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  • ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Interview: Rolf Saxon

    Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe in 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Spoiler Alert:  This article contains some spoilers for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

    Opening in theaters on May 23rd is the final ‘Mission: Impossible’ film entitled ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘, which is once again directed by Christopher McQuarrie (‘Jack Reacher’) and stars Tom Cruise (‘Top Gun’).

    In addition to Cruise, the movie features returning franchise actors Hayley Atwell (‘Captain America: The First Avenger’), Ving Rhames (‘Pulp Fiction’), Simon Pegg (‘Star Trek’), Pom Klementieff (‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’), Angela Bassett (‘Black Panther’), Shea Whigham (‘Joker’), Greg Tarzan Davis (‘Top Gun: Maverick’), Henry Czerny (‘Scream VI’), and Esai Morales (‘La Bamba’).

    Also returning to the franchise is actor Rolf Saxon (‘Saving Private Ryan’), who played William Donloe in 1996’s ‘Mission: Impossible’. He was the CIA analyst that Ethan Hunt (Cruise) stole the NOC list from in that famous scene from the first movie.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Rolf Saxon about his work on ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’. The actor discussed returning to the franchise, his character’s pivotal role in the story, how the script changed on set, creating his backstory, reuniting with Tom Cruise, how he was cast in the original, what it was like appearing in that film’s iconic scene, his admiration for the legacy of the franchise and Cruise’s stunt work, and what it means to him to be part of one of the most popular franchises in cinematic history.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

    Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe in 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Russell Baer.
    Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Russell Baer.

    Moviefone: To begin with, how did you find out that you would be returning for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ and were you surprised to get a call 30 years after filming the first movie?

    Rolf Saxon: Honestly, I thought it was a joke. I thought a friend of mine in Scotland was winding me up. Suddenly, I get an email to meet Christopher McQuarrie, and I see the address and I think, “Oh, that’s good, man. I’m going to owe you big time on this one, dude.” So, I’m in a t-shirt with a glass of wine and McQuarrie comes up and it’s like, “What? Wait, what?” I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it. It was insane. He offered me the job within about three minutes, and he spent the next hour telling me what he thought. I couldn’t even joke about, “Oh, let me think about it, Chris. I might do this. I might not.” I just went for it. I thought it was a joke, and it wasn’t. So, I’m still having difficulty with this. No kidding. I had two lines, maybe three minutes on screen in the first movie and suddenly I’m doing this. Unbelievable.

    MF: When it was announced that you would be returning, many thought it would be just a cameo, but your character plays a pivotal role in the story of the film. Was it always designed to be like that or did your part grow through production?

    RS: Two things. One, Chris works in a very improvisational way. When I first came on board, it was a very different concept. Not hugely, I mean, it was still the same thing, but the way I was introduced was one way when we started filming, and then they decided to change an integral part of the story structure. So, that had to be readjusted. With that came a further readjustment. I was put in act three of the film. Again, this job has been like that for me. It’s like, “Wait, what? Seriously are you winding me up now? Is this a joke?” With Chris, I realized very soon, he doesn’t joke about stuff like that ever. Never. So, when he says something like that, it’s like, “This is wonderful.” I mean, I don’t know what his original concept of it was, to be honest with you. There was no script that I could read. It was just what he was telling me. That’s what I was going on. Then, as I said, we started filming it, and then we changed it. He then said, “We’re going to do something here and there, and we’re going to do this now.”

    (L to R) Greg Tarzan Davis, Christopher McQuarrie, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Simon Pegg, Rolf Saxon, Pom Klementieff and Hayley Atwell on the set of 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Greg Tarzan Davis, Christopher McQuarrie, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Simon Pegg, Rolf Saxon, Pom Klementieff and Hayley Atwell on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    MF: A lot of time has passed since the last time we saw your character, and some of that is explained in the movie but did you create a backstory for yourself so you would understand how he got to this point in his life?

    RS: Christopher was clear on what he wanted. As an actor, when one gets that kind of direction, it’s up to us to sort through that. Because of this, the energy and the positivity that’s around that just permeated that set. When someone said something like that, instead of like, “How am I going to do this?” It’s like, “Okay, this is cool. This is great.” It’s much more proactive. You’re not on the back foot so much, you’re on the front foot. I love that and that wasn’t a fluke that from day one to the last day for me was like that. So yeah, we worked, Chris and I talked a lot about what it was going to be, and then Lucy (Tulugarjuk) came on board. When she came on board, we did some more chatting about it. Then it was just a matter of making it work with what he was presenting us.

    MF: You had only one scene with both Henry Czerny and Tom Cruise in the first movie, but you didn’t have any speaking lines in those scenes. What was it like to reunite with both of those actors on this movie and get to act opposite them this time around?

    RS: Yeah, it was great. I mean, to get to act with Tom Cruise, again, it sounds a little bit fan-like, but it was brilliant, man. I mean, it was great. He brings, again, an energy and a positive focus that, there’s only one Tom Cruise. That’s it. There’s a reason for that. I got to experience it, which was wonderful. Henry, I met on set, but before we started working together, and it’s the first time I’d seen him in 30 years, I walked up to him and I said, “Hey, listen, I just want to say, no hard feelings.” He looked at me, and then he just started laughing. He’s got a great sense of humor. We’ve been tight since then. I mean, we get on very well. He’s a lot of fun.

    (L to R) Hayley Atwell plays Grace, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn, Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe, Lucy Tulugarjuk plays Tapeesa, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas and Pom Klementieff plays Paris in 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Hayley Atwell plays Grace, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn, Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe, Lucy Tulugarjuk plays Tapeesa, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas and Pom Klementieff plays Paris in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    MF: Can you talk about the first time you saw Tom Cruise again after all these years? Did he thank you for returning to the franchise?

    RS: The first day I was brought on set just outside of London, to the studio. I was brought on just to see the set because there were two sound stages they were using. One of them was for a tunnel sequence that they had rebuilt where Luther (Ving Rhames) was working in that room. I was brought on to see it, meet a couple of heads of department and stuff. I came in around this corner and through this room, and there was Tom, the heads of department, and Christopher McQuarrie. I got this big round of applause, and Tom came up and hugged me. Simon Pegg was also there, who I’ve known for many years ago. I was made to feel so welcome immediately on the set. Tom just said, “Anything you need, let me know.” He’s not a warm and fuzzy kind of guy. He’s not that kind of Californian thing, but boy, he’s a hundred percent there.

    MF: Can you talk about how you were cast in the first ‘Mission: Impossible’? Did you audition for director Brian De Palma?

    RS: I was doing a David Mamet play, a tour. We’d done a theater, and it was very successful. So, we went on tour with it. I got a phone call from my agent saying they want to set up an audition for this movie. Tom Cruise is going to do ‘Mission: Impossible’. I said, “Like the TV series? This is going to be interesting.” So, I took a three-hour train ride and met them at Pinewood Studios. Brian (De Palma) was working at the time, so there was a little bit of a delay, and I had to be back for the curtain that night. So, I went in, I was there with him for about three minutes, and that was it. As I walked out, I turned to the casting director, and I said, “Well, that was a waste of time.” She said, “No, you were in there longer than anybody else. I think he really liked you.” I thought, “Yeah, right. Thanks. Appreciate it.” So, I got on the train back three hours just in time for the half hour call, and I got a message saying, “Phone your agent.” And I thought, “Oh, that’s cool. Okay.” So, I did the show. The next morning, I called my agent and he said, “Yeah, they’ve offered you the job. They want you to do it.” I said, “You’re kidding.” I was doing another film, a much better part, but they said they were going to work around it. So, I thought, “Okay, cool.” Of course, that film has completely disappeared. It’s funny how things work. That’s how I got that one. Again, this job has been like that from the get-go. A constant series of surprises, and very pleasant ones.

    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Rolf Saxon in 'Mission: Impossible'. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Rolf Saxon in ‘Mission: Impossible’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    MF: The scene from the first film where Ethan Hunt is stealing the NOC list and Tom Cruise is hanging from the ceiling above you has become one of the most popular scenes in cinematic history. How has it felt over the years to know you were part of such an iconic movie moment?

    RS: Well, I’ll be honest with you, Jami. I had no idea of this. I mean, I saw myself in the movie, I’m critical of things I do. So, some of it I like, some of it I didn’t like. I’ve seen it, and all my friends and family say, “Oh, you’re brilliant.” They’re your friends and your family, what are they going to say, you stink? No. So, McQuarrie said what you’re saying, and I thought he was blowing smoke. When I came to London, I was in a hotel. I met a guy, I didn’t know him, but I could tell he was American. So, I said, “Hey, how are you doing?” We chatted for 30 seconds on an elevator ride, and then I didn’t see him again for a couple of days. The next time I saw him was on the set for ‘Mission: Impossible’. It was Greg Tarzan Davis. He looked at me and pointed and said, “Oh, my gosh, you are William Donloe.” Christopher was standing behind him. I thought, again, between the two of them, they’d worked this out. Tarzan said, “No, man. I suddenly realized you’re the guy.” He said, “You looked a little familiar. But I thought, it was just me.” He said, “That is a great scene. Everybody knows it.” To be honest with you, I still find that difficult to believe, the fact that I’m in it. It’s more to do with what Tom’s doing and the film, I’m in the background of it. So, while I am part of it, it’s a tiny little part. I’m ecstatic about it. Don’t get me wrong. I love being a part of it. It brought me back. So yeah, I’m very happy.

    MF: What is your opinion of the direction the series has gone in since the first film, and Tom Cruise’s incredible dedication to the stunt work?

    RS: I’ll be honest, this is not my genre of film. I’ve watched every single one of them. I watched the second one because I was in the first one. But it became very much, “I love these.” I love these films. They’re great fun. This is not my normal genre, what I normally watch. So, that says for me how good they are. I’m not someone who gravitates to this kind of thing, and I love them. I watch them as soon as they come out. What I think of the franchise, it’s grown and grown. I mean, when we did the first one, it was a gamble. Tom was taking a big chance, and it paid off. That’s before he was the Tom Cruise he is now. That could have failed. So, because of him and his guiding, and especially when Chris came on, I think the last four films, they’ve got a working relationship that just gets bigger and bigger. Technology has improved. They do amazing things with technology, except the stunts. There’s no technology there. There’s none. That’s all him. That, I think, is one of the major selling points of the film. You’re seeing a human being doing everything that he does. I mean, I wouldn’t train to do those stunts. No way. I have friends who are stunt performers, and one of them who is American guy, he’s been doing it for a long time, and he said he’s never met any stunt person who has a sense of physical space the way Tom Cruise does. He doesn’t get excited, or nervous. He gets problem-solving. He said, “I’ve never seen anybody do anything the way he’s doing this.” I thought, “Well, it makes perfect sense.” But stunts can go wrong, and stunts have gone wrong with him. He’s broken bones. He’s injured himself, but he’s never come close to dying. That is a mark of, I think, how good he is at this and his team around him. He gets the best in the world. He can do that, and it works.

    Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    MF: Finally, you were in the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ and now you’re in the last. What does it mean to you personally to have been a part of one the most popular film franchises of all time?

    RS: Again, it’s a gift. This from the outset has been a gift, an unknown gift in the beginning. I mean, this kind of thing, I suppose someone like Tom can do this kind of thing as an actor. He can say, “This is what I want to do,” but to be able to do that is a whole other thing. This was presented to me on a platter. I am fortunate that I’m the one it was presented to. Do you know what I mean? I spend a long-time perfecting what I do as best I can. So, when something like this comes up, hopefully I can do it. But the right place, the right time kind of thing comes to mind. I’ve had a lucky career. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve done many things that I’ve been gifted for. But this has got to be at the top. This is great.

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    What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’?

    Following the events of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team must stop the villainous Gabriel (Esai Morales) from gaining control of the powerful sentient AI known as the Entity, which has plans of its own for the world.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’?

    • Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
    • Hayley Atwell as Grace
    • Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
    • Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn
    • Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge
    • Angela Bassett as President Erika Sloane
    • Esai Morales as Gabriel
    • Pom Klementieff as Paris
    • Holt McCallany as Serling
    • Janet McTeer as Walters
    • Nick Offerman as General Sydney
    • Hannah Waddingham as Admiral Neely
    • Shea Whigham as Jasper Briggs
    • Greg Tarzan Davis as Degas
    • Tramell Tillman as Captain Bledsoe
    Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe in 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    Rolf Saxon plays William Donloe in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ Franchise:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies on Amazon

     

  • ‘Lake George’ Interview: Carrie Coon and Shea Whigham

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    Opening in theaters and on digital beginning December 6th is the new crime drama ‘Lake George’, which was written and directed by Jeffrey Reiner (‘Homeland’), and stars Shea Whigham (‘Fast & Furious’, ‘Kong: Skull Island’), Carrie Coon (‘Gone Girl’, ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’), Max Casella (‘Inside Llewyn Davis’), and Glenn Fleshler (‘Joker’).

    Related Article: Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon and Elizabeth Olsen Talk ‘His Three Daughters’

    (L to R) Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon in 'Lake George'. Photo: Magnet.
    (L to R) Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon in ‘Lake George’. Photo: Magnet.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Carrie Coon and Shea Whigham about their work on ‘Lake George’, their first reactions to the screenplay, reuniting after working together on ‘Fargo’, their characters’ unusual partnership, shooting a road trip movie, and collaborating on set with director Jeffrey Reiner.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Coon, Whigham and director Jeffrey Reiner.

    (L to R) Carrie Coon and Shea Whigham in 'Lake George'. Photo: Magnet.
    (L to R) Carrie Coon and Shea Whigham in ‘Lake George’. Photo: Magnet.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Shea, what was you first reaction to reading the screenplay and did you recognize immediately that this would be a great role for you to play?

    Shea Whigham: I read it in one sitting, and that’s usually the litmus test for me. I read it in one sitting, and Jeffrey had written it. I think he came to me first, and so you got to honor that. I felt like Don, he’s difficult because he doesn’t say a lot, especially in the beginning of this piece. So, I said to Jeffrey, we got to really trust that. I love that challenge. I loved these kind of throwback characters like this that don’t say a lot, but have a lot to say, especially as it unfolds throughout the film. Then you get a crew around you that you feel like they can execute this, and (Carrie) was at the top of my list.

    MF: Carrie, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the unlikely partnership between Phyllis and Don?

    Carrie Coon: Shea called me and said that he and Jeffrey had been working on the script for a couple of years and they finally got the money, and it was during the strike. He said, “Do you want to come out and make the movie?” I read it in an hour, and I said, “Yes, I want to figure out how to make this movie with you,” because I knew we would have a blast. I mean, Shea and I were good friends from ‘Fargo’. What’s funny about Phyllis, I guess, is what I realized is her energy is so much closer to my energy that I have in my life, which is not something anyone ever sees in my work. So, you could argue that Phyllis is the most Carrie Coon character that’s ever been made, but no one would ever guess that I don’t think. I loved her. Also, because people don’t invite me to play leading ladies. I’m gratefully part of an ensemble most of the time, and I’m happy to do it, but it’s fun to have to do the heavy lift. It’s a challenge.

    Carrie Coon in 'Lake George'. Photo: Magnet.
    Carrie Coon in ‘Lake George’. Photo: Magnet.

    MF: Carrie, to follow up on what you just said, what was it like playing a character that is so close to who you are in real life?

    CC: I guess, in some ways, just a pleasure. It was a pleasure because also, everything about it was so open. Shea and I are good friends. We came in with a close friendship, so we knew right from the jump it was going to have good chemistry and good intimacy. I really love Jeffrey, and we assembled a great crew, and everybody understood the assignment. It was a small crew. It was a quick shoot. We were moving around a lot, but it was really an adventure. It was a road picture, and it truly was. We were driving up the coast in Jeffrey Reiner’s car, and so it was the best kind of filmmaking. It felt like that small, scrappy little movie that could, and that’s kind of the best. It felt like summer camp. It was fun to get to lean into my own nature.

    MF: Shea, can you talk about the guilt and disappointment that Don carries with him and what happens when he decides to partner with Phyllis?

    SW: I mean, look, the film is about guilt. It’s about redemption. He meets this woman that looks like she’s swallowed a light bulb. You know what I mean? He’s just done a stint of 10 years (in prison). I think these two oddly are what each other need this moment in time of their lives. He needs her at this moment to help guide him, much like Shea needs Carrie in his life. She’s great and it’s a difficult character to execute. You don’t just show up on the day and she just gets to play herself. This is, if there’s a better performance, and I see a lot of stuff, I haven’t seen it this year. It’s a very complicated nuanced performance if you really watch it. She’s kind of poo-pooing that, but the amount of work that goes into that to make the comedy and then the heaviness, you can’t play any of that. You must go away from it for it to land. She’s a gamer. I don’t know any other actors that would let me pour dirt on them for five hours at a time and never complain a moment. But I think that’s what you see, this film, oddly, it’s a crime film and it’s got these moments of enormous levity with Armen (Glenn Fleshler) and Phyllis and I, but it’s rich. By the end, hopefully you’re moved, and that’s the only thing I ever ask. Move me. Move me to tears or make me cry. I don’t care. Scare me, but move me, and I think by the end of this, you are.

    (L to R) Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon in 'Lake George'. Photo: Magnet.
    (L to R) Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon in ‘Lake George’. Photo: Magnet.

    MF: Carrie, do you think your experience working with Shea on ‘Fargo’ helped inform the characters and their relationship together in this movie?

    CC: Well, fundamentally, between two artists, it’s about respect. I respect Shea’s body of work and the actor that he is, and I know that I have a great scene partner across from me. So, that’s just an invitation into the best part of working, which is just being present and seeing what will happen. That’s when it’s most electric and most fun to do. I think obviously, our friendship was instructive in that, and we didn’t have to spend any time getting to know each other. We were just catching up. I think a sense of history is always useful. I come from the Ensemble Theater where some people have been working together for decades, and we don’t have that as much anymore in the American theater or in film. You just don’t see those relationships develop over time in that way, and so there’s a real pleasure in getting to rely on authentic friendship to help build character. Absolutely, I think it does add depth to the movie, for sure.

    MF: Shea, the film is really a road trip movie, can you talk about the challenges of filming on location?

    SW: When I first read it, I said, “Jeffrey, to me, this is your love letter.” It’s very personal, obviously, for him and Don, and I knew that. He said, “This is personal.” I learned a little bit of that as we went through. But to me, I looked at it as kind of a love letter to Southern California as we moved from Glendale all the way through the east side, into the Valley, out into the western part of the Valley, and then up into Goleta, Santa Barbara, and then Lone Pine. I mean, we really embraced the history of the state, where they made the Westerns with John Wayne. At one point Carrie was like, “This is John Wayne’s suite that he stayed in,” in the little Lone Pine Inn as you’re going up to Mammoth. We were using Jeffrey’s car that I’m driving, Jeffrey’s house, his sister’s house, his house up in Goleta, and the forest that he and his wife walk through. It takes it from something that just could be run-of-the-mill to, it’s a visceral quality through the piece. We’re going to show you California and you’ll never get to experience this again, where we take our time going through.

    'Lake George' director Jeffrey Reiner.
    ‘Lake George’ director Jeffrey Reiner.

    MF: Finally, Carrie, what was your experience like collaborating with director Jeffrey Reiner on set?

    CC: The best thing about it was that he has written this very personal script, which often can suggest someone’s going to keep a tight grip on their material because it’s so personal. But he was having a great time, and he was playful. So, if something wasn’t quite working, he would be open to shifting the language. But also, there were moments where the way a scene is on a page, sometimes you can see it, right? You see it how it plays out in every other genre picture, and there’s a version of that scene, and you could just do that. Then Jeffrey would say, “I don’t know, maybe you sit on her lap?” So, some of the stranger moments in the film came from his inventiveness, playfulness and openness to what the dynamic was becoming between me and Shea, and I so appreciated his willingness to do that. It was a lot of fun.

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    What is the plot of ‘Lake George’?

    Tasked by mobsters with putting an end to Phyllis’ (Carrie Coon) life, Don (Shea Whigham) is unable to pull the trigger, and instead, the two set off on a road trip that evolves into something much more. Phyllis has designs of her own and proposes a little tag team action to Don: combine forces with the aim to steal all the money from the people who want her dead.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Lake George’?

    • Shea Whigham as Don
    • Carrie Coon as Phyllis
    • Max Casella as Harout
    • Glenn Fleshler as Armen
    'Lake George' opens in theaters and on digital beginning December 6th.
    ‘Lake George’ opens in theaters and on digital beginning December 6th.

    Carrie Coon Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Carrie Coon Movies on Amazon

     

  • Where To Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Following the events of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy reunite as the Spider-man universe expands further than either of them has ever anticipated.

    The official synopsis for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse‘ is below:

    “Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.”

    ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened in theaters domestically on June 2, 2023. Initially, the movie was slated to release in April 2022 but shifted to a later release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ opened to $120.6 million domestically and so far has grossed $371.8 million since its release. Worldwide, the movie has earned $666.5 million. This film serves as part one, with part two slated for a 2024 release.

    The first film not only received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, but it also won the Academy Award for “Best Animated Feature” in 2019. The highly anticipated sequel once again dazzled the audience and is certified Fresh on the Tomatometer.

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    Who’s in the cast of ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.

    Expanding The Spider-Verse

    Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    This movie further expands what we already know of the Spider-Verse through the lens of Miles Morales. The film’s protagonist, The Spot, figured out that his spots can be used as portals for dimension jumping, but also the reason why Miles Morales became Spider-Man in the first place. The Spot uses his portals to travel to universes with colliders by absorbing its power to further increase his power, making him quite formidable for the team of Spider-man and Spider-woman.

    Gwen Stacy also gets some much needed attention in this movie as we dive into her past on how she became Spider-Woman, her struggle to keep her identity a secret from her father, and how losing her best friend catapulted her into the frenzied world the “Spider Society.”

    For the first time on the big screen, we’re introduced to Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Punk, Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, and Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-man India – all of them working together under the direction of Spider-Man 2099 to prevent catastrophic canon events.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

    Easter Eggs

    Ben Reilly in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Ben Reilly in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    We’ve already seen in the first film how many variants of Spider-people exist. We’ve met Spider-Ham, Spider-Noir, and Peni Parker in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, and the amount of cameo and easter eggs is dialed up in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Here are some of the easter eggs you can find in the movie:

    • Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider
    • Mayday “May” Parker/Spider-Girl
    • Spider-Byte
    • Spider-Rex
    • Peter Parkedcar
    • Web-Slinger
    • Bombastic Bag-Man
    • The Spectacular Spider-Man

    It’s not easy to catch all the easter eggs and cameo while watching in the theaters, but once the movie arrives on digital or a streaming platform, the audience will have the ability to pause and rewind to spot all the references and appearances.

    Are There Two Version Of The Film Floating Around?

    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ Photo by: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Sharp-eyed audience members begin to wonder if there were two versions of the film being shown in theaters The differences are subtle and do not affect the overall story. An example is when Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 speaks with Lyla – In one version, Lyla takes a selfie with a bunny ear filter that shows up on Miguel’s face, and one version shows Lyla giving a fist bump. The films’ associate editor Andy Leviton has confirmed this on Twitter. Which version did you see?

    Where Can I Watch ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’?

    Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    (L to R) Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter Mayday in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    The movie premiered on May 20, 2023, at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles and was released domestically on June 2, 2023. It is still playing in theaters, so be sure to check Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

    Buy Tickets: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Movie Showtimes

    Watch the official trailers for ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse’ below:

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    Can’t make it out to the theater? The multi-Spider-Verse jumping movie will soon be available digitally on Prime Video. Currently, it is listed as available for pre-order for $19.99. As far as streaming goes, since Sony does not have its own streaming platform and currently has a deal with Netflix, it is likely to end up on the major streamer in the fall.

    Where To Watch: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Online

    Buy ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ on Amazon

    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations’ ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’:

     

     

  • ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ – Christopher McQuarrie

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    Opening in theaters on July 12th is the latest installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise entitled ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ which was co-written and directed by Academy Award-winner Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Usual Suspects,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’).

    What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ stars Tom Cruise (‘Top Gun‘) as Ethan Hunt, Hayley Atwell (‘Captain America: The First Avenger‘) as Grace, Esai Morales (‘Master Gardener‘) as Gabriel, Ving Rhames (‘Pulp Fiction‘) as Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg (‘Hot Fuzz‘) as Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson (‘Dune‘) as Ilsa Faust, Vanessa Kirby (‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw‘) as Alanna Mitsopolis, Pom Klementieff (‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’) as Paris, Henry Czerny (‘Scream VI‘) as Eugene Kittridge, Shea Whigham (‘Joker‘) as Jasper Briggs, and Greg Tarzan Davis (‘Top Gun: Maverick‘) as Degas.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director Christopher McQuarrie about his work on ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ keeping the franchise fresh, creating the incredible stunts with Tom Cruise, practical effects vs. CGI, the most difficult scene to shoot, and what audiences should know to prepare them for this film experience?

    Christopher McQuarrie, writer and director of 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.'
    Christopher McQuarrie, writer and director of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.’

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with McQuarrie, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, and Greg Tarzan Davis.

    Moviefone: To begin with, this is the third ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie you’ve directed and you have a fourth, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’ coming out next year. How do you keep each story fresh?

    Christopher McQuarrie: Tom and I simply take everything that we’ve learned on every film we do and apply it to the next one. So what you’re looking at with ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ is everything we learned not only from the previous ‘Mission Impossible’ movies, but also from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Edge of Tomorrow.’ All the films that we’ve worked on together and separately, and we’re always just trying to take everything we’ve learned and take it to the next level. Push it a little bit beyond.

    Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    MF: What is it like working with Tom Cruise to design the amazing action sequences in these movies?

    CM: We will be talking about stunts. For example, when we were shooting ‘Fallout’ and doing the halo jump out of the C-17, we were already talking about how cool it would be to drive a motorcycle off a cliff. There’s motorcycle stunts, and there’s skydiving stunts in our previous movies. So it was taking what we learned about motorcycles, taking what we learned about skydiving and putting them together, and then what would you get? We had talked about base jumping previously and all of that coalesced in this movie, into that stunt. We’d been talking about a train sequence for a long time, and a desert sequence for a long time. I’ve always been obsessed with submarines, trains, and the Arctic. They were all environments that I was fascinated with. The nice thing about these movies, and especially doing multiple installments of them, is that I get to make every movie that I never had the opportunity to make elsewhere. It’s just a great playground and a great opportunity.

    Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One 'from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One ‘from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Related Article: Hayley Atwell Talks ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’

    MF: Can you talk about why you prefer using practical effects over VFX, especially in this series?

    CM: CGI would be in a lot of ways easier. Here’s what the challenge is for CGI. First of all, I use it quite a bit and it’s an extremely valuable tool. If everything is CGI, you get everything that you want. You’ll get exactly the shot the way you designed it. What you will not really get is chaos and unpredictability. And that’s what these movies are really about. So when you’re doing it practically, you’re making discoveries that you might not ever otherwise have made. That’s where the reality is truly coming from, it’s not something I made up, and it’s not something Tom made up. It’s chaos. It’s the randomness of what’s happening in those shots, the things that you never could have imagined. That’s what truly makes it feel real. That’s what makes it immersive. What’s most important to Tom and I, it’s not so much the spectacle. It’s that whatever’s happening, it’s happening to you. You’re experiencing it with those characters. That’s something that I’ve yet to be able to create using only CGI.

    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    MF: What was the most difficult sequence in this movie to shoot?

    CM: Every sequence was difficult in its own way. There were a lot of challenges in production itself, but also in the standard to which we held ourself. We created a pretty specific outline for how we wanted to shoot the movie and never deviated from it. Then we designed that sequence and a lot of that sequence, we designed virtually. As much as you might design something virtually, it can never prepare you for the sheer physics of what you’re about to do practically. That sequence was extraordinarily challenging and very difficult to do. More than anything, it’s just extremely physically taxing on the actors. When you are seeing Tom and Hayley going through that environment, they’re really doing it and it’s quite physically challenging. There are times when they’re on a set that starts horizontally and goes a full 90 degrees vertical while they’re running up. It’s as tough as any obstacle course you’ve ever seen anybody run in their life, and they’re really doing it. It’s quite extraordinary what they achieved.

    MF: Finally, what would you tell audiences sitting down to watch this movie to prepare them for the cinematic experience they are about to have?

    CM: Get ready to watch the biggest, boldest ‘Mission: Impossible’ yet.

    Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies On Amazon

    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.

  • Movie Review: ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’

    Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Opening in theaters on July 12th is the latest installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise entitled ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ which was co-written and directed by Academy Award-winner Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Usual Suspects,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’).

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    What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    Tom Cruise (‘Top Gun‘) as Ethan Hunt, Hayley Atwell (‘Captain America: The First Avenger‘) as Grace, Esai Morales (‘Master Gardener‘) as Gabriel, Ving Rhames (‘Pulp Fiction‘) as Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg (‘Hot Fuzz‘) as Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson (‘Dune‘) as Ilsa Faust, Vanessa Kirby (‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw‘) as Alanna Mitsopolis, Pom Klementieff (‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’) as Paris, Henry Czerny (‘Scream VI‘) as Eugene Kittridge, Shea Whigham (‘Joker‘) as Jasper Briggs, and Greg Tarzan Davis (‘Top Gun: Maverick‘) as Degas.

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    Initial Thoughts

    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect from director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies. The film is fun, exciting, action-packed, and features some of the craziest stunts you’ve ever seen on the big screen. Cruise is commanding once again as Ethan Hunt, and Hayley Atwell is a fantastic addition to the franchise.

    Story and Direction

    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Unlike the last few ‘Mission’ movies, ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ does not begin with a one-off scene of Tom Cruise hanging off a mountain or the wing of a moving plane, instead focusing on a Russian submarine malfunction that sets off the plot of the movie. We soon discover that a new self-aware AI is threatening to throw the world into chaos, and it’s up to Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team to track down a key (the film’s McGuffin) that can control the AI. But first, they’ll need to discover what the key actually unlocks, and who is working with the AI, also known as the Entity.

    Things get more complicated for Hunt when he is labeled a terrorist by his old boss, Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) after refusing to give half of the key to the US government, as Hunt believes it is too dangerous to exist and must be destroyed. Hunt secured his half of the key from his alley Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), and goes to meet a buyer who has the other half of the key, planning to follow them to the Entity.

    However, when a pickpocket named Grace (Hayley Atwell) steals both halves of the key, Ethan has no choice but to recruit her for his team and train her to help him. Meanwhile, Hunt discovers that a man from his past before joining the IMF, Gabriel (Esai Morales), is working with the entity and has a personal vendetta against him.

    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Henry Czerny in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Henry Czerny in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    In my opinion, the ‘Mission’ franchise was on shaky ground until director Christopher McQuarrie joined the series. Brian De Palma’s ‘Mission: Impossible’ was a decent adaption of the classic TV series, but was not without its issues. John Woo’s ‘Mission: Impossible II’ was a huge disappointment, and the worst film in the series. Director J.J. Abrams feature film debut, ‘Mission: Impossible III’ is criminally underrated and one of the better films in the series, but failed to have the box office numbers of its predecessors.

    Brad Bird’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ put the franchise back on track, but the series didn’t really gel and become what it has until McQuarrie was brought on board with ‘Mission: Impossible – Rouge Nation,” which is why ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ feels more like a continuation of what McQuarrie and Cruise created with that movie and ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’

    While the film runs well over 2 and a half hours, McQuarrie does an excellent job of pacing the movie and keeping the “Mission” tone intact. This film, and in turn next year’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’ are a much bigger story than we’ve seen in past installments, which is why it will take two movies to tell the entire story. But with that said, McQuarrie still manages to craft a satisfying ending to ‘Part One,’ even if it is not the conclusion of this particular story.

    Tom Cruise’s Performance and his Amazing Stunts

    Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One 'from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One ‘from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    By now, half of the fun of a ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie is seeing what absolutely bonkers stunts McQuarrie, Cruise and their stunt team come up with, and ‘Dead Reckoning’ does not disappoint. Cruise released a video last year that demonstrated one of the stunts that he would be performing in the new film, which saw him driving a motorcycle off a mountain and then parachuting to the ground. Many fans thought that it would be the signature stunt of the film, and while it is certainly impressive, the movie has even more incredible stunts than that. There is a fantastic chase scene in Rome, but the real attraction is an unbelievable train sequence that is the centerpiece of the ending and one of the best action sequences I’ve ever seen. It will truly keep you on the edge of your seat.

    Cruise has been playing Ethan Hunt for over twenty-five years, and while some might say Maverick from ‘Top Gun’ is his signature character, at this point its’ got to be Hunt, who Cruise has portrayed more than any other character. The evolution of the character, and Cruise as an actor, can be witnessed over these seven movies. In the first ‘Mission: Impossible,’ Ethan Hunt was a fresh-faced IMF member betrayed by his boss, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). He would later become IMF’s greatest team leader, creating deep friendships with Luther, Benji, and Elsa. Watching those relationships grow and seeing how they’ve changed Ethan from who he was when we first met him, is one of the joys of ‘Dead Reckoning.’

    Cruise gives another powerhouse performance and is absolutely commanding as Hunt. It’s hard sometimes to tell the difference between Tom Cruise and Ethan Hunt, but the character is so charming, it doesn’t really matter if you are rooting for him or the actor playing him. We’ve grown up with Ethan Hunt, and Tom Cruise for that matter, and part of his power as an actor is that he is just so likable. ‘Top Gun’ aside, ‘Mission: Impossible’ is Cruise’s best franchise overall and Ethan Hunt is definitely the character he will be best remembered for most. Cruise has great chemistry with Rhames, Pegg, and especially Ferguson, but is also great aside new co-star Hayley Atwell. As for the action sequences, no one does it like Tom Cruise, and the actor has pushed the boundaries for our entertainment one more time.

    Returning Characters

    Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Ving Rhames has been a part of the franchise since the beginning, just like Cruise, and it just wouldn’t be a ‘Mission’ movie without him. The actor has some very nice emotional scenes with Cruise and Atwell, and as always a funny rapport with Simon Pegg. For his part, Benji has also become a vital element of the ‘Mission’ formula, joining the series in the third installment, and Pegg has grown into the role well bringing his own charm and humor to the franchise. A more recent but equally important addition to the series is Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust. The movie explores her deep connection to Hunt, and her scenes with Cruise are some of the most emotionally packed of the film.

    Vanessa Kirby also returns as the “White Widow,” daughter of “Max” (Vanessa Redgrave) from the first movie. She has a funny exchange with Cruise, but is mostly used in the third act. I won’t spoil her role, but as an actor she has a challenging scene to play and really made it work. But the most surprising returning face belongs to actor Henry Czerny, who plays former director of the IMF, Eugene Kittridge, last seen in the very first ‘Mission: Impossible.’ Kittridge was always a foil for Hunt, and their respectful yet antagonistic attitude towards each other is fun to watch on screen. Czerny is great in the role and it nice to see him back in the franchise.

    Related Article: Hayley Atwell Talks ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’

    New Characters

    Hayley Atwell in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Hayley Atwell in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Hayley Atwell plays Ethan Hunt’s latest recruit, a thief named Grace, and is absolutely mesmerizing in the role. If it’s possible to steal a scene from Tom Cruise, then Atwell succeeds with her charming and street-smart yet sophisticated character. Best known for playing Captain America’s girlfriend Peggy Carter in several different MCU projects, it’s nice to see the actress finally get a chance to show off her talents. Atwell totally holds her own against Cruise, and the two have a very nice chemistry together. Grace is a complex character, you never really know who’s side she’s on, and Atwell navigates that with confidence.

    Also new to the franchise is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’s Pom Klementieff who plays Paris, one of Gabriel’s assassins. The actress is obviously having a blast in the role and its super fun watching her smash cars and shoot machine guns while smiling and laughing in-character. Klementieff is great in the action sequences and creates an interesting and appealing character, one that I hope we see more of from the franchise in the future.

    The Villains

    (L to R) Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Esai Morales plays the main villain, Gabriel and while it’s great to see the veteran actor get such a large role in a big franchise, his character doesn’t quite work. We’re told he’s from Ethan’s past and responsible for some tragedy, but except for a few quick flashbacks, this is not really explored or resolved in this movie. It will probably be addressed in ‘Part Two,’ but more clarification in this film who have helped the audience to better understand Gabriel’s motivations. Morales is fine for the most part, and very impressive in his action sequences, but overall, the character wasn’t believable as Ethan’s archrival.

    The other villain related disappointment comes from the fact that the Entity is really the big bad of the movie. That’s right … a computer! I really hope that an actual human being is revealed as the true villain in the next movie, because as realistic as it might be n 2023, I just can’t buy artificial intelligence as the ultimate villain of the movie. Sorry, but I don’t want to see ‘Ethan Hunt v. Skynet.’ I know that there are inherently sci-fi elements baked into ‘Mission: Impossible’ going all the way back to the original series, but for me this is a spy series first, like an American version of James Bond (which arguably also had sci-fi elements) and should stick to its lane because it does spy thrillers really well.

    Too Much Joking Around

    Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    The ‘Mission: Impossible’ series has always been fun and had a certain amount of humor to it. But for some reason, about half way through ‘Dead Reckoning,’ there are several bad jokes injected into the action. For example, in Rome, Hunt and Grace steal a Fiat while being chased. When Hunt tries to start the car, it won’t start, and he begins apologizing to Grace saying, “I don’t know what happened. This never happens to me.” First of all, Ethan Hunt should never apologize for anything … he’s Ethan Hunt! Secondly, it seemed like an awkward attempt at some kind of weird sexual innuendo and it’s just out of place for the franchise and off brand for Tom Cruise.

    Only Half of the Story

    Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    I’ll give ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ credit for at least explaining in the title that this movie will be continued. I know a lot of people that went to see both ‘Fast X’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ and were disappointed to find that those movies didn’t really end, and they’ll have to wait to see the conclusion of those stories. While I’m sure the ‘Part One’ in the title will help with audience’s expectations of the ending, the truth is that this movie only tells half of a story. Again, McQuarrie did a great job with the ending, it feels satisfying and doesn’t end on a huge cliffhanger, even if we will have to wait till next year’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’ to see the actual conclusion of the story.

    But I do wonder if this story couldn’t have been told in one movie, as a lot of the action sequences go on longer than needed. If you cut some of the action, you could fit in more of the story, but with a franchise like this where the action is so important, I guess it’s better to tell a story over two films so you can afford the luxury of more action without sacrificing the character development and plot.

    Final Thoughts

    In the end, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is a solid entry to the franchise and on par with Christopher McQuarrie’s previous contributions to the series. Tom Cruise is at the height of his power, returning to his signature character and a series of groundbreaking and death-defying stunts, while Hayley Atwell is delightful as the newest addition to the franchise.

    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.

    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies On Amazon

    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.

  • ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ – Hayley Atwell

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    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ which was co-written and directed by Academy Award-winner Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Usual Suspects,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’), opens in theaters on July 12th and is the latest installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise.

    What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    Tom Cruise (‘Top Gun‘) as Ethan Hunt, Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger‘) as Grace, Esai Morales (‘Master Gardener‘) as Gabriel, Ving Rhames (‘Pulp Fiction‘) as Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg (‘Hot Fuzz‘) as Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson (‘Dune‘) as Ilsa Faust, Vanessa Kirby (‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw‘) as Alanna Mitsopolis, Pom Klementieff (‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’) as Paris, Henry Czerny (‘Scream VI‘) as Eugene Kittridge, Shea Whigham (‘Joker‘) as Jasper Briggs, and Greg Tarzan Davis (‘Top Gun: Maverick‘) as Degas.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Hayley Atwell about her work on ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ her mysterious character, her relationship to Ethan Hunt, and working with Tom Cruise.

    Hayley Atwell in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Hayley Atwell in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan, and director Christopher McQuarrie.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your mysterious characters, Grace, and your approach to playing her?

    Hayley Atwell: Great question. Because it was a collaborative one over a long period of time. There was a lot of time in filming where she didn’t even have a name. So, we tried lots of different things and different kinds of qualities to see what kind of thing felt most exciting on camera and, Tom and McQuarrie, I’d met several times before. McQuarrie had come to see me in a play in London’s West End about 10 years ago and said, “I want to work with you. I just don’t know what the character is yet.” So when I came in for the screen test for this, they both said, “We’re looking for the actor we want to work with and then we will build the character with them in real time as filming commences.” So I loved that. I found that very liberating because I trusted that I was in safe hands with them. They were not going to allow me to do something that ended up on a screen that I wouldn’t be proud of. So it allowed me the freedom to try lots of different things. So, the five months of preparation of stunt training for it was also about studying films from ‘Paper Moon’ to ‘The Sting’ to ‘Broadcast News’ to ‘What’s Up Doc?,’ to try and find a levity that I could take and build with Tom as a new kind of chemistry than you’ve seen before in this kind of franchise.

    Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    Related Article: Simon Pegg Talks ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’

    MF: What is Tom Cruise like as a scene partner, especially in the action sequences?

    HA: He is dedicated, he is a consummate professional, and a gentleman. He’s very concerned with people’s health and safety as well as his own. So, he’s meticulous in his preparation for any stunt that he does, which also means that his resources or an education for myself coming into this is so huge that I too felt like I could learn so much about what’s going to keep me safe, what’s going to keep me dynamic and mobile, and able to do a stunt several times from different directions, different takes with different performance notes, and how to sustain that over months and months. You feel very much in safe hands because he’s like a boxing coach that’s on your side. When you do something or land something, he is your greatest fan because he wants to see everyone around him thrive, which means his encouragement is contagious. I think everyone says that about him, that have worked with him in this way close up with him in terms of stunts that there’s no one quite like him.

    Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about Grace’s alliance with Ethan Hunt?

    HA: That was so fun to discover. It’s going, how are they cat and mouse or sort of sibling, how can they play with each other but in a way that didn’t seem to be too calculating? That they both needed each other in some way or both looking for the same thing, and how could they get their own needs met, but by using each other? To work with him in scenes, he’s incredibly present. Anything that you offer up, he will have seen it, taken it on board and reacted to it. He’s very alive to the other actor. Even when he’s off-screen and he’s standing behind the monitor or the camera and it’s your closeup, he is right there with you giving exactly the same amount of energy and focus as he would be if he was in front of the camera too. So, you have a scene partner, you have someone that’s in your corner and someone that’s opposite you, that’s holding the space for you to the best work you can possibly do in that moment.

    Hayley Atwell stars in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Hayley Atwell stars in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

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    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.

     

  • ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’s Simon Pegg

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    Opening in theaters on July 12th is the latest installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise entitled ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ which was co-written and directed by Academy Award-winner Christopher McQuarrie (‘The Usual Suspects,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’).

    What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ stars Tom Cruise (‘Top Gun‘) as Ethan Hunt, Hayley Atwell (‘Captain America: The First Avenger‘) as Grace, Esai Morales (‘Master Gardener‘) as Gabriel, Ving Rhames (‘Pulp Fiction‘) as Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg (‘Hot Fuzz‘) as Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson (‘Dune‘) as Ilsa Faust, Vanessa Kirby (‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw‘) as Alanna Mitsopolis, Pom Klementieff (‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’) as Paris, Henry Czerny (‘Scream VI‘) as Eugene Kittridge, Shea Whigham (‘Joker‘) as Jasper Briggs, and Greg Tarzan Davis (‘Top Gun: Maverick‘) as Degas.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Simon Pegg about his work on ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ his reaction to the screenplay, working with Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie, the franchise’s signature rubber masks, and what he would say to moviegoers to prepare them for the upcoming sequel.

    Simon Pegg in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Simon Pegg in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay for ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    Simon Pegg: I didn’t expect to ever do another ‘Mission: Impossible’ after ‘Mission: Impossible III.’ Then I got the call from J.J. Abrams who was producing the next movie, who said, “Hey, how would you feel if Benji was an agent?” I was like, “What?” And in true Benji fashion, I accepted the mission, obviously. Then here we are five films in and the character’s still alive and kicking. I always get very excited when I hear we’re going to do another one. It means that I get to hang out with the guys and work with McQuarrie and Tom, which I love to do, and see Rebecca, Ving, and now this whole new group of friends that we have because of the new characters. It’s a real treat.

    MF: What’s it like working on set with director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise?

    SP: It’s an adventure. It’s a genuine adventure because the way that they work, they have such a specific creative process, which involves really feeling the film out as we go. So, it’s not that we have a script that we shoot, we invent as we go. It sounds crazy, but it really works. The stuff that’s really figured out at first are the big stunts, the big set pieces, the chases, and that’s all very rigorously put together. Then the connective tissue that joins them all together, that comes organically out of our filmmaking process. It’s a wild ride.

    Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    MF: What has your experience been like acting opposite Tom Cruise in this series of films?

    SP: I love working with Tom. He’s such a professional, and obviously he’s been in the business a really long time. We often shoot stuff very technically, so we’ll get the chance to go over lines again and just really focus in on specific lines. We’ve learned each other’s rhythms, so I might say a line, and then I know when Tom wants to say a line again. If he didn’t nail it, I can see it in his eyes, so I just won’t say anything. Then he’ll say it again. Then Chris says, “Continue,” and we keep going. We’ve got a rhythm going now. It’s like a well-oiled machine.

    MF: Will we see more of the franchise’s signature rubber masks in the new movie?

    SP: I mean, of course. It wouldn’t be ‘Mission: Impossible’ without a mask gag. I love the fact that we’ve never really made fun of that particular device in these films. It’s one of the most outlandish and unlikely things that you could literally just change your face. But that was always a thing in the TV show and you just bought it because this is fantasy. There’s a science fiction edge to it, I guess, in that respect. No one’s ever made a wry joke about, “Hey, how does this work?” or that kind of thing. There’s been a few comments about Halloween masks, but we always commit to it. The masks are a real important part of ‘Mission.’ There’s a very good performance by one of the actors in our film when they play one of the other characters in the film beautifully. It’s a great moment.

    Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg in 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    (L to R) Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

    MF: Finally, what would you say to moviegoers to prepare them for the cinematic experience they are going to have when watching ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?

    SP: Well, we’re all back in the cinema now. We’re all back at the theater and we’re watching movies again, and just in time for this, which I think is a truly cinematic experience. It’s vast in its scale and scope, and it’s incredibly exciting. One of the things I love about the theatrical experience isn’t necessarily the size of the screen. It’s the size of the audience. When you’re with people, but you don’t know anybody else there. You’re with your little group, but there are strangers in front of you, strangers behind, and you’re all sharing this moment. Cinema really democratizes groups of people, and in this day and age, everyone’s fighting about something. Everyone’s arguing and lying about something. Everyone’s got a beef with something. When you sit in a cinematic audience, all of you are having the same experience. Whatever you think about anything else, you’re in that moment together. It’s so important for us as humans to have that experience. This film, it’ll make you your heart rate accelerate, and it’ll make you gasp. It’s just one of those experiences you must have at the theater.

    Simon Pegg stars in 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
    Simon Pegg stars in ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

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    Buy Tickets: ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Movie Showtimes

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    ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.

     

  • ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Adds New Villains

    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman)
    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’

    The annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival is happening now in France and one of the main attractions is a presentation about much-anticipated sequel ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’.

    Following on from 2018’s Oscar-winning ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, the new film is one of two sequels that will continue the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) as they combat threats from across the Spider-Verse.

    Alongside the returning heroes, we’ll see more from Spider-Man 2099 (AKA Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) and meet the likes of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), played by Issa Rae. And the clip from the festival also featured George Stacey, Gwen’s policeman father, played by Shea Whigham.

    “For those who are not hardcore canon nerds, The Spot is one of the deepest cuts in Spider-Man’s rogue gallery,” says co-director Kemp Powers in a statement. “But he has a super-power that really excited our entire team: His entire body is covered in little interdimensional portals that can send him anywhere he wants to go.

    “We thought it would be really cool if the portals felt like living ink that had spilled or splattered on the comic artist’s drawing,” Powers told the Annecy crowd before screening test animation footage. “His very simple power provided endless exciting challenges and permutations for our team.”

    Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, the villain will feature a character design meant to call to mind an unfinished sketch, featuring blue construction lines that evoke a comic book artist’s rough drawing before the work goes to an inker. Seen in the official tweet about the character in an early form, the design itself will evolve over the course of the film as the character changes and grows, taking on a more fearsome shape as he learns to better apply his own powers.

    He’s not the only problem our heroes will have to deal with – the movie also features a version of The Vulture, the longstanding Spidey villain most recently brought to screens by Michael Keaton in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (and seen in a brief moment in ‘Morbius’). In ‘Spider-Verse’, he’ll be voiced by Jorma Taccone, the Lonely Island team member who has cropped up in all the trio’s movies including ‘Hot Rod’ and ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’, plus a variety of other movies. Most recently, he lent his voice to ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers’.

    Both sequels are co-directed by Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Justin K. Thompson, working from a script by Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Dave Callaham.

    We’ll have to wait for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ as it won’t be in theaters until June 2nd next year. And ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse‘ is even further away, arriving on March 29th, 2024.

    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation's 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'
    Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’
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