(L to R) Brenda Vaccaro and Lorraine Bracco star in ‘Nonnas’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lorraine Bracco and Brenda Vaccaro about their work on ‘Nonnas’, Bracco’s first reaction to the screenplay, working with the all-star cast, the rivalry between Bracco and Vaccaro’s characters, collaborating with director Stephen Chbosky and screenwriter Liz Maccie on set, and Bracco’s experience acting opposite Vince Vaughn.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Bracco and Vaccaro, Joe Manganiello, director Stephen Chbosky, and screenwriter Liz Maccie.
Moviefone: To begin with, Lorraine, what was your first reaction to the screenplay, the true story it is based on, and working with the rest of this incredible cast?
Loraine Bracco: So, when I read the script, I loved it. I cried. I laughed. I wanted to be in the movie. The cast, I mean, it goes without saying. I have admired these women my whole life. They made great movies, great characters, great choices, so it was exciting.
MF: Brenda, can you talk about why Antonella does not like Roberta when they first meet, and what was it fun playing out that rivalry with Loraine?
Brenda Vaccaro: Oh my God, yes, because we never knew where we were going with it. Do you know what I’m saying? You never knew because, I mean, she would insult me, and I’d insult her, and I’d go, “What did we just do? Okay, we’re on that horse, are we?” So, I never knew when she was going to throw something at me, which I loved. It was great to work with her.
MF: Loraine, what was it like working with director Stephen Chbosky on this project?
LB: Stephen never said cut. He was enjoying the two of us go at it. That gave us the freedom to have just as good a time as they did when Liz wrote it and when he said, “Hey honey, we’re going to do this.” Do you know what I mean? It really was a loving family.
MF: Brenda, what was your experience like collaborating with director Stephen Chbosky and his wife, screenwriter Liz Maccie on set?
BV: His wife, Liz, when she would visit the set, she’d say, “It’s great. I love it.” So, they were permissive. They were giving.
MF: Finally, Loraine, can you talk about Roberta’s connection to Joe, and what it was like for you to work with Vince Vaughn?
LB: Well, I was very nervous, to be truthful, because I’d never really made a comedy. I didn’t even know where to start. I would look at Vince and be like, “Oh, God, what am I doing?” He would just tell me to calm down and trust myself. Even during the read-through, I would just turn to him with panic, and he’s like, “Loraine, you’re doing great. Trust me. Just believe. Make your choices and go for it.” He was very giving that way and totally helped me create Roberta. The fact that I was his mom’s best friend made our relationship very loving and caring.
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What is the plot of ‘Nonnas’?
After losing his beloved mother, a man (Vince Vaughn) risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with actual nonnas (grandmothers) as the chefs.
(L to R) Kerry Washington as Captain Charity Adams and Milauna Jackson as Lt. Campbell in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Laura Radford / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Arriving on Netflix on December 20th, ‘The Six Triple Eight’ is the latest film from writer/director Tyler Perry and chronicles an inspiring real-life story of the all-Black section of the Women’s Army Corps, who were charged with an immense task.
With mountains of undelivered mail stuck in hangers and both troops and their families frustrated by the lack of reliable deliveries, the unit had to figure out some way to get the lines of communication open again.
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix.
While he’s more known for his Madea work and melodramas, powerhouse director Tyler Perry has dipped his toe in the past before with 2022’s ‘A Jazzman’s Blues,’ though there he was channeling the Black experience into a fictional story.
For ‘The Six Triple Eight,’ however, he’s diving right into actual history, the pressure of bringing a true –– yet criminally ignored –– story to screens weighing heavy on the filmmaker. There is a reason to feel that: the heroic work of the Six Triple Eight U.S. Army unit is worth celebrating, but Perry does sometimes fall victim to cliché and pat scenes that feel like something out of an After-School Special.
While the real-life women faced plenty of resistance and no little racism in their mission, Perry choose to hammer the themes home in such repetitive and unsubtle fashion that it’s almost like using a giant bomb dropped from a B-52 when a sniper’s bullet might serve the job better.
Script and Direction
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in ‘Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Perry wrote the screenplay for his latest based on Kevin Hymel’s article “Fighting a Two-Front War” about the real-life Corps members. And with a wealth of material and so many potential stories to choose from, it’s a shame that what ended up on screen is such a relatively lightweight collection of seen-it-before stories.
While there is certainly something to be said for the young woman grieving a lost love throwing herself into duty, a lot of that has been said before, and better. And while the unit notched a lot of resistance from Generals and other superior officers, the wealth of sheer racist characters on display here starts to feel like overload. The message is stamped into us rather than carefully sketched.
In directorial terms, this is possibly Perry’s most accomplished film to date, opening with an impressive battle scene but then focusing in on the personal stories of the women involved. It’s not overly fussy visually, letting the characters breath –– at least those that actually warrant a story, which is only one or two.
Cast and Performances
The focus here is certainly on Ebony Obsidian, who is our main character and point of connection for the story. But as the narrative moves on, it’s Kerry Washington’s Major Charity Adams who begins to dominate.
Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King
(L to R) Gregg Sulkin as Abram David and Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Lena is the young woman mentioned above whose story starts with burgeoning love, only for the romance to be squashed before it can get going when her beau dies in combat. In the early going, Obsidian has to make do with Perry’s fairly obvious lines about love and racial barriers, and some of that continues once she signs up for the WAC, where she’s soon mocked by outsiders and the press for her seeming lack of spine.
Yet once the character digs in and proves herself several times over, she comes alive a little more. Obsidian is able to bring all of her various sides to life with conviction, though she’s somewhat limited by what she’s given.
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams
Kerry Washington in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Netflix.
Washington, who is also an executive producer on the movie, is a commanding –– pun intended –– presence in the film, playing the woman whose duty it is the to oversee the training of the Six Triple Eight unit and then their mission when they’re finally dispatched to Europe to tackle the mail issue. This is clearly a role that Washington is passionate about, and that comes through the character and off the screen.
‘Breaking Bad’ veteran is here playing less of a character and more of a group of racist stereotypes rolled into one person. He’s a swaggering good ol’ boy who tries to bully the Six Triple Eight out of their mission and puts barriers in at every turn. Norris does what he can with the role, but it never feels like an actual human.
(L to R) Susan Sarandon as Eleanor Roosevelt and Sam Waterson as President Roosevelt in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Waterson has barely one scene as Roosevelt, but does impress in the role, while Sarandon, acting through a mouthful of teeth, puts her mark on the compassionate, authoritative Eleanor.
Supporting Cast
Oprah Winfrey pops up almost as briefly as Waterson to play the influential activist Mary McLeod Bethune, though she’s mostly used for exposition. Around Obsidian, the likes of Sarah Jeffrey, Kylie Jefferson, Pepi Sonuga and particularly Shanice Shantay make for a fun and supportive friend group.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Milauna Jackson as Lt. Campbell, Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams and Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Cr. Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Perry, looking to stretch himself here, finds that his ambition sometimes exceeds his grasp, but it’s a decent enough take on the tale. Still, a historical event as important as this (especially one that has been so underreported) still might have benefitted from other eyes and hands on the script.
‘The Six Triple Eight’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘The Six Triple Eight?
The movie is inspired by the first and only Black Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas in World War II. Despite facing racism and sexism –– and grueling working conditions – they were committed to serving their country with honor and distinction. Given an extraordinary mission and united in their determination, these unsung heroes delivered hope and shattered barriers.
(L to R) Milauna Jackson as Lt. Campbell and Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
DC Comics’ Blue Beetle. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.
Preview:
DC Studios has a ‘Blue Beetle’ series in the works.
Miguel Puga and Cristian Martinez are developing the show.
The movie’s cast may return.
While it looked like Latino superhero tale ‘Blue Beetle’ might have arrived at exactly the wrong time –– just as the DC movie universe overseen by Zack Snyder was being swept aside for the new regime run by James Gunn and Peter Safran of the rechristened DC Studios –– there was chatter at the time (including from Gunn) that it might not be the last we’d see of Jaime Reyes, the character played on screen by ‘Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña.
And indeed, that appears to be true, since Deadline reports that an animated series based on the Reyes character and his bonded armor is now in the works.
Recent college grad Reyes 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.
When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Blue Beetle.
Originally created by artist Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski and writer Will Eisner for Fox Comics’ ‘Mystery Men’ Comics in 1939, Blue Beetle was introduced as Dan Garret, a vigilante who fought crime using powers gained from chemical compound Vitamin 2-X, though that origin was later retconned to an archeologist with a suit and abilities derived from the alien Khaji Da scarab living weapon. He was succeeded by tech whizz Ted Kord, first appearing in Charlton Comics (which bought Fox and was itself later taken over by DC).
The Jaime Reyes version, a creation of Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Cully Hamner for 2006’s ‘Infinite Crisis Issue 5, spawned a titular title two months later in May of that year. In his story, Reyes discovered the Blue Beetle scarab on the way home from school with two of his best friends Paco and Brenda, half-buried in a disused lot. Reyes took the scarab home, curious as to what it might be. That night, the scarab came alive, and grafted itself to the base of Jaime’s spine, and provided him with a suit of extraterrestrial armor, which can be modified to enhance his speed and strength, as well as to create weapons, wings, and shields.
While there is no confirmed casting yet, Deadline’s story mentions that overtures have been made to the main cast from the movie, and all seem willing –– assuming contracts are signed –– to return. And there is the possibility that a successful run could see a live-action return to the big screen for Maridueña and co.
Who is working on the new ‘Blue Beetle’ show?
Director Ángel Manuel Soto at a ‘Blue Beetle’ Fan Screening in London.
‘Blue Beetle’ movie director Angel Manuel Soto and writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer will serve as executive producers.
This new show will build on the movie, but tell its own story, fitting in with Gunn’s vision for DC going forward as opposed to directly continuing what was begun in the screenplay.
The latest movie from the DC cinematic universe showcases Jaime Reyes as he gains incredible superhero powers from an ancient alien tech known as The Scarab.
Blue Beetle was first introduced in comic books in 1939 and has since made appearances in animated shows such as ‘Young Justice’, and live-action TV series such as ‘Smallville’. The film marks the Latino superhero’s first entry into the DCU, where it focuses on the origin of his power and the introduction of Kord Industries.
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Aside from great action sequences, the film also highlights Jaime’s family. Their close-knit relationship shows that not all superheroes need to go it alone. The Reyes family was always a part of the character’s story, and showcasing this in the movie adds an extra layer of emotion and heart.
“Recent college grad Jaime Reyes 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. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.”
Originally, the movie was not intended for a theatrical release. ‘Blue Beetle’ was set to hit streaming service Max (formerly HBO Max), but during development, the studio decided to give the film a theatrical run. Filmed for IMAX, audiences are able to be immersed in the story and action scenes of Blue Beetle.
As the newest superhero in the DCU line-up since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-CEO, fans wonder if Blue Beetle will return in future projects. James Gunn took to his Instagram account with a photo from the screening to confirm that Jaime Reyes will remain in the DCU, “I can’t wait for audiences to meet Jaime Reyes, who will be an amazing part of the DCU going forward!”
Currently, there’s no word on whether a ‘Blue Beetle’ sequel is in development. However, this doesn’t mean Maridueña won’t show up in upcoming DC projects. Gunn has also confirmed that John Cena and Viola Davis will continue to have a presence in the DCU as their characters, Peacemaker and Amanda Waller.
‘Blue Beetle’ was released domestically on August 18, 2023. Currently, the movie is still playing in theaters, and if you want a chance to experience it on the big screen, AMC Theaters has the movie available for $5 as a part of its Fave Faves deal. ‘Blue Beetle’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 8 minutes
Watch the official trailers for ‘Blue Beetler’ below:
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The movie was released on digital on September 26 and is available for purchase for $24.99 or rent for $19.99 on platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and Google Play. The movie has yet to arrive on streaming, but once it meets its 90 to 120-day window, it should arrive on Max.
Fans can look forward to 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD release on October 31, 2023. There will be a steelbook edition as a Best Buy exclusive. Bonus features for the physical release include:
Generations: Blue Beetle” – 4-part documentary
Told in distinct chapters, explore the journeys of actors and filmmakers bringing “Blue Beetle” to the big screen for the first time ever. Audiences will be immersed in the POV of filmmakers who showcase their experiences on set and in their creative studios making the story of this DC character a reality.
Nana Knows Best – featurette
Witness Nana’s transformation from an adorable ‘abuelita’ into a machine gun-wielding revolutionary, and stop in for a few of her most fun moments on set throughout production.
Scarab Vision – 2-part featurette
Xolo Maridueña hosts this series of scene study walk throughs that showcases how the scarab works and the role it plays in some of Blue Beetle’s most epic moments.
Making his DCU debut, ‘Blue Beetle’ is filled with action, humor, and a strong family dynamic that tugs at the heartstring. Recent college graduate Jaime Reyes unexpectedly crosses paths with an alien biotechnology that gives him incredible power but pits him against the dangerous Kord Industries in Warner Bros.’s latest superhero comic book movie.
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What Is The Story of ‘Blue Beetle’?
In ‘Blue Beetle,’ we find Jaime Reyes as he returns home after graduating from college. What should be a time of celebration for the young graduate quickly turns gloomy as Jaime realized that his home was not how he had left it. As he settles back into his house and figures out how he can help his family, he unexpectedly comes into possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology known as the Scarab.
When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its host, he is granted an advanced suit of armor that allows incredible and sometimes unexpected power. Once Kord Industries learns of this, they plan to hunt down Jaime and take the Scarab from him by any means necessary.
This is the Blue Beetle’s official entry into the DC Cinematic Universe. Aside from appearing in comic books starting in 1939, Blue Beetle has also appeared in the DC animated series ‘Young Justice’ and the TV show ‘Smallville.’
Xolo Maridueña is outstanding as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle, adding his own charm to the character. Jaime has to toe the balance of being excited and apprehensive about his new power while staying grounded enough to understand the dangerous situation he’s in. Maridueña’s performance brought it all to life, as well as the delivering intense fight scenes and emotional moments.
As a young superhero’s origin story, the movie stayed focused on Jaime’s journey of becoming Blue Beetle and how to protect his family from the relentless Kord Industries rather than having him save the world in his first entry into the DCU, keeping the story grounded. The film also spends a good amount of time with Jaime’s close-knit family, hitting many heartfelt moments that elevate the movie.
The film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. The movie quickly introduces Kord Industries and their quest to find the alien biotechnology known as the Scarab. CEO Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) also alludes to her intention to weaponize the alien technology, as well as her plan for the “One Man Army Corp,” better known as “OMAC.”
Jaime Reyes returns home after graduating college, excited to see his family. Much to his dismay, some unexpected news dampens the mood. The family is facing financial hardship, with their business closing and on the verge of losing their home. It’s subtle, but the film makes a point to show the gentrification of Jaime’s hometown – new corporate businesses such as Starbucks taking over the space of shuttered local businesses.
To help out his family, Jaime and his sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo) work at a luxury resort owned by Kord Industries, putting him in the path of Victoria Kord and Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) and, inevitably, the Scarab.
Without knowing, Jaime takes the Scarab home, where it deems him to be a suitable host. Once bonded with the Scarab, the movie kicks into high gear – taking the typical journey of Jaime learning how to use and understand its powers and the threat that comes with it.
The movie moves quickly in its 2 hours and 7 minute runtime but never felt rushed. It establishes the essential points efficiently so the characters can have their time to shine. While it is titled ‘Blue Beetle,’ the movie never forgets that Jaime’s family is equally as important as he is. They are there every step of the way – from the terrifying moment when the Scarab attaches itself to Jaime to supporting him emotionally when he needs it the most.
The attention given to the Reyes family is wonderful, but the same couldn’t be said for the antagonist of the film. The ambitious Victoria Kord will stop at nothing until she can get her hands on the Scarab, but the character remains a surface-level villain at best.
When one thinks of superhero or comic book movie, explosive action sequences and flashy CGI comes to mind. ‘Blue Beetle’ has plenty of that and does it well, but the best part about this movie is Jaime and his family. They have a close relationship that results in playful banter that had the audience in stitches and more importantly, an understanding that the most essential thing about their family is always to support one another no matter what.
The spotlight on the Reyes family gives a valuable and significant representation of the Latino community and culture, and serves as the heartbeat of the film.
This was a solid entry for ‘Blue Beetle’ as a superhero’s origin story. It’s a refreshing take on the Blue Beetle origin and has all the elements that make a great comic book movie – entertaining, great action, and humor. Great to see the writer and director didn’t feel the need to have a superhero who has just come into his powers save the world. Instead, it stayed contained to let the new hero shine at his own pace. More importantly, the Reyes family gave the story all the right emotions in the right places and is the best part of the film.
‘Blue Beetle’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
‘Blue Beetle’ is scheduled to be released in the United States on August 18, 2023.
No, they haven’t somehow signed up for the military, they’ll instead lead the cast of Tyler Perry’s new film for Netflix, ‘Six Triple Eight’.
In case that title has you furrowing your brow, here’s some background details: ‘Six Triple Eight’ tells the true story of the 855 women who joined the war effort with little knowledge of their Herculean task at hand, which was to sort through and fix the three-year backlog of undelivered mail. Facing discrimination, unfamiliar land and a war-torn country, they persevered and succeeded—in record time—in sorting over 17 million pieces of mail. Their efforts allowed American soldiers to reconnect with their families and loved ones back home. Per a press release from Netflix when the film was originally announced last month, “The motto that kept them going each day was one they created themselves: ‘No Mail, Low Morale.’ The women of the 6888 weren’t just delivering mail, they were delivering hope.”
Drawing from an article written by Kevin M. Hymel and published in WWII History Magazine about the 6888th Postal Directory Battalion, Perry sparked to the story and wrote the script for the new movie, his fourth for Netflix.
Oprah Winfrey from OWN’s ‘Super Soul Sunday.’
The real-life heroes have largely been written out of, or ignored by, history books, but their recognition took a step forward when President Joe Biden signed the bill for the women to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor last March.
Having juggled a few ideas in the wake of working on his most recent movie, ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ (also for Netflix), Perry decided to push ahead on his World War II project, moving quickly to lock in the cast he needed.
The director started the cameras rolling on this one this week, so the battalion will finally see their story told on screen for the first time. He had considered turning the idea into a TV series (with Krystal M. Harris providing the script), but the movie version has leapfrogged past that.
Washington, probably still best known for TV series ‘Scandal’, was last seen on screen in ‘The School for Good and Evil’. Winfrey, who built a huge media career in addition to winning awards as an actor, is among the producers of an upcoming film adaptation of ‘The Color Purple’ musical, itself based on the 1985 movie that launched Winfrey’s movie career with an Oscar nominated role.
Tyler Perry at the BET Awards.
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‘Charm City Kings’ director Angel Manuel Soto is overseeing the new movie, with Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, who penned a recent version of ‘Scarface’ for Universal, writing the script.
Originally created by artist Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski and writer Will Eisner for Fox Comics’ ‘Mystery Men Comics’ in 1939, Blue Beetle was introduced as Dan Garret, a vigilante who fought crime using powers gained from chemical compound Vitamin 2-X, though that origin was later retconned to an archeologist with a suit and abilities derived from the alien Khaji Da scarab living weapon. He was succeeded by tech whizz Ted Kord, first appearing in Charlton Comics (which bought Fox and was itself later taken over by DC).
DC Comics’ Blue Beetle. Photo courtesy of DC Comics.
The Jaime Reyes version, a creation of Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Cully Hamner for 2006’s ‘Infinite Crisis’ Issue #5, spawned a titular title two months later in May of that year. In his story, Reyes discovered the Blue Beetle scarab on the way home from school with two of his best friends Paco and Brenda, half-buried in a disused lot.
Reyes took the scarab home, curious as to what it might be. That night, the scarab came alive, and grafted itself to the base of Jaime’s spine, and provided him with a suit of extraterrestrial armor, which can be modified to enhance his speed and strength, as well as to create weapons, wings, and shields.
Sarandon’s role is a new one, created for the movie, but that Kord surname already suggests a connection to second Blue Beetle Ted Kord – speculation has it that she’ll play his wife, though there is nothing official at this time.
This is perhaps unexpected casting – Sarandon doesn’t have any superhero movies on her resume (though she’s enjoyed an eclectic career), while Stone had at least played the antagonist in ‘Catwoman’. Still, casting someone like Sarandon assures a solid performance.
Last seen in indie movie ‘Ride the Eagle’, Sarandon has a few projects in the works, including delayed country music TV drama ‘Monarch’.
As for ‘Blue Beetle’, the movie will fly into theaters on August 18, 2023.
Jake Johnson and Trent O’Donnell have cowritten a movie about a man named Leif, whose long-estranged mother has left him her mountain cabin in a “conditional” will. The movie is called ‘Ride the Eagle,’ and Johnson plays Leif, O’Donnell directed, and the supporting cast includes Susan Sarandon (as Leif’s mother), J.K. Simmons (as her boyfriend), and D’Arcy Carden as a former girlfriend of Lief’s. Johnson and O’Donnell took some time to talk about their new movie, touching on their music choices, the supporting cast, and shooting a movie during the pandemic.
First, Jake Johnson talks about the inspiration for the movie.
Moviefone: Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
Johnson: The kernel of the idea of this one came… We were in the throes of the pandemic. This was really early on, and we were really missing everybody. And we were just missing people, but we didn’t want to do a movie about a pandemic. And we didn’t want to do a movie that was on the nose of what was happening. That like we were far from people, and people felt very disconnected. And if you watch the news or you get on social media, everything was just about how much we hate each other and how it’s unforgivable. And we’ll never see eye to eye again. Everything is now different forever.
And so we wanted to make a movie about that sentiment without being about that sentiment. And as we got to talking, we went away from politics, and away from what was happening, and away from 2020 and into family dynamics. And so then it came to a mother and a son and we wanted to make sure the mother was not necessarily the bad guy. So that’s why we had, she was in an organization and just believed something different than the son and had been, trying to be cool for 20 years. So that they were both at this point, grownups and they were both wrong. So that was the kind of-
MF: Well that’s one of the things I really liked about this, is you capture that idea of going go past the parent-kid relationship and you get into a space where one of them is now their own person and may not choose to make peace and says, “Yeah, too much water under the bridge. I’m done.”
Johnson: Yeah. Well, in my own life, my father and I, he didn’t raise me. He wasn’t around when I was a kid. And in my early twenties when he was around a lot and really sobered up, and was really making an effort, I punished him for a lot of years. And then there’s an age where you finally go, “I think I’m the prick. I’m not 13, I have a bad back because I’m getting older. So what am I doing punishing this even older human.” And it was about a decade ago or so, probably longer, but I forgave him and I’m so glad I did, because we became such good buds.
And so this movie it’s really nothing about him and I, and it’s not our relationship. But one of the things I wanted to put in with the Honey character, the Susan Sarandon character, is I wanted my character to really realize in watching these tapes, how much he missed out, because he would have liked her personality. She was a fun mom. She was a lot like him. And if they could have got past the bullshit, they really could have had a lot of fun together.
MF: What was your writing process like? Would you write parts of it and then give it to Trent? How did you guys work together?
Johnson: So the original seed of the idea was going to be very small. It was originally going to be… That dog Nora in the movie is… I had got her during the pandemic. She’s a retired guide dog. So she had had person in Oregon and it just didn’t work out for her. I think the woman got sick and no longer needed her. But when Nora went back to the program, she just had some issues. So she wasn’t able to be a guide dog anymore, but she is so insanely smart and I’ve never had a dog that’s almost like a person, but also totally like a dog. And so the original idea of the movie was going to be me and this dog up at the cabin doing my mother’s list. And the list was going to be in a journal.
And as we started building it together, I would write a soft draft, send it to Trent, and then just sitting writing I realized if I was watching this movie, I would get bored. And so if I’m bored, I think the people watching are going to be bored, and then I went, “I would like to see the mom.” And then all of a sudden it became videos. And then the contact with somebody you love, well, I don’t want just one call. I want to see what they like about each other. And then to learn more about her, we realized we need a character who tells him how great his mother was. So that all of a sudden became the ex-boyfriend. And then as we built, and built, and built, the movie just kept getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger.
MF: I love Nora. She is an absolute sweetheart. I love that you’ve cast your dog in the movie. That’s terrific. So is she totally a movie snob now?
Johnson: Yeah, it’s funny. Well, we had two dogs. We had that two kind of pandemic dogs and the dynamic in our house is just terrible now because Nora is a huge star and our other dog is a rescue mutt who’s just being treated like trash. Nora won’t eat dog food anymore. It’s just sushi. She only wants green, M&M’s and our other dog is just getting disgusting old dog food.
MF: You’ve got such a great cast here and it’s hard to pick one that specifically sticks out. But I do definitely have to mention that moment that J.K. Simmons is yelling at you and then suddenly he’s switches gears and says, “Oh, you’re Leif!”
Johnson: He’s so good.
MF: What’s that like, watching him make that switch on set, in the moment?
Johnson: Funny you say that. So he kind of, I mean, honestly, when you say everybody, it’s not a BS thing to say everybody killed it. The guy Luis Fernandez-Gil who plays Gorka was making us laugh all of a sudden about a cockroach. This was not a heavily improvised movie. This was a scripted movie. Besides his stuff. All of that, he was just saying in the moment and everything about it was we were all like, “What the hell is this man talking about?” But the J.K. scene was so important to us in terms of the script, because it’s essential. And I thought we were going to need to work it with him. I thought it was going to be a long day of shooting. His first take… We did a bunch of takes obviously, because we had the crew for it. His first take was perfect. His second take was perfect. His third take was perfect. Didn’t take anything. He didn’t improvise. He didn’t change dialogue. He’s just a top actor and top actors make medium writing work.
MF: What’s going through your head when you’re watching an actor come in and just nail it on that first take?
Johnson: You know what, it’s truly, it’s funny you bring this up, because as I wrote it with Trent, but I was acting in it. Once, I’ve done this before, where I write something, I act in it. When I start acting, I can disconnect from the writing because you have to make it come to life. Besides that scene, the first take, the reason we had to go again right away is because we were in a two-shot and I was really bad because I was watching him. I became, and it’s happened to me a couple of times in my career where I’m in a scene with somebody, and I just become the first audience member, because he just brought it to life. The world changed.
I just had a thing where I did an episode of the anthology series War with Cynthia Enloe. And we did a take once and it was so good, so quickly on her side, that I had to remind myself that I’m in it with her and I’m not watching. And J.K. had that, where I just thought like, “Oh, that’s Carl, and Carl loves Honey. And this is real and this is all happened.” And then I went like, “Easy, asshole. You’re in the scene.”
MF: You have all these great scenes with D’Arcy where you’re on the phone. What are the mechanics of shooting that? How do you do that and get the reaction with somebody else? You have someone else reading the line?
Johnson: We do. So those were really tricky because we rehearsed a lot together so that we could find each other’s rhythm, but we both did our ends alone. So I was reading my stuff with Trent, and she was reading her stuff with Trent. Because I did not go to… Because of the pandemic we wanted to limit people. So that was all, we rehearsed a ton, we found each other’s rhythms, so that we knew the chemistry. Then we just had to remember what the other one would say, because we didn’t have playback. We couldn’t afford it. So I would remember where she would laugh and try to find that feeling of where she was warm, where she was colder. And so those were truly tricky scenes to do. We made D’Arcy a producer on this after working with her. And it was because she worked for this so much in rehearsals and gave so much of her time and her brain power. We couldn’t have done it if she was just there to put it in. The things wouldn’t have worked and we would have had to rewrite them and figure something else out.
MF: And of course I have to bring up Susan Sarandon, who is just spectacular in this. Even just talking to a video camera. And one of my questions is, what’s it like when you get the news that, “Oh yes, you’ve booked Susan Sarandon for your movie?”
Johnson: Well, we sent her the script. Shani Rosenzweig, her agent, read the thing and said, “I think Susan would be good for this.” And we kind of laughed it off. And we were like, “Sure. Of course she would, Marlon Brando would be good for Leif too. Be cool.” But what happened with Susan, and there’s a reason why certain people are great. And Susan called and we had a conversation, Susan, Trent and I, we had a bunch of meetings on the phone, where she asked really big questions about Honey. And it was questions where we needed to have the answers so that she knew how to play the character. And a lot of it was, she wanted to make sure that Honey headed with a three-dimensional character and wasn’t just a tool in order to make the story work.
And so as we would talk it out with her, we realized very quickly she doesn’t need, after this, much direction. Now she owns the character. So when she owned the character, we made a few tweaks around her, but we knew she’s great. She’s got her teeth in this one. And she did. Everything she did. The movie obviously doesn’t work without her. Even though she shot all her stuff in a day, she’s the heart of the movie. She’s the mom. She’s the engine of the entire movie. Now it’s a weird thing because she’s talking to a camera and she’s in the TV in the movie. So you feel slightly distanced from her. But the entire longing of that relationship, and if the movie works for people, it works because they’re sad she’s dead. And the only reason that they’re sad she’s dead, is because they believe she’s real.
MF: I love that you brought up that you shot this in the pandemic, because it’s somewhat of the stealth version of the pandemic movie. Because unless you really think about it, you’re not realizing that, “Oh, almost every shot in this is someone flying solo.”
Johnson: Yeah. The trick for us on that was, we had a lot of conversations with Judd Overton, our DP too. We did not want it to feel like the pandemic. I wasn’t excited about movies or TV when they started. People talking about it, where it was. They shot everything in one room or it was a story about people. For me, I was like, “Man, I want to escape this. I don’t want the characters talking about it. I don’t want anything science fiction about, there’s a germ killing everybody. I want to get as far from this as possible.” So our idea was, what can we do, and how do we do it? So when you look back, you go “For sure they made this in a pandemic.” But while you’re watching it, or if somebody watches it in five years, I would like them not to think of the pandemic when they watch it.
Because originally we were just going to do the mom with letters and voiceover. So that that voiceover voice could be the equivalent of in a horror, that animation voice, where it feels like a character. But then we thought, “Well, we don’t want that. We want to see it.” But what we didn’t want to do, is do phones. So then we were like, “So how do you do it if it’s not a phone, we don’t want phones.” So because everybody was dealing with Zoom, FaceTimes. They’re like, “That feels like the pandemic.” So it was a lot of stuff like that.
MF: Whose idea was the Modesto Duran track that you’re playing the congas to?
Johnson: I think that would be our music supervisor, Chris Swanson. That whole sequence was one of our hardest to find musically, because what we really wanted was Leif playing the bongos and then you get inside his imagination. So we tried a lot of tracks in post on that one. And a lot of them didn’t work or they felt too big.
MF: It’s a perfect track.
Johnson: It’s really funny you bring that sequence up because when we wrote it, we loved the sequence. We understood that we wanted it. In making this movie, which is truly an independent movie, we didn’t have a big budget. Trent, Joe and I were paying for it. So what it really required when we started going into post, was the band. And a band was needed to score it based off my drumming. And then eventually the band would have to play it, but we were in the midst of the pandemic and there was no option for a band. And so we then had to magically find a song. So we had cut that out and that was out of the movie for a long time, until that song came back and then we could restructure it and bring it back in, because that sequence doesn’t work without that song.
MF: Well, and I imagine there’s also budget considerations with clearing it too.
Johnson: You know the music wasn’t as bad as you would think it was. And I think it was because people knew what this movie was.
Director Trent O’Donnell talks about shooting the indie movie during the pandemic.
Moviefone: What was the inspiration for writing this with Jake?
Trent O’Donnell: It actually came from really us being alone during the pandemic. And honestly it came for us deciding that we wanted to make something together. We wanted to hang out, we wanted to film something. We constantly have ideas and send ideas back and forth to each other. And so we sort of got together, we looked at the stuff we had and went, “What is achievable? What is something that we can actually do? And what is something that we’ll have momentum.” Because so often these projects and particularly if you’re going through the traditional way of writing the film, sending it, someone will read it in three months and then get back to you and all that sort of stuff. We really just sat down and went, “Okay, what can we do that will be a film that we’ll be proud of that we think is good, but that we can actually achieve during this time.” Because initially it started with, it was going to be me doing camera and then us both doing sound.
And we would try to figure out some kind of cool little weird art house film. And then as the idea grew, and I guess the kernel of the idea was as much from sort of an amalgamation of our shared family histories and extended families. And some of the things we’ve seen go on there, which doesn’t feel like a particular unique story. I think a lot of families have these kind of falling out and little gripes and grudges, but that was kind of the initial jumping off point that we wanted to do something around that and a story of sort of forgiveness, but not a heavy handed sort of moral kind of way. So, once we had that idea, we very much were like, “All right, how much do we want to spend? And what can we do for that money?”
MF: When I talked to Jake he pointed out that you guys shot this during the pandemic. And that hadn’t really clicked to me while I was watching it. But it’s not a movie about the pandemic. It’s not about being on lockdown. And as you guys were writing it, were you thinking about how do you keep this from being overtly a pandemic filmed movie?
O’Donnell: Yeah. I mean, we wanted it to not feel anything like a pandemic movie. We didn’t want it to be timestamped with the pandemic. And also we were living it so hard at the time that it did feel like, “Let’s get away and pretend that this is not on for a little bit.” So, it made sense for us that the story was about this guy sort of getting away in this place that he doesn’t know and he’s by himself. And we have these interactions with different people, but we certainly kept it on the limited side, I guess.
But yeah, I think initially we had one idea of he could be at a concert or something like that. And then we’re like, “We’re not shooting a concert scene with 10 people in the audience.” So, we definitely leaned into the stuff where it wouldn’t feel like a compromise, where it could feel kind of organic that you wouldn’t have people everywhere and where we actually shot a lot of the film, up on that sort of northern edge of Yosemite, there’s not many people up there. So, it felt real to us.
MF: There’s a fair amount of scenes where Jake’s in the water. Was it cold up there? And you guys have a long friendship, so are gleefully making him get in the cold water?
O’Donnell: It was pretty great. Actually, that’s a part of the experience that I loved because I’m used to working with Jake on sets where Jake’s getting paid way too much money and he’s got his trailer and as soon as we wrap he’s off the lot. He had to be the one, take his shirt off, getting in the water. And then even at the end of the day, when we’d wrap, he would have to carry C stands and lighting equipment and then we’d go back and we’d all cook together as well. It was kind of like we were on camp. So, it was definitely fun to make him go in the water and just walk four miles a day.
MF: You’ve got such a great supporting cast in here. What was that casting process like for you?
O’Donnell: It was insane. It was unlike anything I’ve experienced because we were in the middle of the pandemic and well, firstly, the very first person across the board that we thought of, we got, we were able to just approach these people. I’ve worked with J.K. before, I didn’t go through agents or managers. I just sent him an email and he replied that day. And then when I was like, “When can you do it?” He was like, “Any of these days.” Because he just didn’t have anything on.
We got lucky in that sense and same with, we didn’t know Susan, I think Jake had a mutual friend, but we managed, we just thought she was kind of the archetype for us. And we were like, “Let’s just take a big swing. And then Susan will say no, and we can start to get realistic.” And then we had this lovely hour and a half phone call with her. And it was incredible, I’ve never had a casting process like that, where it was all direct and it was so quick and yeah, really fantastic.
MF: You sound spoiled. Is that going to be something you’re going to try for a next project or do you think you won’t have that freedom?
O’Donnell: I think the ship has sailed. I think it’s now back to, because production is up again, I’m sure if I emailed JK now, it would probably be, “Yeah. I can give you a week in 2023.” Or something. People are shooting stuff again. We got lucky in that time, for sure.
MF: The scenes with Jake and D’Arcy on the phone, where they’re talking back and forth, Jake had mentioned that you were there kind of reading the lines back. What tools do you use as a director to make sure you’re still getting the performance you need, even though you’re reading the lines?
O’Donnell: Yeah, it’s an interesting one. I shared it with another member of the crew, Billy an old friend of Jake’s from Chicago, but yeah, we were reading like this and at times kind of pretty dramatic, pretty romantic, sexy phone call stuff with Jake. The way that I think we got away with that was that we rehearsed it a lot. So, D’Arcy and Jake, because again, they had the time, we would do what we’re doing now. We would get on Zoom and they would just read it and then they would open up a take and then we’d be like, “Try in little bits.” And so, we had that luxury of being able to really have those scenes pretty down. And they’re both just good actors. They’re both so good, those two.
Even though Jake likes to pretend that he’s just a guy from Chicago and he just slipped into it. He is actually a very thoughtful actor and I didn’t have to push them a lot. They both really locked into it. They’re both very truthful comic actors. So, we would do little adjustments, like you would anywhere, but I wasn’t giving them a full read, either. I was just giving them a pace and a timing, I wasn’t trying to impersonate D’Arcy or Jake. I was just trying to give them the space to just give us everything that they did in the rehearsals.
MF: When you cast someone like Susan Surandon, who’s legendary, what’s it like for you as a director, working with someone like that and collaborating with someone at that level?
O’Donnell: I mean, it’s just a thrill, There’s a total joy to it. You spend the first half an hour just geeking out. And I always make the mistake, knowing when I’m going to work with someone like that, I’ll go and watch all her incredible stuff before, which doesn’t help. So, I spent about half an hour, just being a fan and then I get wary of the time. And then once you click in, you just start. I’ve found that incredible, working with people like Susan, even just an episodic TV, people like Jane Fonda and Martin Sheen, all these people are just icons, but ultimately they’re all actors. They want to do a good performance every time, they want feedback.
And Susan was incredibly collaborative and not, insecure is not the right word, but not overtly, not that sort of confidence that you’d expect from someone who’s so good and so seasoned with it all. It was very, asking questions, “Does this work? Was that too much?” It was really lovely. And then once you’re a few hours into it, you kind of forget all about other stuff and you just about what you’re getting.
MF: For you as a director, when you’re working on episodic television and the time constraints there, what’s the biggest difference when you’re working on a feature?
O’Donnell: Yeah. You’re working within a timeframe for episodic TV and you’re in this weird position where you’re coming in as somewhat the captain of the ship, but not really. You come in like once a year or so, or twice a year. Generally you lean on your DP a lot more, your writers and your cast even, because the cast, sometimes, when you’re doing an episode of something, it’s crazy if you’re coming in and it’s season four and your cast has already done like 80 episodes. You’re not expected to come in there and go, “Okay, now this is how I see this episode going.”
And you have generally pretty rigorous time constraints. Whereas for this movie, particularly because Jake and I were essentially funding the film as well, we had this lovely freedom of not really having to compromise. If we didn’t get something, we didn’t care if we’re going over a few hours or we had to add a day, probably in a way I’ve never had before, there was no real time pressure. There was no first AD showing me a clock about how we have to wrap in two minutes or pushing turnarounds and all that kind of stuff.
‘Ride the Eagle’ will be in theaters and on demand on July 30.
The upcoming film “Tunnels” boasts an Academy Award-winning star.
Susan Sarandon is starring in the project, Variety reports. She’ll be directed by John Krokidas from a script by Victoria Rose. Highland Film Group calls it “an inspiring and surprisingly funny story.”
The film takes place in a community where there has been a school shooting, and in its wake, Ruby Love (Sarandon), the grandmother of the shooter, finds herself working with Grayson Mitchell, the brother of one of the victims. As uncomfortable as that sounds like it would be, they form an unlikely bond. They are, as Highland puts it, “two outsiders … in a town still too stuck in its recent history to see the potential of something beautiful beyond the horizon.”
Sarandon is an Oscar winner for 1995’s “Dead Man Walking.” Her more recent work includes the films “Viper Club,” “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan,” and “A Bad Moms Christmas.” She has also starred in the TV shows “Ray Donovan” and “Feud: Bette and Joan,” and earned an Emmy nod for her role in the latter.
“Tunnels” will be produced by Lucidity Entertainment’s Colin Bates and Michael Jefferson as well as Circle of Confusion’s Matt Smith and Brad Mendelsohn. Executive producers will be Ethan Terra, Cindy Bru, and Frank Frattaroili. Highland is selling the film in Cannes.
STX Films is staying in the “Bad Moms” business, expanding the franchise with a third film that focuses on the grandmother characters introduced in 2017’s “A Bad Moms Christmas.”
The company announced the news at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday, revealing that the film, “Bad Moms’ Moms,” would feature Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon, and Cheryl Hines, who will reprise their roles from the last film. The series was launched with the first “Bad Moms” in 2016, starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, as the titular offbeat parents.
It’s unclear if Kunis, Bell, and Hahn will also be reprising their roles, but Variety reports that STX Films chief Adam Fogelson told the CinemaCon crowd that the film was “A whole new adventure that is attracting all sorts of great talent.” According to TheWrap, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the writer-directors of the first two films, will be back for “Bad Moms’ Moms.”
The “Bad Moms” films have been a huge moneymaker for STX, with the first flick raking in $183 million on a $22 million budget. “A Bad Moms Christmas” made about $130 million, on a budget of less than $30 million.
STX had previously announced plans to make a father-focused spinoff called “Bad Dads,” but appears to have since abandoned that plan — and that’s probably for the best. After all, when you have talent like Baranski, Sarandon, and Hines waiting in the wings, why mess with success?
No word yet on a production schedule or potential release date.
