In fact, if Warner Bros. and New Line have their way, there will certainly be more. According to The InSneider, a prequel movie is now in development.
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Details are somewhat scarce on the movie so far, but we do know that Rodrigue Huart, who has seen success in the short film arena, is in talks to direct.
Right now, the story is a mystery, beyond the notion that it’ll turn the clock back to the early days of Ed and Lorraine Warren, as played in the main ‘Conjuring’ franchise by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
Whether either actor will be back for bookend scenes, it seems more likely that new people will be stepping into the roles.
What we do know is that Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, who co-wrote 2023’s ‘The Nun II’ and this year’s ‘Last Rites’ are aboard to script this new movie.
What else is happening in the ‘Conjuring’ universe?
A TV spin-off of the movies has been in the works for some time, and recently hired Nancy Won, a veteran of shows such as Apple TV‘s ‘Sunny’, Netflix‘s ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ on Hulu to be showrunner, executive producer and head writer for the series.
Plot information is unavailable right now, but the show will apparently continue the story in some fashion, likely without using the Warrens (but we won’t count them out).
The movie series’ Peter Safran remains onboard as an executive producer, with James Wan’s Atomic Monster company also producing. Wan, of course, launched the movie series with 2013’s ‘The Conjuring’.
Also hired for the show were writers Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires, who have Marvel shows and other genre work on their resumes.
When will this ‘The Conjuring’ prequel movie be in theaters?
With none of the deals officially in place yet, we wouldn’t expect this next chunk of scare tactics to be out much before 2027 at the earliest.
(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
A ‘The Conjuring’ TV series is in development.
Nancy Won will be showrunner.
The series will be on HBO Max.
With the most recent entry of ‘The Conjuring’ cinematic horror franchise, ‘Last Rites’, delivering giant box office results, you knew there was going to be more.
And the news feels like the right time for an update on the gestating TV series that has been in development at HBO Max since 2023.
There are few details available about the show right now, though Variety’s report mentions that the show will continue some aspect of the ‘Conjuring’ storyline.
Whether that means any appearances of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the main characters (based on real-life supernatural investigators) remains to be seen, but we can imagine the show exploring its own corner of the universe.
There is, let’s not forget other avenues the show could exploit, including ‘The Nun’ and ‘Annabelle’ movie spin-off timelines, but chances are it’ll plough its own row.
The movie series’ Peter Safran remains onboard as an executive producer, with James Wan’s Atomic Monster company also producing. Wan, of course, launched the movie series with 2013’s ‘The Conjuring’.
Also hired for the show were writers Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires, who have Marvel shows and other genre work on their resumes.
What other movie spin-offs are headed to HBO Max?
(L to R) Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in ‘Lanterns’. Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO.
Alongside the ‘Conjuring’ show, fellow horror franchise ‘It’ has its own spin-off hitting HBO Max starting October 26th called ‘IT: ‘Welcome to Derry’. It’s a prequel set in the 1960s.
And while it’s not strictly a spin-off from an existing movie, superhero series ‘Lanterns’ is part of the DC Studios universe and will include appearances from Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, whose character was introduced in ‘Superman’.
When will the ‘Conjuring’ series be on HBO Max?
Since it’s at such an early stage, there is no information yet on when the show might hit the streaming service.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ opened big at the global box office.
It represents the most successful launch for a ‘Conjuring’ movie.
And Warner Bros. is on a remarkable run.
The ‘Conjuring’ franchise –– launched back in 2013 by James Wan –– has been quite the reliable performer for Warner Bros., and this past weekend’s launch of latest entry ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ certainly kept that tradition alive.
‘Last Rites’, advertised as the final outing for Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, took in an impressive $83 million in its first three days.
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That makes it the most successful entry in a franchise that, via a run of nine movies including sequels and spin-offs, has earned $2.3 billion.
This ‘Last Rites’ launch was easily enough to win the box office here in the US, and with $194 million worldwide, it is also the most successful launch for a horror title globally, overtaking Warners’ own ‘It’.
The success of ‘Last Rites’ marks an impressive theatrical run for Warner Bros. as the seventh consecutive release to open above $40 million. No other studio has ever achieved that level of consistency at the box office.
It’s even more remarkable when you consider that earlier in the year, the studio had suffered a series of duds from 2024 and the initial months of 2024 including ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’, ‘Mickey 17’ and ‘The Alto Knights’.
Studio Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy were at risk of being fired until the likes of ‘A Minecraft Movie’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Superman’ and more began a run of hits, with movies sticking around beyond their first weekend.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
Disney’s theatrical release of the filmed ‘Hamilton’ stage musical was a distant second, earning $10 million from 1,825 screens. It’s a solid start given that the movie has been on Disney+ since 2020.
It’s kind of amazing to realize that the ‘Conjuring’ universe is the only successful shared cinematic universe that doesn’t have superheroes in it. But after 12 years and $2.2 billion in box office receipts, this spooky paranormal saga revolving primarily around the real-life case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren is finally coming to a close.
After the tedious, going-through-the-motions disappointment of 2021’s ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,’ we’re glad to report that ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ finds the series on much better footing as it heads for the door. While it doesn’t quite match up to the first two installments, and there’s a certain amount of formula now permanently ingrained in the proceedings, ‘Last Rites’ is a more energetic, creepier, and emotional sendoff, anchored like all these films by the chemistry between stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
It’s 1986, and Ed and Lorraine Warren are all but retired from the paranormal investigation business due to Ed’s health issues and Lorraine’s fear of bringing evil forces down upon their heads and that of their now grown daughter Judy. At the same time, Ed is restless: the couple find themselves lecturing to near-empty college classrooms full of snickering students, and he’s not adapting well to a private life where he has to order the salad in a restaurant instead of lasagna.
So when they are approached about the case of Jack and Janet Smurl – whose family and house in West Pittston, Pennsylvania are seemingly under assault from a demonic entity – the Warrens find themselves pulled back in just when they thought they were out. But there’s an added wrinkle, as whatever is haunting the Smurls has its sights set on Judy as well, and is already sinking its psychic talons into her.
Director Michael Chaves – returning from ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ – seems more confident here, even though he sticks squarely to the cinematic playbook of ‘Conjuring’ franchise mastermind and original series director James Wan. That means we get Wan’s trademark sweeps of dark rooms with even darker corners, which are surprisingly still effective: you can’t help but tense up anytime the camera lingers on those negative spaces. The demonic apparitions are spooky if fairly familiar, and some of the film plays like a ‘greatest hits’ as even haunted doll Annabelle makes a return for reasons that remain unclear at best.
But it’s the additional stakes for the Warrens that make ‘Last Rites’ largely work. While the film suffers from being a bit too long and suffers from stop-and-go pacing accordingly, the script (by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and series regular David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, from a story by Johnson-McGoldrick and Wan) puts much more emphasis on the family dynamics of the Warrens as they try to leave their past behind for the sake of their health and safety. We have no idea what the Warrens were like in real life or whether they believed in what they were doing, but the fictional family portrayed here is likable, brave, and sympathetic. It’s what ultimately makes the scares land, and keeps the viewer invested even through the clumsier parts.
As noted earlier, the main ‘Conjuring’ films have benefited enormously from the work of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. They have become as comfortable in the roles as your favorite Marvel or ‘Fast and the Furious’ superhero, and their empathy and warmth go a long way in making this horror franchise relatable. The pair also do a lot of the heavy lifting here, especially when the script bogs down, and they add enough to the more emotional moments to sell them successfully.
The rest of the cast is fine, if somewhat generic. Mia Tomlinson gets some moments to shine as the Warrens’ daughter Judy, while Ben Hardy is likable if a bit bland as her boyfriend Tony. The Smurls, unfortunately, are a more generic lot, and with much of the emphasis on the Warrens, the family at the center of the haunting never really rises above the level of ghostly punching bags.
As with any sustained media franchise, the universe of ‘The Conjuring’ has had its highs and lows. The third ‘Conjuring’ film, both ‘Nun’ entries, and the first ‘Annabelle’ probably rank pretty low, while the initial ‘Conjuring’ films and the underrated ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ sit at the top of the heap.
‘Last Rites’ ends up somewhere in the middle, perhaps a bit closer to the top thanks to the emotional connection of its leads and its ability to still mine some genuine scares out of this material. The end of the film gives the Warrens a satisfying goodbye, and no matter what you think about the real-life couple or their alleged experiences, James Wan and company have created a horror saga in which good-hearted characters are the protagonists, not a masked killer or supernatural being. We’ll take over all the Jasons and Art the Clowns in the world.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ receives a score of 75 out of 100.
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) take on one last case that may prove to be their most dangerous yet, as a demonic entity attacks not just an innocent family but the Warrens’ daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson).
Who is in the cast of ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’?
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Bobby Cannavale about his work on ‘Ezra’, his first reaction to the screenplay, his character, working with William Fitzgerald and playing a stand-up comic on screen.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Cannavale, Rose Byrne and director Tony Goldwyn.
(L to R) William A. Fitzgerald and Bobby Cannavale in Bleecker Street’s ‘Ezra’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Bobby Cannavale: I loved the script. First, it was sent to me by Tony Goldwyn, who I’ve been friends with for a while. We’d been wanting to do something together. He gave me the whole backstory of (screenwriter) Tony Spiridakis being his best friend, and how he has an autistic son. So, I knew that going in, reading the script, and it did add a weight to it. I just thought it was well-crafted, well written, and I was just very moved by it. I still get moved thinking about the actual first time that I read that script. I was really taken aback by it. I have three sons of my own and that feeling of going to the bat for your child and doing whatever it takes to get them to be seen the way they need to be seen, is something that’s intimate for me. So, I was excited to take on the role. I liked the idea of playing somebody that was so reactive and how I could make that character yet still have some kind of empathic quality to him. Sometimes, that’s hard to accomplish, somebody who is that reactive and at times violent, for instance. But if his heart is in the right place and he’s doing it for the right reasons, sometimes you can get people on board with that. I thought that would be an interesting problem to solve and so I did. I just enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the idea of finding a neurodiverse actor to work with. We looked for a long time. We saw so many kids. I really appreciated that experience and getting to know William and his family and the journey that they’re on.
Bobby Cannavale in Bleecker Street’s ‘Ezra’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
MF: Finally, can you talk about your approach to portraying a stand-up comedian in this film? Did you go to any comedy clubs and get on stage to get a feel for it?
BC: I didn’t go up on stage. I’ve got a lot of stand-up comedian friends. For some reason, I just have a lot of comic friends. I have for many years, some very well-known, others not. So, I’ve spent a lot of time in comedy clubs. But more to the point, I’ve spent a lot of time with these guys and some women. What’s always fascinating to me, it’s not so much the joke, it’s the process of them coming up with their material. I’ve been in a car with stand-ups who have the yellow legal pad there, and I’m looking at it. I’m like, “What’s this joke?” I’ve had comics say to me, “I’m not really going for the joke tonight. I just want to sort of play around in that neighborhood and see what kind of a reaction it gets.” I find that fascinating, the putting together of an act. This guy is clearly going through something on stage, the only place where he could really be himself and really speak plainly and speak his mind. There’s that scene. We have a scene with the other comics where they’re saying, “The point of comedy is to be funny.” And he says, “I’m not doing that. I’m telling stories up there.” That resonated very much with me because I do know comics who work like that. I’ve gone to see comics who are very funny, not be funny because they’re looking for something. I thought that’s something that was very attractive to me, to see somebody in process, trying to put this act together while at the same time trying to work out whatever demons he was trying to work through.
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What is the plot of ‘Ezra’?
Max Brandel (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father, Stan (Robert De Niro), struggles to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife, Jenna (Rose Byrne). When faced with difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra set out on a cross-country road trip.
Who is in the cast of ‘Ezra’?
Bobby Cannavale as Max Brandel
Robert De Niro as Stan
Rose Byrne as Jenna
William Fitzgerald as Ezra
Vera Farmiga as Grace
Whoopi Goldberg as Jayne
Rainn Wilson as Nick
Tony Goldwyn as Bruce
(L to R) Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, and William A. Fitzgerald in Bleecker Street’s ‘Ezra’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Preview:
Michael Chaves has closed a deal to direct the next ‘Conjuring’ Movie.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are likely to return as Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The movie could signal the end of the main ‘Conjuring’ run.
The ‘Conjuring’ movies have long become one of the most successful horror franchises since James Wan made the 2013 original, which went on to earn nearly $320 million worldwide from a $20 million budget.
It has spawned not just sequels but also spin-offs, including the ‘Annabelle’ movies (about the diabolical doll who lurks in the Warren’s collection of haunted objects) and the ‘Nun’ films (which fill in the backstory of the demonic habit-wearer who briefly appears in ‘The Conjuring 2’. All told, the movies have so far made a combined $2.1 billion at the worldwide box office.
It’s somewhat surprising to learn, then, that the fourth –– which currently has no official title but was at one point called ‘Last Rites’ –– could bring the films to a close, at least those directly featuring paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
We do now know, though that Michael Chaves, who directed ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ (which isn’t technically part of the ‘Conjuring’ universe but has seen a character crossover into the ‘Annabelle’ movies and was produced by Wan), ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (the third in the main series), and, most recently, ‘The Nun II’ is officially aboard for the new movie.
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What’s the story of the new ‘Conjuring’ movie?
(L to R) Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Nothing has been released about the potential story for the new movie, though the end of ‘The Nun II’ saw Ed and Lorraine show up, pointing to a possible crossover between the main movies and the nun-centric spin-off.
Here’s what Chavez told Screen Rant about the connection back in September:
“In terms of the exorcism of Maurice, that’s always been a center, a cornerstone marker in the timeline and I think it’s up to interpretation. It’s also, I think there’s a lot of things that need to align, so it could go a couple different ways. As an audience member, I would 100% see a crossover of all Conjuring demons. I couldn’t give away what I know about what’s being developed, but I know that they’re going to end with a bang. I know that there is a great finale being planned for ‘Last Rites’ and as to what or who’s in it… I don’t want to give away any spoilers.”
Regular writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick returned for the new movie, and the cameras should be rolling this summer in Atlanta, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Who will be in the new ‘Conjuring’ movie?
(L to R) Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
We can assume Wilson and Farmiga will return, and possibly either McKenna Grace or someone else playing their daughter Judy. The movies have usually tended to be stand-alone cases, so a new cast around the leads is likely.
Even if the movies do come to an end –– and more spin-offs are likely anyway –– there is still the ‘Conjuring’ TV series in development at Max. The creative team has stayed quiet as to what that might include, but if greenlit, the series will surely continue to bring fresh terror.
(L to R) Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
Expanding to wide release in theaters on January 19th is the latest entry from writer/director Ava DuVernay (‘Selma,’ ‘A Wrinkle In Time’) entitled ‘Origin,’ which examines Isabel Wilkerson’s book ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent’ and the author’s journey to find the connection between the Nazi’s persecution of the Jewish people, racism in America, and the caste system in India.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
Ava DuVernay has a way of retelling true life events in such a way that makes it feel raw and visceral, putting the audience in that exact moment in time. From seeing Isabel Wilkerson’s personal life – her losses and grief, her journey of finding the connection between the persecution of Jews, the caste system in India, and racism in America, and finally publishing her book.
DuVernay’s take on telling the story of Wilkerson and ‘Caste’ is thought provoking and complex. The movie’s structure is quite interesting, starting off in a bio-pic style drama with Wilkerson’s personal life and what eventually motivates her to pen ‘Caste,’ and then taking on an expositionary style as Wilkerson breaks down the main points and topics of her book, utilizing extended flashback scenes in history.
At times, it feels like there are three movies playing at once, but in the end, it all connects beautifully.
Story and Direction
(Center) Ava DuVernay on the set of ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
‘Origin’ is written and directed by Ava DuVernay. It explores Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson and her deeply personal journey as she begins writing her book ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents’
The movie is a blend of a drama and narrative essay, with the first act focusing on Isabel Wilkerson’s (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) personal life. Setting up the background of her work as a writer, and gives the audience an inside look at her family life with her husband Brett (Jon Bernthal), her mother Ruby (Emily Yancy), and her cousin Marion (Niecy Nash).
Shortly after the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, Isabel’s editor Amari Selvan (Blair Underwood) implores her to do a story on his case and asks her to look into the 911 call that was released. Reluctant at first, Isabel ends up listening to the 911 call, realizing there’s more to the story than just the killing of a Black teenager due to racism. In searching for something deeper, Isabel sets off on a global journey to find the connection between racism in America, the Holocaust, and the social hierarchy in India.
Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
Throughout Isabel’s research, there are extended scenes flashing back to that exact moment in time – a German man falling in love with a Jewish woman and then forced apart by the Nazis, the Jim Crow era in America, and the treatment of Dalits in India.
Later, as Isabel completes her book, it becomes a narrative essay taking the audience through the chapters of the book.
The pacing of this movie is at times uneven and may have to do with going back and forth between seeing Isabel’s family life to extended re-enactment scenes that reflect a certain point in history or a topic in Wilkerson’s research. However, this does not discount the importance of each flashback scene, as they give more color to Isabel’s research.
Performances
(L to R) Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (‘The Color Purple,’ ‘King Richard’) as Isabel Wilkerson was the perfect choice. She played each emotion and reaction – big or small – with such nuance and authenticity. Watching Isabel’s life slowly fall apart throughout the movie as she suffers the loss of family members and Ellis-Taylor’s heartbreaking performance in those moments will surely stir up the emotions of the audience.
Alongside Ellis-Taylor, co-stars Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash, Emily Yancy, and Audra McDonald also delivered stellar performances despite their brief screen time.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
DuVernay’s ambitious film carries a very important message and will certainly start conversations on the topic of racism and social hierarchy. While the structure of the film is unconventional and uneven at times, it does its best to present Isabel’s journey of research, every historical event, and its outcome. Everything does come together beautifully in the end.
‘Origin’’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Origin’?
Grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, writer Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery as she writes ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.’
(L to R) Director Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor talk ‘Origin.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor about their work on ‘Origin,’ the challenges of adapting the book, casting, Ellis-Taylor’s performance, and her experience working with DuVernay.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with DuVernay and Ellis-Taylor, as well as Jon Bernthal and Niecy Nach-Betts.
(Center) Ava DuVernay on the set of ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
Moviefone: To begin with, Ava, can you talk about the challenges of adapting this book into a film, and was the key for you making the author the main character?
Ava DuVernay: Yes. Once I understood that I could have the main character of this be this swashbuckling, intellectual adventurer, known as Isabel Wilkerson, played by the great Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, the film kind of came together and came to life for me. That I could share the ideas in the book by going through this dynamic character, and that unlocked everything for me as a screenwriter.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
MF: Aunjanue, can you talk about having the opportunity to play a character like this, and what were some of the aspects of the character you were excited to explore on screen?
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: Well, one of my first conversations with Ava was that she wanted to explore the interior life of a black woman. I was just so excited about dramatizing the mind of a black woman genius. I thought that was rare and unique, at least in the landscape of American filmmaking. I was just excited about that prospect.
(L to R) Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
MF: Ava, can you talk about casting and having the opportunity to work with these accomplished actors on set?
AD: Well, it was fantastic. I mean, the chemistry between Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal was so palpable, so off the charts. As we were watching, I felt like these two people were in each other’s lives, and they would always be, whether they were physically present and had a beating heart or whether one of them would’ve passed away. The connection was so strong. That’s so much of what we needed to achieve in this, because that is the way that Isabel Wilkerson had shared that she felt, as I was researching and interviewing her over the two-year period of writing it. That connection with her husband, with Brett, was so real that we needed to have actors that conjured that. Aunjanue and Jon did. Also, Niecy Nash-Betts, the connection between Isabel and Marion, that sisterhood, that friendship, that pushing, and that protection. The actors were extraordinary. So many other folks came in to help us for a day, Nick Offerman, Audra McDonald, Vera Farmiga, Blair Underwood. It was an embarrassment of riches. It was a true delight to work with them all.
(Center) Ava DuVernay on the set of ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.
MF: Finally, Aunjanue, what is it like being on an Ava DuVernay set? What was the experience of collaborating with her on set like for you?
AET: Listen, what I love about Ava’s process as a director is that she wants you to experience things live and in real time. I’m laughing because walking across the intersection in New Delhi, how many directions was traffic coming from? Six, eight? A lot of cars coming at you at one time. I had to walk across the street, and that was happening in real time. There were times where the light made it easy, and the light didn’t make it easy. The camera was behind us or in front of us. I was just so exhilarated by that. It was so dangerous, but I was like, “I am a stunt woman right now.” That’s what it’s like with her. When you see those officers, those Nazi officers in that plaza, in that square, that’s real. That’s not CGI. That’s real. That’s her vision. That’s what makes her separate, singular, and apart. That’s what it’s like.
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What is the plot of ‘Origin’?
Grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, writer Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery as she writes ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.’
On Friday, November 12th, Disney+ celebrated its second anniversary with Disney+ Day, where they announced literally dozens of upcoming series from Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar and more. The presentations, which include some new clips, first looks, and upcoming announcements, can currently be viewed on Disney+, but Moviefone is here to break it all down for you.
MARVEL
The Marvel video presentation, which is now available on Disney+, begins with recaps of all the 2021 Marvel series that have been released so far including ‘WandaVision,’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,’ ‘Loki,’ and ‘What If…?’ Then we get an extended trailer for ‘Hawkeye,’ which drops on November 24th. We also got to see a full scene from the show, which involves Jeremey Renner’s Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop stealing a car and then getting into a chase while Hawkeye teaches Kate how to use his trick arrows. The sequence is one continuous shot, ending with the two heroes swinging off of a bridge on to a moving train.
The official synopsis for the series confirms that it is set in a post-blip New York City and follows Clint Barton on a seemingly simple mission to get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with 22-year-old skilled archer Kate Bishop to unravel a criminal conspiracy. In addition to Renner and Stanfield, the series also features Vera Farmiga (‘The Departed’), Brian d’Arcy James (‘Spotlight’) and Florence Pugh reprising her ‘Black Widow’ role as Yelena Belova.
The video presentation also includes fans first look at Oscar Isaac in ‘Moon Knight.’ The series will follow the story of this complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities that live inside him find themselves thrusted into a deadly war of the Gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt. The clips basically show Isaac’s Marc Spencer being tortured by his dreams, with the character’s voice-over explaining that to the audience. We only get very quick glimpses of Isaac in the Moon Knight outfit, but the presentation ends with him in full costume jumping off of rooftops with the Moon lit full behind him. Actor Ethan Hawke is also set to appear as the show’s big bad.
We also got new footage from the upcoming series, ‘She-Hulk.’ The teaser is narrated by Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, as she explains that she is a lawyer but also, something else. There is a quick body shot of Jennifer fully-green with her comic book accurate costume, although it cuts away before we see She-Hulk’s face. We also get two glimpses of Mark Ruffalo, who returns as Jennifer’s cousin, Bruce Banner/Hulk.
The first scene shows Bruce experimenting on Jennifer when she is just a child, presumably in a flashback, but what is interesting is that he is Smart Hulk in this scene. Since ‘Shang-Chi’ gave us an end-credit scene that revealed that at some point after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Smart Hulk reverted back to Bruce, it makes you wonder if this scene takes place between ‘Endgame’ and ‘Shang-Chi.’ If that is the case, and Jennifer was a child during that time period, it makes you wonder if the bulk of the series itself will make a time jump and take place decades after ‘Endgame’? We also get a clip that looks more like a commercial, with Jennifer and Bruce dressed in retro clothes and Jennifer saying, “”Don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” which is clearly a nod to the 1970’s series, The Incredible Hulk.
The last series to get new footage in the video presentation was ‘Ms. Marvel,’ which stars Iman Vellani as 16-year-old Kamala Khan. A Pakistani American and a fan-girl of the Avengers, Kamala is overjoyed when she discovers she has superpowers, and now must use them to find her place in the world. The footage shows her revealing her iconic mask for the first time and ends with Kamala standing on a New Jersey rooftop wearing a Captain Marvel Halloween Costume and preparing to use her powers to fly for the first time. Vellani is set to reprise her role, along with Teyonah Parris from ‘WandaVision’ and Brie Larson, in the upcoming feature film, ‘The Marvels.’
But that’s not it! Marvel also announced a slew of new upcoming shows, some of which had been rumored, and also confirmed that ‘Loki’ and ‘What If…?’ will be getting second seasons. In fact, ‘What If…?’ will also be getting a spinoff with the new animated series ‘Marvel Zombies,’ which imagines a world where Marvel’s heroes have been turned into the undead. Staying with animation, Disney+ also announced a sequel to the classic 90’s animated X-Men series entitled ‘X-Men ’97,’ as well as ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year,’ which will look at Peter Parker’s first year in high school, and ‘I Am Groot,’ a series of original shorts starring everyone’s favorite sentient tree.
On the live-action side, ‘Secret Invasion’ was confirmed, which is based on the popular Marvel Comics series. The show will bring Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos back together to fight a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. Also confirmed were ‘Echo,’ which will star Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, who will be introduced in ‘Hawkeye,’ and James Gunn will write and direct ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’
Marvel also announced two new series based on the Iron Man franchise. First is ‘Armor Wars,’ which will star Don Cheadle reprising his role as War Machine. The second is ‘Ironheart,’ a series that will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Finally, Marvel confirmed the recent rumor that Kathryn Hahn will reprise her ‘WandaVision’ role as Agatha Harkness in her own series, which will be called ‘Agatha: House of Harkness.’
LUCASFILM
While there was no new footage included, fans got their first look at the making of the upcoming Star Wars series, ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ The video is narrated by director Debbie Chow and actor Ewan McGregor and explains what fans can expect from the new series. “For this character to come back, the fans have been waiting long enough,” said McGregor. Chow explained that this is a “dark time,” for Kenobi and that it is “not safe” for him with “Jedi hunters” on the rise. McGregor said that his character has one task, which is “to keep Luke safe,” but Chow explained how that is just a starting point for the series.
“The most beautiful thing of all is that it has brought me back together with Hayden,” McGregor said about the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. “We couldn’t tell the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi without addressing Anakin or Darth Vader,” added Chow. We are then given some behind the scenes shots of McGregor at rehearsal practicing his lightsaber skills. “To have another swing at each other, might be quite satisfying for everybody,” the actor teased in closing.
Disney+ also released a Boba Fett documentary called ‘Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett.’ It is mostly a “history of the character” video and does not include any new footage from the upcoming series ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ which premieres on December 29th.
Finally, the presentation included a video from the set of the new series ‘Willow,’ which is based on the 1988 Ron Howard-directed and George Lucas-produced movie. The film’s star, Warwick Davis returns as the title character, and introduced the cast that includes Ruby Cruz (‘Mare of Easttown’), Erin Kellyman (‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’), and Tony Revolori (‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’). The video was done “tongue in cheek” with Davis playing a version of his arrogant ‘Life’s Too Short’ character and getting upset when the younger cast can’t remember the original film and begin to question why anyone would want a sequel series!
PIXAR
Unfortunately, Pixar did not have a lot to announce outside of a Cars-based animated series called ‘Cars on the Road,’ which will feature Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy reprising their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater, respectively. Other announcements from the animation company included behind the scenes documentaries for the upcoming feature films ‘Turning Red’ and ‘Lightyear,’ as well as a new series called ‘Win or Lose,’ which is an animated show that will highlight the perspectives of different characters as a middle school coed softball team prepares for their championship game.
DISNEY STUDIOS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
On the Disney Studios side, a remake of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ was announced, which will star Gabrielle Union (‘Bad Boys II’) and Zach Braff (‘Oz the Great and Powerful’) and is set to premiere in March 2022. ‘Enchanted’ fans will be happy to learn that the long-awaited sequel, ‘Disenchanted’ will hit the streaming network in the fall of 2022 and once again star Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. It was also announced that comedians John Mulaney and Andy Samberg will star in the new live-action/CG animation film entitled ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,’ which is based on Disney’s popular chipmunk characters and will premiere in the spring of 2022.
Director Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Pinocchio,’ based on the Disney animated classic, will bow in the fall of 2022 as well, and stars Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, and Luke Evans, with the voices of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key and Lorraine Bracco. Also premiering in the fall of 2022, just in time for Halloween, is ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ which is a sequel to the cult classic 1990’s movie. Returning stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are all set to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the new sequel. A new clip from Peter Jackson’s upcoming documentary, ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ was also released featuring the legendary band performing “I Got a Feeling” in rare behind the scenes footage. The three-part documentary launches on Disney+ November 25th.
Disney also announced a new series based on the beloved best-selling novels ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles,’ as well as animated spinoff series from some of their most popular films, including Baymax from ‘Big Hero Six,’ Tiana from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ and’ Zootopia+,’ which opens up the world of ‘Zootopia.’ They also announced ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,’ which will star Simon Pegg as his ‘Ice Age: Collision Course’ character.
Finally, National Geographic announced a new six-part series for 2022 called ‘Limitless’ with Chris Hemsworth. The series will follow the ‘Thor’ actor as he helps viewers discover the full potential of the human body. Nat Geo also announced a series called ‘Welcome to Earth,’ which is set to premiere on Disney+ next month. The series will be hosted by Will Smith as he encounters Earth’s greatest wonders.
Michael Gandolfini and Alessandro Nivola in ‘The Many Saints of Newark’
Michael Gandolfini talks about how he joined the movie, and Vera Farmiga and Jon Bernthal talk about whether they’d watched the TV series.
Moviefone: You guys play members of the Soprano family. I’m going to start with you, Michael, you are playing a young Tony Soprano was a role made iconic by your father. When they asked you to do this role, what went through your mind?
Michael Gandolfini: Well, it wasn’t like a phone call of like, you have the role, do you want it, yes or no? Which was very helpful. It was like a slow burn, they want you to audition. And at first I was really hesitant, but I thought I’m not really in a position to not audition and go up in front of Douglas Aibel who is a great casting director and get used to it. So-
Vera Farmiga: You had to work for it! You guys are earnest!
Gandolfini: Yeah, that was my first audition. And then I had a second, and then I had a third. So it was like three months of convincing myself. Okay, I have a point of view, I have an idea of how I can do this differently and like sort of… By the end, I’d fallen in love with this Tony and had a real kind of excitement to play him.
MF: Oh my God. If that had been me, I feel like by the end of it, I would’ve been like, what if I didn’t get the role after going by?
Gandolfini: I had nightmares of like, David sitting behind. I had an actual… I remember having nightmares of like talking to David and being like, what are you going to tell? What are we…? Actually, this is crazy, but I had a dream, I remember it was David looking at me, and I was in the audition. I was doing it. And I looked down, and my hands are my dad’s hands.
Farmiga: Oh, wow.
Gandolfini: And I woke up, and I was like, that’s such a Soprano dream. Like it’s just such a yeah. Yeah.
MF: Is it true, Michael, that you hadn’t seen ‘The Sopranos’ prior to getting the role, you then binged it, right?
Gandolfini: That’s true.
MF: So then, Vera and John, had you seen ‘The Sopranos’ before?
Farmiga: I had not.
Jon Bernthal: I had.
MF: You had?
Bernthal: I very much have.
MF: So then, Vera, did you do a binge as well?
Farmiga: I did, but after accepting the role. Because my decision was based on who my compadres were going to be, and the strength of the words on the written page as a whole, as a film, what the film was about, toxic masculinity, depression, American Dream, blah, blah, blah, blah. I knew that it was a good standalone film. I didn’t know how it tied into the original and I didn’t… and so yeah, after I grounded, and I knew what I was in for, I was petrified. Yes.
MF: And real quick, John, can you tell me a little bit about the character that you play for those who don’t know?
Bernthal: Sure. I play Johnny Boy, Tony’s dad, Livia’s husband. He’s a character that very much lives in flashbacks and I think in lore in the show. It’s somebody the people talk about a lot and this sort of larger than life character. So I think he kind of pops up in the movie here and there. And I think this sort of job for me and what I tried to hook into was a guy who has this huge reputation and has this huge sort of life and this energy about him. But deep inside I think that there’s something very different going on than I think what, sort of, comes across. And that was an interesting challenge for me. Yeah.
Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., and Michela de Rossi talk about playing characters in the Moltisanti family.
Moviefone: I want each of you to tell me about the characters you play, for those of you who don’t know, but we’ll kick it off with Leslie.
Leslie Odom Jr: I play Harold McBrayer and I work for the family. And fans of the show, you’ll know what I mean.
MF: Very big. It’s like a secret.
Michela de Rossi: I am Michela de Rossi and I play Giuseppina Bruno, which is the negative one.
Alessandro Nivola: She’s my stepmother, and then my mistress.
MF: That’s not weird at all.
Nivola: No, no nothing Oedipal going on, I promise. I am Alessandro Nivola and I play Dickie Moltisanti, who was the father of Christopher Moltisanti in the show, famously played by Michael Imperioli, brilliantly. He was a mentor figure to Tony Soprano when Tony was a kid growing up who didn’t really have his parents very present. And this was the guy who took a real interest in him, for better and for worse.
MF: The Sopranos was one of the greatest TV series of all time. So many fans. And I was interested to learn that Michael Gandolfini, James’ son, had never seen ‘The Sopranos,’ even though James was his dad. Had you guys watched ‘The Sopranos’ prior to?
Nivola: None of us.
MF: Really? So then did, did you guys do binges like he did?
Odom: Yeah, I did. I did over the pandemic, like so many people. I watched it from top to bottom and you know, I get it.
de Rossi: I watched it, the whole thing, when I got the role before shooting.
Nivola: Yeah. I guess I watched the first season of it in the two weeks that I was asked to prepare these five auditions scenes to tape and send in. So I’ve seen all three season in that time. And then when I was offered the job, I watched the rest.
MF: I have moments when I watched the movie where I just felt chills because there are those little Easter eggs that pay homage to the original series. But what was it like for you guys being on set with James Gandolfini’s actual son?
Odom: I mean, it was for all these people, David included, Al included, it was more than just a TV show. You know, it’s years of their life. It changed their lives. Michael tells stories about being a little kid and taking naps in Tony and Carmella’s bed. So anyway, there’s a spiritual thing happening there too. I just felt like we just all wanted to support him and just make sure he was all right and felt loved.
Nivola: Or have him support us and tell us that we were okay. Because he surely was an authority, even though he wouldn’t claim he was.
MF: And actually, Alessandro, would you mind describing the relationship between your character and the young Tony Soprano?
Nivola: Yeah, Dickie hasn’t had a child of his own and he as the movie begins, he’s in his forties, and in Italian American culture, having a child is like a sign of manhood. And so he was really, I think, upset about that. And he latched on to Tony as a kind of surrogate son, as a surrogate father. And I think he really loves him and believes in him in a way that no one else in the world of the movie does. And yet he’s a totally hopeless role model for him and keeps flailing around every time he tries to give him discipline or send him on some path other than outside the life of crime. And one of the tragedies of the film is the fact that he wants to do that and can’t figure out how.
Director Alan Taylor talks about returning to the world of ‘The Sopranos.’
Moviefone: In 2007, you won the Emmy for Outstanding Director for Drama for ‘The Sopranos.’ Here we are 14 years later, you’ve now directed the prequel film. Where did the journey for this movie start for you?
Alan Taylor: Wow. Okay, boy, you’ve got your dates and facts down. I sort of feel I grew up on Sopranos. I was not that long out of film school when I first entered that show in the first season. And then over the course of it, I learned a lot from the actors and from David Chase’s writing. So it sort of felt like home to me in a way. So when David called and said he had a script, it felt very good. Partly because in my career had gone various places, and I’d done a couple of big movies where I didn’t really feel I was home and getting a chance to go back to this world felt very right. Felt like a return to a landscape I knew and a voice that I knew. And so it was a chance to sort of take my movie life and my TV life and bring them together.
MF: Right. So when you first read that screenplay, how did you envision ‘The Many Saints of Newark’?
Taylor: Well, as soon as you read it, you hear that same voice, different characters. Dicky never appears in the show, but he is the main guy in our movie, but it’s the same voice. And that’s the main thing. It’s the same ideas, the same questions that never get quite answered. The same themes that are driving it. The same sense of humor, the same relationship to violence. So to me, it was like, yes, we’re back in the world. And then there was work going on in the script. It kept evolving during the period where we were casting and building it. David was adding things that I think really helped shape it until very late in the game. But from the first read it was, oh yes, I remember this voice.
MF: For major ‘Sopranos’ fans. What do you think that they will love most about this film?
Taylor: I think there’s little things that I guess people refer to as Easter eggs that will play for them, moments that will probably get a laugh and stuff like that. But there’s a big emotional connection to the show. If you know the relationship between… Our movie is very much about fathers and sons and if you know the relationship between our main character, Dickie’s son, Christopher, and his relationship to Tony, there’s a really rich resonance in this movie because here we see that character being born, and I was the director who finished him in the show. So there’s a real echo between the movie and what it’s setting up and how darkly it goes for these characters later on.
MF: I will say the main last shot gave me chills.
Taylor: Good.
MF: And I felt, okay, now I need to now start the whole series from this point.
Taylor: Yeah. I’m pretty curious to people who watch the series and now watch the movie, how they will respond to things. Also, people who are seeing the movie first and then seeing the series for the first time. It’d be interesting to see how those two… I do think they speak to each other, but it’s a very different experience depending on what order you get them in, probably.
MF: Of course. I have to ask you about working with Michael Gandolfini, who is of course the son of James Gandolfini, who originally played Tony Soprano. What was it like having him on set?
Taylor: Delightful. First of all, he’s like this sweet, sensitive, thoughtful, generous, warm guy. So that helps. But I think we all knew that we were asking a tremendous amount of him to go into this dark world his father had sort of defined. And having lost his father to go back there. We had a dinner right before we started shooting where Michael stood up and said, I want to thank everybody here for giving me a chance to say hello to my dad again and goodbye again. And there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, but I think from that moment on, everyone sort of gathered around him, the cast, but also the crew. And he was sort of the beating heart of the movie. He’s not the main character, but he was sort of, it felt like a family thing.
