On Netflix on January 16 is ‘The Rip’ a new police thriller that reunites Ben Affleck (‘Argo’) and Matt Damon (‘The Departed’) for the story of Miami law enforcement who stumble on a giant stash of drug cash, and the chaotic moral quandary that opens up between their team.
Following their successful reunion on ‘Air,’ Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have re-teamed on screen for this new cop thriller, handled by veteran director Joe Carnahan.
Looking to fit squarely into the gritty, brutal law enforcement genre, it lets them go full macho –– but has more going on than you might think at first glance.
Carnahan, who wrote the script based on a story by Michael McGrale, has here found a project so ideally in his wheelhouse he might as well have his name written across it.
The story crackles with acronym-heavy police action and plenty of testosterone, but it also finds time for nuance.
And though you might not guess the Miami setting beyond some opening shots (and dialogue drops) given that the scenes are mostly at night in a cul-de-sac, there is plenty of style on display here, particularly as things ramp up in the third act.
Affleck and Damon naturally work well off of each other, finding a dynamic that works as longtime cop friends whose connection is pushed to the limit here.
Around them, the likes of Teyana Taylor (even if she doesn’t get nearly as much to do as in ‘One Battle After Another’), Steven Yeun and Kyle Chandler contribute superb moments.
‘The Rip’ won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you enjoy your thrillers hard-edged and unexpectedly crafted, it’s certainly got something. And we don’t just mean an unexpected haul of drug money.
A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director Joe Carnahan about his work on ‘The Rip’, bringing the project to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, working with them on set, their characters’ relationship, the supporting cast, building suspense for the twists and turns, the action sequences, working with Netflix, and why he’s not disappointed that the movie isn’t going to be shown in theaters.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Carnahan, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Sasha Calle.
Moviefone: To begin with, I understand that you brought this project yourself to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s company, Artists Equity. Can you talk about that? Also, at a Netflix event last year Affleck told a story about you pitching this project to him as ‘Heat’ meets ‘Training Day’ and his response was, “Kind of like ‘The Town’?” Did that really happen?
Joe Carnahan: That is inaccurate. I don’t know where he got that. No, you know what it was? Matt and Ben and I are all the same age. So, all the films that we loved as kids, ‘Serpico’ and ‘Heat’ and you know, ‘Lethal Weapon’. Like, these types of movies, and I think we wanted to make something like that that was kind of crowd pleasing and in the cop genre, which I love and have had some success with. Someone at Actors Equity got a hold of the script. I had not gone out wide with it. Matt and Ben and I have been friends for many years. The AE executive said, “Let me get it to them”. It got to Matt within 24 hours, and he called me 24 hours later, and then Ben called me. They were like, “What are you thinking for the cast?” I’m like, “What do you mean? Come on, I want you guys.” So, it was just a dream to have guys that were running the studio that could put the wheels in motion here. At the same time, these two are movie stars. They are two guys that grew up together that happened to be movie stars. It doesn’t happen like that. So, it was a joy from start to finish. It really was.
MF: Obviously, Affleck is an accomplished director in his own right, and he and Damon are also Oscar winning screenwriters. What was it like having two veteran actors and experienced filmmakers on your set and working with them to create this movie?
JC: I know. Having them say my lines, these guys who have little gold statues for their writing. It was incredible. Again, they’re both wonderful filmmakers. They understand it. They see it from a 30,000-foot vantage, right? They get what you’re up against. They get what the challenges are, and they get what the obstacles would be. So, I found them to be nothing but lovely and helpful. Especially Ben, who’s coming out of a directorial background. He’s walked the same roads I’ve walked. He’s put in those hours behind a camera. He understands. He’s a world-class filmmaker. He really is. So, to have that level of competency, I could be a fool and still get to the finish line. But they gave me this wonderful grace and room to try things and they were game for stuff. We had a blast, man. We really did.
MF: Can you talk about how their long friendship together and how that really plays into these characters, and was there ever any talk of them flipping roles? Because they both could have easily played the other part.
JC: You know what they asked me, “Who do you want us to play?” I always had in mind that Matt would play Dumars. That is the slightly senior guy. But they absolutely could have gone the other way, which is an interesting role reversal. I’m sure AI will be capable of flipping Matt and Ben’s roles next month. But again, I’m trading on a 40-year plus friendship. The sense of that and the gravitational pull of that is something you could feel when you’re watching them. You know what I mean? You can’t say that about everybody. Not only do they have natural chemistry, but these are two people who love each other. Then once you get in there, now you’re messing with not only that personal history, but you’re messing with who they are as movie stars. You’re messing with their cinematic presence, which is very different. But it was the moving between one and the other, and then sometimes coexisting at the same time, which was fantastic. Again, I think that’s what gives all their scenes this real authentic sense because they do care deeply for each other. Then there are moments where you feel like one of them is betraying the other one, and that lands with that much more presence and weight. So, that was great.
MF: Without giving anything away, the film keeps you guessing the whole time as to who the good guys are and who are the bad guys. Can you talk about creating that suspense and building to the twists and turns?
JC: Yeah, it was a lot of Mike McGrale and I really sitting down and structuring this in the outline stage, which can be tedious and time consuming. But ultimately, it’ll give you the greatest dividends because you’ve really leaned into the technical aspects of screenwriting, which can be tricky. But I think once we did that groundwork, and once the script was done, I wrote it fast. It was like five weeks to write the script. But all of this was rigorously thought out and planned and machined in that outline stage. Then once you knew that it’s like a Rube Goldberg device, like this trip trips that and drops some mouse traps. So, it’s a lot of fun because once you know it’s working on the page, then it just becomes execution on the day. I always say this, it’s like there’s three films. There’s a film you write. There’s a film you shoot and there’s a film you cut, and oftentimes they’re wildly different. This was consistent throughout, I think if anything, it got leaner. We cut down information as we went on because we felt like we understand. I don’t want to pander to the audience. If I feel like we’re condescending, then let’s keep it moving.
MF: Can you talk about executing the action sequences?
JC: I had a second unit director, Scott Rogers, who I just adore, who’s talented and did a lot of work with me and the DP and are a really great group of guys who understood. It’s like, “Here are the boards, here’s what we want, here’s the shots we want, and then anything after that you get, knock yourself out.” Of course, they always give you fantastic stuff on top of that. So, it was a lot of planning. We use this Libra Head, which is this expensive stabilized head for our shots. If we shot sticks or handheld, we’d use the Libra Head. To do that kind percussive seismic thing when the gunfight starts to make you feel like, “Oh, my God.” I wanted to just feel it in your chest. We would destabilize those things. We did what’s called seizure wheels. We just did these kinds of wild shots, but it created this unsettling effect. That’s always what you’re trying to do. You don’t want to feel like you’re treading over the same ground repeatedly and the familiar. You want to mess with it and see what you can do. I think we did some interesting kind of innovative things in that and the action.
MF: We’ve talked about Ben and Matt, but can you talk about putting together the rest of the supporting cast including Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, and Scott Adkins?
JC:Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas cast us, and they just did a phenomenal job. I think casting is sometimes 90% of your work. Like, who do you put in this movie? Everyone from Catalina Sandino Moreno to Steve, to Scott, to Néstor Carbonell, who I’ve worked with before. I have a history with a lot of these people. Again, you just get these people working at such a high level. Scott Atkins, who’s not seen the film yet, he will see it tonight. I think he’s just going to be blown away because I didn’t require him to blade kick anyone in the head, which is kind of his stock and trade. So, it’s exciting. When you, when you have this collection of talented people and you get good material, it’s hard to screw that up. You’ve got to work extra hard to screw that up.
MF: Finally, what was your experience like working with Netflix and are you disappointed that the film will not have a theatrical release?
JC: You know what? No, because I think what’s happened is, you know, we used to live and die by Friday night and the weekend box office. It’s like, “My movie didn’t work, and it is dead in the water.” I like that we’ve eliminated that undue tension of, “what if I’m not number one?”. I never liked the box office stakes. Unless you win, then you’re happy. But I think that so many homes now have mini theaters. They have very sophisticated televisions that aren’t that expensive. They have very sophisticated sound systems that aren’t that expensive. I know in my house; I’ve got this great room that is all blacked out with bean bags, and that’s where you watch movies. That movie in that room would play just as well as anything else. Like, that communal experience of being in a dark room with strangers and sharing something, that’s never going away. I certainly love it. I don’t ever want theaters to go, and we’re going to see it tonight in theater. So, we get the best of both worlds. I do think it’s strong, but it’s strong regardless. Netflix has been a dream. Honest to God, I can’t say enough good things about those guys. From the marketing to the publicity, they have been top of the top, and just amazing.
A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on.
Speeding straight into your TVs, DC’s latest Superhero movie ‘The Flash’ is expected to be available on PVOD on July 18th.
The film is set after the events ‘Justice League,’ where Barry Allen decides to travel back in time to save his mother – a storyline adapted from the ‘Flashpoint’ comic. Filled with action, cameos, easter eggs, and more.
GqvjtiR1Skzdp96PgxYKv5
The official synopsis for ‘The Flash’ is below:
“Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?”
‘The Flash’ opened in theaters on June 16, 2023. Initially, the movie was slated to release in July of 2022, but due to the shifting of schedules at Warner Bros., the movie was moved to its 2023 release date. ‘The Flash’ opened to $55 million domestically and so far has grossed $102.9 since its release. Worldwide, the movie has earned $249.1 million.
Longtime comic book fans knew we would be getting the Flashpoint story in ‘The Flash’, which director Andy Muschietti does a great job of adapting. When it comes to the speedster, time travel and meeting one’s younger self is imminent. Ezra Miller plays two Barry Allens in the movie, one that we have met already through previous DC films like ‘Batman v. Superman’ and ‘Justice League.’ The other Barry is younger and has not become The Flash in their timeline, which makes a lot of the scenes and conversation interesting and funny.
The juxtaposition of the two Barrys really makes their interaction fun to watch, especially in scenes with Micheal Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. On top of the humorous scenes, the movie serves up many emotional moments as well when it comes to Barry and their mom.
DC has always dealt with the multiverse in shows like CW’s ‘The Flash’ and ‘Crisis on Infinite Earth,’ but in Muschietti’s film, we’re seeing the multiverse on a grander scale. We won’t spoil too much just in case you haven’t had the chance to see the movie, but multiverse and dimensional travel means jaw-dropping cameos aplenty.
For example, seeing Michael Keaton putting the cape on once again as Batman, with iconic one-liners like, “I’m Batman,” and “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts.” makes an extremely satisfying moment for the fans. Ben Affleck also appears as his version of the Batman.
Michael Keaton attends a double bill screening of Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ followed by ‘The Flash,’ in London, England. Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images for Warner Bros Discovery.
While the film was initially screened at CinemaCon, it was an unfinished version and ‘The Flash’ officially premiered on June 12th, 2023, at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Since the movie has only been out for 4 weeks, it is still playing in theaters, so be sure to check with Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘The Flash’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 24 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘The Flash’ below:
BbViUrnh
Can’t make it out to the theater? You will soon have the option to rent or purchase the movie on VOD. Services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play will have the movie available digitally for $24.99 on July 18th, 2023. There has been no official word yet on when ‘The Flash’ will stream on Max.
For those who prefer physical copies, ‘The Flash’ should become available on DVD/Blu-Ray by September in formats such as 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, and DVD. Collectors can look forward to an exclusive steelbook edition from Best Buy and an Icon Edition digi-pack set from Walmart. Both are available for pre-order now.
In ‘The Flash,’ Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) travels back in time to prevent his mother’s death, which traps him in an alternate reality without metahumans. Barry enlists the help of his younger self (also Miller), an older Batman (Michael Keaton) and the Kryptonian castaway Supergirl (Sasha Calle) in order to save this world from the restored General Zod (Michael Shannon) and return to his universe.
Believe the hype! ‘The Flash’ is one of the best comic book adapted films ever made. Director Andy Muschietti reinvents the DC universe by brilliantly adapting the ‘Flashpoint‘ storyline from the comics, and fusing it with Michael Keaton’s ‘Batman’ and other nods to DC’s cinematic past. The movie is an exciting, action-packed, and humorous celebration of the DC Comics characters, with a brilliant dual performance from Ezra Miller, and of course, Keaton’s triumphant return.
‘The Flash’ director Andy Muschietti at a Canada-Fan Screening event. Photos by Sam Santos.
Story and Direction
For those not familiar, ‘Flashpoint’ was a 2011 DC Comics storyline that involved the Flash going back in time to save his mother’s life. When he returns, his world is not the same, he no longer has his powers, Thomas Wayne is Batman instead of Bruce, a weakened Superman is secretly being kept prisoner by the government, and Atlantis and Themyscira are at war. ‘The Flash’ follows a similar storyline with Barry losing his powers and needing to regain them, but instead of Thomas Wayne being Batman, its Michael Keaton from Tim Burton’s ‘Batman.’ It’s also a weakened Supergirl they break-out of captivity instead of Superman, and Earth is in danger from an attack by General Zod and the Kryptonians not a war between Atlantis and the Amazons.
None of these changes affect the power of the story, and the lesson Barry learns about excepting your past and living in the present. But they do allow general audiences to understand the story a little easier, as they are likely more familiar with Michael Keaton’s Batman than the sudden appearance of Thomas Wayne. In the comics, the ‘Flashpoint’ storyline was used to usher in a new continuity, and in that sense, ‘The Flash’ comes at the perfect time for DC Studios, as the film officially marks the end of the DCEU and the beginning of the new DCU. The movie honors the DCEU, as well as other cinematic DC projects from the past, while setting up an exciting future for these characters.
Director Andy Muschietti clearly loves these characters and retells the ‘Flashpoint’ story well, streamlining it into a tight, fast-paced, and dramatic movie. He also injects the film with a good amount of humor, but it never feels cheesy or forced and aligns with the characters. The filmmaker also handles the time-traveling aspects of the movie very well and in a coherent way, something Marvel struggled to do in ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ Muschietti does a great job with the effects, especially Barry’s powers and the Speed Force. Super-speed has never looked like this before, and Muschietti and his VFX team take a completely new approach to it, which is much different than the slow-motion effects Zack Snyder used.
A lot has been written about Ezra Miller over the last few years concerning their brushes with the law and whether this movie should be released at all given their illegal activities. I’m not going to get into any of that, and just judge them on their performance in this film, which was nothing short of extraordinary. Miller plays two roles, the Barry Allen we all know and have seen mature through appearances in ‘Batman v. Superman’ and ‘Justice League.’ But Miller also plays a younger Barry Allen, who has not yet become the Flash and lives in this new alternate reality. Most of Miller’s scenes are with themself, and you truly believe they are two different people.
Our Barry is a bit older and wiser, and not as impulsive as when we first met them, but the new Barry is young and immature, and it’s fun watching the two of them interact. As both characters, Miller has great chemistry with Keaton and Sasha Calle, as well as a few strong scenes with Kiersey Clemons’ Iris West. In some ways, Miller plays a third role in the movie as well, but to say too much would be a spoiler, so I’ll just say that they are equally impressive and believable in that role too. Whether Miller will ever return to play Barry Allen again is yet to be seen, but if they do not return, it certainly won’t be because their performance in this film was lacking.
I was just a kid when ‘Batman’ was released, so for me … Michael Keaton will always be Batman, and his return in this movie is a very welcomed one. While I really liked Ben Affleck’s Batman, and the actor does a great job in this movie in his limited role, the film really kicks into high gear when Keaton is on screen. He reprises his particular version of Bruce Wayne and Batman effortlessly, and while he has some funny moments, brings a lot of emotion and heart to the role. Keaton is also great in the action scenes, including an early fight scene between him and Miller. Muschietti perfectly matches Wayne Maynor, the Batmobile, the Batwing, and the costumes to the look and aesthetic Tim Burton originally created.
Sasha Calle breathes fresh air into the role of Supergirl, which is a much different and darker depiction than we’ve seen before. The actress is strong and believable in the part, and also plays the role in a mysterious way as to never really know her true intentions and keep the audience guessing. Calle has a few fun scenes opposite Miller and Keaton, but most of her work is in the action sequences and that’s where she really excels in the role. It’s also fun to see Michael Shannon return as General Zod, and he’s just as menacing now as he was in ‘Man of Steel,’ but other than the big fight sequence, he doesn’t have a whole lot to do. The Kryptonians are a real threat to our heroes, and that certainly adds to the drama and suspense.
DC fans have seen the multiverse approached on both the Arrowverse’s ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ crossover event, and more recently on ‘Titans,’ but visually, Muschietti depicts it in a way that is much more cinematic than we’ve seen on TV. The multiverse also makes sense in this movie and you can actually follow along with what’s happening, which wasn’t always the case with Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Because of the multiverse angle, Muschietti was able to sprinkle in a lot of cameos, most of which I won’t discuss here. I’ll just say that archival DC footage was used well, and those cameos are nice nods to what has come before.
There are a few cameos that I will mention since it is already public knowledge they are in the film. As previously mentioned, Ben Affleck returns as Batman, and as seen in the recent trailer, Jeremy Irons is also back as Alfred. Affleck recently let it slip on a podcast that a certain cast member from ‘Justice League’ would be returning for the film as well. I won’t say who incase you don’t know yet, but it is awesome seeing them interact with Affleck and Miller as members of the Justice League early in the film.
The other cameo I will mention, and only because director Andy Muschietti spoiled it a few weeks ago, is that an actor long rumored to play Superman finally gets the opportunity with a cameo in ‘The Flash’ as an alternate universe version of the Man of Steel. Beyond it being something fans have literally wanted to see for decades, the actor in question is magnificent in his brief role, and fans familiar with the canceled Superman project, will truly get a laugh from watching the scene.
There is actually one other major cameo that I will absolutely not spoil, but I will just say that it is a true shocker of an ending, and something people will be talking about all summer long. It also sets the stage for the new DCU, and completely changes the status quo. Whether that actor or actress will continue to play that specific DC character moving forward, is still anybody’s guess. While the film has a very satisfying conclusion, much like the ‘Flashpoint’ comic, it definitely cleans the slate and sets the stage perfectly for James Gunn’s new DCU, whether that was Muschietti original intent or not.
Are There Any End-Credit Scenes in ‘The Flash’?
Yes. There is a mid-credit scene, which takes a look at an earlier scene in the movie from a different point of view, and is mostly played for laughs. But there is also an end-credit scene and I will just say that it helps to explain how the upcoming ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ takes place in the new DCU.
The really pulled it off! ‘The Flash’ is the most entertaining and satisfying DC movie in decades. Andy Muschietti masterfully adapts the source material and fills it with as many Easter eggs, callbacks and cameos as any fan could desire. While still delivering a coherent, fun, action-packed and emotional movie, that features a mesmerizing dual performance from Miller, and the return of the one and only Michael Keaton as Batman. This is one movie DC Comics fans will not want to miss!
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory production of an Andy Muschietti film, ‘The Flash.’ It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on June 16, 2023 and internationally beginning 14 June 2023.
‘The Flash’ director Andy Muschietti at CinemaCon 2023. Photos by Eric Charbonneau.
Before you read any more of this story, we would caution you to wait until you’ve seen ‘The Flash’, the stand-alone movie for Ezra Miller’s speedy DC hero, which will run into theaters on June 16th. A major cameo will be discussed below, and we’d hate for anyone to be spoiled.
GqvjtiR1Skzdp96PgxYKv5
SPOILER ALERT!
Still with us? Okay… While ‘The Flash’ is already bursting with DC characters including Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from Tim Burton‘s ‘Batman‘ and ‘Batman Returns,’ Ben Affleck as the Snyderverse version of the same character, Michael Shannon as a multiverse variant of ‘Man of Steel’s General Zod (alongside Antje Traue’s return as his faithful lieutenant, Faora-UI) and Sasha Calle as a new version of Supergirl, the movie promises several more, and possibly the biggest has been confirmed by director Andy Muschietti.
“Nic was absolutely wonderful. Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it. I dreamt all my life to work with him. I hope I can work with him again soon. He is a massive Superman fan. A comic book fanatic.”
Nicolas Cage as Superman in the documentary ‘The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?’
Was Nic Cage going to play Superman in the past?
Yes, Cage is finally realizing a long-held dream to play the last son of Krypton in a movie. While this is only a cameo, he got close to playing the character in a cancelled movie called ‘Superman Lives’.
Originally written by Kevin Smith (among others), the movie was planned for Renny Harlin to direct and for Cage to star as what he has described as an “emo” Superman will long black hair and a darker suit.
Cage, though –– who is such a fan of the character that he named one of his kids Kal-El after Supes’ Kryptonian moniker and once owned a copy of ‘Action Comics #1’, which features the first ever appearance of the superhero –– thought that Tim Burton, who had brought such style to his ‘Batman’ films, might be a better fit.
Nicolas Cage as Superman in the documentary ‘The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?’
Yet Cage did end up playing Superman once, albeit in animated form in 2018 ‘toon movie ‘Teen Titans GO! To the Movies’. Now, though, he has his dream come true at last.
There are more secrets to be found lurking within the ‘Flash’ movie, but you’ll have to wait and see them for yourself.
The final trailer for ‘The Flash’ is also available, and you can see it below.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory production of an Andy Muschietti film, ‘The Flash.’ It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on June 16, 2023 and internationally beginning 14 June 2023.
