‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ will premiere May 12th on Disney+.
Preview:
Jon Bernthal has confirmed the title and date for his ‘Punisher’ special episode.
‘Punisher: One Last Kill’ will land on Disney+.
The show is due on May 12.
While Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle –– AKA the vigilante called The Punisher –– was a factor in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’s first season, he’s not so involved in the second.
What’s the story of ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’?
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
Co-written by Bernthal and filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green (who directs), the special’s storyline has yet to be officially confirmed, but there is a logline floating around: “As Frank Castle searches for meaning beyond revenge, an unexpected force pulls him back into the fight.”
So take that for what you will!
When will ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ head to Disney+?
We do at least have some official details on when the new special episode will land on Disney+ – May 12.
‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ will premiere May 12th on Disney+.
Movies and TV Shows Featuring Characters in ‘Daredevil: Born Again:’
Opening in theaters and digital on December 5th is the new Western ‘Frontier Crucible‘, which was based on the book ‘Desert Stake-Out’ by author Harry Whittington and directed by Travis Mills (‘The Five’).
Thomas Jane as “‘Mule’ Charlie McKee” in the western/thriller/drama film, ‘Frontier Crucible’, a Well Go USA film. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Thomas Jane about his work on ‘Frontier Crucible’, his first reaction to the screenplay, the challenges of making a Western, his character, working with the cast, and collaborating with director Travis Mills on set.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the adaption of author Harry Whittington’s novel?
Thomas Jane: Well, Whittington was known as the “King of the Pulps”, and he wrote in the 1950s and’60s. They called him the “King of Pulps”, because I think he’s got the world record for the greatest number of pulp novels ever written by an author. Out of the hundreds of novels that he wrote about six are good, which is a good record. He’s got six strong novels that are worth anybody’s time who loves the Pulp stuff. One of them is ‘Desert Stakeout’, and the screenplay was adapted by S. Craig Zahler who wrote ‘Bone Tomahawk’, and I don’t even know if I’m supposed to say that. Nobody told me not to say it. But he’s an uncredited writer, and he borrowed heavily from the book, and no surprise, Whittington had a knack for great dialogue and great characters. It was really his thing. Every story that he approached, he didn’t come through the plot, he came through the character. So, for adaptations, it’s perfect, and they’ve adapted a few Harry Whittington novels over the years. This one, you read it and you’re like, “Why wasn’t this done like 30 years ago?” It really sings. So, we had a lot of fun. We had a lot to work with. We had great dialogue.
MF: I know you have appeared in quite a few Westerns in the past, what do you enjoy about the genre and what are the biggest challenges of making a movie like this?
TJ: Well, the challenges are always like, we need to make more Westerns, and trying to keep the fan base alive in 2025 is difficult. It’s difficult with all movies, but now, with a good Western, people will watch it. They like it. I produced a Western called ‘Murder at Yellowstone City’, which made it the number one on Netflix. So, if you do a good Western, people will watch it, and there is an audience. It’s just getting a great story. It’s getting people that really know the genre and love the genre. Travis Mills certainly loves the genre, I think he wrote a book where he’s got like 200 Western movies that he reviewed, and now he’s releasing a book on all his Western reviews. So, he’s a real student of the genre. That was fun. It’s always good when your director knows his stuff. I loved that Travis wanted to recreate the way Westerns used to be made in the ’50s and ’60s. This movie has a look that feels like it could have been made in 1965. So that was fun. I’m a fan, in other words. The challenges for an actor are really the positives, the things that I love about Westerns. I love the fact that most Westerns either implicitly or explicitly deal with the civilization of man, and there are laws and are rules, and then the wild West is the lawless land where you must make up these rules. You’re guided by a moral code. Everyone has their own moral code and their own interpretation of the moral code. Like, “Thou shalt not kill”, although that’s negotiable in certain circumstances for some people. That makes it fun.
(Center) Armie Hammer as “Edmund Fisher” in the western/thriller/drama film, ‘Frontier Crucible’, a Well Go USA film. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
MF: Can you talk about your character’s gang and creating those relationships with your scene partners, Armie Hammer and Ryan Masson?
TJ: My character thinks he’s a good guy, and I think 98% of him is a decent man. I think some bad things happen to him, and he lost his way a little bit. But the darkness of his heart is revealed by the company that he keeps. You find that’s true with most people in life. It’s the company that you keep that tells you something about who they are, and who they think they are. So, that’s Armie’s role in the thing. He’s the dark heart of the gang, and we’re constantly having trouble reining him in. It’s a lot of fun. Armie had a lot of fun. He leaned into all of that. I really had a good time working with everybody. Armie’s are an intelligent guy, and a soulful guy. He’s done a lot of work on himself, and it shows, he’s stepped up. People step up or they step down and Armie stepped up. So, I’d worked with the guy again in a heartbeat. I think he’s terrific. Everybody else is young. finding their way. We, as the old pros, tried to help them as best we could.
MF: I was not familiar with Myles Clohessy or Mary Stickley’s work before seeing this film. What was your experience like working with them on this movie?
TJ: Myles came from another project (producer) Dallas Sonnier had done, and he certainly looks like a leading man, and he’s learning what that entails. It’s a very different set of rules when you’re the leading man or the leading lady than it is if you’re a supporting character. I like the supporting characters. I’ve gotten a chance to play a lot of leads and I’m grateful for that. But I love the character stuff. It’s what got me into this thing in the first place. Now I’m getting a little older and I’m finding more opportunities to flex those muscles. It gives me a little more freedom. I don’t have the movie that I’m carrying on my back, and I get to have a little more fun.
(Center Foreground) Director Travis Mills behind the scenes on the western/thriller/drama film, ‘Frontier Crucible’, a Well Go USA film. Photo courtesy of Gene Page.
MF: Finally, what was it like collaborating with director Travis Mills on set, particularly in the remote locations that you were shooting in?
TJ: Director Anthony Mann did a bunch of Westerns in the ’50s and ’60s, and he says, “Anytime you can get on location, you got to do it”. It brings the show to life, and it brings the actors to life. They feel grounded. They’re in the world that the characters live in, and that was certainly true for this. We had one location, we showed up there every day. We got into our costumes, and we were staying at a hotel. It was about a half hour away and our dressing room was in the hotel. They took a couple of hotel rooms and turned them into a dressing room. So, we would show up, we’d roll out of bed, stumble downstairs, grab a cup of coffee, and then hit the dressing room, where all the actors would change together, which is exactly what you do in theater. There’s one place, it’s called backstage, and that’s where you got into your outfit. So, we had that morning ritual of everybody putting on their costumes, at usually 4:30am because we had to capture the daylight. We had to be out there at the crack of dawn. Then we’d shoot until we couldn’t shoot anymore. So that community, that camaraderie, and the fact that our characters were also stuck together waiting for bad things to happen, that was fun. I got to tell you; it was unique. Normally, you hit set, you hit your trailer, you get your coffee, and you have those moments alone. We didn’t have any trailers on this. Another great thing about making a lower budget movie is the locations. We never would have been able to shoot there if it were a bigger film because there’s nowhere to put all the trucks. You’d have to put them way far away and then shuttle everybody. But we were able to just show up and me and Armie started building fires and making our own coffee over a campfire. We were making cowboy coffee. We would do that all day. We’d keep the fire going, and other actors would come around, and throw wood on the fire. We just had a little fire going all day. So, it was a unique experience. Travis created that. We all signed up. We knew what we were getting into. He’s like, “This is what I want to do.” He wanted to create that period feel to everything and I think he did a darn good job with that.
(L to R) William H. Macy as “Major O’Rourke” and Director Travis Mills behind the scenes on the western/thriller/drama film, ‘Frontier Crucible’, a Well Go USA film. Photo courtesy of Gene Page.
What is the plot of ‘Frontier Crucible’?
In 1870s Arizona Territory, a desperately needed wagon full of medical supplies falls victim to an Apache attack. The only man who can guide it through is Merrick Beckford (Myles Clohessy), but to get there, he’ll need to enlist the help of a trio of dangerous outlaws (Thomas Jane, Arie Hammer and Ryan Masson) hellbent on survival. When they accidentally kill an Apache scout, all bets are off, and survival is the name of the game.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ will return for a third season.
Charlie Cox stars as Matt Murdock/Daredevil.
Vincent D’Onofrio is also expected to be back as the Kingpin.
Despite a troubled development process, which included scrapping footage and hiring a new showrunner, the Marvel/Disney+ series ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ arrived to praise and solid viewing figures this past March.
UPLl9v8DcuODJ0OGYMYxF3
The show, which saw the return of Charlie Cox as superpowered blind lawyer Matt Murdock (who also battles crime as costumed vigilante Daredevil) and Vincent D’Onofrio as powerful crime figure Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk effectively continued the story from the Netflix‘Daredevil’ series, albeit this time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Despite comments from Cox in July (see more on that below), Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, television and animation at Marvel Studios, confirmed the third season renewal in an interview with IGN.
‘Born Again’ follows Fisk who goes from being a gangster to a NYC autocrat mayor. Matt falls in love with therapist Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva), but she winds up becoming an ally in the Fisk administration.
Season 2 will see the return of Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones character. Also in the Season 1 finale, Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/Punisher returned and, in the very end, broke out of Fisk’s Red Hook jail.
In addition to the next two batches of Daredevil, the Punisher character will appear in his own one-off special co-written by and starring Bernthal and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. It’s been shot but has yet to confirm a premiere date.
What did Cox and D’Onofrio say about the chances of a third season?
While a second season had already been ordered (and shot for a 2026 launch), Cox in a statement at GalaxyCon seemed to indicate that it would serve as the final season.
Yet that was reportedly taken out of context and for his part, D’Onofrio took to social media to say:
“Good chance there will be a third [season].”
When will ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 be on screens?
While Season 2 is due next year, Season 3 won’t shoot until around the same time, so we can expect it to launch in early 2027.
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Jon Bernthal will be back as Frank “The Punisher” Castle for a new Marvel special.
He’s also returning for ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
Bernthal will co-write the special with ‘King Richard’ director Reinaldo Marcus Green.
Crime might not pay, but vengeance appears to be profitable for Disney going forward.
With Jon Bernthal’s tough nut vigilante Frank Castle –– also known as The Punisher –– back on our screens for next month’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ which will find him once more interacting with Charlie Cox’s blind lawyer-turned-super-sensory-hero Matt Murdock, Entertainment Weekly brings word that we can expect more from Bernthal in 2026.
It’s a big vote of confidence in both the character and Bernthal’s portrayal and shows that Marvel is willing to further explore other avenues for its characters. And The Punisher is certainly a popular comic book creation.
‘Born Again,’ meanwhile, revisits the Daredevil character as portrayed in the Marvel/Netflix series that ran between 2015 and 2018. After its initial episodes were filmed, Marvel decided to overhaul it creatively and bringing it closer in story to the Netflix run.
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’
Exact details of the story have yet to be revealed, but unless it’s a complete stand-alone, chances are it ties into the ongoing Castle story explored in ‘Born Again,’ so it’s perhaps not surprising that Marvel doesn’t want to spill too much.
But here’s what Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Television, told EW:
“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story. It’s so exciting.”
Castle will come back into Murdock’s life in ‘Born Again’ at the lawyer’s request because Matt needs help with something handled that he’s unwilling to do, and Frank naturally dives in all guns blazing.
The new story marks even more involvement for Bernthal than usual –– he co-wrote the new special’s script with filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green, and the latter will direct the one-off.
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru and made his first appearance in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man #129’ in 1974 originally depicted as an assassin and adversary of the web-slinger.
The character is traditionally depicted as an Italian-American vigilante who employs murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence, and torture in his campaign against crime.
On the big screen, he’s been portrayed by the likes of Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson, while Bernthal played him in the second season of the Netflix ‘Daredevil’ series and in his own aforementioned titular show.
Here’s what Winderbaum said of Bernthal’s work:
“Bernthal is a generational actor. He’s incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he’s a great writer. He knows the character inside and out…. Also, I love Punisher, but I love Jon’s Punisher in particular. The idea that he’s in the MCU and can bring that to the greater universe, especially the more grounded street-level stuff, is a huge opportunity and, as a fan, the greatest thing ever.”
What of the other Marvel/Netflix characters?
(L to R) Krysten Ritter, Finn Jones, Charlie Cox and Mike Colter in ‘The Defenders’. Photo: Netflix.
While Matt Murdock and his associated characters are returning for ‘Born Again,’ there hasn’t been much movement on the rest of the ‘Defenders’ line-up from the Netflix days, including Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, and Finn Jones’ Danny Rand/Iron Fist.
But Winderbaum has said that they might get their turn:
“I can’t say much. But I’ll tell you that It’s so exciting to be able to play in that sandbox… I can just say that all those variables taken into account, it is certainly something that is creatively extremely exciting and that we are very much exploring.”
When will the ‘Punisher’ Marvel special be on screens?
The current plan for the new special is for it to hit screens next year, around the same time as the second season of ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’ Which means we can expect plenty of Punisher content in 2026…
And the first season of ‘Born Again,’ which as mentioned includes Bernthal, kicks off on March 4th on Disney+.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
Movies and TV Shows Featuring Characters in ‘Daredevil: Born Again:’
(Left) Jon Bernthal at the ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ premiere. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages. (Right) Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief in Halo episode 5, Season 2, Streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo: Adrienn Szabo/Paramount+.
Preview:
Jon Bernthal and Pablo Schreiber are the latest recruits for ‘His & Hers’.
Tessa Thompson is starring and executive producing.
Netflix is backing the limited series.
Murder mysteries continue to be all the rage for streamers in general and Netflix in particular. The company has Nicole Kidman on our screens right now for ‘The Perfect Couple’, and there is another example of the genre headed towards shooting.
Tessa Thompson (an MCU veteran who has also appeared in the likes of the ‘Creed’ films, ‘Passing’ and ‘Little Woods,’ will star an executive produce in the new limited series ‘His & Hers.’
Tessa Thompson in Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ Photo courtesy of Disney Studios.
‘Fellow Travelers’ Dee Johnson adapted Alice Feeney’s 2020 novel, which is set in the sweltering heat of Atlanta.
Our focus is Anna (Thompson), who lives in haunting reclusivity and is fading away from her friends and career as a journalist. But when she overhears about a murder in Dahlonega – the sleepy town where she grew up –– she is snapped back to life, pouncing on the case and searching for answers.
Detective Jack Harper (Bernthal) is strangely suspicious of her involvement, chasing her into the crosshairs of his own investigation. There are two sides to every story, his and hers, which means someone is always lying. Jack lost his last job and is now working in his small hometown of Dahlonega, Georgia, where he lives with his sister and niece.
Schreiber will portray Richard, one of the best cameramen at WSK TV News, and he’s also the husband of hot new anchor Lexy Jones, who slid into her position during the recent absence of regular anchor Anna. Richard is chosen by Anna to be her cameraman when, upon her return, she picks up the story of a murder in Dahlonega as a field reporter.
‘Lady Macbeth’ and ‘Eileen’ writer/director William Oldroyd is an executive producer and will handle the first episode of the six-episode limited run.
The producers also include Kristen Campo for Campout Productions, while Jessica Chastain and Kelly Carmichael will also oversee the series for their Freckle Films company, though there is no word yet on whether Chastain will be in front of the camera at all for this one.
Where else have I seen Jon Bernthal and Pablo Schreiber?
Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief in ‘Halo’ streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Adrienn Szabo/Paramount+.
Bernthal, in addition to his work on ‘The Bear’ might be best known for playing Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher in the Marvel Netflix TV series. ‘Daredevil’ and ‘The Punisher.’ He’s returning to the role for the upcoming MCU/Disney+ ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
Louis Gossett, Jr. at the 75th Academy Awards. Credit/Provider: AMPAS.
Preview:
Actor Louis Gossett Jr. has died, aged 87.
He starred in movies including ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ and ‘The Color Purple’.
Gossett Jr. won an Academy Award in 1983.
Louis Gossett Jr., the beloved, Academy Award and Emmy-winning actor, has died at the age of 87.
He’s being remembered for his acting work on stage and screens, but he was also an accomplished writer, producer and director who engaged in social activism and looked to make peoples’ lives better.
Louis Gossett, Jr. in ‘Iron Eagle’. Photo: TriStar Pictures.
Gossett was born May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York. Gossett made his stage debut at 17 in a school production of ‘You Can’t Take It with You’. He’d soon successfully audition for the Broadway production ‘Take a Giant Step’, then perform in a star-making supporting role in the hit ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ in 1959.
A talented musician as well as an actor, he balanced his initial Broadway and other stage career with appearances at New York City folk clubs. He won acclaim appearing in the long-running show ‘Jean Genet’s The Blacks’ alongside James Earl Jones, Roscoe Lee Browne, Cicely Tyson, and more.
Louis Gossett Jr: Memorable TV and Movie Roles
(L to R) Richard Gere and Louis Gossett, Jr. in ‘An Officer and a Gentleman.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
On the small screen, Gossett began working in the late 1960s and early 1970s on series such as ‘The Invaders’ and ‘Daktari’, ‘Bonanza’, ‘Longstreet’, ‘The Mod Squad’ and ‘Good Times’.
His most famous TV role, though, was on acclaimed miniseries ‘Roots’, which earned him an Emmy. It would be just one highlight in a televisual career that continued through 2019’s adaptation of ‘Watchmen’.
Gossett had an incredibly long and successful career in movies, working since the 1960s almost non-stop, kicked off by reprising his ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ role in the 1961 movie version.
The crowning achievement of his career was as tough-as-nails Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’. The role saw him become the first Black actor to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and he also scored a Golden Globe.
Here is Gossett Jr.’s family’s statement on his passing:
“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Taylor Hackford, who directed Gossett Jr. to his Oscar in ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’, paid tribute:
“The role of Master Sargent Foley in ‘An Officer and A Gentlemen’ was written as a white man. When I visited the Navy Officers Flight Training Center in Pensacola, FLA, I discovered that many of the Drill Instructors there were men of color. I found it interesting that Black & Brown enlisted men had ‘make-or-break’ control over whether white college graduates would become officers and fighter pilots. At that moment I changed the casting profile for Sergeant Foley and started meeting actors of color. Lou Gossett came to see me –– I knew and admired his stage work. He told me that he’d served in the US Army as a Ranger, so in addition to being an accomplished actor, he knew military life –– I hired him on the spot. Louis’ Sergeant Foley may have been the first Black character in American cinema to have absolute authority over white characters. The Academy recognized his consummate performance by voting him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He definitely deserved it.”
Gossett Jr. is survived by sons Satie Gossett and Sharron, and his nephew, the actor Robert Gossett.
(Center) Dolph Lundgren in ‘Kindergarten Cop 2.’ Photo: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Assigned to recover sensitive stolen data, a gruff FBI agent (Lundgren) goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher, but the school’s liberal, politically correct environment is more than he bargained for.
When a terrorist group steals the US President’s personal communications computer for launching the US arsenal in case of war, only a heroic Major (Lundgren) has the key to prevent a Presidential assassination or a nuclear holocaust.
When terrorists threaten nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl, the world’s only hope is to reactivate decommissioned Universal Soldier Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Rearmed and reprogrammed, Deveraux must take on his nemesis (Lundgren) from the original ‘Universal Soldier’ and a next-generation “UniSol” that seems almost unstoppable.
When a team of ruthless mercenaries violently seize control of a remote resort hotel, former Special Ops soldiers attending their best friend’s wedding must rely only on their wits and training to combat the terrorists and save the hostages held for ransom.
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.
(L to R) Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as “Easy Day”, Megan Fox as “Gina”, Dolph Lundgren as “Gunner Jensen,” Jacob Scipio as “Galan” Andy Garcia as “Marsh” in ‘Expend4bles.’ Copyright: EX4 Productions, Inc. 2022.
A new generation of stars join the world’s top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in ‘Expend4bles.’ Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.
In a dystopian 2021, Johnny (Keanu Reeves) is a data trafficker who has an implant that allows him to securely store data too sensitive for regular computer networks. On one delivery run, he accepts a package that not only exceeds the implant’s safety limits—and will kill him if the data is not removed in time—but also contains information far more important and valuable than he had ever imagined. On a race against time, he must avoid the assassins sent to kill him and remove the data before it, too, ends his life.
After his wife and daughter are murdered in a home invasion, a widower named John (Scott Adkins) now finds himself up against an army of Universal Soldiers in relentless pursuit, led by a mysterious leader who promises to set UniSols free from their conditioning.
A newly-developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB. James Bond (Roger Moore) must find out how and why. His suspicions soon lead him to big industry leader Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) who forms a plan to destroy his only competition in Silicon Valley by triggering a massive earthquake in the San Francisco Bay.
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) leads a band of highly skilled mercenaries including knife enthusiast Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), a martial arts expert Yin Yang (Jet Li), heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), demolitionist Toll Road (Randy Couture), and a loose-cannon sniper Gunner Jensen (Lundgren). When the group is commissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to assassinate the dictator of a small South American island, Barney and Lee visit the remote locale to scout out their opposition and discover the true nature of the conflict engulfing the city.
(L to R) Aaron McPherson as “Hilts,” Kelsey Grammer as “Brynner” and Dolph Lundgren as “Johansen” in the action thriller, ‘Wanted Man,’ a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Johansen (Lundgren) is an aging detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Christina Villa) to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds not only his old opinions challenged, but that bad hombres on both sides of the border are now gunning for him and his witness.
A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru (Steve Carell) hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them, with the backup of his followers, the Minions.
Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables — but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.
An American soldier (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who had been killed during the Vietnam War is revived 25 years later by the military as a semi-android, UniSols, a high-tech soldier of the future. After the failure of the initiative to erase all the soldier’s memories, he begins to experience flashbacks that are forcing him to recall his past.
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.
Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight against an opponent with ties to his family’s past, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is up against the challenge of his life.
(L to R) Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone in ‘The Expendables 2.’ Photo: Lionsgate.
Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.
(Right) Dolph Lundgren as Francis “Frank” Castle in 1989’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Live Entertainment.
The avenging angel of Marvel Comics fame comes brilliantly to life in this searing action-adventure thriller! Lundgren stars as Frank Castle, a veteran cop who loses his entire family to a mafia car bomb. His ex-partner believes Castle survived the blast and became the Punisher, living in the sewers and exacting vigilante violence against mob bosses throughout the city. When the populace is caught in the midst of a gang war that he caused, Castle must again emerge from the shadows and save the innocent.
(Left) Dolph Lundgren as He-Man in 1987’s ‘Masters of the Universe.’ Photo: The Cannon Group.
The world of Eternia in the aftermath of Skeletor’s (Frank Langella) war on Castle Grayskull, which he has won after seizing Grayskull and the surrounding city using a cosmic key developed by the locksmith Gwildor (Billy Barty). The Sorceress (Christina Pickles) is now Skeletor’s prisoner and he begins to drain her life-force as he waits for the moon of Eternia to align with the Great Eye of the Universe that will bestow god-like power upon him.
(L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren in 1985’s ‘Rocky IV.’
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Lundgren), a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union.
Premiering on Netflix beginning August 31st is the new live-action adaption of the popular manga series ‘One Piece.’ It is based on the highly popular anime and manga, created by Eiichiro Oda. Director Marc Jobst (‘Daredevil’, ‘The Witcher’) helmed the first two episodes and also served as Executive Producer on the series.
What Is The Plot Of ‘One Piece’?
Monkey D. Luffy longs for a life of freedom for as long as he can remember. He is in search of the legendary treasure known as the One Piece and sets out to find a crew to help him on his ultimate quest – to become King of the Pirates. Along the way, Luffy and his crew must outrun the relentless Marines and formidable rivals.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Marc Jobst about the live-action adaptation of the popular anime, what drew him to the project, his love of character-driven stories, and his work on Netflix’s Marvel projects.
‘One Piece’ director Marc Jobst. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
You can read the full interview below or watch our interview by clicking on the video player above.
Moviefone: When you were first brought onto the project, did you feel the need to immediately dive into watching the anime because there’s such extensive lore attached to ‘One Piece’?
Marc Jobst: I really wanted to read and get to the source of this extraordinary story, partly because I absolutely loved Matt (Owens) and Steve (Maeda)’s scripts. I just felt like they were so characterful, and they were so epic, and full of adventure, action-packed, and crazy, and wild, and people chopping up into bits, and all this wonderful crazy stuff. But partly also because what they did in those scripts, and this is what I started with because they sent me the scripts first off, what I loved so much about them, with all those big landscapes and world-building of it all, I loved the fact that there were still these really beautiful little intimate moments between characters, and that’s what drew me into this. I’ve done quite a lot of world-building shows, and they don’t always have from the big to the intimate. Those intimate scenes were also insightful, I felt, about human nature and kindness, actually. So that’s what made me really want to go to the manga and start to read. There is a point at which as a director, you don’t want to become too overburdened. Because I knew Matt Owens, and I’d worked with Matt Owens before, and I knew that he knew everything there was to know, he was a pillar that I could lean on in order to really make sure that I wasn’t veering from the lore in anything that I was proposing to do. I found this when I was doing the Marvel Studios work, sometimes as a director, you just need to see what you see on the page and come to it with a freshness. After all, we were trying to create a show that was fresh, that was additional to the manga and the anime, not in place of.
MF: Aside from being the executive producer, you directed the first two episodes. Can you talk about the process of crafting those initial episodes?
MJ: Yeah, and I’m a character and story man. When I’m sent a script, I’m only really interested in what happens. Who are the characters, what’s their story, what do they want, and what’s their journey? Do I feel like their journey involves some relatable story that as an audience, you can connect with? So when I read those first scripts, that was my first thing, never mind about the crazy world, and the phenomenal characters that exist within it, that’s all lovely. But really if it doesn’t feel to me like we are really exploring character, it’s maybe not my bag of chips. This absolutely did, and that’s what drew me in. So when you ask how do you approach that with the actors, Oda has written phenomenal backstories to these characters. They’re really deep, they’re really profound, they’re really troubled in some respects, first of all. Second of all, they have clear wants. Luffy wants to be king of the pirates, Zoro wants to be the best swordsman in the world, Nami wants to be able to draw a map of the entire universe. All those wants are really clear. So you have a character with a backstory that they bring to life and that they want to achieve something. So what’s the obstacle, and how do they overcome that obstacle, and how do they bring friendships and relationships that enable them to overcome those obstacles? So when I started working with these actors, first of all, the casting process was significant because, obviously, we wanted to travel the world to find the right actors for this. We absolutely knew we wanted the right people, and we wouldn’t stop until we got them. So having done that, and having found these extraordinary people who have heart, primarily they have heart, and they have a beautiful big generous spirit. Number one is what we wanted to cast. Number two, I needed actors who could be physical, who could do a lot of the stunt work themselves, who were excited by doing that, because of the way that I like to shoot action and the way that I wanted the ‘One Piece’ action to look and to feel different from other show’s action. So having done that, then we had four, five weeks of rehearsal together in Cape Town. Bear in mind, these are young actors, so they haven’t all spent a lifetime in front of the camera, or a lifetime acting even. So we went through all the stages that you do when you work with actors, and I’ve spent a life in theater and film. So all that experience I could bring to the floor. We played silly games, and we ate, and we laughed a lot, and we humiliated ourselves in front of each other. We went and did a bit of community work to give something back to the communities in South Africa, and that was a bonding experience for us as a family. So that by the time we got onto the set, we trusted each other. My job then is to create a space in all the technology that goes around a film set, that when they walked onto the floor, that space is for them and for them only, and everybody else serves the actor. That’s just the way that I work as a director. Everything serves the actor because, look, you can have the best sets and visual effects, and sound effects, and special effects, and whizz, bangs, and whistles in the world, but if you don’t believe the person that’s in front of you, you don’t fall in love with a set, you fall in love with a person. So that’s where I wanted to work.
MF: You worked on several IPs that have a lot of action. For ‘One Piece,’ these are characters with special abilities, but they’re not quite typical like your normal comic book characters. Can you talk about crafting the fight scenes and the action scenes, and using these special abilities because they’re quite different?
MJ: Action can get really tedious, and action can get really tiring to watch. Actually, ultimately, it can really affect your enjoyment of a story if it’s not done well and if it’s not done with a purpose. I learned that on ‘Daredevil’, shooting ‘Daredevil’. I was having dinner with some friends in New York when we were prepping the shoot, and this lady said to me, “Oh, I love Daredevil. He’s fantastic. I just fast forward all the action sequences.” You think, “Oh my God, if you’re just fast-forwarding the action sequence, which we spend days preparing, and rehearsing, and talking about, we’re not doing something right.” So to me, action is sometimes a bit like a song in a musical. If you can just take it out and the story still works, it’s not quite working. So action has to, in some form or other, affect character or influence story, number one. So that’s something that I took into ‘The Witcher’ as well. The big sword fight there, I really was very keen that I wanted that first section to be a single shot sword fight to tell the story that this is a badass guy who knows how to wield a sword. By the way, Henry Cavill knows how to wield a sword. That would allow me then, in the second part, to cut the fight up so that I could really control the main event, which was Geralt and Renfri. Then I could stop it and I could get the eye-to-eye contact, and I could get that sense of are they going to kiss or are they going to kill? So if you take that then into ‘One Piece’, what is the tone of the action in ‘One Piece?’ Well, first of all, it’s much more playful, and it’s important to get that playfulness right. Partly you’ve got this guy with rubber arms, and so if you take it too seriously, suddenly you’re going to get this moment of crazy visual effects, which is going to come out of nowhere, and you’re going to think, “Well, that doesn’t quite fit.” So you have to find a tone that fits that. Then second of all, fundamentally, Marvel and ‘Witcher’ were all about the hits, it was all about the punch. So you would make sure that you got this hit and this punch, and so that you could see what was happening, and the sweat coming off the forehead, and the blood coming out of the mouth, and it’s visceral. In ‘One Piece’, to me, it was all about the journey to get to the hit. It was all about the choreography, it was all about the dance. It’s much more ‘Crouching Tiger’ and ‘Kung Fu Hustle’, than it is those gritty, hard Marvel shows, if you see what I mean. So that set the tone for the fight sequences. Then of course, because of the way that I wanted to honor some of the framing of the manga, we developed these special lenses that were made for the show. They’re super wide, but they’re also extremely close focus. So it means that we could do these long sweeping camera shots that didn’t rely constantly on cutting, which is the bit that gets you tired. Added to that, in order to achieve those long sweeping shots, you can’t do that on the day, that’s got to be rehearsed with camera. So the studio, and Netflix, and I, and Steve, and Matt discussed that it would be far better to have a single camera operator purely dedicated, 100% of the time to rehearse with a stunt team. So they’re in the Dojo the whole time, and they learn the choreography of the fight with the camera, and they can also influence the choreography. So they can say, “Look, if you just hold that moment up a beat, I can get my camera around here so we don’t have to do a cut to land the hit.” That was very important to what I hope people enjoy about the action in ‘One Piece’.
MF: Can you talk more about the special lenses you developed for the series and why you like using wide shots for fight sequences?
MJ: The thing about these lenses, the thing about the close focus and the wide is that, this is a travel show. There is no precinct, they don’t end up always coming back to one place. They do come back to the Going Merry, but the Merry’s really only there to take them somewhere else. So location, world-building, have got to be in the DNA of everything that we do. Then you can choose if you want to go really close for those intimate scenes to do that. But all the rest of it felt like to me, we wanted to have location with us all the time because that’s part of what the DNA of the show is. So to have had these lenses that enabled us to work on eight-millimeter, 14-millimeter, 21-millimeter lenses, not only would give the show a completely unique look but was also true to what the manga is.
Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s ‘The Witcher.’ Photo: Jay Maidment.
MF: You’ve worked on so many TV shows. We just mentioned ‘Daredevil’ and ‘The Witcher,’ as well as ‘The Punisher,’ ‘Luke Cage,’ and ‘Hannibal.’ All of these are huge IPs with big fan bases. So what is your approach to projects like that, and is there something that draws you to this genre?
MJ: No, not really. I love story, and I love character, and it goes back to what we said earlier on. If I get a script and I’m drawn in to the arc of the character, if I am fascinated by the world and what it explores, then I’m in. I don’t ever consider myself a genre director. In fact, I’m mostly known for very intense human dramas, particularly in the UK and Europe. Things like ‘Tin Star,’ and ‘Hannibal,’ and ‘Criminal Justice,’ which was then made into ‘The Night Of.’ Those dramas are the things that I started my career in. Then I think it’s just because I approach action shows and genre shows with all those simple questions that you start off when you are learning your craft as a director, which is what’s the story? What do they want? Where do they come from, and who are they? Once you’ve got those elements together, you’re off. Whether it’s a genre show, a superhero show, a fantasy show, or a very intense human kitchen sink drama show, it’s the same thing. What do these people want? It’s one of the things that I work with most on set, what’s the story? What are we really trying to tell you? I know what the journey is, but what’s it about? What is it really about? What’s ‘One Piece’ really about? It’s about believing in your dreams, it’s about believing in yourself, it’s about friendship, being loyal to your friends, and it’s about standing up for what you believe. Great values. We know that. So that becomes the true North with which we set up this whole show. My job as a director is to hold the tiller of our boat, and make sure that we go off in that direction and set sail and reach our end destination. That’s my job. There are plenty of winds that blow around to try and knock the ship off course, all the time, because this is a huge production. But that’s my job. To remind people all the time, and then to say to the actors, “What do you want? What do you want from this scene? What do you want from the story, ultimately? What do you want in your life?” Those are the things that begin to help you to create characters which are three-dimensional, that come from a two-dimensional world.
MF: As you know, Marvel is bringing ‘Daredevil’ back to Disney+ with ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ which will feature both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio reprising their roles from the Netflix series. What piece of advice would you give to the creators of the new show?
MJ: I feel like if you create too straight a line, it doesn’t feel authentic and real. That’s the great trick of ‘Daredevil’, and that’s the great trick of adapting the Marvel Comics into live action, is don’t take a straight line because human beings aren’t a straight line. If we’re trying to dimensionalize characters as in ‘One Piece’, as in ‘Daredevil’, and as in all these adaptations from 2D into 3D, if you try to take a straight line, it becomes fake. One of the great skills that I think ‘Daredevil’ had, actually, they all had in their own ways, but let’s talk about ‘Daredevil’ because that’s the one that is soonest off the starting blocks, is you have Charlie Cox embodying a real human being in that. Charlie Cox is interested in doing that. Of course, we set it into a superhero world, but if you are going to humanize, if you’re going to dimensionalize, you have to follow that through. It’s a bit like in ‘One Piece’, when a few people have talked to me about, “Oh, it feels much more explicit and bloody than the manga.” I say, “Well, if you’re going to dimensionalize your character, and you’re going to go into proper fights, if you don’t have any of that, you’re not staying true to your intention. That will come across.” So with those superhero shows and with shows like ‘Daredevil’, it’s making sure that you are truthful to the human experience, which is not ever a straight line.
MF: Finally, with ‘One Piece’ having already premiered on Netflix, is there another story from anime or manga that has piqued your interest and that you would like to eventually tell?
MJ: Well, to be honest, it’s been so pretty full on with getting ‘One Piece’ to the starting line, I haven’t really had very much headspace to be open to others. Because mangas and animes are worlds, and you dive into it. I don’t devour manga, I don’t devour anime. I devour story, and I devour character. So I’m just hoping, let’s just see how this goes, let’s just see whether we can make it to the starting line of another series, which would be so incredible. I hope if that happens, I could be involved again. But none of us are holding our breath because you just don’t know in this business. We’ve done the best that we can. We’ve put our heart and soul into it. Everybody, the entire huge 800,000 people on this job have worked so hard on it. Of course, in the end, the proof is in the viewing.
‘One Piece’ director Marc Jobst. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Director’s Statement: Marc would like to state that he supports both SAG and WGA in their pursuit of reaching a fair and equitable resolution to the respective strikes. In talking about his work – past and present – he does so with unequivocal support for the highly skilled crews that make up the different unions (SAG and WGA included) and believes all should be valued and recompensed for the contributions they make in bringing these series and films to life.
In ‘One Ranger,’ a gunslinging Texas ranger (Thomas Jane) tracks a bank robber (Dean Jagger) across the desert — only to discover he’s an international terrorist set on detonating a bomb in the heart of London. When the lawman’s partner is killed, he is drawn into partnership with a British intelligence agent (Dominique Tipper) and her boss (John Malkovich) to bring the outlaw to justice — dead or alive.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Thomas Jane about his work on ‘One Ranger,’ the “fish out of water” premise, creating his character, his partnership with Dominique Tipper’s character, the action sequences, working with John Malkovich and the possibilities of a sequel.
Thomas Jane in ‘One Ranger.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Thomas Jane, and writer and director Jesse V. Johnson about ‘One Ranger.’
Moviefone: To begin with, I thought this character fit you like a glove and is a prefect Thomas Jane role. Did you recognize that when you first read the script, and what were some of the aspects of the character you were excited to explore on screen?
Thomas Jane: I’ve had a lot of fun with creating iconic, classic characters, people that are a little left of center. This guy, just by being alive in 2023, is already a fish out of water even in his own world. We’re fortunate enough to be the opening night film at the Dallas Film Festival, so we’re in Texas Ranger country right now. I feel a real responsibility to creating something that these guys are probably going to watch. It’s probably only a few of them, but they’re going to watch this thing. So, I wanted to make sure not to embarrass myself and create something that honored who they are and what they do, because we need more Texas Rangers in the world right now.
MF: Can you talk about the unlikely partnership that your character forms with Dominique Tipper’s character throughout the events of the film?
TJ: We had this British character in the script and we were batting around ideas, and I had just worked with Dominique for five years on ‘The Expanse,’ and we had a really nice relationship. She’s a good egg. She’s dedicated, and we had the connection already between the two of us. So for us it was creating the antagonism that these two obviously are from opposite sides of the pond, and we wanted to have fun with that. But we knew that underneath was the respect that we both just naturally have for each other, so she ended up being a perfect choice and I’m just glad she said yes. It was a lot of fun but it was a tough shoot.
Dominique Tipper in ‘One Ranger.’
MF: I know you’ve worked with John Malkovich before, but what was it like for you to reunite with him again and work together on this movie?
TJ: He’s one of those consummate actors that every actor respects and admires. I remember when he did ‘Of Mice and Men’ back in the day, that must have been like the ‘80s when he hit the scene doing theater in Chicago and all that. So he’s always been someone to look up to and its always a thrill when you get to work with that caliber of talent. He always shows up. He showed up and he did his job. He was present, and he was there. A lot of these actors that come in for a short period of time, you can’t really count on them. Sometimes they need cue cards, you know what I mean? Not Malkovich. He shows up to have fun, and we certainly did have a good time. These two characters were allies. They’re on the same side, ostensibly, but they have very different ideas about how to get the job done, and that was fun. We had a respect, but also there was an antagonism and you’re always looking for that kind of thing.
Thomas Jane in ‘One Ranger.’
MF: I know that you did a lot of your own stunts and action sequences in this film, do you enjoy doing that and does it help you to stay in character and make those scenes as realistic as possible?
TJ: I’m a huge fan of Harrison Ford and if you watch his movies, even in something like ‘Frantic,’ that Polanski directed. Where his family gets kidnapped and he’s got to go after them, but he’s a regular dude. His physicality is just so great. He can say so much with the character just in the way that he moves his body, whether it’s ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ or something else. I grew up watching this guy, with his physicality. You know that it’s him because of the way he moves. You know that’s not a stunt guy because it’s Harrison Ford and the way he moves his body is telling us that he’s scared but he’s going to do it anyway, that he’s never been in this situation before but he’s figuring it out as he goes along. I always aspire to bring something like that because it always struck me. That’s why I like to have fun with the stunts and doing them.
MF: Finally, have you given any thought to a sequel and is this a character that you would like to play again?
TJ: We were just talking about that. Apparently Lionsgate has the same idea, so we’re going to try to figure that out.
(L to R) Thomas Jane and Dominique Tipper in ‘One Ranger.’
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’
The last time Jon Bernthal was seen on screens as vigilante Frank Castle –– better known as The Punisher –– it was in 2019, on what would become the second and final season of his titular series.
Created by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru, Frank Castle first debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics’ The Amazing Spider-Man #129 in 1974.
The character is traditionally depicted as an Italian-American vigilante who employs murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence, and torture in his campaign against criminals. Driven by the deaths of his wife and two children, who were killed by the mob for witnessing a killing in New York City’s Central Park, the Punisher wages a one-man war on crime.
What’s the history of Jon Bernthal as the Punisher?
Bernthal was originally cast as Castle for ‘Daredevil’s second season on Netflix in 2016 before spinning off to his own series in 2017, which ran for two seasons on the streaming service.
Since Marvel and Disney took back control of their TV characters, Netflix has cancelled its entire Defenders output.
In 2021, Bernthal had this to say about a potential return:
“I think if there’s any let up on that character, you do a disservice to the character, to every iteration of the character, to every comic book that’s come before, and to all of the unbelievable fans of the character,” said the actor. “This character means so much to people in the military. So like I said before, it’s not about whether you do the character; it’s about whether you can do it right, and I’m only interested in doing it right.”
Looks like he thinks they’re doing it right.
What is ‘Daredevil: Born Again’?
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ represents the next step forward for the character on the small screen after Charlie Cox returned as Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who dons a costume and fights crime as Daredevil, for a cameo in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and as a recurring guest star on Disney+ series ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’. Vincent D’Onofrio, who played Wilson Fisk AKA Kingpin, returned in ‘Hawkeye’ and will be the main antagonist in ‘Born Again’.
Overseen by Matt Corman and Chris Ord, the show will boast 18 episodes in its first season and starts shooting this month in New York.
Marvel and Disney have yet to confirm any official details, but the show should be on screens next year. We don’t know how many episodes will feature Bernthal, but at least we know he’ll back.
