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Tag: sam-worthington

  • Movie Review: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    Jake Sully, Ronal, and Tonowari in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    (L to R): Jake Sully, Ronal, and Tonowari in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Arriving in theaters on December 16th, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ represents James Cameron attempting the same high wire trick he pulled with the 2009 original, with the added pressure of 13 years between releases.

    But as the old maxim in Hollywood goes, it’s best not to bet against Jim Cameron! This is a man who was told that his film about a troubled, true-life ship would sink without trace. That he couldn’t come up with a solid sequel to a movie about a killer cyborg. And, most tellingly, that no one could turn 3D from a gimmick to a worthwhile format, especially not with a movie about some blue creatures whose storyline seemed to be an expensive, live-action remake of ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’.

    None of the naysayers had further comment after the success of ‘Titanic’, ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ and ‘Avatar’.

    It’s safe to say that, while the original may not have left the same lasting cultural crater as it did on the box office (it took until ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ to truly dethrone it, and a recent re-release has seen Cameron claim the crown back again), ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ looks set to go over just as well.

    Jake Sully and Neteyam in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    (L to R): Jake Sully and Neteyam in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The story picks up more than a decade after the events of the original film (for those who somehow find themselves in a theater watching the new movie without having seen that, there is a helpful exposition dump from Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) himself.

    Jake, see, was a paraplegic human brought to the moon of Pandora to replace his late brother, a marine who was part a mission to subdue the local populace, known as Na’vi, so humanity could continue strip-mining the place. Your basic colonialist narrative with the added wrinkle of “Avatars”, lab-grown versions of the Na’vi to which a human consciousness can be connected – one of which had been earmarked for Jake’s sibling.

    Instead, Jake encountered  the Na’Vi, met warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) fell in love and fought back against the human forces, led on the military front by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), a burly, blustering marine who sees it has his job to take down the Na’vi.

    ‘The Way of Water’ fills in some of the gaps between movies––Jake and Neytiri have a family, including three kids of their own (Jamie Flatters as eldest son Neteyam, Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, second-born son and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey/“Tuk”, their eight-year-old daughter) plus adoptive teenage daughter Kiri, played by Sigourney Weaver. And yes, she has a connection to Weaver’s character Dr. Grace Augustine from the first movie that we won’t specify here.

    Sigourney Weaver plays Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage Na’vi daughter In 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Sigourney Weaver plays Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage Na’vi daughter In ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.

    Though the family and their tribe have lived peacefully in the intervening years, humanity––and Quaritch, who was killed by Neytiri at the end of the first movie––are back to finish the job. Soon, Jake and his brood are running for their lives, ending up with the Metkayina clan (led by Cliff Curtis’ Tonowari and Kate Winslet’s Ronal), who live and thrive around and in Pandora’s voluminous oceans.

    As for the film itself, it shares both the many strengths and some crucial weaknesses of the original.

    On the positive side of things, this shoves the “spectacle” right back into “spectacular”––Cameron and his technological and creative team have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible once again, realizing truly dazzling visuals that will absolutely be held up as groundbreaking and state of the art.

    Cameron has plenty of experience of his own in the water, and he brings all of it to making the oceanic scenes look as real as possible. It’s clear that team ‘Avatar’ didn’t spend all this time sitting on their laurels––mammoth amounts of research and development have gone into making the Na’vi look even more lifelike this time (and figuring out clever ways the Metkayina would differ from Jake and Neytiri’s tribe, such as their more powerful tails, which aid in swimming).

    Neytiri and Jake Sully in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    (L to R): Neytiri and Jake Sully in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The world around them is brimming with fresh creatures, which are just as incredible as the forest-dwellers from the first run-around. And when the humans arrive to cause problems, they do so in machinery that looks chunky, real-world and immaculately designed.

    3D hasn’t really been much of a thing these past few years, but ‘The Way of Water’ uses it in such a way as to draw you right back in. And while the high frame rate still has some issues at moments, this is lightyears ahead of the likes of ‘The Hobbit’.

    Yet we did mention the weaknesses, and this first sequel (Cameron currently plans three more) carries them over too. Primarily it’s in the storyline, and despite the director assembling a writers room to help crank out an overarching story and four distinct outings, the characters and plot remain lacking.

    With a script for this one credited to Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (who were part of the ‘Avatar’ sequel creative quorum and also wrote on the likes of ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’), you might have hoped for more polish. Instead what we’re offered are a second helping of basic tropes, easily foreseeable plot turns and embarrassingly base-level initial squabbling between the kids from the tribes before they learn to put aside their differences.

    'Avatar: The Way of Water'
    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.

    Lang, though he immerses himself in the role despite being big and blue this time, is still saddled with cheesy dialogue and first-draft motivations.

    And while the likes of Weaver and the rest of the Sully-Neytiri clan are the focus here, spare a thought for poor Saldana who, aside from some heroic third-act moments, is mostly called upon to worry.

    And while the visuals are near-flawless, you could be forgiven, at times when humans are sharing the screen with Na’vi, for thinking that you’re watching the movie that plays before a theme park ride. Then there’s several character and action moments that feel like the director making a greatest hits album––the chatty marines and sturdy tech of ‘Aliens’, the parental worries of ‘Terminator 2’ and the watery finale of ‘Titanic’ all sharing space here.

    Those quibbles aside, if you give yourself over to the action, the lavish (virtual) locales and the rush of emotions that Cameron is looking to generate, and is mostly successful in doing so, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will give you reason to celebrate returning to Pandora.

    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.

    'Avatar: The Way of Water'
    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.
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  • ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s James Cameron and Kate Winslet

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    Opening in theaters on December 16th is the highly-awaited sequel to 2009’s box office smash ‘Avatar,’ entitled ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    Once again written and directed by groundbreaking filmmaker James Cameron, the new film picks up more than a decade after the original and sees Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family escaping from the return of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), and looking for refuge with the reef people clan of Metkayina, a water-dwelling species on Pandora.

    In addition to Worthington and Lang, the film also welcomes back Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, CCH Pounder as Mo’at, and Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, as well as Sigourney Weaver as new character Kiri, who is the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine’s avatar.

    Joining the cast are Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore, Jermaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin, Cliff Curtis as Tonowari the leader of the Metkayina, and reuniting with Cameron for the first time since ‘Titanic,’ Kate Winslet as Tonowari’s wife, Ronal.

    Also joining the cast for the sequel are Jamie Flatters and Britain Dalton as Jake and Neytiri’s sons, Neteyam and Lo’ak, respectively. Trinity Bliss plays Jake and Neytiri’s daughter Tuk, while Bailey Bass and Filip Geljo play Tonowari and Ronal’s children, Reya and Aonung, respectively. Finally, Jack Champion joins the cast as Spider, the long lost son of Miles Quaritch.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of traveling to London to sit down in-person with Oscar-winning director James Cameron and Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet to talk about the work on ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    The filmmaker discussed the sequel, the challenges of making it, how the technology has changed since the original, and his plans for more sequels, while Winslet talked about reuniting with Cameron, joining the sequel, and learning to hold her breathe.

    Kate Winslet stars in director James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Kate Winslet stars in director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Cameron, Winslet, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jamie Flatters, and Bailey Bass.

    MF: To begin with, Kate, what was it like for you to reunite with James Cameron for the first time since ‘Titanic’ on ‘Avatar: The Way of Water?’

    Kate Winslet: Yeah, very long time ago. Yeah, it’s 26 years ago. It was amazing and absolutely incredible. The script was always going to be phenomenal because it’s ‘Avatar.’ Again, for Jim, it’s a world he created. He writes for women in a way that is extraordinary.

    He always creates strong, not just female characters, but female leaders, women who are powerful mothers who lead with integrity. So, I just appreciated being asked. I was excited to jump in. I absolutely loved every minute of it. It was a wonderful experience.

    MF: Director James Cameron has said that he knew he wanted to do a sequel to ‘Avatar’ pretty quickly after finishing the original. When did he ask you to be involved in the sequel?

    KW: It was I guess quite a long time. He first mentioned something to me almost in passing back in 2014 or 2015. I guess it was around that time. I had seen him for an event in LA and he said, “Oh, we have to get you big and blue sometime.” I said, “Oh yeah, I’d love that.” The seed was sown.

    Then in late 2017 was when he actually called and said, “I really do want to send you this script.” He described Ronal to me as being a female warrior goddess, and leader of a clan. I just thought, my God, if it really is that, this could be extraordinary.

    I read the script and loved it, and was particularly taken by not only the elements of family and motherhood, but also this added physical challenge of learning how to free dive and breath hold, which I was just so excited by and not remotely daunted by. I had no fear around the idea of any of that. I just loved learning something new in my 40s.

    It’s so funny, when you are young, you think you’ve learned all of the new things that you could learn, and as an adult, we close our minds off to the possibility of learning something new. So, to be in a situation that provided this wonderful opportunity for me was just amazing.

    Jake Sully, Ronal, and Tonowari in 20th Century Studios' 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    (L to R): Jake Sully, Ronal, and Tonowari in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: I understand that you broke a record on set because you were able to hold your breath for seven minutes and 12 seconds, is that correct?

    KW: Seven minutes and 14 seconds. You have to oxygenate your body, and there’s a whole breathing sequence that you do, and it’s quite a considerable process. It’s not to be tried at home and you cannot do it by yourself. Actually, that’s a very important safety thing.

    You really mustn’t do it alone because what happens is when people surface from having held their breath, there’s a particular breathing sequence that you need to do the minute you hit the surface. If you don’t do that, you could be in danger of blacking out, and that’s when people run into trouble. That was the thing I learned, first of all, which we all did, was the safety. Once you know what you’re doing, it certainly makes things a lot easier.

    I just loved the whole process. It was amazing. Yeah, seven minutes, 14 seconds. I was incredibly proud of myself and really determined that I was going to do it, I was going to do a big breath hold that day. I had my heart set on it. I even said to my husband, “Don’t come to work today to watch because I just don’t want the pressure of you being there.”

    But actually, he was there. He snuck in and he actually videoed the last part of my breath hold. We got it on camera, me surfacing and going, “Am I dead? What happened?” Straight away, I’m like, “How long was that?” It’s pretty cool!

    Director James Cameron for 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Director James Cameron for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    Moviefone: Mr. Cameron, can you talk about the performance capture suits you used for this film, and have they changed at all from the ones you used on the original?

    James Cameron: The suits were the same. We improved the head rigs a bit. I mean, we improved everything. It was all a prototype when we did it on ‘Avatar.’ We didn’t know it was going to work and then we found out it worked pretty well, so then we improved it all. But the process is the same. It’s just there’s no real camera, there’s no set. It’s just a pure interaction between the actors. They love it and I love it.

    I don’t have to get distracted by the lighting and the camera work, and the Dolly track and the steady cam stuff. I can just work directly with the actors. I had returning cast, obviously, Sigourney, Sam and Zoe, but I also had this whole new cast with these kids, these newcomers. It was just a joy to go to work every day. Not a joy necessarily always during the day when you’re solving problems and that sort of thing. But we really enjoyed it.

    MF: The look of the sequel is incredible and is even more spectacular than the original. Looking forward to ‘Avatar 3,’ ‘Avatar 4,’ and even possibly ‘Avatar 5,’ with technology constantly improving, what do you expect those film’s will look like in the future?

    JC: I think over time we’ll shift from the novelty value of being in the world. We can assume that. You walk in, you sit down, you can assume it’ll be immersive because that’s our baseline. It’s really about, how much do I care about these characters, and where’s this story taking me? Where’s this journey taking me?

    I mean, we’re always going to try to bring in wonders, awesome moments, amazing vistas and all that sort of thing, but we’re also shifting our focus to the story of the characters and the emotion, which I think is healthy. Because it shouldn’t just be about pretty pictures. The immersive stuff, we know how to do that so they’ll all be like that.

    MF: Were you already planning for this sequel when you made the original?

    JC: Not really. No. The only thing was that when the studio wanted to take out the scene where Grace (Sigourney Weaver) dies and I said, “You can’t take that out. We need that scene. It’s very important. It’s very important for the sequel.” I hadn’t even written the story yet, but I knew that there was a connection there.

    They wanted to take it out and ultimately it just turned into a big headbutting contest, and I won. So, it’s in (the original), therefore we have this movie, at least the Kiri character, comes out of that part of the story.

    MF: Are there scenes in ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ that you kept in because you needed them for the next three installments?

    JC: Oh yeah. Like I said, it’s all written out so we know exactly.

    MF: Finally, have you already shot everything you need for ‘Avatar 3?’

    JC: ‘Avatar 3’s done. I mean, the movie’s not done, but the capture, all the work with the actors is done. So, dramatically it’s all set in stone. We have to go through the process of making it look real and immersive, and all that sort of thing. That’ll take a couple years.

    Then part of ‘Avatar 4’ is not done, but the script is done, and part of ‘Avatar 4’ has been shot. Because we had to finish with these kids because they’re not going to be kids. In fact, they’re not kids now.

    Jack’s 6 ft 8″ or whatever. He was 12 when I cast him. Trinity Bliss, she’s such a sweet girl. She was seven when I cast her, and she’s now 13 and about two feet taller. So, we had to bottle that lightning while we had it through the first part of movie 4. And then there’s a big time jump, and then we see all the characters six years later.

    So, then everybody will be the right age for the continuation of the story. I didn’t want to get caught in that ‘Stranger Things’ thing where they’re still in high school but they look 25. I like ‘Stranger Things,’ don’t get me wrong. It’s fine and I go with it that they’re still teenagers.

    'Avatar: The Way of Water'
    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ opens in theaters on December 16th. Photo courtesy of the movie’s Twitter account.
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  • James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Unveils New Images and Character Details

    Kate Winslet as Ronal in 'Avatar: The Way of Water.' Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.
    Kate Winslet as Ronal in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.

    It’s not a stretch to say that ‘Avatar’ sequel ‘The Way of Water’ stands as one of the most anticipated follow-ups of recent years. And not just because the original film landed in 2009 and we’ve been waiting more than a decade for the next chapter of sci-fi action set on the moon of Pandora.

    So far, all we’ve really had is a couple of pictures, some concept art and the first teaser. But thanks to an incoming issue of Empire magazine, James Cameron has shared some new imagery and intriguing details.

    First up is more information on the character played by Kate Winslet – who first worked with Cameron on the long, arduous shoot for ‘Titanic’, playing Rose. Here, she’s someone very different: a member of the alien race known as the Na’vi, who are native to Pandora and face conflict with the humans who want to mine the place for its natural resources.

    Winslet will be seen, via the magic of performance capture, as Ronal (pronounced ‘Ro-nail’), who along with Cliff Curtis’ Tonowari, leads the Metkayina clan. They dwell in the shallows of Pandora’s vast oceans, and will play a major part in the upcoming adventure.

    “She is deeply loyal and a fearless leader,” Winslet tells Empire. “She is strong. A warrior. Even in the face of grave danger, and with an unborn baby on board, she still joins her people and fights for what she holds most dear. Her family and their home.”

    Her reunion with Cameron is a long time coming, and she acknowledges how the years in between have altered them both. “Jim and I are both totally different people now to who we were 26 years ago,” she says. “He is calmer, and I am definitely more hyperactive now!”

    Sigourney Weaver plays Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage Na’vi daughter In 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Sigourney Weaver plays Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage Na’vi daughter In ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.

    Sigourney Weaver, meanwhile, is even more of an old hand at working with the director, since they first collaborated together for 1986’s ‘Aliens’ and, following a few documentaries, Weaver played Dr. Grace Augustine in the first ‘Avatar’.

    When it was announced that Weaver would be back for the second film, there was surprise since Augustine died helping the Na’vi. So how is she returning? Turns out, Weaver will play a different character… And the surprising angle is that it’s Kiri, the teenage daughter of Sam Worthington’s Jake and Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri.

    The joy of performance capture, of course, is just this sort of switch-up, with actors able to play any age – or anything. Still, it wasn’t as simple as having Weaver act younger, as Cameron explains. “As an acting challenge, it’s big,” he says. “We’re gonna have a 60-something actor playing a character decades younger than her actual biological age. Sig thought it was all kinds of fun.”

    According to the director, Weaver workshopped the role with a group of teenage girls to figure out mannerisms and posture. “Sigourney just became younger,” recalls Cameron. “She looked younger, she had more energy, and she never quite stepped out of Kiri for our whole capture period. She had a glow on her face and lightness in her step and a fun spirit.”

    Let’s not forget, this is the first of a planned ‘Avatar’ onslaught, with three more movies planned in the coming years. For now, though, we can look to ‘The Way of Water’ arriving in theaters on December 16th.

    Kate Winslet as Ronal in 'Avatar: The Way of Water.' Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.
    Kate Winslet as Ronal in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.

  • ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Trailer Reaction

    Avatar: The Way of Water photo
    20th Century Studios

    Last week at Disney’s CinemaCon presentation, the first trailer for James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to ‘Avatar’ was revealed. It was also revealed that the movie’s title will be ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ and that it will be released with Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ which is set to put a spell on audiences beginning May 6th.

    Returning for the sequel from the original movie are Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, and Joel David Moore, as well as new cast members Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh, Jermaine Clement, and Vin Diesel. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang are also scheduled to return from the first film, even though their characters were killed at the movie’s conclusion.

    Moviefone had an opportunity to screen the new trailer, in a movie theater in 3D, and can breakdown all the highlights and what you can expect from the new ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ trailer before it is released in theaters on May 6th.

    The trailer begins with a montage of Na’vi running on trees, flying over the ocean on winged creatures, and in their natural habitat on Pandora. We see several shots of Jake Sully (Worthington) both in his Na’vi form and his human form, with help of a walking device. Sully seems to be walking in some kind of human/ Na’vi construction site, followed by two avatars.

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    There are many shots of the Na’vi in water, as the title would suggest but no real look at any of the new underwater characters being introduced in this film. We did see some of the underwater creatures, including a gigantic whale-like animal. We also get a look at the RDA’s new chopper, as well as the Na’vi preparing to go to war, using bows and arrows.

    The trailer ends with Jake Sully’s voice-over saying, “I know one thing, where ever we go this family is a fortress.”

    Missing from the trailer were any real plot details for the upcoming sequel, or hints to the new characters that will be played by Kate Winslet, Vin Diesel, and others, or how Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang may be able to return.

    The trailer does include Cameron’s amazing use of 3D, which is what made the original movie such a hit. It was worth the wait to see Pandora again on the big screen, especially in 3D, even if it was for only a few minutes.

    We highly recommend that you see the ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ trailer in a theater, and on 3D where available, when it debuts with ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ on May 6th.

    Avatar: The Way of Water
    20th Century Studios
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  • Andrew Garfield’s ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ Trailer

    Andrew Garfield arrives on the red carpet for the 89th Oscars on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images).
    Andrew Garfield arrives on the red carpet for the 89th Oscars on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images.

    Back in the news courtesy of a certain Spider-meme recreation, Andrew Garfield remains one of the busiest people working in movies and TV. Case in point? The trailer for new FX series ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’, which will find him digging into a true-crime tale.

    The series, created and run by ‘Milk’ Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black, adapts Jon Krakauer’s novel, which itself was the result of an investigation into a reclusive, regressive, and restrictive Mormon community where a dreadful killing had occurred.

    Garfield here plays Detective Pyre a Mormon law enforcer whose faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder that seems to be connected to an esteemed Utah family’s spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qLacLTnifI

    Pyre is committed to his Church and family but begins to question some of the Church’s teachings through his contact with a suspected murderer and the family of Brenda (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who was brutally slain.

    Sam Worthington, Denise Gough, Wyatt Russell, Billy Howle, Gil Birmingham, Adelaide Clemens, Rory Culkin, Seth Numrich, Chloe Pirrie, Sandra Seacat, and Christopher Heyerdahl are also in the cast for the series, which will stream on Hulu later this year.

    It’s far from Garfield’s first encounter with religious extremism – in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’, he plays Father Rodrigues, a priest who goes looking for his mentor in 17th century Japan after the man goes missing. He’s also recently been seen as disgraced evangelist Jim Bakker in ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’, alongside Jessica Chastain.

    Kate McKinnon attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images).
    Kate McKinnon attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.

    On a completely different televisual front, we have ‘Joe Vs. Carol’, which offers a new perspective on the outrageous true story chronicled in Netflix’s pandemic-era sensation ‘Tiger King’.

    The documentary series chronicled the deeply interconnected community of big cat conservationists and collectors in America, and the private zoos and animal sanctuaries they have set up for the care and public display of these animals.

    Its focus was primarily Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel, an extravagant big cat collector, gun fan and ardent self-promoter who was in a feud with animal rights crusader Carol Baskin.

    Now, spun not so much from the Netflix series as from the podcast 2019 Wondery podcast ‘Joe Exotic: Tiger King;’ (which pre-dated the Netflix show) is ‘Joe Vs. Carol’, which stars John Cameron Mitchell as Exotic and Kate McKinnon as Baskin.

    Here, the eye is more on Baskin, a big cat enthusiast, who learns that fellow exotic animal lover Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit. She sets out to shut down his venture, inciting a quickly escalating rivalry. But Carole has a checkered past of her own and when the claws come out, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy.

    It’s a blend of fact and comedy, produced by McKinnon and written by Etan Frankel, with Kyle MacLachlan, Brian Van Holt, Sam Keeley, Nat Wolff, Marlo Kelly, William Fichtner, Dean Winters, and David Wenham rounding out the cast.

    ‘Joe Vs. Carol’ will launch on Peacock on March 3.

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  • 13 Things You Never Knew About ‘Terminator Salvation’ on its 10th Anniversary

    13 Things You Never Knew About ‘Terminator Salvation’ on its 10th Anniversary

    Warner Bros.

    When it first hit theaters, “Terminator Salvation” provided a grim view of humanity’s future. Now that the movie has been out for ten years, it instead showcases a past that never came to be. That’s the funny thing about this time travel-obsessed franchise. Celebrate the tenth anniversary of this reboot with some interesting facts you might not know about the making of “Terminator Salvation.”

    1. While he wasn’t directly involved with the reboot, James Cameron consulted with director McG about “Salvation,” recommending both actor Sam Worthington  and art director Martin Laing.

    2. The plot was much different in earlier drafts of the screenplay, with John Connor himself not appearing until late in the film. Christian Bale was initially approached to play Marcus Wright, but after he expressed more interest in the John Connor role, the story was altered to focus more heavily on him.

    3. “Salvation” proved to be the final film legendary special effects artist Stan Winston worked on before his death in 2008.

    4. According to Bale, “The Dark Knight” co-writer Jonathan Nolan was called in to significantly rework the script. Unfortunately, because of the 2007 WGA strike, most of Nolan’s ideas never made it into the final version.

    Warner Bros.

    5. This is the only “Terminator” movie not to feature Arnold Schwarzenegger as the iconic T-800. Schwarzengger’s likeness was digitally recreated for the T-800’s debut scene, but Schwarzenegger himself (then serving as governor of California) declined to participate in the film.

    6. Salvation is also the first “Terminator” movie to not use time travel as a plot device and the first to feature John Connor and his father Kyle Reese in the same scene together.

    Warner Bros.

    7. There’s a reason Michael Ironside’s character General Ashdown never sits down in the movie. Ironside broke several vertebrae in an accident shortly before filming and was in intense pain.

    8. While the audio recordings of Sarah Connor feature the same dialogue from the original “The Terminator,” the recordings themselves were done specifically for “Salvation.” Linda Hamilton re-recorded the lines in an uncredited cameo role.

    9. “Salvation” was intended to serve as the start of a new trilogy of “Terminator” movies. However, those plans were cut short after The Halcyon Company filed for bankruptcy and the franchise rights were sold to Pacificor.

    Warner Bros.

    10. At the time of release, “Salvation” was the most expensive independently financed film ever released, with a budget of nearly $200 million.

    11. A leaked early draft of the screenplay featured a very different ending. Rather than Marcus sacrificing his life and giving John his cybernetic heart, that version ended with John dying and the Resistance transplanting his skin onto Marcus’ body, allowing Marcus to trick the world into believing the leader of the Resistance is still alive.

    Warner Bros.

    12. In response to that leak, McG revealed an even darker alternate ending that very nearly wound up in the final version. This version of the movie ended with John’s body being taken over by Skynet after his heart transplant, forcing him to murder his fellow Resistance members.

    13. Though “Salvation” never got any film sequels, its story was expanded upon in several comic books, novels and even an animated web series. Most notably, the comic book series “Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle” serves as a direct sequel to the movie.

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  • Jake Gyllenhaal Is ‘Not a Big Fan of Heights’

    Jake Gyllenhaal Is ‘Not a Big Fan of Heights’

    Jake Gyllenhaal is about as high on the Hollywood totem pole as anyone can be, but just don’t get him high in the air.

    “I’m not a big fan of heights,” the heartthrob confesses Tuesday to Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.” “I don’t mind being high up, but I don’t like heights. Like, I don’t like hanging off of something.”

    Gyllenhaal explains: “Sometimes when you’re driving across a bridge you see the top of the bridge and you think, ‘Wow, if I walked up there.’ Some people think, ‘I could do that really easily. I wouldn’t be nervous,’” adding, “I don’t think I’d be able to do that.”

    His distaste for heights could have brought on a big problem while starring as a mountain guide in “Everest,” a movie centered around the eponymous mountain peak, the highest point in the world.

    He was somewhat prepared for the film, he says, because he and some of the cast and crew actually went mountain climbing.

    “I think playing a character, you should transform yourself,” Gyllenhaal says. “Some things call for you to do things, internally and externally, sometimes not at all, sometimes you have to,” he says of facing his aversion to heights,” adding, “I have a vision of a character and what that character should be and sometimes I go and follow.”

    In “Everest,” Gyllenhaal stars opposite Keira Knightley and Robin Wright in the true story that chronicles the survival of climbers trapped on the peak of Mount Everest during a 1996 snow storm. Costarring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington and Emily Watson, the film hits theaters on Sept. 18.

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  • Is ‘Everest’ Worth Seeing? The Critics Weigh In

    Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington and Robin Wright are among the top-tier talent featured in the adventure drama “Everest” – and according to critics, the star-studded cast is worth watching.

    The Baltasar Kormákur-directed 3-D film, based on the 1996 Mount Everest disaster that killed eight climbers, received a 72 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earning praise for its vivid visuals and intense, well-documented plot.

    “Shot in Nepal and the Italian Alps, cinematographer Salvatore Totino has a lot to work with and he makes the most of it. The technical aspects of this grueling film are superb throughout, including top-notch special effects and sound work. The movie should be a real player in the crafts categories of the Oscars, but I have a feeling it could go even further than that. Hopefully audiences will want to see this terrific film which represents the best of moviemaking at its most daunting.” — Pete Hammond, Deadline

    Although the general consensus is that the film was shot beautifully, some argue that the somewhat predictable ending was a bit frustrating.

    “‘Everest’ is immensely thrilling and is beautifully shot (and it’s one of the few times I’d recommend watching a movie in 3D). And not knowing who survives and who doesn’t beforehand, I did find myself rooting for the characters — you know, real people — but there really is that nagging feeling of, ‘They put themselves in a position where they knew they might die, and now they might die.’ Even so, it doesn’t diminish just how tense ‘Everest’ is … and, boy, is it ever tense.” — Mike Ryan, Uproxx

    Others believe the cast of too many characters takes the focus away from a lot of the film.

    “The film feels like what happens when a studio exec barks, ‘Get me a ‘Gravity!’ That Oscar-winner — like ‘127 Hours,’ ‘Into the Wild’ and ‘The Grey’ before it — falls into a new category we might call the Intimate Disaster Epic. Whereas those movies all focused on one person caught up in extraordinary circumstances and fighting for survival, ‘Everest’ tries and fails to spin too many plates, with more than a dozen characters desperate to make it down from one of the world’s most treacherous slopes. Each of those real-life climbers no doubt had an interesting story to tell, but when shoved together like this they’re all reduced to types rather than people.” — Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

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