bit more of Jamie in my everyday life because I’m somebody that can be a little in my head, go home a little bit anxious, and I think that’s not really a big part of her experience. I imagine her kind of like a teenage boy. Not that teenage boys aren’t in their head, but there maybe is kind of like a puppy spirit.
Beanie Feldstein stars as “Sukie” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
MF: Beanie, can you talk about Sukie’s breakup with Jamie and how that anger really fuels her journey through the movie?
Beanie Feldstein: I mean, I think you hit it that she’s so heartbroken, but that kind of takes a turn into just tunnel vision, that she’s just, no matter whether they’re together or not together, she’s focused on Jamie. That was the note that Ethan and Tricia gave me in my Zoom audition. They were just like, “You cannot be more obsessed with her, and nothing takes your focus away from her.” So, I think that’s kind of Sukie’s motives the entire time, and to play someone who was just unapologetically angry, and abrasive is the opposite of my personality. So that was fun to jump full speed ahead. I think Ethan and Tricia saw something in me that I don’t see in myself. So, it was fun to play.
(L to R) Actor Geraldine Viswanathan, actor Margaret Qualley, and director/writer/producer Ethan Coen on the set of ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
MF: Finally, Geraldine, what was it like being on set with Ethan Coen and collaborating with him on this movie?
GV: I mean, incredible. He is one of the best filmmakers of our time and really is a wonderful person. He has every right to be an asshole, but he’s just not. He’s so great and special, and he’s just a genius. I just relished being around him. Anytime he spoke I was like, “Yes.” I just wanted to learn from him as much as I could. He’s even better than you could imagine.
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What is the Plot of ‘Drive-Away Dolls’?
This comedy caper follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
(L to R) Geraldine Viswanathan as “Marian”, Margaret Qualley as “Jamie” and Beanie Feldstein as “Sukie” in director Ethan Coen’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans are starring in ‘Materialists’.
This is the new movie from ‘Past Lives’ director Celine Song.
It’ll be a New York-set rom-com.
It’s fair to say that with ‘Past Lives’, Korean writer/director Celine Song has announced herself as a new cinematic voice.
Her romantic drama feature debut, which stars Greta Lee, Teo Woo and John Magaro, first garnered attention at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, where its quietly powerful story of old friends and potential lovers reconnecting hit a chord.
It has since gone on to win numerous awards and dominate critics’ Best Of lists for the year and is in the running for two Oscars –– Original Screenplay and Best Picture.
You can imagine, then, that big-name talent would be beating down the down to work with her, and for the director’s next film, ‘Materialists’, she’s scored quite the potential cast in Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, who are all in talks to star.
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What’s the story of ‘Materialists’?
Here’s the official synopsis for the new movie:
“Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, a city that never sleeps and is known for its diverse and dynamic relationships, ‘Materialists’ provides a unique glimpse into the lives of the city’s elite. Lucy’s expertise in matchmaking is highly sought after by those willing to pay a premium for her services. However, with a broke actor-waiter in her romantic past and a new attachment to a wealthy man, all signs point to a toxic love triangle that threatens to unravel the lives of all involved.”
According to the director, the new movie is inspired by the sort of spiky romantic comedies such as ‘Broadcast News’ that James L. Brooks specializes in, which makes us even more eager to see what Song could do with a film like this.
Who is backing Song’s new movie?
(L to R) Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives.’ Photo: A24.
The new movie reteams the director with distributors A24 and with producers Killer Films, both of which shepherded ‘Past Lives’ to screens.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are the new Fantastic Four
Their casting is not much of a surprise given rumors.
Matt Shakman is directing the movie.
Happy Valentine’s Day from Marvel! The studio has decided to set fans hearts at rest after months (in some cases years) of casting rumours and officially announced the cast for its ‘Fantastic Four’ movie –– at least, the introduction of the famous super-team into the MCU.
Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Photo courtesy of Pinterest.
Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing are key players in the pages of Marvel, known as the “First Family”, and introduced in 1961. They are among most anticipated characters (alongside the X-Men) to be included in the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe.
They’re canonically exposed to galactic radiation and end up cursed/blessed (depending on how you view it) with strange abilities. Reed can stretch his body in a variety of ways, Sue can turn invisible and generate forcefields, Johnny’s body becomes engulfed in flame (and he can fly), while Grimm becomes a rock-covered, incredibly strong creature.
And to be clear here, Pascal will be Reed, Kirby’s playing Sue, Quinn is taking the role of Johnny and Moss-Bachrach will be Ben.
They’ve been brought to screens before –– an unauthorized Roger Cormanversion floats around the internet after being traded on bootleg videos years ago, and then there were the Fox efforts, 2005’s ‘Fantastic Four’ and 2007 sequel ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’. They were followed by the dark, gritty and unsuccessful reboot in 2015.
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Who is making the ‘Fantastic Four’ movie?
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ director and executive producer Matt Shakman. Photo: Apple TV+.
Matt Shakman, one of the key directors on ‘WandaVision’, is overseeing the new film.
This one has been in development for a long time now, with Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer among those who have worked on drafts of the script. ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ co-writer Josh Friedman is crafting the latest version.
Kaitlyn Dever is playing Abby in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2.
The character is a controversial one for fans of the game.
‘The Last of Us’ will be back on HBO in 2025.
‘The Last of Us’ has been enjoying plenty of kudos in the last couple of months, picking up various awards (including some Emmys this past weekend). And with good reason: it was one of the best shows of 2023.
While it won’t be back for at least another year, there is an exciting update as ‘Booksmart’ and ‘Dopesick’ star Kaitlyn Dever (who also appeared in last year’s quirky alien invasion thriller ‘No One Will Save You’) is on board to play Abby.
Portrayed by Laura Bailey, Abigail “Abby” Anderson is the playable dual protagonist of ‘The Last of Us Part II’ and a playable character in the No Return mode. And we won’t say more about her than that, other than to warn that her appearance and actions in the game are very controversial among players.
HBO’s announcement offers that she’s a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.
What’s the story of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2?
(L to R) Bella Ramsey, and Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us.’ Photo: Warner Media.
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.
What have the producers said about Dever’s casting?
Here’s Mazin and Druckmann’s statement on the new addition:
“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material. Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella and the rest of our family.”
Season 2 is scheduled to start shooting in Vancouver this month.
When will ‘The Last of Us’ be back on screens?
Though HBO has not specified a date, teasers have already touted its return in 2025.
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us.’ Photo: Warner Media.
