Emmy Raver-Lampman and Jemma Redgrave are among the returning cast for ‘The Beekeeper 2’.
Star Jason Statham will also be back as the skilled operative.
‘Nobody 2’s Timo Tjahjanto is in the director’s chair.
While 2024’s Jason Statham-led action thriller ‘The Beekeeper’ saw a somewhat mixed reaction from critics, there’s no denying audience embraced the star’s latest chunk of clash-happy chaos, to the tune of $162 million worldwide.
There is a change behind the camera, however, as ‘Nobody 2’ director Timo Tjahjanto will take over calling the shots for David Ayer, who handled the original.
The 2024 original, scripted by Kurt Wimmer, saw Statham as Adam Clay, a former operative of a clandestine organization called “Beekeepers”.
After his friend and neighbor (Phylicia Rashad) dies by suicide after falling for a phishing scam, Clay sets out to exact revenge against the company responsible.
Raver-Lampman played Verona Parker, an FBI agent hot on Adam’s trail while Naderi was Parker’s partner, Agent Matt Wiley.
Redgrave appeared as Jessica Danforth, the President of the United States, entangled in the deadly scheme. She was also the mother to Josh Hutcherson’s Derek Danforth, the main antagonist of the first film. Irons, meanwhile, was Wallace Westwyld, a former CIA director serving as the head of security for Danforth Enterprises.
Wimmer has returned to write the script for the new movie, but the story is being kept in the hive for now. Mostly we’re guessing it’ll be a fresh excuse for Statham to kick a lot of butt.
And ‘Grown-ish’s Yara Shahidi will also be part of the cast for the new movie in an unknown role.
When will ‘The Beekeeper 2’ be on screens?
With Miramax producing and financing and Amazon MGM Studios once more aboard to distribute worldwide, the new movie is now in production.
We don’t have an official release date just yet, but we could see this one targeting an early-mid 2026 slot.
‘A Working Man’ director and co-writer David Ayer.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director and co-writer David Ayer about his work on ‘A Working Man’, writing with Sylvester Stallone, adapting Chuck Dixon’s novel, why he likes working with Jason Statham, and his philosophy behind shooting action sequences.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, talk about the development of this screenplay and how did the writing process work between you and Sylvester Stallone?
David Ayer: It is funny how life has these circles. As a kid I saw ‘Rocky’ and it made me want to work out and learn to box. But as a young writer, once I heard the story of how he had written the script and been so protective of it and ultimately got the film made the way he wanted on his terms, that inspired me to do the same thing with ‘Training Day’, which came together like a dream for me. Then when the opportunity came up to work with him, when I got this script with his name on it, it just made a lot of sense. I mean, here’s this ’80s action icon, this legend who really understands action. So, the script had a great starting point for me. Then to bring Jason Statham into that, who is really the inheritor of that action tradition from the ’80s and ’90s. I mean, you just don’t have icons like that in the action space like Jason. So, it just felt like a great team up.
MF: Were you a fan of the ‘Levon’s Trade’ before joining this project, and did you read any of the other novels in the series to get a feel the character?
DA: I did. Chuck’s one of those old school, two-fisted writers. He writes action. He writes hard characters. So, it just makes a lot of sense to take his work and bring it into the action cinema space.
MF: Can you talk about the challenges of adapting the book and what were some of the elements you wanted to make sure you included, and what were some of the things that you wanted to avoid?
DA: Well, the idea of this veteran, this highly capable military guy who, like anybody, has now changed his life and he’s working in construction and works for this family and is forced by circumstances to go back and do the thing he’s left. This life he’s left behind, he must turn to it again. So those elements were solidly in the book. Then for me it was just really making sure that the family he was helping was really defined and we love them. When we see Jason smile it just lights up the screen. I wanted to give him a grounded family life that the audience could connect with and really root for when it comes time for him to go to war.
MF: Obviously you worked with Jason Statham on ‘The Beekeeper’, so what do you enjoy about directing him?
DA: Jason shows up to work and he’s really demanding, and he pushes me and I push him. Now that I know him and know what he’s capable of, I mean doing the fight choreography, we’re really connected on that. He does his own stunts, which means I don’t have to cut away to a stunt guy for things. You get to design and build the shots around him and what he’s actually doing. So that’s a treat. You don’t normally get that. I mean, that’s absolutely exceptional. Then, I learned on ‘Beekeeper’ that he has a really big heart and when he brings that heart to a scene, there’s nothing like it. I feel like he hasn’t had that opportunity as much as he should. So again, to just see him in this family environment and see him smile and laugh, and to see him be a dad and to see him struggle with the things we struggle in our daily lives, there’s something so grounding about that that then makes the action play even better.
MF: Finally, as a director, can you talk a little bit about your philosophy behind action, your style, and how you specifically wanted to execute the action sequences in this movie?
DA: I think my action style just simply comes down to telling a story with the action and telling a character-based story. So, I think of it as character-based action. How would this character fight? How does he react? How does he move? How does he use the objects around him? How does he use weapons and what’s he after? When he is on the back foot, how does he react? That’s where good action comes from, is making us care about the character inside of the action.
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What is the plot of ‘A Working Man’?
Levon Cade (Jason Statham), an ex-Royal Marines commando, leads a peaceful life as a construction worker in Chicago. However, Levon is forced to use his old set of skills to find his boss’s teenaged daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas), who had been kidnapped by human traffickers, and soon uncovers a conspiracy of corruption and government agents’ involvement in human trafficking.
Joaquin Phoenix in Director Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.’ Photo courtesy of Todd Phillips’ Instagram account.
While the sequel to 2019’s Oscar-winning ‘Joker‘, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux‘ failed to score with audiences at the box office, there is no denying that the DC Comics character is one of the most popular villains in pop culture history.
Ledger and Phoenix would both go on to receive Academy Awards for their performances, making both of them the only actors in history to win Oscars for playing a comic book character, and Joker the only character to ever receive that an honor.
With ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ currently in theaters, Moviefone is counting down every live-action Joker appearance ever, on both TV and film, including the latest.
(L to R) Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as The Joker in ‘Suicide Squad’. Photo: Warner Bros.
From DC Comics comes the ‘Suicide Squad’, an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences.
While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.
Barry Keoghan as the Joker in ‘The Batman’. Photo: Warner Bros.
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves‘ ‘The Batman’, starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne.
(L to R) Lee Meriwether as The Catwoman, Frank Gorshin as The Riddler, Burgess Meredith as The Penguin and Cesar Romero as the Joker in the 1966 movie ‘Batman’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
Cameron Monaghan as “J” in ‘Gotham’. Photo: Warner Bros. Television.
Everyone knows the name Commissioner Gordon (Ben McKenzie). He is one of the crime world’s greatest foes, a man whose reputation is synonymous with law and order. But what is known of Gordon’s story and his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the multiple layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains? And what circumstances created them – the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman (Camren Bicondova), The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith), Two-Face (Nicholas D’Agosta) and The Joker (Cameron Monaghan)?
Jared Leto as Joker in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’. Photo: Max.
Determined to ensure Superman’s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), DeSaad (Peter Guinness), and Darkseid (Ray Porter) and their dreadful intentions.
Cesar Romero as the Joker on the 1966 TV series ‘Batman’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox Television.
Wealthy entrepreneur Bruce Wayne (Adam West) and his ward Dick Grayson (Burt Ward) lead a double life: they are actually crime fighting duo Batman and Robin. A secret Batpole in the Wayne mansion leads to the Batcave, where Police Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton) often calls with the latest emergency threatening Gotham City. Racing to the scene of the crime in the Batmobile, Batman and Robin must (with the help of their trusty Bat-utility-belt) thwart the efforts of a variety of master criminals, including The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), The Joker (Cesar Romero), Catwoman (Julie Newmar), and The Penguin (Burgess Meredith).
Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker in ‘Joker’. Photo: Warner Bros.
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian (Joaquin Phoenix) is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
Jack Nicolson as the Joker in 1989’s ‘Batman’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Batman (Michael Keaton) must face his most ruthless nemesis when a deformed madman calling himself “The Joker” (Jack Nicholson) seizes control of Gotham’s criminal underworld.
Heath Ledger as the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Batman (Christian Bale) raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker (Heath Ledger).
There’s more than meets the eye in the word ‘The Beekeeper.’
In the Jason Statham-led action thriller, it isn’t just about someone who tends to the bees but about a powerful and clandestine organization known as the “Beekeepers.” When Adam Clay’s client and friend fall for a phishing scam that leads to her suicide, the former operative sets out to bring her death to justice.
The movie premiered on January 10, 2024, in London at Leicester Square, released in the United States on January 12, 2024. ‘Beekeeper’s theatrical release included showings in IMAX and Dolby Cinema for audiences to get a more immersive experience. The David Ayer action thriller has grossed over $63 million domestically and over $149.6 million worldwide.
‘Beekeeper’ has a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you missed the movie in theaters, don’t worry. As of January 30, 2024, it is available to rent or purchase on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu. Prices range from $19.99 for rental or $24.99 for purchase.
Since the film was released under MGM, it will likely end up streaming for free on Prime Video subscribers. However, no official streaming date has been announced by the studio or Prime Video. If you’re a Sky Cinema subscriber, the movie will be available to watch at no additional cost on March 8.
Director David Ayer leans into the mythology behind bees – the idea of taking care of and protecting the hive and turning it into how a powerful secret organization would operate. The director also found Statham to be the perfect actor to express that mythology. With that, Ayer used the opportunity to try something different from his usual dark drama style
“When I read this script, it was this fascinating look into the world of the beekeepers. It was the right amount of, just enough to know what’s going on, and not so much that you don’t lose the magic and mystery of it. In that script, I saw an amazing role for Jason, he came attached to it, but also, I saw an opportunity for me to do something a little bit different. It’s really a classic action, escapist, thrill ride. Normally I do a lot of dark drama, and so to have the opportunity to make a fun movie that I know an audience is going to love was something I couldn’t say no to.”
We’ve seen Statham in plenty of action movies, everything from the ‘Transporter’ franchise to ‘Fast & Furious.’ Aside from delivering on the action front, Statham is the kind of actor who can make any dialogue work – even ones that feel a bit over-the-top or ridiculous.
In ‘Beekeeper’, you’ll see plenty of Jason Statham putting his martial arts skills to use as he sets out to take down the Danforth corporation. Ayer worked with stunt coordinator Jeremy Marinas on the film and mentions that Statham does his own stunts, “you present him a scene, he’s the guy that’s going to do everything, and he has a loud vote, he has a voice.”
“So, we had this great stunt coordinator and choreographer, Jeremy Marinas, who comes from the 87eleven school, and his understanding of human kinetics and how people just move was educational for me. Then with Jason, I mean, he’s an action icon, he’s a legend. He does his own stunts, so it’s interesting because you present him a scene, he’s the guy that’s going to do everything, and he has a loud vote, he has a voice. He’s probably forgotten more about action than I’ve ever known. So, it was really challenging, I always bring my A game to set and Jason taught me that there’s an A+ game when it comes to action.”
Watch the official trailers for ‘Beekeeper’ below:
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The official synopsis for ‘Beekeeper’ is below:
In The Beekeeper, one man’s brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers”.
(L to R) Josh Hutcherson and director David Ayer talk ‘The Beekeeper.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Josh Hutcherson and director David Ayer about their work on ‘The Beekeeper,’ their first reaction to the screenplay, exploring the mythology of the Beekeepers, Ayer’s approach to the action sequences, Hutcherson’s wild character, and working with Jeremy Irons and Jason Statham.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interviews.
Moviefone: To begin with, David, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and the opportunity to explore the mythology of the Beekeepers?
David Ayer: I mean, you nailed it right there. When I read this script, it was this fascinating look into the world of the beekeepers. It was the right amount of, just enough to know what’s going on, and not so much that you don’t lose the magic and mystery of it. In that script, I saw an amazing role for Jason, he came attached to it, but also, I saw an opportunity for me to do something a little bit different. It’s really a classic action, escapist, thrill ride. Normally I do a lot of dark drama, and so to have the opportunity to make a fun movie that I know an audience is going to love was something I couldn’t say no to.
MF: The allegory of the movie seems to be that the Danforth Corporation has kicked the hornet’s nest, and Adam Clay (Statham) is the bee that is going to sting them. Do you agree with that?
DA: That’s it. There’s a lot of cool allegories and this very interesting mythology behind bees, and this idea of taking care of the hive, taking care of society, protecting the hive and protecting society. Jason was the perfect person to express that mythology because he is so iconic, and he does feel so larger than life that it really helps elevate this movie into something I think none of us were expecting. It’s hard to make a movie, and it’s hard to make a good movie, and you never know how these things are going to come together. I trusted the script and I trusted Jason and I trusted myself, because again, it’s like a new language for me, like a real true genre picture that’s fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. To find those new muscles as a director was a fantastic exercise for me.
MF: Josh, what was your first reaction to reading about your character in the script? Why did you want to play him and what was your approach?
Josh Hutcherson: When I first read this script and read a bit about Derek, I was surprised that I was the person that they were calling. It’s a departure for me. He’s a scumbag. He’s a very powerful, rich crypto bro who is out of his mind on drugs and alcohol and just spiraling. I jumped at the bit to play it. I think that it was something for me that was a big departure and really taking a swing at something different. It was so much fun to do. As far as the approach goes, I mean, David and I just had a lot of conversations about who is Derek at his core, what does he really want, what’s his life been like with his mom, with his dad and his money? We landed on this idea that he’s wildly insecure and trying to prove to his family that he is powerful, and that he is valuable. Because he’s never had to deal with any consequences his entire life, and had no accountability for anything, it creates a monster. As the film progresses and the walls start closing in on him, he becomes more and more unhinged and out of control.
MF: Can you talk about the illegal business that your character oversees and how it affects his family?
JH: He has this little side business that he’s set up that basically is a call center, multiple call centers, that go and scam, especially elderly people out of their savings and bank accounts. It’s a nasty business. It’s gross. I think that in my mind, how I justified him starting this business is that it’s twofold. One is that he’s doing it out of a sense of rebellion because he must live a certain kind of life and keep things clean because of his family situation. Then the other part is I think that he, and this happens a lot, I think, when people have so much money, they dehumanize people, and you don’t view them as actual human beings. So, I think those two factors allowed him to create this thing that turns into an absolute monster.
MF: David, can you talk about the unusual partnership that Derek and Wallace have together and working with Josh and Jeremy Irons?
DA: Josh is a real actor and just, I have to say it, Derek is not Josh, he’s playing a role, that’s not who he is in real life. He’s a very nice guy. To take this wild, crazy character with the green jackets and the snakeskin and the crazy hair and then pair him with Wallace Westwyld as envisioned by Jeremy Irons, it’s a great alchemy. It’s a great relationship they have, and it helps make the bad guy world a lot more fun.
MF: Wallace seems reluctant to help Derek with his Beekeeper problem. Was the character written that way originally, or is that something Jeremy Irons brought to the role?
DA: It’s something we worked on with Jeremy and it was also in the script too, this idea of, what happens when you get compromised, what happens when you say yes to the wrong thing, and then do you have to keep saying yes? If you do, what does that mean? You can feel that he knows what is happening isn’t right, but you can also feel how trapped he is by the circumstances.
MF: Josh, how would you describe Derek’s relationship with Wallace?
JH: Jeremy Irons plays Wallace Westwyld, and he’s kind of like Derek’s right-hand man sort of. He does Derek’s bidding, protects him in ways too. He’s a former CIA director, and now he’s kind of been placed here to watch after me, but I treat him like absolute garbage. I’m a total douchebag to him. It’s a fun dynamic, especially, I mean, having Jeremy Irons be this guy that I’m treating like trash. It was a lot of fun. It’s a very good dynamic. David gave me a lot of space to play and improv and kind of throw a bunch of stuff at him, so we had a good time.
MF: Most of your scenes in the film are with Jeremy Irons, what was he like to have him as a scene partner?
JH: He’s amazing. I mean, he’s just got such a weight to him, and his voice and his presence is just intense. But he’s the nicest guy, very funny, and very relaxed. But when they say action, he turns it on, and he clicks it into gear.
MF: Josh, what was your experience like being on a David Ayer set and working with him as a director?
JH: David runs an amazing set. He’s extremely collaborative. He works very fast, and he really marries the worlds of action and choreography and stunt work and big set pieces with more intimate, personal, grounded character stuff. He does that incredibly. For me, having the confidence with myself to play this character that’s so different for me, I needed to just give myself over to it and trust David and let my instincts kind of take me to where they may. It worked out. I loved working with David. He’s fantastic.
MF: David, can you talk about crafting the action sequences and working with Jason Statham?
DA: So, we had this great stunt coordinator and choreographer, Jeremy Marinas, who comes from the 87eleven school, and his understanding of human kinetics and how people just move was educational for me. Then with Jason, I mean, he’s an action icon, he’s a legend. He does his own stunts, so it’s interesting because you present him a scene, he’s the guy that’s going to do everything, and he has a loud vote, he has a voice. He’s probably forgotten more about action than I’ve ever known. So, it was really challenging, I always bring my A game to set and Jason taught me that there’s an A+ game when it comes to action.
MF: Finally, Josh, you don’t have many scenes in the movie with Jason Statham. Did it feel at times like you were making two separate movies?
JH: The truth is, I think I only have one scene with Jason in the entire movie. But just watching him, because there were many days where I was around and they were shooting other things, just watching him work, the guy he doesn’t miss. He’s so on top of it and consistent, professional and the choreography that he keeps in his head, and the fact that he’s able to do that, and have his lines and nail his mark every time. He’s a fine, fine, fine-tuned machine.
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What is the plot of ‘The Beekeeper’?
Adam Clay (Jason Statham) is a former operative of a clandestine organization called “Beekeepers”. After his friend and neighbor (Phylicia Rashad) dies by suicide after falling for a phishing scam, Clay sets out to exact revenge against the company responsible.
The DC Extended Universe began a decade ago with ‘Man of Steel‘ but will officially come to an end on December 22nd when the final DCEU movie, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,’is released in theaters.
To honor the conclusion of the DCEU and the release of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,’ Moviefone is ranking every DCEU movie ever made!
However, since ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League‘ (the reedited version of 2017’s ‘Justice League‘) is not considered cannon, we will not include it. We are also only focusing on the DCEU films, so we won’t be including HBO Max‘s ‘Peacemaker‘ either.
(L to R) Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and Ray Fisher in ‘Justice League.’
Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) assemble a team of metahumans consisting of Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and Victor Stone (Ray Fisher) to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) and the Parademons who are on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth.
A secret government agency led by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains (including Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn) to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse and kill the Joker (Jared Leto).
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in ‘Wonder Woman 1984.’
A botched store robbery places Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) in a global battle against a powerful and mysterious ancient force that puts her powers in jeopardy. Also starring Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva/Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord.
Billy Batson (Asher Angel and Zachary Levi) and his foster siblings, who transform into superheroes by saying “Shazam!”, are forced to get back into action and fight the Daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler), who they must stop from using a weapon that could destroy the world.
When his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. In order to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death and wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman (Jason Momoa) down once and for all. To defeat him, Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance in order to save the world from irreversible destruction.
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world and battle the Justice Society, including Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), in the process.
Recent college grad Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab.
(L to R) Jack Dylan Grazer and Zachary Levi in 2019’s ‘Shazam!’
Teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is given the ability to become an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) in times of need with a single magic word. Also starring Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick “Freddy” Freeman, Djimon Hounsou as the Wizard Shazam, and Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.
The movie stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon as General Zod.
Ben Affleck as Batman in 2016’s ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.’
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs.
And with Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before. Also featuring Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, and Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth.
(L to R) Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Margot Robbie, Ella Jay Basco and Jurnee Smollett-Bell in ‘Birds of Prey.’ Credit: Claudette Barius/Warner Bros.
Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) joins forces with a singer (Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance/Black Canary), an assassin (Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress) and a police detective (Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya) to help a young girl (Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain) who had a hit placed on her after she stole a rare diamond from a crime lord (Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis/Black Mask).
An Amazon princess (Gal Gadot) comes to the world of Man in the grips of the First World War to confront the forces of evil and bring an end to human conflict. Also starring Chris Pine as Steve Trevor and David Thewlis as Ares.
Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm (Patrick Wilson). With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), Orm’s half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne.
(L to R) Margot Robbie, Daniela Melchior, Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone, and David Dastmalchian in ‘The Suicide Squad’
Welcome to Belle Reve, the prison where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out, even join the super-secret Task Force X. Today’s assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie).
Now arm them heavily and drop them on the enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) on the ground to make them behave, and Amanda Waller’s (Viola Davis) government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement.
The movie, which featured the likes of Margot Robbie (in her first outing as Harley Quinn), Will Smith and Viola Davis, arrived in theaters and was quickly given a drubbing by critics. It went on to earn a respectable $746.8 million worldwide at the box office, but when you factor in budget (around $175 million) and marketing costs, it wasn’t seen as a big success. Ayer attributed a lot of that to the studio interfering with his vision, demanding a new cut and releasing an inferior version.
You can find his statement on that via twitter here:
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad.’
For years, the director has stoked the fires of support for what he calls the “Ayer Cut” of ‘Squad’ to see the light of day, and smacked down detractors who wish he’d stop, especially in light of Warner Bros. and DC moving on with James Gunn’s 2021 effort ‘The Suicide Squad’.
Here’s what Ayer said to someone who questioned his ongoing crusade:
“There’s a genuine curiosity and interest from a lot of people. And I’m aware there is another group of people that have fun mocking the film. Your comment is a perfect example of how many are magnetically drawn to the 2016 film in a negative way. Have you ever had an experience in life that didn’t until the way you wanted, that dragged you, that made you rethink everything? I have.”
He then went on to drop Gunn’s name as a supporter of the film after reportedly having talks with the man in charge of the current iteration of the DC universe on big and small screens:
“All I know is my unseen film plays much better than the studio release. The interest in my cut being show seems real and organic. And Gunn told me it would have it’s time to be shared. He absolutely deserves to launch his DC universe without more drama about old projects. In a way I’m chained to this thing. I’m riding a tiger here and navigating this situation the best I can. Life is a very strange journey.”
You can find Ayer’s full statement on social media here:
Whether the director’s preferred cut ever actually comes out is another matter. There is certainly interest in seeing it, but Gunn’s reassurances do feel a little like a parent telling a child they can have that candy if they behave. Still, there were plenty of naysayers when Snyder was talking up his ‘Justice League’ cut, so stranger things have happened.
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The cast of director David Ayer’s 2016 ‘Suicide Squad.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
Viola Davis Joins the cast of ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,’ which is scheduled for release in theaters on November 17th, 2023.
While Viola Davis is more usually seen as a heroic or good-hearted character, we have seen her channel a darker side in the past: ‘Suicide Squad’s Amanda Waller, for example. Or the crafty Annalise Keating on TV’s ‘How to Get Away with Murder’.
It’s that side of her performance that will be on display in the ‘Hunger Games’ prequel movie ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. Davis has joined the in-production movie as Dr. Volumnia Gaul.
‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is set years before the story of Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen. In this throwback to an earlier era of the Hunger Games, the new narrative follows 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) long before he’s the cunning president of post-apocalyptic nation Panem.
Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the girl tribute from impoverished District 12.
But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird and a snake.”
Rachel Zegler to star as Lucy Gray Baird in Lionsgate’s ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Photo credit: Nathan Johnson.
Dr. Gaul will serve as the main antagonist for the movie, a games-maker who designs the 10th annual games.
“The ‘Hunger Games’ films have always been elevated by their exceptional casting, and we are thrilled to be continuing that tradition with Viola Davis as Volumnia Gaul,” says Lionsgate motion picture group president Nathan Kahane. “Her formidable and powerful presence will add layers of complexity and menace to this story.”
“From the beginning, Viola has been our dream for Dr. Gaul because of the finely layered intelligence and emotion she brings to every role,” comments franchise producer Nina Jacobson. “A brilliant and eccentric strategist, Gaul is instrumental in shaping a young Coriolanus Snow into the man he will become. We are incredibly fortunate to have an actor with Viola’s extraordinary range and presence to play this pivotal role.”
“Dr. Gaul is as cruel as she is creative and as fearsome as she is formidable. Snow’s savvy as a political operator develops in no small part due to his experiences with her as the games’ most commanding figure,” enthuses Lawrence.
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is scheduled for release in theaters on November 17th, 2023.
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ will be in theaters on November 17th, 2023.
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Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad.’
After scheming her way through both 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad’ and last year’s ‘The Suicide Squad’, not to mention two quick cameos in ‘Peacemaker’, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller looks to become the focus of her own TV series.
According to Variety, Davis is in talks to return as Waller and to be an executive producer on the new series. Gunn, who is currently in the final stages of filming ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, won’t write or direct on the show, choosing instead to focus on the future of ‘Peacemaker’ itself and other projects he’s developing.
Instead, Christal Henry, who has worked on shows including ‘Watchmen’ (also for HBO Max), ‘The First’ and ‘APB’, will be the creative head, lead writer and executive producer of the Waller series, should it make it to production. Gunn will be involved, however, as an executive producer alongside regular producing partner Peter Safran.
Waller, for those who have somehow avoided both the ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and ‘Peacemaker’, is the ambitious, conniving civil servant and director of A.R.G.U.S. who established Task Force X, AKA the Suicide Squad, wanting to assemble a team of expendable metahumans who would be used to execute covert operations against even more dangerous threats.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad.’
Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ introduced John Cena’s Christopher Smith, better known as Peacemaker, a bullish, dim-bulb hero whose stated mission is peace at any cost – even if it means killing everyone in sight. ‘Peacemaker’ developed the character in much more rounded fashion, exploring his traumatic, troubled past and seeing him confront a new enemy in the shape of alien butterfly creatures intent on taking Earth for themselves.
‘Peacemaker’, though it only featured Waller briefly, introduced some big changes into the storyline for the character as – spoiler alert – the finale saw her daughter, Leota Adebayo (played by Danielle Brooks) blow the whistle Waller’s actions and her attempts to frame Peacemaker to put him back behind bars.
That would seem to effectively close down Task Force X and other opportunities for Waller, who has always worked best in the shadows. The new series would presumably feature her attempts to deal with the fallout, and to get a new scheme and/or team into play. Brooks was entertaining and human as Adebayo, so hopefully she might also crop up in the new show.
This would by no means be Davis’ first TV series. She won an Emmy for playing brilliant criminal defense professor Annalise Keating on ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ and is currently to be found playing Michelle Obama on Showtime series ‘The First Lady’, which looks at the lives of various presidents’ wives, including Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt.
And Davis will also be back in theaters with ‘The Woman King’, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical action drama which sees Davis as Nanisca, ruler of the kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. That movie will be out on September 16th.
Nathan Fillion is reteaming with director James Gunn for a role in “The Suicide Squad.”
Fillion and Gunn have previously worked together on “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Slither,” and “Super.”
Deadline reports Fillion’s role in “Suicide Squad” is being kept under wraps.
The actor currently stars in ABC’s “The Rookie,” which begins its second season next month, and previously headlined ABC’s “Castle” for eight seasons. He became a fan favorite for playing Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds on Joss Whedon’s sci-fi series “Firefly” and in the follow-up film “Serenity.”
