Though you might have thought that Prime Video emptied its wallet when it came to fantasy, splashing out a huge chunk of change for the rights to, and production budget for, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’, there are still resources left for other shows that feature magic, weapons and prophecy.
And given the fervent following (and success) for the first season of ‘The Wheel of Time’ –– adapted from Robert Jordan’s epic book series –– the second is now on its way in less than a couple of months, with a new trailer to remind us all.
In the adaptation, Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) learns he is The Dragon Reborn—a dangerous figure from history destined to save the world… Or break it. Desperate to protect him from the Dark One, an army of powerful women must reckon with his burgeoning power and encroaching madness. The Wheel of Time turns, and the Last Battle approaches. Though Rand thought he destroyed the Dark One, evil is not gone from the world.
In Season Two, threats new and very old seek out the young friends from the Two Rivers, now scattered over the world. The woman who found and guided them is now powerless to help, and so they must find other sources of strength. In each other, or themselves. In the Light –– or the Dark.
The second season is based on the second novel in Robert Jordan’s epic book series, ‘The Great Hunt’, as well as some elements of the third novel, ‘The Dragon Reborn’, and was filmed in the Czech Republic, Morocco, and Italy. The new look at the show’s second run offers a sneak peek at the introduction of fan favorite book characters such as Elayne Trakand, Aviendha, and Lady Suroth.
According to showrunner Rafe Judkins, the new episodes will explore Rand grappling with his power and the next stage of his quest, as he told The Wrap:
“He’s now cut off from his roots. And this is the start of an identity shift. Becoming the Dragon Reborn means that you’re the only person in the whole wide world who can save or destroy the world and that responsibility is insane. That weighs heavy and yes, I think Rand now has to go his own way to do what he needs to do. And it’s just the start of his transformation to — now knowing that he is the Dragon Reborn, now it’s actually about becoming the Dragon Reborn. And how do you do that? Who can help you with that? And it’s the start of a very heavy, dark, dramatic journey.”
(L to R) Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar in 1999’s ‘Cruel Intentions.’
Like a slow-boiled revenge plot finally coming to fruition, it looks like Amazon may finally have cracked a small-screen version of 1999 teen seduction thriller ‘Cruel Intentions’, which starred some of Hollywood’s biggest young stars of the time.
According to TV Line, the company is targeting the new show for either its free-with-commercials Freevee service or the main Prime Video subscription streamer.
More than one failed attempt litters the TV development ground, including a Fox-based prequel series called ‘Manchester Prep’ that never made it to air but was repurposed as a direct-to-video film called ‘Cruel Intentions 2’ in 2000. And 2004 saw another video release, ‘Cruel Intentions 3’.
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What happened in the 1999 movie?
As directed by Roger Kumble, ‘Cruel Intentions’ — itself based on the 18th-century novel Dangerous Liaisons — starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as step-siblings Kathryn Merteuil and Sebastian Valmont, who wagered on Sebastian’s ability to seduce Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon), the daughter of the headmaster at their elite New York City prep school.
There were scandals and double-crosses, plots and moral lessons.
(L to R) Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe in 1999’s ‘Cruel Intentions.’
The new ‘Cruel Intentions’ plans to shift the action somewhat, which should allow for a fresh take, albeit with recognizable elements from the original book and movie.
Set in Washington, D.C., the series follows two ruthless step-siblings who will do anything to stay at the top of the Greek Life hierarchy at their elite college. When a brutal hazing incident threatens the entire Panhellenic system, they’ll do whatever is necessary to preserve their power and reputations… including seducing the daughter of the U.S. vice president.
‘Euphoria’s Phoebe Fisher is on to write the pilot alongside ‘Gossip Girl’ veteran Sara Goodman. Which feels appropriate, since ‘Cruel Intentions’ could fit happily into the same genre of the latter in particular.
This is far from the first attempt to turn the movie into a show. In 2016, NBC ordered a pilot for a version that would pick up more directly from the original. In it, Annette (with Kate Levering taking over the role), is raising the baby she had after her relationship with Sebastian (who dies at the end of the movie). Set 16 years later, Annette once again interacts with Kathryn (which would see Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to the role) when the teen, Bash, runs away to San Diego.
The series didn’t go beyond that point despite Sony Pictures TV then looking for a new home, and Gellar admits she didn’t think it would work in hindsight.
“On the first day, I was like, ‘This isn’t working.’ It’s just not a network show. And if it is a network show, it’s not my ‘Cruel Intentions’. So, I was actually grateful.”
Production on the new show should be kicking off this July in Toronto.
(L to R) Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar in 1999’s ‘Cruel Intentions.’
‘Air’ follows the true story of the rise of Nike and chronicles the upstart shoe company’s attempt to sign NBA rookie Michael Jordan to a sneaker deal. Nike employee Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) believes the only way to save the fledgling company is to invest everything in a rookie who’s never stepped foot on a professional court, who might just become the greatest player of all time. Against the wishes of Nike owner Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) and Jordan’s agent David Falk (Chris Messina), Vaccaro travels to North Carolina to meet Jordan’s mother Deloris (Viola Davis) in person and desperately tries to convince her to influence her son to sign with Nike.
The result is an extremely entertaining and inspiring movie about believing in yourself, which has a similar humorous tone to ‘Argo,’ but is also reminiscent of ‘Moneyball’ and ‘Jerry Maguire.’ Affleck keeps the story suspenseful, even though we know how it ends, and the film is anchored by fantastic performances from Damon, Tucker, Bateman, Messina, and Davis.
For those that don’t know, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck grew up together in Boston and broke into Hollywood when they co-starred and co-wrote ‘Good Will Hunting,’ which earned them both Oscars for Best Original Screenplay. With the exception of a few appearances together such as Kevin Smith’s ‘Dogma,’ the two actors went their separate ways professionally, both becoming movies stars in their own right. But when Affleck’s acting career began to stumble, he went behind the camera to direct ‘Gone Baby Gone,’ ‘The Town,’ and ‘Argo,’ which won an Oscar for Best Picture and resurrected his career.
While their appearance in Ridley Scott’s ‘The Last Duel,’ which they also co-wrote, marked their first big screen collaboration in decades, ‘Air’ marks the first time Affleck has ever directed his childhood friend. Since the movie is based on a well-known true story, we all know the outcome, but somehow Affleck still adds suspense to the film and keeps the audience engaged the entire time. Set in the 80s, Affleck relies heavily on nostalgia, which in a way fuels the movie. He sets the tone during the first frame of the movie when you hear Dire Straits’ ‘Money is for Nothing’ and you see a montage of the 80’s greatest pop culture moments. In fact, the 80’s soundtrack is well chosen and adds to the ultimate enjoyment of the film.
The film touches on themes of believing in yourself, even when no one else will, but also emphasizes the importance of Mothers and the sacrifice they all make for their children. Affleck also wisely made the choice not to cast an actor to play Jordan himself, which for the most part works really well but does become slightly distracting in the later scenes, but more on that later.
Affleck is definitely the comic relief in the movie, playing Nike founder Phil Knight as a bit of a buffoon, with his over-sized Oakley sunglasses and fluorescent colored tracksuits. Whether the portrayal is accurate to real-life events or not, it is entertaining and works for the tone of the film. It’s also a pleasure to see Affleck and Damon share the frame again, almost 30 years after ‘Good Will Hunting.’ Vaccaro and Knight, while friendly, are at odds through most of the movie, and the scenes crackle when the two actors go at it.
Matt Damon, who physically transformed for the role gaining weight, gives a very good performance and anchors the movie, especially when more colorful characters like Knight, David Falk and Howard White are on screen. However, Damon never really gets submersed in the role, as you always realize you are watching Matt Damon play a character. In contrast, you believe Chris Messina, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, and even Affleck to a degree are their characters, but Damon never quite achieves that level.
Don’t get me wrong, Damon’s still very believable in the role and definitely does the heavy lifting carrying the narrative of the movie, but I never really got a sense of who Sonny Vaccaro was, other than a gambler willing to risk everything. But Damon brings all of his own charm and personality to the role, which works, especially in the tender scenes with Davis’ Deloris Jordan, and the two create a sweet bond that is pivotal to the outcome of the story.
According to Affleck, Michael Jordan had three requests to give his blessing to this production, and top of his list was that Oscar winner Viola Davis must play his mother, and I can’t think of better casting. Davis oozes gravitas and commands every scene she is in, creating a powerful presence as Deloris Jordan. Because Michael Jordan is a phantom presence in the movie, Davis’ character becomes the focal point of the story, and the actress commands her scenes with ease. The character is talked about a lot up to the point we meet her halfway through the movie, and the actress’s first appearance on screen does not disappoint.
Davis has great chemistry with Damon, and you get the feeling that Jordan is impressed with Sonny, and again, the bond they form is beautiful and really pays off in the end. Also fun, is that Davis’ real life husband Julius Tennon plays her onscreen husband, Michael’s late father, James R. Jordan Sr. While a small role, Tennon is very memorable in the part and of course as you would expect, has great chemistry with Davis. Jordan Sr. was a very affable fellow, and Tennon’s giant smile fits the character perfectly. You understand from the first moment you see him that he knows his wife is the boss, not Michael, and in turn, the other characters and we the audience understand that important point very quickly too.
The supporting cast is rich with terrific characters and performances. Remember when I mentioned Jordan had three requests for Affleck, the second one was that he create a part for George Raveling, who was Jordan’s Olympic coach and pivotal to him taking the Nike deal. Luckily, he was best friends with Vaccaro in real life, so it made sense for the character to reach out to him during the film. While its only one scene, Marlon Wayans is impressive as Raveling in a bar sequence giving advice to Vaccaro. Wayans has good chemistry with Damon, looking like they truly are old friends and being quite funny, in moments that were very likely improvised.
Jordan’s third request was a role for Howard White, vice president of Nike’s Jordan Brand and another person pivotal in Jordan’s signing with Nike. Chris Tucker plays White with absolute charm and enthusiasm as only Tucker can. He’s really great in the role, very funny, and has a strong chemistry with Damon, as White is presented as a mentor to Vaccaro.
Also great opposite Damon is actor Chris Messina who plays Jordan’s agent David Falk. Messina plays the agent as a cross between Buddy Ackerman in ‘Swimming with Sharks’ and the title character from ‘Jerry Maguire.’ He’s loud, obnoxious, rude and absolutely hilarious when screaming at Damon over the phone, and the two actors have really fun scenes together.
Finally, beloved actor Jason Bateman gives one of his best performances as Nike publicist Rob Strasser. Bateman brings his signature witty and sometimes sarcastic attitude to the character, which works well, but it’s his few dramatic scenes that are really impressive. The actor has a monologue near the end that her recites beautifully and is the motivating factor for Damon’s character in the final moments. It’s a great showcase role for Bateman, and the actor also has very good chemistry with Damon.
Nobody, well, kind of. As previously mentioned, Affleck did not cast an actor to play Michael Jordan, but he does have a stand-in for Jordan in a few scenes using over the shoulder and obscured shots to give the idea of his presence. This was absolutely the correct choice as casting an actor to play the GOAT (Sorry LeBron!), would have been too distracting. That being said, not casting an actor to play Jordan was also distracting, so really there was no good choice.
Not showing Jordan and making his parents the focal point makes sense and works up until the end. But by the time we are in the final scenes, where Jordan and his parents finally meet with Nike, it’s odd that they are spending so much time focusing on Deloris and basically ignoring Michael. I know what Affleck was going for, but I think it would have been better if they built on the anticipation to see Michael, which they basically do, and then finally show him, briefly, in the final scene, casting a look-a-like actor but perhaps with no dialogue. It would seem like a better payoff.
Not to mention that some of the angles in which Affleck shoots the stand-in playing Michael to obscure him also seem odd in the context of the rest of the movie which is shot more traditionally. Ultimately, none of this really hurts the movie as a whole, and the real Jordan is actually seen throughout the movie in plenty of archival footage.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Air’ is a really funny, entertaining, and inspiring movie that is extremely interesting and suspenseful, even if you already know the history of Air Jordan. Affleck is a very gifted filmmaker and storyteller, and ‘Air’ is one of his best. It’s super fun and nostalgic to see Affleck and Damon together again onscreen, and they are surrounded by a cast of wonderful performances from the likes of Davis, Bateman, Messina, and Tucker.
‘Air’ is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. It is set to release exclusive in theaters on April 5, 2023.
Biopics of well-known figures often struggle with condensing the lives of their subjects. But part of the brilliance of the very entertaining ‘Air,’ which reunites director-star Ben Affleck and good friend Matt Damon on screen, is the manner in which it smartly sidles up to a legendary figure — in this case basketball star and all-around icon Michael Jordan — and tells a very specific story that manages to illuminate not only an important time period in his life, but a broader moment in American culture.
You see, ’Air’ tells an origin story, of sorts. Instead of a caped superhero, though, it’s about the unlikely genesis of Air Jordans — the shoe line which would come to dominate not only hoops culture but global business at large, presently racking up more than $5 billion in annual sales.
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Based on the true tale of Nike’s attempts to woo Jordan to sign an exclusive shoe contract before he’s ever suited up and played a game of professional basketball, the movie stars Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the sports marketing executive and longtime hoops scout who pushes Nike chairman and CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) to abandon the standard practice of spreading around endorsement deals, and instead put all their effort into signing one player he believes has the potential to be a star. Viola Davis and real-life husband Julius Tennon portray Deloris and James Jordan, the hoops legend’s loving parents.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending a pair of virtual press conferences for ’Air,’ along with several other outlets. In attendance in one interview session were Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, and Matthew Maher, while the second session of the double-tilt featured Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Marlon Wayans, and screenwriter Alex Convery.
Here are 10 things we learned from the ’Air’ press conference, edited for clarity and length.
1. Ben Affleck Was Going to Walk Away From the Film If Michael Jordan Asked Him To
Ben Affleck is a Golden Globe Best Director winner, so his commitment behind the camera would be enough to get movies of a certain budget made. But his commitment to ‘Air’ wasn’t absolute.
Ben Affleck: I went to speak to Michael, because I’ve been lucky enough to run across him a few times. I’m not gonna act like me and him are friends. I just like idolized the guy, and every now and again I’ve had a chance to spend time with him. It’s been very memorable for me, though probably he’s forgotten it. But I had at least enough of an in to say, “Hey, can I come see you and just run this past you?” Because to be honest, from a point-of-view of respect for him, his family, who he is, and what he means, the stupidest thing in the world would be to go make a movie that, (even though) he doesn’t appear in, nonetheless invokes his name and tells a part of his story, if he was opposed to. So if he said don’t do it, I just was gonna not do it. That would be that. And I was very, very prepared for that to be the result of (our conversation), because I had no reason to think he would be open to it or that he would welcome it. However, what I found was that he was very gracious when I said, look, this is not historically accurate, in the sense that I can’t dot every I and cross every T — this is gonna have to be something of a fable, a parable, an inspiring story. So I’m gonna take liberties in order to make it an hour and 30 or 40 minutes, but I don’t wanna violate anything that’s fundamentally important or true to you. So if you would please tell me what those things are, I promise you they’ll be sacrosanct. And I think it was telling that he wasn’t somebody who was like, “Whoa, we gotta talk about when I did this, and I did that,” (because) there are people who take that approach. He only talked about other people. He wanted to make sure that other people who were meaningful were included in the story. George Raveling was one of them. Then he also said Howard White is integral to this too.
2. Screenwriter Alex Convery Watched ’The Last Dance’ Just Like You
The 10-episode Netflix docu-series ‘The Last Dance’ was a huge hit during the early months of the COVID pandemic. And in fact it birthed the idea for ‘Air.’
Alex Convery: I’m a ’90s Chicago kid, which is where the Bulls and Michael Jordan and my connection comes from. But like everyone else, I was locked up during those first couple of months of quarantine, watching ‘The Last Dance.’ There’s a little five-minute clip about Nike and just how Air Jordans came together. And I was at a point in my career where, you know, you’re trying to write a script that gets noticed. So when you can explain the movie in one sentence — it’s a story of how Nike got Michael Jordan — it has that ability, you know? It goes to the top of the pile, and maybe people will give it a bit more of a chance. But like everything, it comes down to characters, right? So the question was, who can be the protagonist and the engine of this movie? And finding both Sonny and Deloris was really, to me, what elevated it above just a movie about a shoe and Michael Jordan. It’s finding the human elements in a very big movie. I call them “big little movies.” The little (part) being, this is just a movie about a shoe deal, right? It takes place over a week or so, and it’s small in scope, but the big part is when you say it’s about Nike and Michael Jordan. You could talk to 100 people on the street, and all 100 of them are going to know who Michael Jordan is and what Nike is. And to me, that’s what kind of elevates it above just a movie about a shoe.
3. Michael Jordan Asked For Viola Davis To Play His Mother
The hoops G.O.A.T. had some casting advice for Ben Affleck, rooted in his strong relationship to his mother Deloris.
Ben Affleck: (Michael) said, “You know, I didn’t wanna go to Portland. I would’ve signed my shoe rights away for life for a red Mercedes. My mom told me to go to Beaverton.” And when I saw how he talked about his mother — the regard and esteem in which he held her, the reverence and respect and adoration and love when he talked about his mother — it just shocked me, and shame on me for not kind of assuming this was the case. But when I heard it, I realized right away this is the story — and a beautiful story. It’s a story about Deloris Jordan and what she means to Michael, and that she’s emblematic of what so many mothers must have meant to so many athletes and entertainers and people in this business who are oftentimes very young and thrust into a world of fame and money that can be confusing, and must require enormous amounts of guidance. So I thought, actually this is brilliant. This is what the story is. This is beautiful, and this is the protagonist. And I said offhandedly (to Michael), who do you think should play your mom? And he said it has to be Viola Davis. I was like, okay. That’s kind of like saying, “Can I get a basketball team together? Sure. It has to (have) Michael Jordan.” You’re like, well, all right. (laughs) But then I thought, you know, this is very typical of who this guy is. Like, it has to be the very best, absolutely. So I knew that it was incumbent on us to create a role that was worthy of Viola, and we tried to do that.
4. Viola Davis Found Her Character In a Preternatural Steadiness
Michael Jordan is famously one of the most competitive and intense athletes of all time. His mother Deloris, though, had a different defining characteristic.
Viola Davis: Stepping into the role, if you watch videos, Deloris Jordan is a study in Zen neutrality. The woman is very, very steady and quiet, you know? I mean, I would imagine that even when she gets mad, she’s probably very, very, very steady. (laughs) So to really just envelope that spirit and everything was a challenge for me, because I’m the woman who always has a chip on her shoulder. I go in bombastic, you know? So it was both flattering, challenging, and then just a joy to work with Matt and Ben and all these terrific actors. Me and Julius still talk about it to this day, as just one of the greatest experiences.
5. As With a Lot of Interesting Stories, ’Air’ Surprisingly Reframes a Known Character or Entity
With annual revenue in excess of $45 billion, Nike is the undisputed giant of the footwear and athletic apparel industry. But not in ‘Air.’
Matt Damon: We were really trying to capture the spirit of these people in this time more than anything — not exactly who said what at exactly what moment. All of these people on the Nike side, independent of one another, have talked about this time with such nostalgia. And that’s what we were trying to create and remind people about, you know? They were the underdog, which is such a weird way to think of Nike now. But before this incredible deal, they really were these renegades, and kind of outsiders. And so it really is one of those stories that comes along and you go, “Wow, this is really for everybody.” We used to call them feel-good movies. You should leave the theater with, like, a skip in your step.
6. The Sensitivity Modeled in Deloris and James Jordan’s Relationship Mirrors Viola Davis’ Real-Life Relationship
In real life, James Jordan modeled a quiet strength, preferring to let his wife Deloris handle most of the talking. But he stood by her fiercely. For Davis, parts of the relationship mirrored her own marriage with Julius Tennon.
Viola Davis: That is our dynamic in real life. You know, Julius has told me since we got together, he said, “Vee [phonetic], now when you come home and it’s late at night, you make sure you don’t get out of that car until the gates close. And if someone’s following you, you lay on that horn and I’m gonna come out with my baseball bat, and I’ll put it on their ass.” (laughs) And, you know, I laid on the horn once by accident after coming home at three o’clock in the morning, and I counted to five. Julius came out with the baseball bat, and I knew — I was like, “That’s it, I’m gonna marry him. This is my dude.”
7. Chris Messina Enjoyed His Character’s Angry Phone Calls
Chris Messina co-stars as David Falk, Michael Jordan’s famously hot-tempered agent. But for scenes in which he has heated phone calls, he wasn’t just yelling by himself.
Chris Messina: When Ben calls you up, you don’t even need to read the script, because I’ve gotten to work with him now three times and it’s always an amazing experience. It’s always surrounded by great artists in front of the camera and behind the camera. So when I read it, I loved it, but I was like, “Oh shit, these are a lot of phone calls.” (laughs) But Ben did something that I’ve never done in my career, and I’ve done a lot of phone calls. Usually you call the other actor, the phone disconnects, or a script supervisor does it with you. But Matt and I were actually down the hallway from each other. We each had three cameras on us, and Ben would go back and forth from room to room, we’d all get together and we had a blast doing it. The script was amazing, but we could play, we could overlap, we could improvise.
8. Marlon Wayans Used YouTube For Research, But Wasn’t Aiming For an Impression
In basketball circles, George Raveling is a well-known figure — and, as Marlon Mayans learned, one with other connections to history at large. But neither Wayans nor Affleck wanted an impersonation.
Marlon Wayans: I did a crash course on YouTube, and I learned a lot about George Raveling. I learned he was a fantastic man. And when I read the monologue (in the movie), and the fact that that was real, and that he still has (the original copy of Martin Luther King’s) “I Have a Dream” speech in his possession, I just thought that it was an amazing character to play. And usually, the more you research, the better you can do in terms of your performance. But what I love was when we went on set, Ben was like, you know, “We’re not impersonating. You can bring you to it.” And for an actor that’s always the best thing you can do: when I can mix that person with my emotions and what you bring. The script was already written so beautifully, but also we got to play. Then I could get out of my head and really have fun. And that’s what it was. When I left the set, I just felt like if every day on that set felt like the first day, that’s going to be a magical movie.
9. Ben Affleck Has Always Wanted to Work with Chris Tucker
Everyone knows about Ben Affleck’s longtime friendship with Matt Damon. But ‘Air’ checked some other boxes for the multi-hyphenate, too.
Ben Affleck: This is a group of people who either I had known for a long, long time, (many) of whom I’ve worked with multiple times and know well and adore and admire, and then people who have been my sort of life’s goal to work with, in Viola Davis and Chris Tucker. In fact, I think Chris can attest the number of times I’ve harassed him — he passed me by in a hotel lobby and I’m like, “Chris, Chris, Chris, I wanna do a movie with you!” (laughs) I feel like humor is the highest form of intelligence, you know what I mean? So I feel like guys like Chris are the smartest, most interesting people you can meet. People to find the humor and the joy in life is just a magic that I wanna be around. Like, a few times I’ve made him laugh and I take a secret pride in that. I’m like, “He just laughed at my joke!”
10. Matthew Maher Located a Similarity Between His Character, the Designer of the Iconic Air Jordans, and Athletes
Of course, everyone knows Michael Jordan, too. But to hardcore sneaker-heads, designer Peter Moore is also a celebrity — and he even wore it like an athlete.
Matthew Maher: Weirdly, Peter Moore just passed away like a week before I was offered the movie. And I definitely did dive in (for research), I read a lot of blogs and I watched documentaries where he was featured. But what shocked me was looking at his designs and his ideas, which were so amazing and ahead of their time, where he’s talking and he’s just like a regular guy, you know? He’s talking and he says, “Yeah, there was too much red and then we decided to just leave it that way.” He was very like direct (in all his descriptions). And I thought the biggest parallel was listening to how pro athletes talk about what they do, which is like, “Well, we just kept at it,” even though they’re doing these amazing things (that others can’t). A genius doesn’t always express himself very well when he’s talking about his (own) genius acts.
‘Air’ is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. It is set to release exclusive in theaters on April 5, 2023.
Can you bring the psychological terror and body horror of a David Cronenberg movie to TV? If you have the less scope of streaming, and a Prime Video budget, you can certainly give it a try.
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In Cronenberg’s original 1988 movie ‘Dead Ringers’, Jeremy Irons stars as the Mantle brothers: both doctors –– gynecologists –– and identical twins. Mentally however, one of them is more confident than the other, and always manages to seduce the women he meets. When he’s tired of his current partner, she is passed on to the other brother… without her knowing. Everything runs smoothly, at least until an actress visits their clinic, and the shy brother is the first to fall in love. Will they be able to ‘share’ her ?
The concept has now been updated, and gender swapped, to star Rachel Weisz in a limited series. The trailer, set to Soft Cell’s 1981 synth cover of “Tainted Love,” teases a very different storyline compared to the original film, focusing on the twin’s experiments to change the very way women can give birth.
Rachel Weisz in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
What’s the story for the new ‘Dead Ringers’?
Weisz stars in the lead dual roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle. They are twin gynecologists who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes — including pushing the boundaries on medical ethics — in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront.
The twins are very different despite their identical faces –– and that, plus their drive to change the field of medicine promises some big trouble ahead.
Jennifer Ehle in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Rachel Weisz also serves as an executive producer for the limited series, which is created, written, and executive produced by Emmy-nominated writer and playwright Alice Birch, who worked on ‘Normal People’.
In an unusual move, the trailer’s release was actually delayed by a day in light of the Nashville school shooting which left three children and three adults dead. The release was delayed out of respect for the families and victims of the tragedy, not due to the content of the series or trailer, which does not involve a shooting.
All six episodes of ‘Dead Ringers’ will launch on Prime Video on April 21st.
Rachel Weisz in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Rachel Weisz in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Rachel Weisz in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.(L to R) Rachel Weisz and Michael Chernus in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Rachel Weisz in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Poppy Liu in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Britne Oldford in ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.A scene from ‘Dead Ringers.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime. Copyright: Amazon Studios.‘Dead Ringers’ will launch on Prime Video on April 21st.
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Just when you thought the already sprawling ensemble of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ couldn’t get any bigger, Prime Video goes and surprises us all by adding three new cast members in recurring roles for Season 2.
Ciaran Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie are all joining the cast for the show, which has been in production on its second season for a while now in the UK.
Ciarán Hinds at the premiere of USA Network’s ‘Political Animals.’
What’s the story so far of ‘Rings of Power’?
Set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ books, the series takes viewers back to The Second Age, an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and a powerful villain threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the show follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
(L to R) Charlie Vickers (Halbrand), and Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
We’ll leave a Spoiler Warning here for anyone who has yet to check out the show… But given that the climactic end of Season 1 saw Charlie Vickers human warrior Halbrand unmasked as cunning, charismatic evil wizard Sauron and the effective birth of the lava-scarred land of Mordor from under a human village, expect both of those to be followed. We’ll also be going on more adventures with the Harfoots and can expect Morfydd Clark’s Elf warrior Galadriel to keep on fighting, especially since she’s now been proved right about the Sauron situation.
As for the new cast, Prime Video isn’t saying who they’ll play yet.
Rory Kinnear in ‘Southcliffe,’
Where do I know Ciaran Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie from?
Hinds is probably the best known of the three, an actor with a long legacy of impressive work on stage and on screens big and small. He was Oscar nominated for playing Pop in Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ and has been seen in movies such as ‘Munich’, ‘In Bruges’, ‘Road to Perdition’, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise. Perhaps most relevant to both TV audiences and this new fantasy job is his run as Mance Rayder in ‘Game of Thrones’.
Kinnear is most recognizable from his performances as Bill Tanner in the Daniel Craig Bond movies starting with ‘Quantum of Solace’. Last year, he played various creepy roles in Alex Garland’s horror movie ‘Men’. On TV, he’s currently part of the cast of pirate comedy ‘Our Flag Means Death’.
Prime Video is betting big on the spy series ‘Citadel,’ positioning the April 28 premiere of its six densely plotted first season episodes (two upon launch, the rest unspooling weekly throughout May) as a global television event. The Amazon streaming service, seeking to further define and carve out a brash new identity with consumers, is positioning the show as a “mothership” anchor, along with two local-language satellite series set in India and Italy.
Executive produced by Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO, and overseen by show-runner David Weil, the series opens eight years after the fall of the Citadel, a shadowy, independent spy agency loyal to no nation. The group was taken down by Manticore, a powerful criminal syndicate puppeteering the world from the shadows, who apparently killed off plenty of Citadel agents but erased the memories of others, like Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), who narrowly escaped with their lives.
Desperately needing the help of his former Citadel colleague to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order, Nick Fury… err, sorry, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) tracks down Mason, who in turn reconnects with his old partner Nadia. Unaware of their pasts but plugged back in to their very special set of skills, the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world, all while contending with a complicated relationship built on a shuffled deck of secrets and lies. In addition to the aforementioned stars, Lesley Manville and a host of well-recognized international faces such as Varun Dhawan and Matilda De Angelis pop up in recurring roles.
(L to R) Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’
Joe and Anthony Russo Aim to Apply Their Expertise at World-Building to the Spy Genre
No strangers to sprawling narrative world-building after their record-smashing work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Russo brothers turned plenty of heads when the deal between AGBO and Amazon was first announced.
“The concept was an idea that (Amazon Studios CEO) Jen Salke presented to us a few years ago,” recalled Joe Russo during a special press event introducing the project’s trailer. “The notion of telling a story that could be interwoven throughout the world — it would have a flagship show, and then regional shows written, produced and directed by regional talent — we thought was, one, such a novel idea for a narrative. And, two, it was an amazing way to create a really diverse global community of storytellers to tell a giant mosaic of a narrative together. After our work on the Marvel films, and spending so much time traveling the globe, this was an idea I think that was really exciting to Anthony and I, and ignitable for us, (even if it) seemed like an incredible challenge.”
Anthony Russo agreed. “It feels like this is something Joe and I’ve been working toward for many years now,” he said. “As storytellers, we really love the engagement of the global film community. So it was an incredible opportunity, and we went to work trying to find the right story that could sort of fulfill that ambition.”
Their search for a collaborator led them to David Weil, already well known to Amazon for his work as the creator-writer of both ‘Hunters‘ and the anthology drama series ‘Solos,’ among other projects. He was drawn, like a moth to a flame, to the same elements that attracted the Russo brothers.
“What’s so both beautiful and ambitious about this entire spy-verse, or spy universe, that we’re creating is that we’re doing it in tandem with partners all around the world,” said Weil, name-checking the announced Indian and Italian spin-offs. “We get to work with these incredible writers, filmmakers, actors and producers truly from all around the world, and build this entire story together. So it becomes this tapestry told in different languages through different cultures, but in a very authentic way. It’s not just a Western point-of-view that we’re [imposing upon] the story. We really are doing something original, and really holding hands and building this at the same time with all of our fellow creators and producers.”
Richard Madden in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’
Multiple Versions of Characters, But Don’t Call It a Multi-Verse
While the grand plan may be for ‘Citadel’ and its satellite shows to interlock as puzzle pieces, the creators realize none of those aspirations matter without compelling characters. And, to that end, the Russos and Weil wanted to make sure that there was plenty of meat on the bone for performers to challenge themselves with, as well as keep viewers guessing.
“Both Richard and Priyanka get to play multiple versions of themselves, and this notion that their memories have been erased allows them to create new characters who then have to rediscover who they were,” said Joe Russo. “Then, their new personalities come in conflict with their old personalities. And that, to us, was the idea that I think most excited us, because I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that before — where you have multiple characters dealing with a crisis of personality and a crisis of conscience.”
That dynamic made things thrilling for Chopra Jonas and Madden — but also quite challenging. “I think the show has so many layers and complexities,” said Chopra Jonas, “and there’s a word that we used from the beginning, which was duality, for every character. What you see is what you don’t get. Don’t believe what you see. Everything is just conceptually crazy.”
Unpacking his character a bit, Madden reflected upon the heady philosophical questions that he found ‘Citadel’ raised, both during production and long after the first season shoot had finished.
“They are both the same man in lots of different ways, but with each version of them, you pull out different aspects of kind of humanity, and who they are as people,” he said. “One of them carries a lot of scars from the past and a lot of trauma. And the other one doesn’t carry any of that baggage — he just has a whole bunch of unknown to him. So we end up having these two very different characters, and that’s kind of what was exciting to explore about them — (the notion of) how much of your character traits are built into you, and how much are inherited through trauma and experience?”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’
Priyanka Chopra Jonas Is Scarred by ‘Citadel’… Literally
Since the series is built around spies and lies, the debut trailer — which includes fisticuffs on a train, some gunplay, and a base-jumping leap off of a building — leans into a couple familiar modes of expression that will perhaps trip wires of memory sensation amongst genre audiences. There’s a pinch of the flirty banter from ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ for example, as well as a little bit of the did-I-really-just-do-that? bewilderment of Jason Bourne discovering the full extent of his hand-to-hand combat abilities in ‘The Bourne Identity.’ The action, viewers are shown, is going to be abundant.
For Chopra Jonas, in fact, it was a scarring experience.
“You see this scar on my eyebrow?” she asks, pointing toward her left temple. “Yeah, that’s courtesy of ‘Citadel.’ I don’t even cover it anymore.”
Still, she’s not complaining. In fact, the erstwhile ‘Quantico’ star quite loved the overt physicality of the show. “I think Joe and Anthony brought the most incredible stunt team onto the show — I mean, obviously, with their repertoire,” said Chopra Jonas. “And I got to explore a lot of that with the stunts that we did. Every time I would read new pages, the stunts would just get bigger and bigger and bigger. So it was amazing to be able to imagine that, and then walk on the set and actually execute it.”
Madden, meanwhile, wants prospective viewers to come to the show expecting a well-measured blend of big-budget spectacle, and top-shelf small screen character plotting. “I think oftentimes we see shows that are 80 percent drama and 20 percent action, or vice versa. This show aimed to be 100 percent of both,” he said.
“And I think that’s what we’ve managed to pull off, because in the middle of these huge sequences with explosions and cars blowing up and all of that, we have this really intimate drama between these two characters, and how they dance together,” Madden continued. “So, for me, that’s what was so exciting about these huge action pieces — that they are infused with heart and drama and storytelling. We get to see a lot about these characters, and how they physically interact, (because) there’s drama at the heart of each one of them.”
Chopra Jonas concurs. “The choices in the action pieces are made because of what the characters are feeling,” she said. “So there’s a story interwoven into all the stunts.”
Even if, sometimes, they end up leaving a mark.
(L to R) Stanley Tucci and Richard Madden in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’Stanley Tucci in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’Lesley Manville in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’Richard Madden in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’(L to R) Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel.’
What would happen if one random change shifted the balance of power in the entire world? That’s the basic premise for British writer Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel ‘The Power’, which spun that out to its logical conclusion.
It has now been turned into a thriller series for Prime Video by ‘True Blood’ and ‘Jessica Jones’ veteran Raelle Tucker. The full trailer for the show is now online, or you can watch it in the video player above.
Auli’i Cravalho as Jos Clearly on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Katie Yu/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
What’s the story of ‘The Power’?
Taking Alderman’s book as its jumping off point, ‘The Power’ shows our world, but for one twist of nature. Suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will.
So what would that mean for the world? It changes the balance of power between the sexes, as women are less afraid of men, and that begins to shift society. The series’ story stretches from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of how men and women interact.
While the novel is set 5,000 years after the events of the story, where a matriarchy rules the planet after revolution driven by the women who developed the electrical abilities, the show appears to focus on the start of the narrative.
Of course, as the trailer suggests, though these new abilities mean a lot of the world’s problems for women go away, just because there’s a new group in charge doesn’t mean that there’s suddenly no corruption, crime or violence. It just changes.
(L to R) John Leguizamo as Rob Lopez on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Katie Yu/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
This new series stars Toni Collette as Mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez, who along with John Leguizamo as Rob Lopez, discover that their daughter Jos Cleary-Lopez (‘Moana’s Auli’i Cravalho) has started to develop the power.
Then there’s ‘Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde Ojo, a Nigerian journalist who sees a chance to boost his career by reporting on the women and girls who start to show the electrical charges.
Josh Charles, meanwhile, Daniel Dandon, who is concerned about what this all means, and drives a programme of tracking and detaining the young women. Then there’s Roxy Monke (Ria Zmitrowicz), who starts to help her criminal father Bernie (Eddie Marsan) in his business.
And Allie Montgomery (Halle Bush) is a rape survivor who kills her attacker –– her foster father –– and then flees to a convent. The cast also includes Zrinka Cvitešić, Daniela Vega, Alice Eve, Nico Hiraga and Heather Agyepong.
‘The Power’ will start on Prime Video on March 31st with the first three episodes, with an episode every Friday until the season finale on May 12th.
(L to R) Toni Collette, John Leguizamo, and Auli’i Cravalho in Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Katie Yu/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Toni Collette as Margot Cleary-Lopez on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Katie Yu/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Josh Charles as Governor Daniel Dandon on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Katie Yu/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Zrinka Cvitešić as Tatiana on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Ludovic Robert/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde Ojo on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Ludovic Robert/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Ria Zmitrowicz as Roxy Monke on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Ludovic Robert/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Halle Bush as Allie on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios .(L to R) Eddie Marsan and Ria Zmitrowicz as Bernie and Roxy Monke on Prime Video’s ‘The Power.’ Photo: Ludovic Robert/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.Prime Video’s ‘The Power’ premiers on March 31, 2023.
(L to R) Jamie Hector and Titus Welliver on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch.’ Credit: Aaron Epstein. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
The ‘Bosch’-verse is expanding!
Popular police dramas ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy,’ which both star Titus Welliver as the title character, has two new shows in development at Amazon Studios, further expanding its world. As spinoffs in TV becomes more popular, Bosch’s two new shows will focus on Detective Jerry Edgar and new character Detective Renee Ballard.
Inspired by bestselling author Michael Connelly’s novels centered around LA detective Harry Bosch, its flagship show is the longest-running original series on Prime Video with seven seasons. ‘Bosch: Legacy’ was renewed for a second season before the first episode was released on Freevee and Prime Video.
The first spinoff series, the ‘Untitled J. Edger’ project will focus on Harry Bosch’s former partner, Detective Jerry Edgar (Jamie Hector) who is tapped for an undercover FBI mission in Little Haiti, Miami. In this glamorous city, he is forced to balance his new life with the gritty underbelly of the city, while being chased by his mysterious past.
Jamie Hector on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch.’ Credit: Lacey Terrell. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
The next series, the ‘Untitled Renee Ballard’ show centers around Detective Renee Ballard, who is tasked with running the LAPD’s new cold case division. Beyond simply investigating unsolved crimes, Renee is dedicated to bridging credibility to the department and justice to the community. Having learned from retired ally and mentor Harry Bosch, Renee does things her own way – solving cases in unconventional ways while navigating the politics of being a woman on the rise in the LAPD.
The character Renee Ballard has not yet appeared on the ‘Bosch’ or ‘Bosch: Legacy,’ therefore the role has not been cast.
For such a successful show, it’s no wonder the studio wants to expand the world. As we can see from series such as ‘Yellowstone’, ‘Dexter’, and ‘Billions’, building out the world of an existing series is the current trend. No word yet on whether the new shows will be for Prime Video, Freevee, or both.
Jamie Hector on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch.’ Credit: Hopper Stone. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in 2018’s ‘Tomb Raider.’
Having seen success––at least in terms of buzz––with the likes of ‘The Rings of Power’ and ‘The Boys’, Amazon is breaking open its (admittedly huge) piggy bank for a new potential franchise.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the company has struck a deal with Dmitri M. Johnson’s dj2 Entertainment for the rights to the ‘Tomb Raider’ game series.
Launched in 1996 on Sony’s PlayStation console, the ‘Tomb Raider’ series has gone on to be a huge selling title across various platforms, earning more than $95 million by last year and spawning a massive amount of merchandising.
The series gives the player control of fictional British archaeologist Lara Croft, who travels around the world searching for lost artifacts and infiltrating dangerous tombs and ruins.
That most recent title came from MGM and Warner Bros., but there has been talk of a sequel, with first ‘Meg 2: The Trench’s Ben Wheatley and then ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green attached to make it, development stalled.
Amazon, of course, bought MGM last year, but the rights to the ‘Tomb Raider’ games had already lapsed from the studio because of the lack of forward movement on the new movie.
With the rights in Amazon’s grip, the plans have now shifted to building out an interconnected Lara Croft universe boasting a new game release and what will probably be another movie reboot.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge on BBC Studios’ ‘Fleabag.’
Perhaps most intriguingly, the new universe also features a potential Prime Video TV series from ‘Fleabag’ creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who recently renewed her deal with Amazon. While we might not have expected Waller-Bridge to be all in on a ‘Tomb Raider’ title, she’s apparently a fan of the games. and has had experience with action on the likes of ‘Killing Eve’ and recent Bond outing ‘No Time to Die’ (for which she provided script polishes).
No details have yet emerged on what Waller-Bridge’s show might look like (she doesn’t plan to appear, just write and produce) or how it might connect to any potential movie (or movies, you know Amazon will want to get their money’s worth). But it’s certainly interesting to ponder the idea of a Lara Croft with the writer’s trademark snappy dialogue.
Yet Amazon is not the only company with an interest in Croft––this will no doubt be disheartening for Netflix, which already has a ‘Tomb Raider’ anime series in the works following a two-series order. Or perhaps it’ll drive up interest in all things Lara?
Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in 2018’s ‘Tomb Raider.’
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