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Tag: steve-carell

  • Movie Review: ‘Mountainhead’

    (L to R) Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, Jason Schwartzman in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: HBO
    (L to R) Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, Jason Schwartzman in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: HBO

    ‘Mountainhead’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

    Premiering on Max on May 31st is ‘Mountainhead,’ the directorial debut of ‘Succession’ creator Jesse Armstrong and featuring a similar mix of cold-eyed satire and spiky, swear-laden dialogue.

    The new movie stars Steve Carell (‘The Big Short’), Jason Schwartzman (‘Asteroid City’), Ramy Youssef (‘Ramy’) and Cory Michael Smith (‘Saturday Night’).

    Related Article: Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef to Star in Jesse Armstrong’s Directorial Debut

    Initial Thoughts

    (L to R) Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO
    (L to R) Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO

    How exactly do you follow a zeitgeisty hit like HBO’s ‘Succession,’ the story of a family of wealthy, entitled people squabbling over control of a media empire?

    If you’re Jesse Armstrong, who created and ran that award-winning black comedy drama across four seasons, the answer has been to quickly whip up another tale of wealthy, entitled people, this time not related, but still squabbling and in this case, over control of even higher stakes.

    Yet was it a mistake for Armstrong, who clearly showed he knew how to create compelling, if toxic characters and give actors chewy, chatty role, to head back so quickly to familiar territory? The answer is a mixture of yes and no.

    Script and Direction

    Jason Schwartzman in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO
    Jason Schwartzman in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO

    Armstrong, whose credits stretch back to the likes of the movies ‘Four Lions’ and ‘In the Loop’ and on TV, UK series ‘The Thick of It,’ ‘Peep Show’ and ‘Fresh Meat,’ has a particular style and sensibility he has developed working with the likes of fellow creators Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci (the latter created ‘The Thick of it’ and also worked on HBO’s ‘Veep’).

    There are no sacred cows safe from slaughtering, but Armstrong’s focus in recent years has been the super-rich, the fact that all the money, gadgets and excess in the world can’t buy you happiness and their disdain for the “common” working people. It’s a 21st century spin on out-of-touch rulers, these titans who either inherited their wealth or got lucky through routes such as paradigm-shifting technology and their craven ways.

    ‘Mountainhead’ is no different, featuring at its core four toxic techies who revel in their wealth, swap insults and make big plans for how they’re going to shape the world to their own ideas.

    The script for the new movie is full of Armstrong’s trademark, sniping zingers, including one of the foursome describing the décor of another’s new mountain retreat as “Ayn Bland” (yes, the film’s title, which is also the name of the sprawling, concrete-and-glass monstrosity, is a nod to Ayn Rand’s novel ‘The Fountainhead’).

    Cory Michael Smith in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.
    Cory Michael Smith in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.

    But though Armstrong certainly draws some darkly-hued, often cruel laughs at the expense of these people, the actual character work is somewhat lacking. Empathy is not necessarily a requirement, but there is so little to hold on to here: merely a slow devolution into rivalry and endless preening or lack of accountability. It becomes more punishing than entertaining after a while and a late-turn dive into farce doesn’t help matters.

    With just a couple of short films under his belt as director, Armstrong relies more on the tools he’s picked up working with other directors on the shows and movies he’s been involved in the past. In fact, the look of the movie is essentially ‘Succession,’ all frosty structures and minimal action. It gets the job done and the screenplay is the focus anyway.

    Cast and Performances

    Steve Carell in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.
    Steve Carell in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.

    To his credit, Armstrong has an eye for casting, and the leads are either an established talent or a rising star.

    Carell plays Randall, the “Papa Bear” of the main four, who made his millions (and later, billions) before the others. He’s got fingers in a multitude of pies, but his good-natured charm –– feeding off the actor’s own –– hides a mercenary zeal.

    Schwartzman has specialized in slightly offbeat characters for years, and his Hugo Van Yalk (nicknamed “Soup” as in “soup kitchen,” because he’s the only multimillionaire among this group of “b-nut” bros) is a typically needy, funny type, desperate to secure investment for a new wellness app. When things take an even crazier turn, Schwartzman’s talent for physical comedy shines.

    Cory Michael Smith has been making a name for himself on screens both big and small, and was particularly impressive as a young, unpredictable Chevy Chase in Jason Reitman’s ‘Saturday Night’ last year. Here, he’s Venis, an Elon Musk-type peacock with a social media app that is sowing chaos across the globe (not that Venis is willing to admit or even perceive that). Despite Smith’s best efforts and a small nod towards flecks of humanity lodged in his blackened soul, the role is a loathsome one.

    Ramy Youssef in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.
    Ramy Youssef in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.

    Finally, Ramy Youssef has been creating and starring in his own work, including sitcom ‘Ramy,’ and he provides the slightly sweeter –– which is not saying much with this group –– Jeff, whose own A.I. counterpoint to Venis’ lie-spewing social media is causing friction between the pair. Youssef is good in the part, and clearly has a handle on Armstrong’s sharp dialogue, but even he can’t make the character all that likeable.

    Outside of the main foursome, pretty much everyone else has little time or opportunity to pop, as they are tiny supporting roles.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, Jason Schwartzman in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.
    (L to R) Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, Jason Schwartzman in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.

    While ‘Mountainhead’ certainly shows off the sharp, satirical and expletive-peppered writing for which Armstrong has become known, the doomy, oppressive feel of the movie makes this sometimes more punishment than entertaining.

    We certainly wouldn’t recommend hitting social media afterwards –– maybe go for a walk? Or find something nice to look at instead?

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    What’s the story of ‘Mountainhead’?

    A group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Mountainhead?

     

    (L to R) Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef in 'Mountainhead.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.
    (L to R) Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef in ‘Mountainhead.’ Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.

    List of Steve Carell Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Steve Carell Movies on Amazon

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  • Steve Carell Starring in Jesse Armstrong’s New HBO Movie

    Steve Carell in 'The Office'. Photo: Universal Television.
    Steve Carell in ‘The Office’. Photo: Universal Television.

    Preview:

    • ‘Succession’ Creator Jesse Armstrong has found the cast for his directorial debut.
    • Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith will star.
    • It’ll debut on Max.

    Having spent the last few years –– at least up until May 2023 when the series final screened –– chronicling the lives of fictional (if not-so-loosely based on Rupert Murdoch’s dynasty) billionaires in ‘Succession,’ writer/producer Jesse Armstrong could be forgiven for wanting to make something about an entirely different subject. Sheep farmers in Bolivia, say. Or a toilet attendant in Arizona.

    But no, for his next trick, the satirical writer is throwing himself back into that maelstrom, albeit through a new angle –– and this time, he’ll direct what he wrote, making his shot-calling debut with a satirical new movie whose title is a mystery for now.

    Now, thanks to a tweet from streaming service HBO/Max –– which is teaming back up with Armstrong after being the home of ‘Succession’ for its four-season run, we now know that Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith will star.

    The movie starts filming this month in Park City, Utah, which is most famously known as A) a place for wealthy types and B) the home for years of the Sundance Film Festival.

    What’s the story of ‘Succession’ creator Jesse Armstrong’s new movie?

    (L to R) Jeremy Strong, Alan Ruck, Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, and Sarah Snook in HBO's 'Succession.'
    (L to R) Jeremy Strong, Alan Ruck, Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, and Sarah Snook in HBO’s ‘Succession.’

    According to the barebones official synopsis, the new film –– it presumably has a title, but we’re not being told what it is yet –– follows a group of billionaire friends who get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.

    We also know the characters that the cast are bringing to screens: Carell plays Randall, Schwartzman plays Hugo Van Yalk (aka “Souper”), Smith plays Venis and Youssef plays Jeff.

    Here’s what Armstrong said about the new project:

    “I’m intrigued to discover whether being around so many brilliant actors and directors on ‘Succession’ has in any way rubbed off on me. Let’s hope so. I’m grateful to Casey Bloys, Francesca Orsi and the whole HBO team for backing this film so wholeheartedly and helping me pull together a dream team of cast and crew.”

    Team HBO seem just as happy to have him back in the fold:

    “We’re ecstatic to be back in business with the singular talent Jesse Armstrong coming off our fruitful collaboration on ’Succession.’ Jesse once again raises the bar with a bold examination of modern greed, power and male ambition. That this feature serves as his directorial debut will only elevate what is already thrilling on the page, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this timely film with the world soon.”

    Related Article: Director Chris Renaud Talks ‘Despicable Me 4’ Digital Release

    Where else can I see the cast?

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Carell has been switching between TV and movies for years, since getting a big break on ‘The Daily Show’ and seeing his fortunes boosted further by ‘The Office.’

    He was most recently heard rather than seen in two movies last year: family fantasy ‘IF’ and franchise behemoth ‘Despicable Me 4.’

    On the small screen, he starred in short-lived Netflix sitcom ‘Space Force’ and effective Hulu thriller miniseries ‘The Patient.’ Carell has worked on Tina Fey’s new Netflix show, ‘The Four Seasons’ and is collaborating with ‘Ted Lasso’ co-creator Bill Lawrence on a series for HBO.

    Schwartzman was last seen in ‘Queer,’ stealing scenes from Daniel Craig, and in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis.’ Keeping it in the family he also had a tiny role in cousin Gia Coppola’s ‘The Last Showgirl.’

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    He’ll be once more voicing ‘The Spot’ when Sony gets around to releasing ‘Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse’ and has a role in Michael Showalter’s new Christmas comedy ‘Oh. What. Fun.’

    Comedian/actor Youssef, the creator and star of his own show ‘Ramy’ on Hulu, was seen in 2023’s ‘Poor Things’ and lent his voice to Disney animated title ‘Wish.’ He also co-created the Netflix series ‘Mo’ and worked on upcoming Prime Video animated comedy series ‘#1 Happy Family USA.’

    Smith, who made an impression playing Chevy Chase in Jason Reitman’s ‘Saturday Night,’ also appeared in ‘May December’ and has a couple of movies on the way, ‘Sentimental Value’ and ‘Famous.’

    In addition to that, he’s part of the cast for Prime Video crime show ‘The Nightbeast.’

    When will Jesse Armstrong’s film be on screens?

    There’s the big wrinkle for this one: if you look at the script cover in the Max tweet about the cast, you’ll see the words “This Spring.”

    Which, yes, means that Armstrong is aiming to have the movie ready in the next couple of months.

    Presumably, he wants to get a satire of international chaos out before everyone in America is too poor to subscribe to Max at all. Either that, or spending years toiling at the relentless maw of TV means he learned how to work quickly.

    Steve Carell in 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin'.
    Steve Carell in ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    List of Steve Carell Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Steve Carell Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Despicable Me 4’ Digital Release Interview: Chris Renaud

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    Available to purchase on digital beginning August 6th is the box office hit ‘Despicable Me 4’, which was directed by Chris Renaud (‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Despicable Me 2’).

    The movie once again stars Steve Carell (‘The Office’) as Gru and Kristen Wiig (‘Wonder Woman: 1984’) as Lucy Wilde, while joining the cast are Will Ferrell (‘Old School’) as Maxime Le Mal and Sofia Vergara (‘Modern Family’) as Valentina.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Despicable Me 4’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Chris Renaud about his work on Despicable Me 4’, the success of the movie and the overall franchise, why we love the Minions, how Gru has changed since the first film, his rivalry with Maxime Le Mal, what Will Ferrell brought to the role, working with Steve Carell and what being part of this franchise has meant to Renaud personally.

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

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, ‘Despicable Me 4’ is now available on digital but is still doing very well theatrically at the box office. Are you surprised by the success of the movie and the popularity of the franchise?

    Chris Renaud: Yes and no. In that, I mean, look, as we’re making these films, we preview them. We test them with audiences, and I was at a premiere in New York and a premiere in Paris, and even though those are probably stacked in your favor, you can feel the energy. You can feel the response and the love that the audience really has for these characters. I think that obviously coming off ‘Minions: Rise of Gru’, the love of the audience is clear. I think the job for us as filmmakers is not to let them down. I think that after sitting with several audiences through the course of making the movie, and you can never predict what’s going to happen financially at the box office, but I felt that we were delivering on the promise and hopefully that that would translate to people going to the theater and seeing the movie.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Can you explain the pop culture phenomenon that is the Minions? Why do we love them so much?

    CR: It’s truly lightning in a bottle. I think it’s one of those things that all the elements came together to create this comedic personality with a universal quality. By that I mean from the design, which is super simple, a five-year-old could draw it, no problem. The simple color scheme, yellow and blue, besides the Ukrainian flag now means Minions. The language, which is every language and (no language at the same time), and very much influenced by things like R2-D2 and the Jawas where you kind of got what they were saying but you didn’t understand it literally. Their animated performance, their incompetence, their childlike quality which gives them this appeal that is hard to match. So, I really truly think it’s one of those things where every element of it came together in a way that is just special. That’s about all I can say. The things that I loved as a kid, Batman comics and ‘Star Wars’, the Minions are sort of maybe not quite at that level, but they’re in the culture in a way that is far and few between with other characters, and that’s amazing to have been a part of that.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Can you talk about how Gru has changed since the first film?

    CR: We think about that. We’re like, we need Gru to be Gru, which is maybe more villainous, but the truth is when we try it, what we end up finding is it feels false. The reason why, and I think one of the reasons that besides the Minions that people like this group of characters is that Gru has changed, and he’s changed the way probably most people change once they have kids and have a family. It does change you and change how you think. So, it’s very extreme for Gru, where he was a villain and then now, he’s essentially a good guy and a softy. He’s still, obviously in this movie, he enjoys seeing his snobby neighbor get bested by one of the Minions. So, he still Gru, but he’s a different guy. I think that the arc of his life is something that a lot of people, particularly the adults in the audience can relate to.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Can you talk about Gru and Le Mal’s history together and their rivalry?

    CR: Maxime Le Mal really starts with Will Ferrell’s performance, which is terrific. Seeing Maxime and Gru in the high school reunion, they went to a villain high school called Lycée Pas Bon. Seeing that rivalry at the beginning of the film I think is just so much fun, particularly with those comedic actors, but also giving us an opportunity to again, see a different aspect of Gru’s life. We haven’t really seen any clips from his high school. What I love too, without getting into the details is that the source of their rivalry is such a small detail and such a small transgression. I think that’s so true, and I think that’s one of the great things about these characters and what makes them so relatable is that little kind of, as I said, transgression from high school is the kind of thing that we carry with us the rest of our life. I love that, that it is not some big world-shattering stakes that they have against each other. It’s just a tiny insult that ends up creating this rivalry that runs through the film.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: What was it like working with Will Ferrell?

    CR: So, the character in the script that we delivered to Will was Maxime Le Mal. So, he came in with a French accent, which was great. What we did do, as I sort of gave him the opportunity, I said, “Look, do you have any other ideas that we could try?” Because it was the first session. Will is like, “Listen, I got this great Swedish accent I’ve always wanted to try.” We would’ve changed the name no problem. It was early days. We did try a couple of things, but really the French accent that he came in with was what you hear and that is the character.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Can you talk about Steve Carell’s impact on this franchise?

    CR: I think it’s hard to understate how important Steve’s performance is to the character. Again, and we were just talking about accents. One of the things that when we started our first recording session for him way back in probably 2008, we were talking about Peter Sellers and ‘Inspector Clouseau‘ and this idea of an accent. We tried a couple of things like a Latin influence, a couple of different thoughts, a Spanish influence. But we quickly landed on what you hear, which is this kind of weird fusion of Eastern European. The scale to it that Steve was able to bring, and we obviously have the best comedic actor out there, but it all radiates out of what Steve has done with Gru. When he comes in and records, obviously at this point, we know what he is doing. It’s not like we’re figuring it out. We all have a good handle on Gru, but he’s very thoughtful in the process. He thinks about the lines. He is like, “Why would Gru say that?” He’s very considerate of the character and I’m sure he has a great affection for the character because he’s probably one of the most iconic, well-known animated characters of all time at this point. That’s no small credit to the performance that Steve has helped create. I say help because of the animators who do the visual and the character design, but Steve is really where it starts.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about what it has meant to you personally to be part of this beloved franchise?

    CR: in a lot of ways that’s even hard to describe. It’s had such a huge impact on me, not just working with these characters and being a part of these successful films, but living in Paris, France where the film picture is produced. So as an American living abroad, I’ve spent essentially my adult life there. We moved back in 2008, it’s almost 16 years now I’ve lived in France. So, it’s every aspect of my life and our life as a family have been impacted by working on these films. I think that Illumination as a company stands where it stands because of the first ‘Despicable Me’, it was a rock-solid idea in the original pitch. Then the stuff that we were able to add to it, Pierre Coffin, myself, the writers, Chris Meledandri, and the team at Illumination. It really was one of these things that was built brick by brick in the first film. I think that first film is what carries the day and why we’re talking about a ‘Despicable Me 4’ now. It was something that from a design point of view and animation point of view, when it came out, everyone was like, “What is this?” I think that now it’s obviously become part of the culture, but I think that our ability to create something a bit different in the marketplace at the time still resonates. It’s why we’re still making these movies.

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    What is the plot of ‘Despicable Me 4’?

    Gru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls—Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr. (Tara Strong), who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru also faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, (Sofia Vergara) forcing the family to go on the run.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Despicable Me 4’?

    • Steve Carell as Gru
    • Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde
    • Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal
    • Joey King as Poppy Prescott
    • Sofía Vergara as Valentina
    • Stephen Colbert as Perry Prescott
    • Chloe Fineman as Patsy Prescott
    • Miranda Cosgrove as Margo
    • Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom
    • Pierre Coffin as the Minions
    • Dana Gaier as Edith
    • Madison Polan as Agnes
    • Tara Strong as Gru Jr.
    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Other Movies in the ‘Despicable Me’ Franchise:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Despicable Me 4‘ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Despicable Me’ Movies On Amazon

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  • Will Forte Joins Tina Fey’s ‘The Four Season’ Series

    Will Forte in 'MacGruber.'
    Will Forte in ‘MacGruber.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Will Forte is the latest addition to Tina Fey’s ‘The Four Seasons’.
    • The new show adapts the 1981 Alan Alda comedy movie.
    • Steve Carell and Colman Domingo are also in the cast.

    Having just appeared on a Netflix series (mystery comedy thriller ‘Bodkin’ about podcasters digging into a suspicious death), ‘Saturday Night Live’ veteran Will Forte is sticking with the streaming service for an upcoming project.

    He’s the latest addition to former ‘SNL’ castmate Tina Fey’s latest comedy series, ‘The Four Seasons’ which will be based on a 1980s movie.

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    What was the story of ‘The Four Seasons’?

    Carol Burnett and Alan Alda in 'The Four Seasons'.
    (L to R) Carol Burnett and Alan Alda in ‘The Four Seasons’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Written and directed by Alan Alda (who starred alongside Carol Burnett), the 1981 comedy also starred Rita Moreno, Sandy Dennis, and Len Cariou. It followed three married couples who take vacations together each season, but things are thrown for a loop when one of the husbands leaves his wife and begins bringing a younger woman with him.

    Who is starring in ‘The Four Seasons’?

    Steve Carell in 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin'.
    Steve Carell in ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Fey will star in the show alongside Forte (who also had a recurring role in her NBC show ’30 Rock’, Steve Carell (who co-starred with Fey in comedy thriller ‘Date Night’), ‘Rustin’s Colman Domingo, ‘Reno 911!’s Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Erika Henningsen, who has her own Fey connection, having appeared in ‘Girls5Eva’, which she produces.

    Related Article: Will Forte Says fans ‘Probably Never will See’ ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’

    Who is making ‘The Four Seasons’?

    Tina Fey plays Ms. Norbury in 'Mean Girls' from Paramount Pictures.
    Tina Fey plays Ms. Norbury in ‘Mean Girls’ from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount © 2023 Paramount Pictures.

    Fey wrote the series alongside ‘Never Have I Ever’s Lang Fisher (who also wrote episodes of ’30 Rock’) and fellow ‘Rock’ veteran Tracey Wigfield.

    While it might have expected to end up at somewhere like Peacock (given that it’ll be produced by Universal Television), the project became the subject of a bidding war that Netflix won. The company is also not that much of a surprise, since it also carried Fey’s ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ when NBC turned it down and rescued ‘Girls5Eva’ from cancellation at Peacock for its third season, which launched recently.

    And because he made the movie, Alda gets an executive producer credit alongside Marissa Bregman, daughter of the film’s producer, Martin Bregman.

    Netflix has ordered eight episodes of the series, and the cameras should be rolling later this year.

    Where else is Will Forte showing up?

    'Thelma the Unicorn'.
    ‘Thelma the Unicorn’. Photo: Netflix.

    Forte is the voice of Otis in yet another Netflix project, ‘Thelma The Unicorn,’ and also has a vocal role in upcoming Pixar Disney+ series ‘Win or Lose’ and Prime Video’s ‘Sausage Party: Foodtopia’.

    When will ‘The Four Seasons’ be on screens?

    Netflix has yet to confirm a launch date for the series, but we could conceivably see it land next year.

    Will Forte in 'A Futile and Stupid Gesture.'
    Will Forte in ‘A Futile and Stupid Gesture.’ Photo: Netflix.

    Will Forte Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Will Forte Movies on Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘Despicable Me 4’

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Opening in theaters on July 3rd, ‘Despicable Me 4’s is Illumination Entertainment (and distributor Universal) unleashing the latest salvo of their behemoth franchise.

    The success of ‘Despicable’ movies is almost comically predictable at this point, and while the latest offering does very little that’s really new, it seems certain to appeal to the family target audience.

    Related Article: Movie Review: Minions: The Rise of Gru

    Will ‘Despicable Me 4’ Keep the Family Happy?

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Though it would be wrong to say that the franchise really matures, the new offering does at least represent the usual evolution of the story, as it finds Steve Carell’s Gru well and truly settled into family life. Yet his villainous past once more comes back to haunt him when a rival threatens his domestic bliss and the Gru clan is forced to retreat to a safe house.

    Plus, any movie featuring Gru is contractually obliged to include the Minions, and here there is a new spin on that concept, albeit a slightly tired satire of a genre that has long since been spoofed beyond reason.

    Script and Direction

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Written by ‘Despicable’ veteran Ken Daurio and in a slightly surprising turn, Mike White (though ‘The White Lotus’ boss is also credited with last year’s ‘Migration’, also from Illumination), so he’s clearly found a side gig groove with the animation company.

    Don’t go expecting any ‘Lotus’-level depth here (not that you would from a knockabout cartoon effort), and the movie is refreshingly free of hackneyed attempts to teach family bonding lessons, mostly because they’ve all been covered before by the ‘Despicable’ movies. The gags come thick and fast, but the main issue with the screenplay and the movie on which they are based is that it all feels like separate elements that eventually try to gel for the big finish, but never feel like they’re all in the same plotline.

    Gru, for example, not only has to deal with an old nemesis coming back, but a new potential threat, and the screenplay doesn’t really juggle them as effectively as they might, with several feeling underserved.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Kudos, though, to the team for two referential jokes that feel like they were layered in specifically for the parents bringing their kids to this one –– particularly a ‘Terminator 2’ moment that really works.

    Chris Renaud (another ‘Despicable’ veteran) and Patrick Delage (who has worked his way up from the animation department into more of an overall leadership role here) oversaw direction. And rather than trying to change what was working about the look and feel of the movies, they kept to the basic template –– lots of Minion moments (even if, like the split plotlines, they feel like separate skits that are crowbarred into the story until they serve a point at the end. And even then, they feel like a throwaway afterthought.

    If you’re taking kids who are really only there for the squat, chattering, yellow pill-shaped nuisances, you might be better off just re-watching old shorts and moments online.

    Performances

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    The voice cast is predictably entertaining –– many of them have been at this franchise long enough to bed into their roles. Where things fall down somewhat is a by-the-numbers script that doesn’t really give them much that’s fresh.

    Steve Carell as Gru

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Carell knows how to knock out a Gru line in his sleep these days, but he throws himself into the role with typical relish. He’s a little isolated from the rest of the family for large stretches of the story, but he bounces well off of Joey King, who plays Poppy, a teenager with criminal aspirations of her own.

    Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Will Ferrell here plays Gru’s old schoolmate and nemesis, but though Ferrell tries out a cod-French accent to try and get something new, he’s rarely all that memorable. An obsession with cockroaches seemingly opens the door to Minion-style madness, but his insect army is established and then quickly forgotten. In the ranks of gadget-obsessed villainy that have cropped up in the movies, Le Mal doesn’t really pop.

    And that goes double for his girlfriend, Valentina (Sofia Vergara). It seems clear that either there is more of her role on the cutting room floor, or Vergara spent roughly 10 minutes in the recording booth as Valentina is a largely pointless character.

    Stephen Colbert, Kristen Wiig and More

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Stephen Colbert, Carell’s old ‘Daily Show’ colleague is always good value matched against him (here as snooty, preppy new neighbor Perry Prescott.

    Kristen Wiig, meanwhile, gets some meatier material as Lucy Wilde, Gru’s wife, including her attempts to become part of the new community where they’re forced to move.

    And finally, there’s Gru Jr. the family’s new addition (who mostly just makes gurgling and other infant sounds). He’s a fun diversion, a child who simply doesn’t like his father (until…. Well, that would be spoiling things, but you can guess).

    The Minions do their thing as usual, and their superhero spoof is diverting if not really effective at this point when we don’t really need another example of poking fun at the genre.

    Final Thoughts

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Gru and co. are such reliable money spinners for Illumination at this point that they could probably just put out 90 minutes of Minions babbling and slapping each other, and family audiences would crack open their wallets to see it.

    You might find yourself wishing for something truly revolutionary, but it’s unlikely to disappoint the diehard kiddie fans.

    ‘Despicable Me 4’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the story of ‘Despicable Me 4’?

    Gru (Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan) — welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.

    At the same time, Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.

    Who else lends their voices to ‘Despicable Me 4’?

    The voice cast for the new animated movie includes Joey King, Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman, Pierre Coffin and Steve Coogan.

    'Despicable Me 4' opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    ‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Other Movies in the ‘Despicable Me’ Franchise:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Despicable Me 4‘ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Despicable Me’ Movies On Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘IF’

    Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming star in Paramount Pictures' 'IF.'
    (L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF.’

    Opening in theaters May 17 is ‘IF,’ directed by John Krasinski and starring Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Awkwafina, and Steve Carell.

    Related Article: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer

    Initial Thoughts

    Cailey Fleming and Ryan Reynolds star in Paramount Pictures' 'IF.'
    (L to R) Cailey Fleming and Ryan Reynolds star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF.’

    After spending most of the past decade following the end of ‘The Office’ in “tough guy” mode, playing a soldier, a spy, and an alpha male patriarch (perhaps to distance himself from his nerdy image as Jim Halpert), John Krasinski pivots into family film mode with ‘IF,’ an original live-action feature that he wrote, directed, and co-stars in. But while Krasinski showed some filmmaking flair with the intense ‘A Quiet Place’ and its sequel, his heavy-handed attempt to make a would-be family classic is overwrought and underwritten, giving the usually charismatic Ryan Reynolds and spunky young star Cailey Fleming little to do but stare at some Pixar-esque CG creations.

    Story and Direction

    Director John Krasinski on the set of Paramount Pictures' 'IF.'
    Director John Krasinski on the set of Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF.’

    ‘IF’ opens on Bea (Fleming), a young girl who loses her mother to cancer before the opening credits even finish rolling. But that’s not all: Bea’s dad (Krasinski) is suffering from a heart condition and requires surgery, forcing Bea to stay at her grandmother’s (Fiona Shaw) New York City apartment while her dad undergoes his procedure (his pre-op stay in the hospital is unbelievably long – whatever he does for a living, he must have great insurance).

    Lonely but apparently not going to school, Bea spies some odd-looking characters around the apartment building that lead her to a flat upstairs. That’s where she meets Cal (Reynolds), a strangely out-of-time man who resides in the whimsical apartment with a whole horde of bizarre beings that only Bea and Cal can see. As Cal explains, these are imaginary friends, or IFs for short, who are looking for new children to bond with since their previous children grew up and forgot about them.

    Cal takes Bea to Coney Island – apparently it’s perfectly okay for a 12-year-old girl to wander around the city as she sees fit – where he introduces her to a subterranean retirement home for a large contingent of IFs, such as a robot, a flaming marshmallow, a glass of water, a big purple furball that looks like it stumbled over from ‘Monsters University,’ and many more. Most of them are voiced by famous people like Steve Carell, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, and Blake Lively, who all don’t get much more than a line or two (even the ones married to the director and/or male lead). The founder of the place, a teddy bear named Lewis (the late Louis Gossett Jr.), recruits Bea to help Cal find new children for the wayward IFs, which Bea apparently finds more worthy of her time than, say, staying by her dad’s side.

    Ryan Reynolds (Cal), Louis Gossett Jr. (Lewis) and Cailey Fleming (Bea) star in Paramount Pictures' 'IF.'
    (L to R) Ryan Reynolds (Cal), Louis Gossett Jr. (Lewis) and Cailey Fleming (Bea) star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF.’

    ‘IF’ wants very badly to be a sort of live-action Pixar movie. While the idea of hanging onto one’s power of imagination even as an adult is a worthy one, and we will give Krasinski a certain amount of respect for taking a big, original swing with his own material, he’s not good enough of a writer to make it work and can’t quite get a handle on it as a director either. The movie continually tries to pull shamelessly and relentlessly at one’s heartstrings, aided so obtrusively by Michael Giacchino’s pervasively syrupy score (a rare misfire from the otherwise great composer) that one wants to tell the music to shut up.

    The biggest problem with ‘IF,’ beyond its overt mawkishness, is that Krasinski’s world-building is sloppy and undercooked. Does Bea’s grandmother wonder where she’s going all the time? Does her father? Why can some people suddenly see their IFs for no apparent reason years after having forgotten them? How can IFs apparently open doors and move objects? Sure, this is a fantasy film, and real-life logic doesn’t always apply; but there has to be some sort of internal logic, a set of rules for the world, and that doesn’t seem present here.

    There are some funny lines sprinkled throughout the film, and young children may delight in some of the many IFs who populate the story (even if none of them are given anything more than a cursory character sketch), but ‘IF’ meanders along with little urgency and no real sense of what we’re supposed to feel, despite its strenuous attempts to make us feel something.

    John Krasinski Cast Many BFFs in ‘IF’

    (L to R) George Clooney (Spaceman), Amy Schumer (Gummy Bear), Emily Blunt (Unicorn), Steve Carell (Blue), Flower, Cailey Fleming (Bea), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Blossom), Richard Jenkins (Art Teacher) and Maya Rudolph (Ally) star in Paramount Pictures’ 'IF.'
    (L to R) George Clooney (Spaceman), Amy Schumer (Gummy Bear), Emily Blunt (Unicorn), Steve Carell (Blue), Flower, Cailey Fleming (Bea), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Blossom), Richard Jenkins (Art Teacher) and Maya Rudolph (Ally) star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF.’

    ‘IF’ has a stacked voice cast, although as mentioned earlier, the IFs come flying through so frequently that few get a chance to make any kind of impression. Aside from the kindly, wise Lewis, the IFs who get the most screentime are Steve Carell’s Blue and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Blossom, a sort of 1920s dancer who turns out to be Bea’s grandmother’s one-time IF.

    The main human character, Cailey Fleming’s Bea, starts off as earnest and intelligent, but begins over-emoting through the second half of the film; Fleming is still an engaging presence who can probably do better. Krasinski’s dad, a whimsical sort who implores his daughter not to grow up too fast, is too smug to earn much of our empathy, while the usually sparkling Reynolds is forced to play it somewhat morose and passive through large sections of the film. His effortless way with one-liners doesn’t get the workout that this film could use. ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ can’t come soon enough.

    Final Thoughts

    Cailey Fleming (Bea) and Steve Carell (Blue) star in Paramount Pictures' 'IF.'
    Cailey Fleming (Bea) and Steve Carell (Blue) star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF.’

    There’s a 10-minute tour through the IF retirement home about half an hour into the movie, in which Lewis tells Bea that she can make whatever she wants happen just by thinking about it (we guess). It’s a potentially interesting idea ruined by overly frantic, busy visuals, ending in an extraneous dance number which has absolutely no bearing on the rest of the plot. It’s also indicative of the problem with the rest of ‘IF’: this is a shapeless movie that feels more like the director playing with all the tools at his disposal yet not firming up the story he wants to tell.

    After the success of the ‘A Quiet Place’ films, we suppose it was inevitable that the director would get to indulge himself with a vanity project. And as noted earlier, certain younger audience members may be enraptured by everything going on in the film. But if John Krasinski wants to try his hand at a family movie again, he should concentrate more on a good, focused story and characters, and less on self-satisfied sentimentality.

    ‘IF’ receives 4 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘IF’?

    A young girl going through a very difficult time in her life suddenly gains the ability to see the imaginary friends (IFs) of other people who have left them behind. With the help of a neighbor, the little girl attempts to reunite all the IFs with the kids they once belonged to.

    Who is in the cast of ‘IF’?

    • Cailey Fleming as Bea
    • Ryan Reynolds as Cal
    • John Krasinski as Bea’s Dad
    • Fiona Shaw as Bea’s Grandmother
    • Steve Carell as Blue (voice)
    • Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Blossom (voice)
    • Louis Gossett Jr. as Lewis (voice)
    • Emily Blunt as Unicorn (voice)
    • Matt Damon as Sunny (voice)
    • Sam Rockwell as Guardian Dog (voice)
    • Awkwafina as Bubble (voice)
    • Blake Lively as Octopuss (voice)
    • George Clooney as Spaceman (voice)
    • Bradley Cooper as Ice (voice)
    • Brad Pitt as Keith (voice)
    Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming star in Paramount Pictures' 'IF.'
    (L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF.’

    Other John Krasinski Directed Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘IF’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy John Krasinski Movies on Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘Asteroid City’

    Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    Opening wide in theaters on Friday 23rd June (following a limited engagement in Los Angeles and New York), ‘Asteroid City’ is the latest film from director Wes Anderson, who has brought us the likes of ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ and ‘Rushmore’.

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    What’s the story of ‘Asteroid City?

    For his latest, ‘Anderson’ is working on two levels. The first is the production of a play called ‘Asteroid City’, written by playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton). His new stage production is itself the subject of a TV documentary fronted by Bryan Cranston’s unnamed host, which is peeking into the creative process behind the work.

    We watch some of the cast outside the play, and Earp at work on the script, before sets are built and other actors are introduced. Then the movie itself follows the story of the play, introducing us to war photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), who is bringing son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) to the titular desert town to take part in a Junior Stargazers event when his car develops trouble.

    Steenbeck, who is recently widowed, calls his father-in-law, Stanley Zak (Tom Hanks) to pick up Woodrow and Auggie’s three daughters (who have yet to learn the news of their mother’s passing), and makes the most of the situation.

    Asteroid City is hosting the Stargazers’ event partly because it is the site of an asteroid that landed 5,000 years ago and has attracted various characters to its dusty locale. The event, incidentally, is interrupted by the arrival of an alien, who takes the asteroid.

    Steve Carell in director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    Steve Carell in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    Who else is in ‘Asteroid City’?

    In true Anderson style, the director has tapped many from his recurring roster of actors besides Schwartzman. Scarlett Johansson plays Midge Campbell, Jeffrey Wright is General Grif Gibson, Tilda Swinton is Dr. Hickenlooper, Adrien Brody is Schubert Green, Tony Revolori is Gibson’s
    Aide-de-Camp, while Jeff Goldblum plays a role we won’t reveal here.

    New to one of his films this time is Hanks plus Steve Carell (as a motel manager), Maya Hawke (as a teacher overseeing school students) and Margot Robbie (as the actress who was to have played Auggie’s late wife in flashback scenes cut from the play).

    Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

    Andersonian style

    At this point, we all know what to expect from a Wes Anderson films. He has such an established style that he’s been parodied many times. And if you’re expecting a giant switch in terms of the visuals here, you will be disappointed. Likewise, his arch, dialogue-heavy tone is also on full display.

    Anderson is a singular director, and if you buy into the vibe and feel of his movies, you’ll have a good time with ‘Asteroid City’. He’s created another set of memorable characters and an engaging locale for them to inhabit. And the idea of the play wrapping makes this stand out compared to the relative disappointment of ‘The French Dispatch’, which suffered from its split storyline.

    Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    Related Article: Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman Talk Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’

    The performances

    It helps that the director’s usual company are past masters at delivering his dialogue (here written by Anderson from a story by him and regular collaborator Roman Coppola) and bringing the characters to life.

    Johansson (marking her second Anderson movie after voicing a character in ‘Isle of Dogs’) fits in well with the usual crowd, bringing a dual role to life. She plays the actress hired to take the role of Midge Campbell, a movie star who becomes something of a focal point for Auggie. Hanks also blends seamlessly into this world as Auggie’s stern (but not cold-hearted) in-law, a rich man with little time or patience for nonsense.

    Bryan Cranston stars as "Host" in writer/director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    Bryan Cranston stars as “Host” in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    Cranston doesn’t have as much to do as the host, but he does fulfill the role with gravitas, while Norton is great as Earp, a troubled sort with a tragic fate.

    But despite the large ensemble, this is truly Schwartzman’s film, and the Anderson veteran is more than up to the task of keeping Auggie feeling like a relatable human being amidst all the idiosyncrasy. His relationship with Woodrow is also well-defined, while Ryan is a nervy, yet still likable teen struggling with a mixture of genius and stirring hormones, the latter helped along by the presence of Midge’s daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards).

    Around them, there are fun turns from Carell (whose motel manager is obsessed with vending machine and guests’ juice choices) and Wright’s general, who has to deal with endless governmental orders and gives enjoyably rambling speeches.

    Fisher Stevens, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Revolori, and Bob Balaban in director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Fisher Stevens, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Revolori, and Bob Balaban in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    Space oddities

    There are a few issues with the film, though they don’t affect its impact too much. Some of the cast have so little to do (Willem Dafoe, for example, whose role is essentially a wordless cameo) that you have to think they only turned up to do the director a favor and that their parts might have been better played by unknown actors. Others, such as Swinton, make the most of smaller roles, but are offered little in the way of depth or story.

    And there is, of course, the divisive nature of Anderson’s output –– if you find his movies lacking heart and substance, then we can’t really recommend checking out his latest for all the reasons that devotees will enjoy it. And there are some elements, such as a roadrunner puppet, that deserves more screentime (the roadrunner does at least get his due during a fun musical sequence that plays over the end credits).

    Still, there is a lot to like about ‘Asteroid City’, its quirks never overriding its charms. There are human stories to be found here, and some entertainingly out-there sci-fi moments to help Anderson newcomers settle into the place and time.

    ‘Asteroid City’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.

    Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Asteroid City:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Asteroid City’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Wes Anderson Movies on Amazon

    ‘Asteroid City’ is produced by American Empirical Pictures and Indian Paintbrush. It is set to release in theaters on June 23rd, 2023.

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  • ‘Asteroid City’s Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman

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    Opening in theaters in limited release on June 16th and in wide release on June 23rd is the latest movie from acclaimed filmmaker Wes Anderson (‘The Royal Tenenbaums,’ ‘The French Dispatch’) entitled ‘Asteroid City.’

    What is the plot of ‘Asteroid City’?

    ‘Asteroid City’ takes place in a fictional American desert town circa 1955. The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Asteroid City?’

    ‘Asteroid City’ stars Jason Schwartzman (‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse‘) as Augie Steenbeck, Scarlett Johansson (‘Black Widow‘) as Midge Campbell, Tom Hanks (‘A Man Called Otto‘) as Stanley Zak, Jeffrey Wright (‘The Batman‘) as General Grif Gibson, Tilda Swinton (‘Doctor Strange‘) as Dr. Hickenlooper, Bryan Cranston (‘Jerry & Marge Go Large‘) as the narrator, Edward Norton (‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery‘) as Conrad Earp, Adrien Brody (‘Predators‘) as Schubert Green, Liev Schreiber (‘Spotlight‘) as J.J. Kellogg, Hope Davis (‘Real Steel‘) as Sandy Borden, Stephen Park (‘Fargo‘) as Roger Cho, Rupert Friend (‘Hitman: Agent 47‘) as Montana, Maya Hawke (‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘) as June Douglas, Steve Carell (‘Vice‘) as a motel manager, Matt Dillon (‘There’s Something About Mary‘) as Hank, Hong Chau (‘The Whale‘) as Polly Green, Willem Dafoe (‘Inside‘) as Saltzburg Keitel, Margot Robbie (‘Babylon‘) as a TV actress, and Jeff Goldblum (‘Jurassic World Dominion‘) as an Alien.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman about their work on ‘Asteroid City,’ what fans can expect from the film and working with filmmaker Wes Anderson.

    Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson in writer/director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Johansson, Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Rupert Friend, and Maya Hawke.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Scarlett, what would you say to moviegoers sitting down to watch this film to prepare them for the cinematic experience they are about to have?

    Scarlett Johansson: What would I say, to prepare them? I don’t know. I don’t like knowing anything about a movie before I go. I just like to go in and be surprised. You just got to let the movie wash over you. I would say be prepared to see it more than once because it’s very dense and complex, and I’ve gotten a lot more out of seeing it a few times. There’s a few movies where I feel like I’ve had that experience. I remember seeing ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and I remember I saw it and I really liked it. Then the second time I saw it, I really didn’t like it. Then the third time, and now that obviously I’ve seen it many times, I really love it, and I notice different things about it all the time. There’s just some movies that there’s something uncomfortable about them. I think this movie is, at least for me, it’s uncomfortable. So I feel like it’s good to kind of prepare to let it wash over you a few times.

    Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Grace Edwards as Dinah, Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell and Damien Bonnaro as Bodyguard/Driver in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

    Related Article: Jason Schwartzman Talks ‘There There’ 

    MF: Jason, what would you tell viewers to get them ready for Wes Anderson’s latest movie?

    Jason Schwartzman: I would say that there’s no wrong way to react to it, which is, I think a fun thing. I’ve watched parts of it with, let’s say my wife and a different person. The reaction to a scene, one person could laugh and the other person could be just really taken aback, or confused, or sad. Both of those reactions are real. I think that’s a really hard place to write and to make things, and to exist in that space is really cool. So yeah, that’d be my only advice is I wouldn’t question whether or not if what you’re feeling or thinking is right. It just goes along with what Scarlett’s saying. It is right. Just go with it. Then it’s what the characters are saying in the movie, so just keep going. Don’t question it. Just live it.

    Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Writer/director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman and actor Tom Hanks on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    MF: Scarlett, obviously you worked with Wes Anderson on the animated ‘Isle of Dogs,’ but what was it like for you to finally work with him on a live-action movie?

    Scarlett Johansson: Well, I got to prepare this with him. He sent me this script and I had many months to talk to him about it and share movies and books and stuff like that, and different vocal stuff. I knew Jason was doing some vocal work too, so I tried to just do some prep work on it and make sure that when we got there, that all the pieces were fitting together. I didn’t get that experience on ‘Isle of Dogs’, so that was fun. The character building part of it was exciting and new for me with Wes, and I loved it. I didn’t have any expectations, but I certainly was surprised I guess, that he was so open to collaborating like that and very open. He didn’t have any particular idea of what this person’s background is, or where they came from, but Wes had great suggestions and it was fun.

    Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of 'Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    Writer/director Wes Anderson on the set of ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Roger Do Minh/Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

    MF: Finally, Jason, what was it like for you working with Scarlett on this film?

    Jason Schwartzman: Just as the scheduling of it worked out, I was there from the very beginning to the very end. I was even there after Wes left. I have a photo of Wes’ empty hotel room. But I just will say that Scarlett came towards the end of the time there and we were doing these little scenes and I would say that Wes had so much excitement for Scarlett to come and to be there, and just looking forward to her arrival. It was a really great, brand new exciting experience. Then when she did arrive and we started to do these scenes, just the look on his face of being satiated, I guess. He was so truly happy and I could just see how much he’d been waiting and talking about it, and how excited and how much that meant to him.

    Scarlett Johansson in director Wes Anderson's Asteroid City,' a Focus Features release.
    Scarlett Johansson in director Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Asteroid City:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Asteroid City’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Wes Anderson Movies on Amazon

    ‘Asteroid City’ is produced by American Empirical Pictures and Indian Paintbrush. It is set to release in theaters on June 23rd, 2023.

  • Movie Review: ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’

    'Minions: The Rise of Gru.'
    ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru.’ Photo Credit: Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures. © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Aside from the language stew chattering of the Minions, perhaps the biggest sound to be heard from the new sequel/prequel/pre-sequel ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ is that of box-checking.

    This 1970s-set story aims to fill in some of the gaps of Gru (Steve Carell) and the Minions’ early days together, so of course there are references to familiar ‘Despicable Me’ touchstones.

    Intriguingly, though, figuring that everyone knows who Gru and the Minions are already, this latest Illumination offering opens not with either of them, but in an establishing sequence that introduces the big villains here. The Vicious Six, a gathering of flamboyant baddies led (initially – his betrayal in this initial scene fuels part of the plot) by Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), a white-haired former biker type who is on the hunt for a mysterious McGuffin known as the Zodiac Stone. He’s angling to use its mystical power to turn his team into the most powerful group in the world.

    But, following an ‘Indiana Jones’-style quest that ends successfully, his gang steals the stone and leaves him for dead, replaced by new leader Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), a Cleopatra Jones-style Blaxploitation spoof, all afro hair and slick gear. The rest are an assortment of weirdos, including lobster claw-endowed Jean-Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a strongman called Stronghold (Danny Trejo), a psychotic nun named Nun-Chuck (Lucy Lawless) and Swedish roller-skating baddie named Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren). Only Belle really gets much to do on the vocal front – the others are largely one-joke affairs with celebrity voices attached.

    The Vicious 6 —(from lower left) Jean Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren), Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), Stronghold (Danny Trejo), Nunchuck (Lucy Lawless)—address the Minions (foreground, backs to camera) in Illumination’s 'Minions: The Rise of Gru,' directed by Kyle Balda.
    The Vicious 6 —(from lower left) Jean Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren), Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), Stronghold (Danny Trejo), Nunchuck (Lucy Lawless)—address the Minions (foreground, backs to camera) in Illumination’s ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru,’ directed by Kyle Balda. Photo Credit: Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures. © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    With a vacant spot on the Six up for grabs, young Gru is invited to apply (they think he’s a small man, not a kid) but is laughed out of their underground lair when they learn the truth. The ever-resourceful youngster, though, steals the Zodiac Stone, kicking off a plot that will rope in the Anti-Villain League, an acupuncturist who is also a kung-fu master (Michelle Yeoh) and a lot of crazed action with the Minions themselves.

    Aiming to split its time between Gru’s young days and more Minion action (because, after all, they’ve already had their origin story), this latest piece of ‘Despicable’ filmmaking finds itself torn in two directions, even with a relatively simple story.

    Director Kyle Balda, working alongside Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val, must wrangle a script by Matthew Fogel (who shares a story credit with ‘Minions’ writer Brian Lynch) that wants to squeeze in as much madcap misbehavior as possible, juggling the new threat and some old faces all at the same time.

    Where the strains show is in finding ways to incorporate classic ‘Despicable Me’ characters organically. Gru’s mother, of course (voiced once again by Julie Andrews in one scene) is here embracing the yoga lifestyle with her new “Guru”), while Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), Gru’s future gadget man, is introduced working at Criminal Records, the cover store that hides the Vicious Six’s base. Naturally, he’s tinkering with gadgets in his spare time and gives Gru the first weapon that the young genius didn’t invent in his own room.

    12-year-old Gru (Steve Carell) chats up the competition as he awaits his interview to become a member of the supervillain supergroup the Vicious 6, in Illumination’s 'Minions: The Rise of Gru.'
    12-year-old Gru (Steve Carell) chats up the competition as he awaits his interview to become a member of the supervillain supergroup the Vicious 6, in Illumination’s ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru,’ directed by Kyle Balda. Photo Credit: Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures. © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Suffering a little from prequel-itis at times (we know how the story continues, so there’s little actual peril, which is less of a concern for an animated outing aimed at the younger market), there are explanations for how Gru’s first lair was constructed, and the school life that drove him to become an isolated, scheming sort who ends up redeemed down the line.

    Carell, his voice pitched up to sound younger, is on good form as ever as Gru, even if we’re very used to the schtick by now.

    The Minions, led as ever by Kevin, Stuart, and Bob (Pierre Coffin), are joined by Otto, an endlessly chattering example of their species who has somehow remained offscreen during other adventures. With braces strapped across his teeth, he’s excitable, easily distracted and not a favorite among the Minion population, though of course he’s given a chance to redeem himself.

    Balda and his team have the most fun coming up with the usual silly situations for the Minions to find themselves in, including taking over a flight to San Francisco (which has been released as an extended trailer for the film and goes about as well as you’d expect). Otto’s explanation for how he was waylaid while bringing the Zodiac Stone back to the lair is also entertaining.

    Mindful that this will end up on heavy rotation in households with Minion-loving kids, the filmmakers have at least made a vague stab at layering in references to other movies (the ‘Indiana Jones’ opening as mentioned, plus a screening of ‘Jaws‘ and a nod to ‘Close Encounters’ among them). One plot point involving a pet rock with googly eyes could almost be interpreted as a nod to ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, though given that this was completed last year and delayed because of the pandemic, it’s just a coincidence.

    'Minions: The Rise of Gru.'
    ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru.’ Photo Credit: Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures. © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘The Rise of Gru’ is frantic and funny in fits and starts and is also the most visually polished movie in the franchise so far, maintaining the gangly humans/squat Minions aesthetic while adding in some impressively realized backdrops including San Francisco’s Chinatown and the lush, mountainous landscapes at the start.

    ‘Minions’ movies are rarely about much more than keeping the audience engaged, so don’t go looking for the sorts of deeply considered themes that ‘Turning Red’ or its ilk roll out within the animated adventure. If you’ve seen any of the two ‘Despicable Me’ movies or the first ‘Minions’, the idea of found family and accepting people for who they are run through here as they always have, but it’s nothing new.

    The Rise of Gru’ is frantic and funny in fits and starts and is also the most visually polished movie in the franchise so far, maintaining the gangly humans/squat Minions aesthetic while adding in some impressively realized backdrops including San Francisco’s Chinatown and the rocky landscapes at the start. One for the youthful core crowd, then, but diverting enough even if you don’t sleep with a stuffed Minion at night.

    ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ receives 3 out of 5 stars.

    'Minions: The Rise of Gru.'
    ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru.’ Photo Credit: Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures. © 2020 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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  • The Minions Invade ‘The Office’ in Crossover Video

    If you’re Universal, and you have Steve Carell as the main voice in your big new animated family movie ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’, how are you going to exploit that?

    Well, if you also have beloved sitcom ‘The Office’ as one of your big titles on streaming service Peacock – a show that just so happened to be one of Carell’s big breaks – you look to employ a little corporate synergy. Literally, in this case.

    It also helps if it’s actually fun, which this video is, recreating the ‘Office’ credits while swapping out Carell’s Michael Scott for his Gru character and putting the various main Minions in place of the ‘Office’ characters played by the likes of John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer.

    ‘The Office’, of course, was adapted from the UK show created by Ricky Gervais, and brought to the US by Greg Daniels. It’s the story of the employees of Dunder Mifflin, a paper sales company where Michael Scott is the branch manager.

    He’s the sort of boss who thinks he’s more fun than he really is, a good-natured sort with a terrible taste in jokes and references, who is perennially upbeat. Around him are a staff of different types – the rule-following martinet weirdo (Wilson’s Dwight Schrute), the talented but unfulfilled everyman (Krasinski’s Jim Halpert) and the sweet, thoughtful receptionist (Fischer’s Pam Beesly).

    Courtesy of 'The Office' YouTube channel.
    Courtesy of ‘The Office’ YouTube channel.

    Then there’s the supporting cast with their own quirks, including Angela Kinsey’s Angela Martin, an uptight, cat-loving accountant, Brian Baumgartner’s slobby fellow finance team member Kevin, Mindy Kaling as enthusiastic customer service representative and Creed Bratton’s Creed, a supremely strange man with a mysterious background.

    While there were initial concerns about being able to replicate the success of the British series, and critics complained when the first episode largely replicated the UK version, ‘The Office’ grew into a huge success, running for nine seasons and expanding its fanbase thanks to time on Netflix and now, Peacock.

    As for ‘Rise of Gru’, the latest extension of the ‘Despicable Me’ movie universe acts as a sequel to the 2015 ‘Minions’ spin-off movie and a prequel to the original ‘Despicable Me’.

    Carell is back to voice the strangely-accented Gru, here portrayed in the 1970s as a child with big supervillain ambitions. But when he’s invited to interview for an open slot on his favourite villain team The Vicious Six, he’s mocked by the gang for being a kid. Yet after Gru steals the special Zodiac Stone that the Six intend to use to become more powerful, the chase is on.

    It’ll end up involving an acupuncturist who teaches kung-fu, a wronged former leader of the villain gang and a chatty new Minion called Otto who is, if it’s possible, even more of a nuisance than the likes of Kevin, Stuart and Bob.

    ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ is in theaters from tomorrow.

    Courtesy of 'The Office' YouTube channel.
    Courtesy of ‘The Office’ YouTube channel.
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