Deon Cole hosts the 57th NAACP Image Awards on February 28th. Photo: Paramount+.
Preview:
‘Sinners’ took home the big prizes at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards.
‘Paradise’ and Cynthia Erivo were also among the winners.
The event took place Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Following the difficult, insulting moments of this year’s BAFTA Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Deon Cole, which took place Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, were a chance to balance things out.
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And Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ proved to be the big winner, going home with 13 awards following a nomination count of 18. Star Michael B. Jordan himself won both a Best Actor award and was honored with Entertainer of the Year.
The ceremony also paid tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, with NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson honoring the late civil rights activist, whose family was in attendance at the ceremony.
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in ‘Roofman’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst about their work on ‘Roofman’, the true story it is based on, Tatum’s first reaction to the screenplay, Dunst’s research into her role, and what it was like working with director Derek Cianfrance.
You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.
Moviefone: To begin with, Channing, how aware were you of the true story the film is based on, and what was your first reaction to reading the screenplay?
Channing Tatum: I was not aware of the actual story. He’s 10 years older than me, so I was probably young when it came up. I asked my parents as well, and they didn’t really know of it. But in talking to Derek about it, the script is incredible. The script feels like fiction and it’s just not. You go, “How could this guy have made this many decisions or this many things even happen?” There’s one thing to want to do it, and there’s another thing to pull it off. Talking to him, you realize he’s very, very smart. The first time I ever talked to him, I had all these questions, and I didn’t have to ask any of them because he kind of took care of me on the phone. By the end of it, you just end up loving the guy. I genuinely like this man, and I care about him, and I hope he gets out earlier than what he should. I personally don’t think he should have gotten that many years. That’s my first conversation with him after reading the script. I just liked this man, and I had some sort of connection to him that I can’t really explain.
MF: Kirsten, can you talk about the research you did to play Leigh, and did you come to understand how she could fall for Jeffrey Manchester?
Kirsten Dunst: I mean, that’s really what happened. This was a true love story. They really fell in love, so I wanted to tell that in a very authentic way with having two girls to worry about and knowing that this experience for her was truly an adventure. You don’t really see that in people anymore, that they have that grace to look and step back and not have animosity towards each other or anything like that. They both have a very high spiritual understanding of what’s important in life, and I think that she could understand and overlook the obvious lies and see a man that was really who she wished she could have been with.
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
MF: Kirsten, I’ve heard you say that working with director Derek Cianfrance was a “dream”. What did you love about working with him?
KD: He loves actors so much, and whenever you’re in a place that someone is championing you to do your best work and your most authentic, like the way he sets the tone on set for you, he just cares so much and there’s no ego in that relationship. So, it lends itself to an honest, real performance, and that’s why with his movies and shows you feel it deeply. It doesn’t feel like acting in my opinion.
MF: Finally, Channing, was Derek a filmmaker that you’ve been wanting to work with for a while and what was the experience like working with him on this movie?
CT: I mean, absolutely. I stupidly turned down ‘Blue Valentine’ like 19 years ago. He’d seen a movie that I was in at Sundance, offered me the movie, I read it, and it was just so sad. At that time in my life, I didn’t understand how to be in a relationship like that, I guess. I didn’t have a real perspective of it and really believed that I could have pulled it off and I said, no, stupidly. That was Ryan Gosling’s movie, I guess. It was all serendipitous and this one was what we were supposed to end up connecting on and this many years later. I just went for a walk with him, and I just genuinely love him as a human and as a creator, but if we never make another movie, I hope we just get to hang out a lot because I learn something every time that I’m around him. But I would also come and just hang out on set with him. I love him as a brother. He’s a special human.
Theatrical one-sheet for Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.
In theaters on October 10 via Paramount Pictures is ‘Roofman’, which is inspired by the odd true story of Jeff Manchester, who got the titular nickname by breaking into McDonald’s restaurants through their roofs and created a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us store.
Channing Tatum stars in Paramount Pictures ‘Roofman’.
When you consider his past work –– doomed romance ‘Blue Valentine’ and tension-filled crime thriller ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ –– Derek Cianfrance might not seem like the first choice for a true story that, on the face of it, could come across as goofy. And yet, in the director’s hands, it has become something warm and surprisingly sweet.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Cianfrance wrote the script with Kirt Gunn (‘Sound of Metal’), a former advertising executive who hired the director years ago to work on a campaign.
Together, they have wrangled Jeff Manchester’s story –– albeit changing a few of the details into something that, while it doesn’t let him off the hook for his actions, does at least try to understand why he turned to robbery and burglary.
Cast and Performances
Peter Dinklage stars in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Channing Tatum is the beating heart of the movie –– it utilizes the full power of his charisma but also gives him a chance to explore some deeper, darker sides.
And his chemistry with Kirsten Dunst, who plays the single mother for whom Manchester falls, makes for a romantic, sweet side to the film, even if their love story doesn’t have happiest ending.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Juno Temple, LaKeith Stanfield and Channing Tatum star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
Cianfrance infuses the story with more meaning, but doesn’t forget to keep it entertaining and heartfelt.
‘Roofman’ receives 80 out of 100.
(L to R) Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
What’s the story of ‘Roofman’?
Based on an unbelievable true story, ‘Roofman’ follows Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), a former Army Ranger and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman.
After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.
Who is in the cast of ‘Roofman’?
Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester
Kirsten Dunst as Leigh Wainscott
Ben Mendelsohn as Ron Smith
Peter Dinklage as Mitch
Uzo Aduba as Eileen
Juno Temple as Michelle
Emory Cohen as Otis
LaKeith Stanfield as Steve
Theatrical one-sheet for Paramount Pictures’ ‘Roofman’.
With its unusual central sleuth, a lot of frustrated potential suspects and a (mostly) one-location setting, this new series still manages to avoid coming across like a bad copy of the ‘Only Murders’ format.
Here, creator/showrunner Paul William Davies (no stranger to White House affairs after working on Rhimes-birthed crisis management thriller series ‘Scandal’) mixes a crafty, funny mix of his own personal favorite mystery writers (the episode titles all nod to classic mystery books or movies) with the intriguing inner workings of the most famous address in America, since he also drew from Kate Andersen Brower’s book ‘The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House.’
It’s a combo that works really well –– the scurrilous world of behind-the-scenes drama during a State dinner for Australia is a fantastic backdrop for a teasing conundrum.
The key to any good mystery –– whether it’s supposed to be funny or not –– is a carefully constructed script with enough red herrings to throw you off the scent of the final truth at the heart of the matter.
Here, Williams and his writing staff concocted the twisted story of White House chief usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito), who rules efficiently and smoothly, but can’t abide personal drama. When he shows up dead on an upper floor of the residence at the White House, some within the building want it written off as a suicide, while others are convinced it was murder.
Naturally, that calls for a detective to be brought in, and ‘The Residence’s creative team have made one for the ages in Uzo Aduba’s Cordelia Cupp, a dedicated ornithologist who just so happens to have a genius brain for ferretting out the answers to mysteries.
But it’s not just the Cordelia Cupp show, the scripts weave and wander around the residence, replaying moments in time from different angles and creating a solid group of characters to tell the story. And while a lot of the series takes place within the title location, there is also a hearing happening to break things up.
Directorially, Liza Johnson and her team bring an interesting style to the show, which sweeps through a version of the White House, and perfectly complements the story.
Uzo Aduba is delightful as Cordelia Cupp, a consulting detective in the Sherlock Holmes mold, who is brought in by befuddled authorities to crack the case.
Aduba is a natural at this sort of quirky comedy, and the character she brings to life is effortlessly entertaining, whether she’s interrogating suspects, confounding those who perceive themselves superior to her or tracking down a rare bird she wants to cross off her spotting list.
Her mismatched buddy comedy chemistry with Randall Park’s FBI agent Edwin Park is one of the best elements of the series –– they’re on the same mission, but they rarely agree on how to go about it, and Park’s deadpan energy syncs well with Aduba’s.
Giancarlo Esposito faced his own challenge coming into the show, as he inherited the role of chief usher Wynter from Andre Braugher. While Braugher had briefly played the part before the 2023 WGA strike shut down production, he died before filming could resume, leading to Esposito (who, coincidentally, replaced him years ago on ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ before they co-starred in the follow-up TV movie to the show) stepping in.
Wynter might seem like a character Esposito has become very known for playing –– icy, analytical and quietly arrogant, but he proves to be a refreshing change from that mode, with some more layers (even if his death kicks off the central mystery).
Of the considerable supporting cast, highlights include Al Franken, playing the senator leading the hearing into the investigation, the ever-reliable Eliza Coupe who steals scenes as Senator Bix, who is eager to get to the truth of the matter, and Mel Rodriguez, playing Bruce Geller, the chief engineer who had no great love for Wynter, but does fall for another member of the household staff.
Jason Lee is good value as Tripp Morgan, the President’s scruffy, lazy, salt-obsessed and light-fingered brother, bringing just the right level of sibling rivalry to the show, while Jane Curtin makes a meal of the role as the President’s mother-in-law who loves a drink, but hates noise.
Oh, and kudos to pop legend Kylie Minogue for being so game to make fun of herself in a couple of episodes.
With its quirky score and offbeat central figure, you could effectively call this ‘Only Murders in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building’ (yes, yes, we know… the residence is part of the White House proper, just go with it.)
This latest Shondaland offering has a solid cast, a great mystery and a watchable story that keeps you guessing.
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What’s the plot of ‘The Residence’?
Set in “upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs” of the White House, Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), an eccentric detective, arrives on the premises in order to solve a murder which happened during a state dinner. During the investigation, interpersonal conflicts between 157 personnel of the residence start to unfold.
(L to R) Himesh Patel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Greedy People’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Opening in theaters on August 23rd, ‘Greedy People’ comes across like a Coen brothers movie made by people who have not actually seen the siblings’ work, only heard it described by someone who remembered the wrong things.
Though Joseph Gordon-Levitt leads an accomplished cast, the film around them simply can’t find the right gear and is neither as funny nor as impactful as it believes.
Darkly comic crime thrillers are a tricky genre to get right. And yes, while we keep bringing up the Coen brothers, that’s because they effectively mastered it with the likes of ‘Fargo’ and ‘The Big Lebowski’, among others.
Which is not to say that other directors haven’t made it work, but when you have a movie that so clearly wants to stand alongside some of the classics, you need to make sure it really works. It’s regrettable to report that ‘Greedy People’ simply doesn’t. It’s far from unwatchable but scuppered by some serious issues.
‘Greedy People’: Script and Direction
(L to R) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel in ‘Greedy People’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Writer Mike Vukadinovich is probably better known for TV than movies –– he’s worked on shows such as ‘Kidding’ and Marvel’s ‘Runaways’. Yet his big screen script work has been eclectic, including ‘Rememory’ and contributing to one of the many development drafts of the upcoming ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’.
Here, though, he’s come up with a spin on a familiar concept –– cash found in a small town that has all manner of shysters, grifters and struggling family types willing to go to any lengths to get their hands on it –– and, well, pumped out the latest generic version of said story. There are quirky characters galore, but so many of them feel like bland copies of earlier, better examples. And tonally, the movie is all over the place, seemingly unable to decide if it wants to be wacky, somber or wannabe-insightful about human greed.
Director Potsy Ponciroli, sadly, never overcome the issues of the script given to him. While he gets a handful of solid performances from a game cast, none of it adds up to anything really worth spending much time with. And one moment in particular –– which features the death of an animal played for laughs –– is so unfortunate as to sour reactions to even the most interesting character of the story.
‘Greedy People’: Performances
The one person who truly seems to be having fun here is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who absolutely consumes the role of corrupt cop Terry. Around him, everyone else (except possibly Tim Blake Nelson and, in a brief appearance, Traci Lords) feel like they’re in another movie.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Greedy People’. Photo: Lionsgate.
A wacky whirlwind of a performance, Terry the cop allows Gordon-Levitt to truly cut loose in a way he’s rarely allowed. And he commits, bringing the foul-mouthed, moral-free law enforcement officer to life with gusto. Yet, as mentioned before, he feels apart from pretty much everyone else, as if he wandered in from another set.
Effectively our audience surrogate leading us into the weird world of the Nantucket island setting, Patel opts mostly for earnest, which sort of works when playing off Gordon-Levitt’s firecracker of a role, but more honestly fits with Lily James (in a ‘Yesterday’ reunion) as his wife.
He’s not bad by any means, but he’s also something of a wet sponge compared to his co-star.
Tim Blake Nelson
Nelson –– a Coen stalwart –– definitely knows what he’s doing in this type of movie, ratcheting up the quirk levels and committing to being a scheming weirdo. Yet his role is still relatively small and what happens to him is fairly predictable.
Supporting cast
Around the main characters, there is the typical ensemble of townsfolk and friends/family. All the cast do what they can, some with underwritten roles. Lily James does what she can with the part of Will’s pregnant wife, playing her with a welcome mix of pragmatism, spirit and vulnerability. Traci Lords has a glorified cameo as the housewife (and aggrieved other half to Nelson’s character), whose 911 call sets the film’s plot into motion.
Other notable people deserving of praise? Jim Gaffigan is great in small role (and a big wig) as local assassin-for-hire The Irishman. His delivery and manner are really suited to this sort of movie, and he makes the character believably odd. Ditto Uzo Aduba as the police captain, whose cheery professionalism masks real grief.
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‘Greedy People’: Final Thoughts
‘Greedy People’ is probably best described as a worthy failure. It certainly has some watchable performances, decent lines and a handful of fun scenes, but overall, it just can’t maintain its momentum, nor figure out exactly what it wants to be.
As the body count rises, the tone becomes increasingly tiresome, and while Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines in his role, even Terry becomes grating. If you’re a small-town noir completist, maybe give this a look, but otherwise it never works as well as it might.
‘Greedy People’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Greedy People’?
Rookie cop Will (Himesh Patel) and his rogue partner Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) upend their small island town when they accidentally discover one million dollars at a crime scene (of their own making).
After the duo unwisely decides to steal the money, the community’s quirky residents are lured into the mad dash for cash — ranging from an expectant mom (Lily James) to a masseur (Simon Rex) to a shrimp company owner (Tim Blake Nelson) — and everyone learns just how far they are willing to go for the almighty dollar.
Directed by Angus MacLane (‘Finding Dory’), the new movie is a representation of the in-world blockbuster film that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy Andy played with in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise, and stars Chris Evans (‘Avengers: Infinity War’) as the voice of Buzz Lightyear.
In addition to Evans, the voice cast also includes Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Dale Soules, and Taika Waititi. The result is a fun movie that doesn’t recapture the magic of the ‘Toy Story’ franchise but is still an entertaining animated adventure.
The film begins by introducing us to Buzz Lightyear (Evans), a Space Ranger exploring a new planet with his commanding officer Alisha Hawthorne (Aduba). When danger strikes, Buzz does his best to save his spaceship full of civilians and escape the planet but they are ultimately marooned. Blaming himself, Buzz and Alisha work with the survivors to build a new civilization on the strange planet and rebuild their spacecraft so they can go home.
However, when Buzz tests the new ship he realizes that every time he attempts to leave the planet, he is thrusted into the future by four years. Refusing to fail, Buzz attempts to leave again dozens of times, until eventually, Alisha grows old and dies. After Buzz’s latest attempt, he realizes the planet has been invaded by the evil Emperor Zurg (Brolin). Now, Buzz must team-up with Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy (Palmer), Mo Morrison (Waititi), Darby Steel (Soules), and a robotic cat named Sox (Sohn) and learn to work together in order to defeat Zurg and free the planet forever.
As a standalone Pixar animated adventure, ‘Lightyear’ completely soars, but is undermined by the filmmakers’ choice to shoehorn it into the ‘Toy Story’ franchise. The film opens with a title card that explains ‘Lightyear’ is the in-world movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy, which Andy played with in the original ‘Toy Story’ movies. The idea that this movie is Andy’s ‘Star Wars’ or even ‘Independence Day’ is laughable, and it’s hard to see how young Andy would fall in love with this movie.
Another question that arises from making ‘Lightyear’ the movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy is why doesn’t the character in the “movie” sound like the toy? Typically, when a voice-activated toy is release from a movie, that toy has the voice of the actor that played him in the movie. So, why isn’t Tim Allen the voice of the real Buzz Lightyear? Also, since ‘Lightyear’ is the movie the toy is based on, it means Chris Evans wasn’t actually playing Buzz, he was really playing an actor playing the title character. Best not to think about that one too much.
That being said, whoever Evans is actually playing, he does a great job of making the role his own, while honoring what Tim Allen did before him. It’s also clever casting because there are a lot of similarities between Buzz and Evans’ signature character, Steve Rogers/Captain America. Both characters are government heroes, lost in time, just trying to get home to their loved ones. There is also a comparison to be made to his “Old Man Steve” character from ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ but to talk too much about that would give away spoilers.
An overall issue I’ve had with Pixar in the past is that they come up with great concepts, and then abandon them halfway through to introduce a cute character that will sell a lot of merchandise. ‘Soul’ is a great example of that, with a truly original concept, but then introducing an adorable cat halfway through. So, I was skeptical when Sox (voiced by Peter Sohn) was introduced about 30min into ‘Lightyear.’ However, I’m happy to say that Sox really works and is a great addition to the story. Yes, it’s another example of Pixar adding a cute animal to its cast, but it doesn’t feel out of place at all and the character definitely steals every scene he’s in.
Rounding out the supporting cast are some really lovely performances from Uzo Aduba and Keke Palmer, as Commander Alisha and her granddaughter Izzy, respectively, who are really the emotional core of the movie. Taika Waititi and Dale Soules are also scene stealers with their wonderful characters of Mo and Darby, who bring the funny with their off-the-wall performances.
James Brolin is fine as the voice of Emperor Zurg, but it’s the characters final reveal that bothers me. Again, to say too much would lead to spoilers, but let’s just say that I saw the film’s big twist coming from a million lightyears away. It’s an interesting idea, but I feel like we’ve seen that twist before and it doesn’t lead to the ‘Empire Strikes Back’ moment that was probably intended. The reveal also puts the integrity of the movie’s lead character in jeopardy.
Don’t get me wrong, ‘Lightyear’ is a really fun and exciting adventure movie, with beautiful animation and a cast of really interesting characters, but in the end, suffers from its desire to remind you its set in the ‘Toy Story’ universe.
Opening in theaters on June 17th is the spinoff to Pixar’s popular ‘Toy Story’ franchise entitled ‘Lightyear.’ The new movie is a representation of the in-world blockbuster film that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy Andy played with in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Evans about his work on ‘Lightyear.’
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You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Evans, Uzo Aduba, Keke Palmer, James Brolin, Taika Waititi, producer Galyn Susman, and writer/director Angus MacLane.
Moviefone: To begin with, when you first saw an image of Buzz’s cat Sox, did you think he looked like your dog Dodger, because they both have white feet?
Chris Evans: Yeah, I liked the coloring on the cat. I was like, “I wonder if that was a little tribute to Dodger.” Whether it was, or it wasn’t, it made me happy. I had seen some images. I kind of knew it was coming. It seems like he steals the movie. So, I was really happy for him.
MF: Can you talk about the pressure of taking on the iconic role of Buzz Lightyear?
CE: Oh, yeah, enormous pressure. I mean, I’m a fan first. So, I love what Tim Allen did. We all did. I mean that’s why the character is so iconic. It’s why it’s worthy of a standalone movie. So, you have to acknowledge the great work he did.
The truth is this isn’t James Bond where I’m just taking a character we know but making a completely new interpretation. This character is supposed to be the character the toy’s based on. So, you have to acknowledge that overlap and use what Tim Allen did as a compass, and I’d be a fool not to. I mean, he did such a good job. It’ll never not be Tim Allen. But that doesn’t mean it’s not terrifying and intimidating.
MF: Were there any aspects of Tim Allen’s version of Buzz Lightyear that you adopted for your performance?
CE: All of them. I mean, I think my first recording session was just a shameless Tim Allen impression. You can’t help it. It’s what I know. With the dialogue, you just hear Tim Allen’s voice in your head. I still hear his voice in my head. I mean, he’s Buzz Lightyear! He is. So, you have to, not just pay your respects, but again, steal from him whenever you can.
The goal is to make a good movie. Tim set the bar. So, I’m going to borrow as much as I can. Because, again, it’s supposed to be the same character, so I can at least do it with the justification in my mind that I’m not being a lazy actor.
MF: The movie deals with a lot of themes including the importance of working together as a team. What was one the film’s themes that really resonated with you?
CE: That the mistakes you make in life don’t define you. That when you do make mistakes, it’s an opportunity for growth, as opposed to something to just feel shame and spiral into this sort of stagnant stillness. It’s actually a chance to evolve.
MF: Finally, did you create a backstory for Buzz’s life on Earth before the events of the movie begin?
CE: Good question. I mean, of course. It’s pretty clear from even Tim Allen’s interpretation the type of man he was, probably the type of man he was since he was a child. I think Buzz is probably a character that when he was a little kid, he was the hall monitor. He’s probably class president. He’s a natural leader.
I imagine him to be a pretty austere, quotidian sort of guy who has a very regiment lifestyle. I just think there’s always a mission, and I think his goal is to climb a certain ladder to achieve a certain level of authority in order to help people. But I would picture him as a man that doesn’t have much time for relationships or pets or things like that, which is why the Sox dynamic is so funny.
Chris Evans voices Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s ‘Lightyear,’ which opens in theaters on June 17th.
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With each new trailer for Disney and Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’, we learn a little bit more about this latest animated release. And that continues with this third promo for the movie, which reveals that Buzz’s mission has a bigger twist than we imagined.
Pixar describes this new movie as “the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy.” In case you’re still wondering how this all connects to ‘Toy Story’s plastic Star Command toy, ‘Lightyear’ is a movie that Andy in the ‘Story’ world would have seen and craved the toy from.
The plot follows the legendary Space Ranger (Chris Evans) after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander (Uzo Aduba) and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox (Pixar veteran Peter Sohn). Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.
It’s Palmer as Izzy who is one of the key elements here, as the latest promo reveals that Buzz’s mission sends him hurtling, ‘Buck Rogers’-style into the future. Perhaps not as far as Buck, but Buzz certainly ends up a distance from his own time and working with people years ahead of where he took off (62 years and change, to be exact).
Izzy is the granddaughter of Commander Hawthorne, while the others are either part of a prison release program or sign up for the adventure. And Buzz will need all the help he can get with Zurg’s rampaging robots hunting them down.
Director Angus MacLane has been doing the rounds for the movie, talking about his influences for this latest Pixar adventure. “The visual aesthetic is a collection of different things, just stuff that I think is cool and fun and tactile,” MacLane tells The Wrap.
“You can see in the design of sci-fi, well there’s ‘Star Wars’ and then ‘Aliens’ combines real-world tactical military stuff with an industrial design functionality, that’s really interesting,” Maclane continued. “And, then when you get to ‘District 9,’ how it brings in more anime influence into that design aesthetic. And that’s pretty much a straight line from ‘Star Wars.’ And, then before that it’s ‘2001.’ There’s a lot of those feelings, but there’s a pocket in there in the ’80s of consumer electronics and there was just this wonderful sense of goofy push button chunk that I’ve always enjoyed.”
‘Lightyear’ will be in theaters – initially, only in theaters unlike other recent Pixar movies – on June 17th.
NBC has its sights set on some big names to fill out the already-impressive cast of its upcoming live staging of “The Wiz”: According to several outlets, both Beyonce and Uzo Aduba are being considered for the part of Glinda the Good Witch.
E! reports that Beyonce has already been offered the role, though no deal has been finalized yet. According to Entertainment Weekly, producers have apparently approached the singer at least twice about the part, but the singer has passed both times; EW says that NBC may be prepping yet another offer for Queen Bey, though it’s unclear if that’s the offer E! is talking about.
But if Beyonce doesn’t take it, there’s another, equally-talented actress apparently waiting in the wings: “Orange Is the New Black” star Aduba, who has a Broadway background (she appeared in a 2011 revival of “Godspell”). According to E!, Aduba is producers’ second pick for the part, though it’s unclear if she’s been approached yet about the role.
Whoever takes on the part has some big shoes to fill: The role was originated in “The Wiz”‘s 1975 Broadway debut by Dee Dee Bridgewater, and performed by Lena Horne in the 1978 movie. The film also starred fellow mega-talents Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow.
Speaking of big shoes, NBC’s live version of the multicultural retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” has already cast some major talent. Both Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige have joined the ensemble, playing the titular wizard and Wicked Witch of the West Evillene, respectively. Stephanie Mills, who played Dorothy in the original Broadway production, will portray Auntie Em this time around.
NBC is collaborating with Cirque du Soleil on “The Wiz,” and is also staging a Broadway revival of the show for the 2016-2017 season. Its live version is slated to run on the network on December 3.
Netflix has released the first poster for season three of “Orange Is the New Black,” and it’s nothing short of heavenly.
The one-sheet features images of Daya (Dascha Polanco), Alex (Laura Prepon), Piper (Taylor Schilling), Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba), and Red (Kate Mulgrew) plastered on prayer candles, made to look angelic and beatific. Each woman’s candle features iconography associated with the inmates, including a rattle symbolizing Daya’s pregnancy — and the impending birth of her child — and the yogurt and nail polish that Red loves so much, while also throwing in some religious symbolism with the tagline, “The Third Coming.”
The striking poster implies that Daya’s storyline will really come into the forefront this season, and Alex — who was mostly absent from season two — will also be a prominent part of the proceedings. Check out the full poster below, and light your own metaphoric candle in preparation for “Orange”‘s return.
Season three of “Orange Is the New Black” debuts on Netflix on June 12.
NBC has its sights set on some big names to fill out the already-impressive cast of its upcoming live staging of “The Wiz”: According to several outlets, both 
