Beauty School : July 2021

Ice T's wife Coco says she won't stop breastfeeding her 5yo daughter

Coco Austin won't stop breastfeeding her five-year-old daughter Chanel until she's ready to be weaned off her milk.The 'Ice and Coco' star is continuing to nurse her little girl - whom she has with husband Ice-T - because the process...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Bob Dylan wins lawsuit over $430m sale of songs

Bob Dylan has won a lawsuit brought by the widow of his songwriting partner over the profits from the £216m ($430m) sale of his songwriting catalogue to Universal Music last year.Jacques Levy, who died in 2004, co-wrote 10 songs...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Carole Baskin to Joe Exotic: Snitch if you want a lighter sentence

Carole Baskin thinks Joe Exotic should be allowed early release if he snitches on others. The Tiger King star is currently in the midst of a 22-year sentence after being found guilty of plotting to have animal rights activist Baskin...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Johnny Depp scores rare victory over Amber Heard's $10m divorce settlement pledge

Johnny Depp has won a victory in his ongoing legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. A New York judge has ruled that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) must provide documentation that confirms whether or not the Aquaman actress...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Life is Strange: True Colors’ Latest Trailer Showcases Haven Springs

Square Enix recently released a brand new trailer for the upcoming Life is Strange: True Colors, giving players a birds-eye look into the world of Haven Springs.

In the trailer, character Steph Gingrich takes players through a bit of a tour of Haven Springs, Colorado, where the upcoming game takes place. Throughout the trailer, we’re introduced to some of the character inhabit Haven Springs, as well as some of the local shops and hangouts that we’ll get to check out when the game launches.

You can check out the new trailer for Life is Strange: True Colors below:

Life is Strange: True Colors is the fifth installment in the series and the third mainline game after Life is Strange 2. Original developers Dontnod Entertainment have moved on to other works, leaving development duties to Deck Nine Games. This studio previously released Life is Strange: Before the Storm back in 2017 before rolling right onto work on this new sequel. The team is also currently working on a Remastered Collection of the other games in the franchise for release alongside True Colors.

Although the game is still formatted as a five-part adventure, True Colors will throw out the episodic format of the previous two mainline Life is Strange titles, releasing as a complete experience on September 10, 2021, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Stadia.

The post Life is Strange: True Colors’ Latest Trailer Showcases Haven Springs appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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James Gunn Gives Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Update, Confirms When Filming Begins

James Gunn may currently be doing his press tour for DC’s upcoming The Suicide Squad film, but soon after he’ll begin work on another huge property, the third installment in the highly popular Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Speaking to Collider’s Steve Weintraub about the upcoming film, Gunn noted that the script for the film has been nearly finished for a few years now, and that all that’s left to be done on it is some slight editing.

“It’s basically been finished for years,” Gunn said. “I keep fiddling with different things and adding things, and figuring out permutations and stuff — I’m in the middle of doing another draft now — but it’s really small stuff in comparison to what it has been. It’s basically been finished since three years ago.”

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have undergone some major changes between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn said that he’s never really felt pressure from Marvel to include things he might not have wanted to. That is, except for one very specific thing.

“The only time they ever [asked me to include something for future MCU movies] was on the first movie with Thanos, putting Thanos in there, which they wanted me to do. But besides that they’ve never done that. I have to pay attention to things that happen, which they did talk to me about – the stuff with Gamora and things like that. I know that the characters have been through certain things, so I have to deal with that stuff. But for the most part, they never once asked me to put anything in the script for Volume 3 to set up anything in the future. Nor would I do it, frankly, it’s not really my thing.”

Plot details about the third installment are still under wraps but it potentially involve the team’s search for the missing Gamora, who abruptly left after Thanos was finally defeated. Gunn also previously confirmed that Bradley Cooper’s Rocket will play a big part in the upcoming threequel.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently set for a 2023 theatrical release.

The post James Gunn Gives Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Update, Confirms When Filming Begins appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Shazam: Fury of the Gods Set Photo Reveals Surprising Return

Actor Djimon Hounsou was in DC’s 2019 film Shazam, where he played a Wizard who was the last surviving member of the Council of Wizards. Now, it seems as if he may not be done with his role in the DCEU, despite having seemingly died in the first film.

Hounsou was recently spotted on set of the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the God, where he doesn’t look exactly like his character from the first film, but is at least at production for the sequel. In the original Shazam, the Wizard disappeared after giving his abilities to Billy Batson (Asher Angel), but it seems ad if he may not be dead after all.

You can check out the set photo from the Shazam sequel below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Atlanta Filming (@atlanta_filming)

Shazam! Fury of the Gods will feature the return of Asher Angel and Zachary Levi as they reprise their respective roles as Billy Batson and Shazam. Joining them are most of the first film’s main cast, including Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Freddy; Faithe Herman and Meagan Good as Darla; Ian Chen and Ross Bulter as Eugene; Grace Fulton as Mary; Jovan Arman and D.J. Cotrona as Pedro; Marta Milans, and Cooper Andrews.

After defeating Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins in the 2019 film, the sequel will see the Shazam family going up against much more dangerous threats, with the introductions of the daughters of Atlas, Hespera, and Kalypso, who are set to be portrayed by Oscar winner Helen Mirren and Kill Bill actress Lucy Liu. West Side Story star Rachel Zeigler has also been cast for an undisclosed key role.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is once again being directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) from a screenplay written by returning scribe Henry Gayden. It will be produced by Peter Safran.

The sequel is currently slated to release on June 2, 2023.

The post Shazam: Fury of the Gods Set Photo Reveals Surprising Return appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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My Hero Academia Dub Casts Season 5 Villain Flect Turn

After being teased in the promotional material for My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission, Flect Turn has officially made his debut and Funimation announced the casting for his English voice actor.

Robbie Daymond will voice Flect Turn for the anime series, with his first appearance coming in the upcoming Episode 104 of the highly popular anime. Daymond is known for his many roles across a myriad of shows, including voicing Mamoru Chiba in Sailor Moon, Joe in Digimon Adventure tri., Sorry in Tales Zestiria the X, and Jin More in The God of High School.

flect turn

The first part of My Hero Academia Season 5 made its debut in Japan back in March. It adapts the Joint Training arc of the manga in which class 1A and class 1B go against each other. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation in Japanese with English subtitles; the latter also has the English dub available. The fifth season also began airing on Toonami in May.

My Hero Academia began as a manga series written and illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi. It was first serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2014. The anime television adaptation, which is produced by Bones, made its debut in 2016. Both are still ongoing.

The third My Hero Academia film, titled World Heroes’ Mission, will debut in theaters in Japan on August 6, 2021. A North America release has yet to be announced.

The post My Hero Academia Dub Casts Season 5 Villain Flect Turn appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Schapelle Corby takes trip to Whitsundays with mum but brings carry-on luggage only

Schapelle Corby has gone back in the air — but this time with carry-on luggage only.Teasing her 164,000 Instagram followers, Corby first posted a photograph with her mother from the plane, showing both of them wearing masks."Up,...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Taika Waititi to write script for Flash Gordon live-action film, producers say

By RNZ Film director Taika Waititi will write the script for a live-action movie based on the comic strip Flash Gordon, the producers say.The comic strip of Flash Gordon, created in the 1930s, is about an adventurer in outer...

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Kurt Cobain's childhood home is officially a landmark

Kurt Cobain's childhood home has officially been made a historical landmark. The late Nirvana frontman - who died by suicide aged 27 in 1994 - grew up in the modest property in Aberdeen, Washington, where he lived between 1968 and...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Aretha Franklin's special message to Jennifer Hudson

Aretha Franklin told Jennifer Hudson she would win an Oscar for playing her. The 39-year-old actress-and-singer is set to portray the late Queen of Soul - who passed away in 2018 - in the upcoming biopic 'Respect', and she has recalled...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Pam & Tommy Filming Wraps as Lily James Shares More Set Photos

The upcoming Hulu series Pam & Tommy has officially wrapped production, and in celebration of the moment, actress Lily James has shared some set photos from the highly anticipated show.

In a few photos shared to her Instagram story, James, who is set to portray Pamela Anderson, shared the news that filming was done, along with a few looks at her in costume. Currently, no release information is available for Pam & Tommy, but with filming having been completed, it wouldn’t be shocking to start to hear more now that things are ramping up.

Pam & Tommy follows the tumultuous relationship between the Motley Crüe drummer/co-founder and former Baywatch star/model, including the notorious incident in which their honeymoon sex tape was stolen and subsequently leaked to the public. Though it will be included, the story will not focus on the scandal but rather explore their relationship going back to their marriage after only 96 hours of knowing each other.

Check out the latest Pam & Tommy set photos below:

Lily James confirms that production has wrapped on Hulu series #PamAndTommy, which also stars Sebastian Stan. pic.twitter.com/tyvATf8aGG

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 31, 2021

Lily James on the set of “Pam & Tommy” (27/07) pic.twitter.com/AIWSdRymIX

— best of lily james (@badpostslily) July 28, 2021

Last day of shooting in “Pam & Tommy”

Lily James via ig stories pic.twitter.com/SaqcynqYKI

— best of lily james (@badpostslily) July 30, 2021

The 8-episode miniseries will star Sebastian Stan (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as Tommy Lee and Lily James (Baby Driver) as Pamela Anderson. This marks Stan’s latest collaboration with director Craig Gillespie, following 2017’s biopic I, Tonya.

Joining them are Seth Rogen (This is the End) as Rand, the man who stole the couple’s sex tape and sold it off, Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) as porn impresario Uncle Miltie, and Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black) Erica, the porn star wife of Rand.

Pam & Tommy is being directed by Craig Gillespie from a screenplay written by Rob Siegel. Producers are Rogen and Evan Goldberg through their Point Grey banner, Dave Franco, Sue Naegle, Limelight’s Dylan Sellers, and Annapurna’s Megan Ellison.

The post Pam & Tommy Filming Wraps as Lily James Shares More Set Photos appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Clifford the Big Red Dog Delayed Amid Concerns Over Delta Variant

Paramount Pictures looks to be rethinking its release plan for its upcoming live-action film Clifford the Big Red Dog, according to a recent report from Deadline.

Paramount has moved the planned September 17, 2021 release for the film, citing concerns over the still spreading delta variant of COVID-19. While the film is complete and is highly anticipated by some, it’s less likely that families will be traveling to movie theaters to see it in the current climate.

Instead, the report notes, Paramount Pictures will look for a new U.S. release date, with the initial reports noting that September 22 could be a date, but that the film instead currently has no release date whatsoever. Clifford the Big Red Dog was also set to screen at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, although it’s unclear whether or not the film will still be there after the change in release date.

In Clifford The Big Red Dog, When middle-schooler Emily Elizabeth meets a magical animal rescuer who gifts her a little, red puppy, she never anticipated waking up to find a giant ten-foot hound in her small New York City apartment. While her single mom is away for business, Emily and her fun but impulsive uncle Casey set out on an adventure that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as our heroes take a bite out of the Big Apple. Based on the beloved Scholastic book character, Clifford will teach the world how to love big!

The film will be led by Darby Camp (Big Little Lies) as Emily, Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise) as Uncle Casey, John Cleese (Monty Python) as Mr. Bridwell, Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil) as Maggie, and Tony Hale (Veep) as Peter. It will also feature Izaac Wang, Rosie Pere, Kenan Thompson, Paul Rodriguez and Jessica Keenan Wyn.

Based on the children’s book series by Norman Bridwell, the film is directed by Walt Becker from screenplay written by Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Annie Mumolo, and Stan Chervin. Jordan Kerner and Scholastic Entertainment’s Deborah Forte are also producing.

The post Clifford the Big Red Dog Delayed Amid Concerns Over Delta Variant appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Spy: Revealed: The stars landing on Celebrity Treasure Island

New Zealand's original The Bachelor, Art Green; former Black Fern and Sevens captain, Huriana Manuel; BossBabe Edna Swart and former NRL stars Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck and Richie Barnett are the last five stars to be joining the 20-strong...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Interview: The Simpsons Writer Tim Long Discusses New Film The Exchange, Upsetting Morrissey

The Exchange is out now via on demand and digital. The comedy is written by The Simpsons writer Tim Long and stars Ed Oxenbould, Avan Jogia, and Justin Hartley in the main roles. The foreign exchange student story is directed by frequent Sacha Baron Cohen collaborator and Borat writer Dan Mazer.

“A socially awkward but highly enterprising teenager decides to acquire a ‘mail order best friend’ a sophisticated exchange student from France,” reads the official The Exchange synopsis. “Instead, he ends up importing his personal nightmare, a cologne-soaked, chain-smoking, sex-obsessed youth who quickly becomes the hero of his new community.”

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with writer Tim Long about writing a movie, his late-night talk show past, and how he felt about pissing off Morrissey.

Tyler Treese: What made you really want to write a film centered around an exchange student? Was this a personal thing? Did you ever have an experience growing up where you brought an exchange student to your home?

Tim Long: I absolutely did. I had an exchange student that came home and it was very different. He was a very different kind of guy. A lot of the basic experiences, sort of my extreme surprise of who the guy turned out to be, and some of the experiences that are recounted in the movie. They were definitely true things that happened to me. They say write what you know, so I wrote what I knew and here we are.

What I like about the story is it’s about culture shock, but it’s kind of a twist on it where the domestic student is experiencing the shock rather than the foreign student. How fun was it to sort of turn that trope on its head from expectations going in?

It was unbelievably fun. I felt like, obviously, there are issues that don’t go away about a clash of cultures, the way people can misunderstand each other, and the way these misunderstandings can lead to pretty serious consequences. Like you said, it was really nice to do it in a different way that was hopefully funny for people and not so straightforward.

The film is set in a small town in Canada. So often I see films centered around big cities like New York or LA. This still managed to deal with, uh, you know, some important social issues and xenophobia, but we get it through the small town lens, which I thought was really refreshing to see. Can you discuss the setting and the role that it plays in the story?

Again, that’s something that was true to life. I grew up in a very small town in Canada called Exeter that in many ways is different from the town in the movie, but in many ways is the same. I love small-town stories because they reflect the way life was for me when I was growing up. At the same time, I feel like they sort of portray people universally as yokels and the situation is much more complex. There’s a much wider range of people and attitudes in a small town. That was, again, something that I knew well, and I also knew that feeling of being a small-town kid that thought he was so much smarter than everyone else that wound up not being all that smart at all.

From a writer’s viewpoint, does your approach change from writing for a live-action script rather than animation? Obviously, you know, like budget becomes more of a concern and it has to be a bit more grounded, but is that a dynamic shift in how you approach stories, or does it stay the same?

Not to be a weasel about it, but I think it does and it doesn’t. Obviously, presenting things in the live-action situation, it’s a different kettle of fish in terms of what you put on the screen. On The Simpsons, if we really need to, we can have Homer’s head explode at the end of a scene. Not so easy to do in a live-action context. At the same time, I like to believe that writing is writing. Even with The Simpsons, I’ve been lucky enough to work on the show for 20 years, it was always been on genuine emotional experience even if the comedy is a little heightened. So I was able to bring that to The Exchange.

Did you get to visit the set while it was filming? I’m just curious because you don’t get to see the animation really done in real-time, but did you get to see the film and your story kind of come to life?

A hundred percent. It was actually filmed in a small town in Ottawa and in a few areas around the Ottawa area. I just thought, well, this is my first feature and it is at least partially based on my life, so I’m not going to miss this. So I was there pretty much every single day.

With The Simpsons, you’re so used to writing these stories that fit into 22-minute episodes and nicely for TV. Writing a feature-length film, you can let the story beats kind of breathe and you don’t have to resolve the plot at a quick pace. Just from a writer standpoint, did you have to adjust a little bit to that extra length?

A hundred percent. That’s exactly what I loved about it was that yeah, you have these moments where the story can breathe, and then you just sort of let scenes play out. See a little bit of the dynamic of the family, the dynamic of the parents. It was just so exciting to create a whole new world. I play in the sandbox on The Simpsons on a daily basis, and that’s great, but it is something that someone else created. What was great about this was that it was a world that I created, all these characters were mine. Again, like you said, it gave us room not just to get laughs, but also to let it breathe a bit and give it a little bit of emotional depth.

Tim Long Interview

You wrote The Simpsons episode Panic on the Streets of Springfield, and I thought it was so great. I’m a big fan of The Smiths. So it was real fun to see those scenes, but Morrissey did not. He said “in a world obsessed with hate laws, there are none that protect me. Free speech no longer exists.” I just wanted to get your reaction to that.

I was a huge fan. He was a real hero of mine growing up. So I didn’t set out to make him upset. I set out to talk about my own, let’s say, ambivilent feelings about him and a lot of rock stars I grew up with. You always feel like any form of attention is a form of flattery. So I consider myself extremely flattered.

I saw that Bret McKenzie did the music. How cool was it to collaborate with him? I’m such a huge fan of Flight of the Conchords.

Oh my God. It was fantastic. I wrote the lyrics and then he wrote all the music and it was so much fun. I would tell him, I want the song to sound a little bit like this and a little bit like that. Literally in 24 hours, he would send me a demo that completely nailed it. I’ve known Bret for a long time as a friend and it was such a thrill to work with him in that way. There was one moment, last September when we were recording, Benedict Cumberbatch had played the character [Quilloughby]. It was me, Bret, and Benedict all on Zoom in different cities and I just thought, “Oh my God, I love my life. This is great.”

That’s so awesome. In the past, I know you worked on some late-night talk shows, Late Show with David Letterman and Politically Incorrect. That’s obviously very much about joke writing. How has that helped your creative writing as well?

It has certainly made me somebody who’s not afraid to write hard jokes. Just the very fact that those shows happen every night in the case of the Letterman show, it gives you a discipline. There’s not an option when you’re writing for Letterman or a show like that where you can go, “I’m not feeling it today.” You’ve got to produce material and you need to produce it fast. So that was really, really helpful. And of course, being around Bill Maher and David Letterman, they’re two of the funniest people in the world so you can’t help but learn a little bit by osmosis. I would say it wasn’t until that I got to The Simpsons and worked on some other things, that I started to get more obsessed with character arcs and narrative. I like to think that I’ve progressed every step of the way and certainly those shows are part of it.

The Exchange has such a great cast. I would love to get your thoughts on Ed Oxenbould, Avan Jogia, and Justin Hartley and how they really brought those characters to life. I think they’re each so great.

Oh, they’re so unbelievably great. They had such chemistry, not just onscreen but off-screen. I remember there were a couple of times where we’d break for the weekend and you’d be walking down the street near our hotel in Ottawa and I’d see the two of them walking with a pizza in their hands. They were going back to the hotel and play video games and eat pizza. I was like, well, this is great. These two are really forming a connection and I think that really came through on-screen. Justin was unbelievable. I think people are going to be really surprised with what he does in a more explicitly comedic role. I also got to give a shout-out to Paul Braunstein and Jennifer Irwin, who play the parents, and are so good in their parts.

The post Interview: The Simpsons Writer Tim Long Discusses New Film The Exchange, Upsetting Morrissey appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Wellington on a Plate kicks off month of culinary delight in the capital

August is here, along with one of the brightest spots on the Wellington hospitality calendar. Wellingtonians and visitors have a month of culinary delight ahead, with one of New Zealand's biggest food and drink festivals kicking...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Scribe documentary series coming soon to TVNZ, casting call out for 'young Scribe'

Scribe has taken to social media to advertise for a "young Scribe" to play a younger version of him in a six-figure story of his life.New Zealand rapper Scribe is poised for a comeback in a TVNZ documentary series. Scribe - The...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Spy: Country of lovers? More romantic movies being filmed in NZ

Godzone is becoming the go-to location for filming romantic Hallmark-style flicks. Spy can reveal the latest film is made-for-TV movie Love Knots.The movie follows in the steps of the recently-filmed Netflix movie, The Royal Treatment...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Spy: Who will hit the dancefloor for DWTS?

Speculation is mounting about which local celebs will be part of the soon-to-be-announced Dancing with the Stars lineup. Production is staying tight-lipped but we hear our own Kerre McIvor, is set to sashay on to the dance floor.The...

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Spy: Beauden Barrett's 30th bash better late than never

All Black Beauden Barrett and wife Hannah threw a classy bash for the No 10's 30th birthday last Saturday night in Mangawhai.The couple returned to New Zealand at the end of May. Beauden turned 30 on the 27th of that month and last...

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Shane Warne says a Hollywood movie about his life is still in the works

Shane Warne has opened up about plans for a Hollywood movie based on his life.In 2019 the Herald Sun reported that the cricket legend was flying to LA to discuss a potential film about his Indian Premier League triumph with the...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Emma Stone is 'weighing her options' over Scarlett Johansson's Disney lawsuit

The Scarlett Johansson lawsuit against Disney might be stirring up more bad blood among Hollywood circles.Hours after Johansson's legal team filed a suit against the House of Mouse, alleging the company breached her contract by...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Bob Odenkirk thanks fans for 'outpouring of love' after 'small heart attack'

Bob Odenkirk has confirmed he suffered a "small heart attack" when he collapsed on the set of "Better Call Saul" but is "going to be okay". The 58-year-old actor was rushed to hospital after collapsing on the set of the "Breaking...

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Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture Is Worth Revisiting

With the success of the toyline, a hit cartoon, and a slew of other merchandise, the franchise had no choice but to try and make more money off of a live-action film. This muscle-bound movie didn’t hit quite in the height of He-Mania, but a year after the action figure sales plummeted. It was a troubled production, not well-received at the time of its release in 1987, and barely given a chance to make an impression, but it’s another gem that was always destined to become a cult classic, adored by fans and respected for what it accomplished under the conditions. Doomed from the moment Cannon Films took the property and deemed their project the “Star Wars of the 1980s,” there was little hope for Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture. But was the movie honestly that bad, or just a smear campaign from Skeletor to hide his most embarrassing defeat?

No one will ever claim that Masters of the Universe is some sort of amazing film, but it is better than most seem to remember. It was an odd choice not to put “He-Man” in the title, but Masters of the Universe is an awesome phrase and it helps allow the script to focus on a few other characters as well. Compared to the cartoon, He-Man takes on a lesser role, and we never see his Prince Adam persona or the King and Queen at all. This may have been a good thing for those who weren’t a fan of that side of the hero, but most agree that the exclusion led to one of the biggest letdowns in the entire movie, not seeing his iconic transformation. There is the energetic moment towards the end where he lifts the sword up high and says that he has the power, but was that enough?

There’s A Reason Why It’s a Cult Classic

We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture is not a good adaptation of the cartoon, but that’s okay – it’s still fantastic. This is a classic story of good versus evil, the fight against Skeletor to stop his ascension, but a MacGuffin in the form of a synthesizer is going to cause a detour through Earth before that can happen. We excuse that because the 1980s made this okay and other worlds may not rely on a standard number or letter system for their technology. Every fan was bummed that there wasn’t more Eternia, especially after seeing Castle Greyskull in such a glorious form, but the cartoon set up much of this, like having his mother be an astronaut from Earth and those kids in the Christmas special. The original script would have been closer to the show, kept the audience in Eternia longer, and included more fan-favorite characters, but the Earth storyline was still there. Speaking of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe show, some familiarity with this or the toyline’s backstory is almost required, as the movie doesn’t explain much past the new elements it throws in and begins this tale in the middle – in a crazy way.

Skeletor has won, essentially. Our skull-faced fiend is out in full force. He’s scattered the heroes, captured the Sorceress, and now occupies Castle Greyskull. The bad guy has almost achieved all of his goals and a timer has been set for when he’ll have the power he seeks. It’s a spectacular intro. The opening and ending of the movie are phenomenal, but new characters had to be introduced and the entire thing couldn’t take place inside the castle, no matter how cool that set was. Enter Gwildor: an inventor who made the MacGuffin and was manipulated by Evil-Lyn, which is how the bad guys got the upper hand. Played by Billy Barty (Willow), and acting as a replacement for Orko, he has his odd moments, but Gwildor is much less annoying. There are several henchmen sent after the group of heroes, many of which are new – the coolest of which they regret having Skeletor kill off early – and all of them look incredible. Mattel wanted their old characters in the film – originally the company wanted twenty-six in total – but also wanted new creations that they could make money off of as well. It’s a miracle this wasn’t even more crowded.

Frank Langella Steals the Film

Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture

After this entertaining setup for the conflict, we meet Julie Winston, played by a pre-Friends Courteney Cox (Misfits of Science), and her nearly-dumped boyfriend, portrayed by Robert Duncan McNeill (Star Trek: Voyager). These two normal people who are about to be thrown into a strange adventure aren’t completely useless and are, thankfully, easy to like. Most of their worse bits come from bad writing. Potentially the most egregious moment of the film is when Evil-Lyn disguises herself as Julie’s dead mother to get the key. The story shows how the baddies knew about her dead parents, and that does give Julie some cheap character development, but why did she fall for this trick so easily? On the other hand, it was a treat to see them use another tactic other than force, like when they use the collar to interrogate Kevin.

There are some excellent small bits of acting here, befitting the genre, even if the cheesiness is always looming. These examples are wrapped in wonderful character moments between pairs like Teela (Chelsea Field, The Last Boyscout) and Man-At-Arms (Jon Cyphyer, Major Dad) or Skeletor and Evil Lyn (Meg Foster, They Live). The film has a superb instance between those two where the lack of trust and romance they share are both hinted at, alluding back to some clues from the cartoon. This is paralleled against the chemistry Julie and He-Man share, which feels genuinely kind and caring.

Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV) took on the role of He-Man in Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture, as he looked like a living action figure already. This was his third film and the first time he’d be in a leading role. At this point, he was still lacking that screen confidence and working with his accent. Dolph’s performance was almost dubbed over because of this, but thanks to some wording in his contract and Cannon not wanting to follow through, this never happened. The strange accent always seemed somewhat appropriate, him being an alien and all. He put a lot into the role, even doing his own fight scenes and stunts, but some still blamed Lundgren on the film’s failure. Dolph didn’t enjoy the work then and he called it his least favorite role a few times, but as he got further away from the movie, he seems to defend it more and even expressed interest in potentially having a role in the reboot. The work was hard, but it looks as if the actor enjoyed being He-Man.

The real star of the project is Frank Langella (The Americans), who took the role because of his four-year-old being a huge fan of the cartoon. He still offers it up as one of his favorite roles and breathed a new life into the villain, giving him a Shakespearian flair and improvising some lines, even if they are hammed up a bit. Instead of the muscular figure from the cartoon – which Langella was prepared to play, being in shape at the time – the studio saw him as a scarier and menacing character, even under several layers of makeup and unflattering gold armor, which Langella made sing. His presence helped define the movie and his image is burned into the minds of many young fans.

The visuals still hold up, showing strong signs of that Jack Kirby influence with hints of the original Frank Frazetta inspirations from the toys. There were some gorgeous matte paintings done for the film, a strategic use of miniatures – though some were apparently recycled from Blade Runner and Ghostbusters – while costumes and makeup did their best to create memorable characters. None of this should be particularly surprising as early concept designs were done by comics legend Moebius and finished by the talented Production Designer, William Stout. It’s one of the better aspects of the movie and helps it last, but it’s hard to say the same for the action scenes.

Much of the effects of energy, lightning, damage, and the struggle between the characters still look incredible, but any close scrutiny of the choreography can be troubling. There are a lot of clunky swings, quick cuts, and close-ups to piece together some of the combat. Much of this could be blamed on the budget cuts and lack of time, but the costumes were a problem also.

Beast Man looked brutal and his lack of a voice portrayed him as more savage, hearing his growls as he threw Kevin around, but the man in the suit kept fainting from the heat the costume generated, and filming on sets with no air conditioning couldn’t have been easy. Other attires, like Evil-Lyn’s, weighed tremendous amounts, restricted mobility, and even left contusions on some of the actors. There were also performers that had to wear elaborate headgear or contacts that forced them to perform fights and stunts blind, increasing the chance of injuries.

Masters of the Universe: The The Motion Picture’s Troubled Production

Cannon struggled to find funding for the movie, for the marketing, and this is after Mattel had already provided a large chunk of the cash. It’s even rumored that the toy company paid to make sure the feature could have a proper premiere. The lack of budget heavily affected the project, as they were originally going to shoot in Iceland and didn’t even hire extras for many of the scenes, giving the streets an empty feeling. According to the Power of Greyskull documentary, characters like Orko and Battle Cat were wanted in the film, but also fell victim to the budget and difficulty behind doing them in live-action. Filming was actually shut down by Mattel toward the end because of how much money they were spending and the last fight scene in the dark was a cost-cutting measure so it could be finished offsite by a small team, meaning that the audience never got to see the full size and glory of the Castle Greyskull sets or much of the ending they had planned.

There were other troubles as well. Supposedly while shooting the scene in the gym, the fire got out of hand and almost burned down the school, while one of the storefronts was heavily damaged in a later scene. There were even issues with composing the movie’s score, as told by Bill Conti’s notes in the album. A contest was held for a fan to be in the film, but this was under prosthetics that hurt him when removed, and his part was incredibly brief, as filming was well underway. This winner was made the character of “Pigboy,” who hands Skeletor his staff in one scene, and that’s all he gets. Much of the merchandise suffered as well, as the video game, Masters of the Universe: The Movie, was a lackluster title that suffered from a quick development time, and not many action figures were made for the movie either; an odd choice for a toy company that most likely didn’t want to remember the movie any more than they had to.

The post-credits scene is still one of the best parts of the movie, especially since we had to sit through the way too happy ending scene of Julie being sent back in time to save her parents. Skeletor may have been defeated and thrown down a seemingly infinite hole, but he climbs back up at the end to scare us one last time, threatening his return. That almost happened too, as there was going to be a sequel, without Lundgren, back on an apocalyptic Earth, and featuring She-Ra (who was cut out of the first film during the scripting process). Not all of the ideas presented sounded promising, like Skeletor posing as a businessman named Aaron Dark, but a lot of that would have hopefully been weeded out before production began. Ever the opportunist, Cannon Films didn’t want to waste costumes and sets from the sequel – and some from the Spider-Man movie they almost made – so all of that was put with a new script to make a little Jean-Claude Van Damme project named Cyborg. So, at least something good came out of that.

Maters of the Universe: The Motion Picture will never be called a masterpiece, but it is still better put together and presented than many other projects from Cannon Films and a ton of other schlock in the genre that doesn’t have half the passion it does. The creators of the He-Man line have never been pleased with the depictions of their property, whether it be the childish cartoon or dysfunctional movie, but the Masters of the Universe film presented its own version of the He-Man mythos, fought against the odds, embraces its shortcomings, and was prepared to live or die by the Power Sword.

The post Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture Is Worth Revisiting appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Release The Ayer Cut: How Zack Snyder Proved Alternate Cuts Have Value in a Streaming Age

I’m confused about this whole Ayer Cut thing.

For those unaware, David Ayer directed 2016’s Suicide Squad … or, originally directed it before Warner Bros. (in response to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s “tepid” box office) decided to rework the movie as a comedy, ala Guardians of the Galaxy.

So, instead of the dark villain ensemble teased in the original Comic-Con trailer:

We got a more flamboyant, colorful remix featuring jokes, gags, and more jokes that catered to the studio’s desire to match Marvel’s lighter tone.

Suicide Squad premiered on August 5, 2016, to middling reviews but still managed to earn a stellar $746 million worldwide. The overall consensus amongst fans was that the movie was subpar, but the characters, particularly Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot, were actually pretty great.

Almost as soon as the film hit theaters, fans began speculating that an alternate cut more in line with the Comic-Con trailer existed, if it had featured an alternate ending, had stronger ties to Zack Snyder’s original cut of Justice League, and more of Jared Leto’s curiously underused Joker.

Naturally, Ayer and Leto stoked the flames by dropping details about alternate scenes, different takes, cut sequences, and reshuffled storylines.

Cue the Snyder Cut

In one of the more entertaining pop cultural phenomena of the last decade, Zack Snyder fans rallied to show their support for the director’s original version of Justice League. Several years, one long pandemic and an additional $75 million later, WB released Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max, and … the crowd went wild. Critics (mostly) liked Snyder’s 4+ hour extravaganza (71% on RT), while fan reaction leaned (mostly) positive (94% audience score, based on 25,000+ ratings).

Of course, all ZSJL’s success did was fuel fan’s desire to see Ayer’s cut of Suicide Squad, which the director insists is far superior to the theatrical release. No, really, the man released a very passionate statement about the project this week (just before James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad hits theaters) in which he said:

“I made something amazing. My cut is intricate and emotional journey with some bad people who are shit on and discarded (a theme that resonates in my soul). The studio cut is not my movie. Read that again. And my cut is not the 10 week director’s cut — it’s a fully mature edit by Lee Smith standing on the incredible work by John Gilroy. It’s all Steven Price’s brilliant score, with not a single radio song in the whole thing. It has traditional character arcs, amazing performances, a solid third-act resolution. A handful of people have seen it.”

Fascinating.

At this point, I assume Zack Snyder’s Justice League was a success. WB never released the official streaming data, but the film topped everything from Apple to the Official Film Chart, where it scored “double the sales of its closest competition,” according to OfficialCharts. Given that Snyder’s Army of the Dead likewise made huge waves on Netflix, it’s fair to assume audiences were at least open to seeing more of the director’s patented dark and brooding style.

release the ayer cut

So, Where’s the Ayer Cut?

After the success of ZSJL, one would assume the powers that be would want more of that pudding. Instead, those in charge are quite opposed to anything related to the Snyderverse, despite its very lucrative possibilities (and built-in fan base), particularly on HBO Max where the series could continue without negating any of WB’s upcoming theatrical DC slate.

In other words, this is a perfect time for a multiverse. However, let’s just assume WB has absolutely zero interest in continuing Snyder’s vision. Fair enough. So, why not release the Ayer Cut?

Look, having an alternate version of Suicide Squad won’t change anything related to Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. If anything, you would think the extra promotion would help drive more interest for Gunn’s sequel. In the event that Ayer’s version sucks, well, that makes Gunn’s flick that much better; and in the event, Ayer’s version achieves the same critical response as the Snyder Cut, one would imagine fans would be more inclined to see the follow-up, right?

Considering the sluggish summer box office — during which films such as Black Widow and M. Night Shyamalan’s Old produced meager ticket sales — it’s apparent audiences aren’t exactly flocking to theaters, which means there are billions of eyeballs searching home streaming platforms for new content.

So, again, tell me why the Ayer Cut is a bad idea? Is WB worried a negative reaction would curb enthusiasm for Gunn’s film? Are they worried a positive reaction would steal Gunn’s thunder? Are they worried the contrasting tones of each movie would lead to a divisive audience reaction? Are they simply waiting for a later date far removed from The Suicide Squad’s August 6 release?

There’s this weird notion that fans will grow tired, or worse, confused, by too much content — there can only be one Batman, one Superman, one Wonder Woman, one Green Lantern, etc. That’s B.S. I say, the more Batmen, the merrier. Let Robert Pattinson do his thing. Let Ben Affleck do his thing. Let the upcoming animated series do its thing. Audiences love superheroes and would likely greet alternate takes (streamed on an entirely different platform) on their favorite heroes/villains with open arms.

More Suicide Squad is a Good Thing

So, yeah, count me in on this latest fan outcry. Hell, I’ll support the movement if only to respect a director’s ultimate vision. Honestly, though, what’s the worst that could happen? Let’s say it sucks … okay. People will still watch it. Michael Bay’s 6 Underground wasn’t good and it was still viewed by 83 million households in its first four weeks on Netflix.

Best case scenario? People love the Ayer Cut. They watch it over and over again leading to huge numbers for HBO Max, happy fans, and more subscribers, thus justifying the additional $20-30 million Ayer would need to complete his vision. Since when is double-dipping a bad word within the Hollywood machine?

Maybe I’m oversimplifying the complexity of the situation and not taking important details into consideration, but it makes zero sense to have a potential blockbuster collecting dust on a shelf somewhere.

Come on WB, release the Ayer Cut. You’ve got nothing to lose and plenty to gain.

The post Release The Ayer Cut: How Zack Snyder Proved Alternate Cuts Have Value in a Streaming Age appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Centaurworld Creator Megan Nicole Dong Talks Netflix’s Newest Animated Comedy

Centaurworld is out today on Netflix. The animated comedy series features plenty of musical numbers and some spectacularly weird, yet still adorable, designs. The series was created by Megan Nicole Dong and features a voice cast featuring Dong, Josh Radnor, Kimiko Glenn, Megan Hilty, Jessie Mueller, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Parvesh Cheena.

“A hardened war horse transported away from battle finds herself in a land that’s inhabited by silly, singing centaurs of all shapes and sizes,” reads the official synopsis.

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Centaurworld creator Megan Nicole Dong about the latest animated comedy from Netflix, its great voice cast, and her unique art style.

Tyler Treese: There’s a really incredible dramatic opening sequence that leads to this warhorse being transported into Centaurworld. How’d you come up with that sequence? I ask because it’s so incredible and action-packed, and even though I really enjoy the show, I kind of want to watch that show, too.

Megan Nicole Dong: I think from the beginning I always wanted it to feel genuinely like we had a character from one show that was dropped into the others, so we wanted it to feel as authentic as possible. And we worked with two different studios to make the two different styles of the show. So we worked with Red Dog Culture House, a studio in South Korea that has artists and animators that have worked on a lot of action shows before this. So we worked with them on that sequence and a lot of the other sequences that came from horse’s world for that. And then we worked with Mercury Film Works for all the squashy stretchy Centaurworld stuff, but I’m really glad to hear that it felt like you would have wanted to watch that show because we wanted to invest enough into it to feel like it was its own thing.

You have this great book of sketches available and you’re able to create these cute, kind of creepy animal designs and we see plenty of them here. When did you discover that you had this knack — or maybe it’s a curse, I don’t know — to come up with these designs?

It might be a curse. I’m fascinated by biology. I love animals because the natural world is so strange. And if you look at all the actual animals that exist in the world, they are really bizarre and I’ve always enjoyed artistically just kind of taking what’s already there and pushing it or pushing it to places that’s sometimes visually uncomfortable. That’s something that’s always kind of made me laugh and that was definitely something that we wanted to incorporate into the show or draw some of the humor from.

Centaurworld‘s designs are certainly unique.

I love that core bond between the horse and rider and it’s on this quest to be reunited. How’d you come up with this idea? And are you a big horse or equestrian fan yourself? How’d that come about?

I love animals. I’m not actually a horse girl. I didn’t grow up riding horses. I enjoy them as, as animals. But that, that bond between human and animal was one thing that I wanted to explore. And I did want our main character to be an animal and a warhorse felt like the perfect character for this particular tale.

Music is such a large part of the series. What led to you going in that direction? And did you work on crafting the songs yourself?

Yeah, I love musical theater and the whole inspiration for the show came from me being really, really focused on studies and then accidentally getting put in a show choir by a scheduling mix-up. Like I just ended up in a show choir my freshman year of high school, and I felt really out of place, but it kind of like led me to pursuing the arts. Like it was the thing that kind of made me realize that I had to do something creative for a job. Music is really important to me. I wrote a lot of the songs and my co-executive producer, Dominic Bisignano, wrote a lot of the other ones. So we didn’t, we were in the writers room through the whole process and we were also writing the songs and then our composer, Toby Chu, helped produce them.

So working on the music was a really collaborative experience. But also I think us being so intimately familiar with the characters, with the story, working on the visuals, also helped us work on the music. I think we just felt really connected to these characters. And I always knew that I wanted the music to help tell the story and for the songs to not just be like songs that were happening, but for them to be narrative and character-based.

You have such a talented voice cast in the show and Josh Radnor really stands out as the very wacky Durpleton. How fun was putting him in the silliest role possible?

Josh was great to work with. I think that character in particular, Durpleton, was almost a tricky one to cast, too, because it would be very easy to play him and to kind of make fun of who he is, because he’s not the brightest character of the bunch, but he has a lot of emotional intelligence despite not being the smartest centaur there. I think Josh naturally picked up on that. He played the character with a lot of sincerity and I think that’s what I loved about his performance. He made that character really, really lovable and had so much genuine affection for who that character was.

Kimiko Glenn is great in the lead role as Horse and really knows the musical performances. Can you speak about just working with her?

Yeah, Kimiko was excellent. She’s such an amazing singer, but also she’s super funny. And I think that the character of Horse was always was always tricky because we didn’t want her to feel like just the straight man in this world of all these silly and absurd characters. We wanted her to be able to hold her own. And Kimiko’s performance brought a lot of surprises to us and really helped inform who this character was and how silly she could be. And I think in particular I loved the amount of mischief she brought to the role and how much she really played up how excited Horse would get about war-related things or fighting. And I think she really did an amazing job.

You recently shared sketches of the original drawings for these characters. How rewarding is it getting to see this idea fully go from concept to the final project?

I can’t even put it into words. I started drawing some of these characters like five or six years ago. So seeing, seeing them now, moving and with the voice cast that we have is really surreal. I’m just so happy that it’s finally here.

In Japan, there’s a very popular genre, Isekai, which is super popular in anime and light novels, where people go into another world. Did that serve as an inspiration for this idea?

I think there are a lot of different shows right now that are exploring that. A lot of big creators are around the same general age. And I think a lot of us had watched things like Spirited Away and Miyazaki movies in particular that I think are baked somewhere into our brains. It’s so fun to be able to create a world from scratch that a character can go into. That’s probably why there are so many different people exploring that concept.

Why should people check out Centaurworld?

I think that the show is something that’s pretty unique. It’s very difficult show to describe, but I think that we put so much into it and so many different elements into it. I think that there’s going to be something that will surprise everyone. And I think that the messages that we’ve put in there are hopefully ones that will speak to a lot of different of different age groups too. I think they should check out the show just to be surprised. Also, they should check it out for the music, the visuals, and for the performances are actors game and all of the amazing visual work that our crew put in into it.

The post Centaurworld Creator Megan Nicole Dong Talks Netflix’s Newest Animated Comedy appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Werewolves Within Writer Mishna Wolff Discusses Crafting A Satisfying Mystery

Based on the Ubisoft virtual reality game of the same name, horror mystery film Werewolves Within is now available digitally. The whodunnit stars Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, George Basil, Sarah Burns, and more as a series of murders take place in a small town. The film was directed by Josh Ruben from a script by Mishna Wolff.

“After a proposed pipeline creates divisions within the small town of Beaverfield, and a snowstorm traps its residents together inside the local inn, newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Vayntrub) must try to keep the peace and uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature that has begun terrorizing the community,” reads the official synopsis.

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke to Wolff about the film, Ubisoft’s involvement, and what themes inspired her writing.

Tyler Treese: Can you discuss the paid fellowship that Ubisoft did that resulted in this film? I think it’s great to see them giving women such a great opportunity.

Mishna Wolff: I think it’s really great too. I was the first year of the fellowship. It was a little bit more informal. The year I started, I came into Ubisoft on a general meeting through my agent, which had nothing to do with the fellowship, but then Margaret [Boykin] from Ubisoft was like, “Hey, we’re thinking of, sort of starting this incubator here. It’s paid, this is the whole event. Does Mishna want to apply?” I still had to apply. I was the first year, and it was a PAGE fellowship. They opened up the vault, and I got access to all their great IP, which was bananas. They have really great titles, and they were like, “What sparks you? We’re interested in your point of view on things,” which very few people are. I brought them an idea for Werewolves Within that they just thought, “Wow, this is really high concept and, and relevant and fun. Let’s give it a shot,” and then all the way through super supportive.

Werewolves Within, that’s not the most high-profile Ubisoft game. A very well-regarded VR game, though, and like you said, they have such an amazing vault of properties. Were there any other licenses that were interesting to you, and what ultimately led you to choose Werewolves Within? I mean, your last name’s Wolff. Was it a little favoritism?

Maybe. I do have a soft spot for wolves. Actually, I liked the idea of private justice as a theme for a movie. I felt like I could really get into this. I felt like watching gameplay and playing the game. People don’t make logical decisions about who they choose to be the werewolf. They make really biased, infantile decisions based on who they’re mad at. So it was really a no-brainer to me to just sort of modernize it and make it so give it sort of modern-day themes. Themes like community divisions and what we owe each other and class, and masculinity and just sort of play with it and see where it took us. I liked the sort of whodunnit genre. I also like the horror genre, and I have plenty of comedy to fun everything up. They went for it, and they told me after the first draft, “We’re going to make this movie,” I was like, okay.

You said they were very supportive. What kind of creative input did they have? Was there anything in parts of the games that they wanted to see represented, or did you just have full reign?

Never. I always had full reign. I brought them the idea I brought them was really the, I mean, I feel like the essence of the game is really contained in the movie, which is just a group of villagers gathered around a fire ferreting out who did it. And I think that’s central in the movie too. I think they were happy that I had sort of satisfied the feel of the game and the movie and give me a lot of license with what I was doing when I was writing it. They had great input. They have good instincts about stories over there. They’re really smart executives. We went down some cul-de-sacs, and that was fine. I never felt like I couldn’t take risks with the team from Ubisoft. They’re really smart creatives. Then they give you a lot of room to be creative and bring your own point of view to what you’re working on. So I felt super supported. The whole thing was kind of touched and blessed.

As you mentioned, this does have a theme of community, and it takes place in a small town kind of America rather than the game, which is more medieval based. The snowstorm in a small town, it really helps build that bonfire-type locale where just a few people [are there]. The whole cast, it’s easy to keep track of, but what led to that particular setting of just a mountainous region where everybody knows everybody else.

When I saw the video game, and I played the video game, that was just sort of what sparked me. I was like, where could this be? That there’s a bunch of locals that they get too many tourists or people, too many wealthy people from the city moving there. I just sorta thought Vermont, what was that place? Just like, where do people go because they don’t really like people? And I was like Vermont! But also, the idea of the oil pipeline coming into town and a little bit of money, meaning a lot to some of these people for their land that wasn’t necessarily worth anything to them before. Then having environmentalists there that are like, “No, this is not what we want from our life. This isn’t why we moved here.” I thought it was interesting, and it was actually, it was Jason Altman at Ubisoft who sort of talked a little bit about how, how these sorts of things happen in small towns. I found a way to incorporate it into the script. I think it added a lot.

Werewolves Within Trailer: Josh Ruben Brings Ubisoft's Horror Game to Life

The film does such a great job in making everybody suspicious, and you plant so many seeds of doubt. What was it like giving the viewers just enough clues but not really spelling anything out because I could imagine that being a hard balance?

Yeah. I mean, I feel like I kicked a lot of dirt over who the werewolf is, but if you go back and watch it a second time, you’re going to see the breadcrumbs too. So it was just a really fun process. I mean, I like writing stories and misdirection. I was a comedian for 10 years, and comedy is really about faking left and going. Right. So it was kind of like, this is what I love to do. It was fun. I got to write a bunch of jokes and a bunch of really big archetypical characters that sort of upending your expectations. It feels like play a little bit. I think that’s why it’s so fun to watch is for me, it’s like, this is like the child of me wrote this. I think for Josh [Ruben], the child in him directed it and we got great improvisers to play these really fun characters.

The comedy background definitely shows it’s such a fun movie and Sam Richardson does just an incredible job in the lead role. How rewarding was it to see the characters you wrote just come to life on the screen and just deliver on the promise of that?

It’s so amazing. Really words can’t describe what it’s like to watch actors play out a scene that you’ve lived with for like a year. Like, I mean, this was the precious that was in my laptop. Nobody got the precious and then it’s out, and these actors bring so much to a script, especially people like Sam and Cheyenne Jackson, Harvey Guillén, and Milana Vayntrub. They’re just really good at what they do, and Michaela Watkins, Michael Chernis, Catherine Curtin, there’s just so many good actors. They did such a good job with the material. My heart was going to explode. I went to set, I thought my heart was going to explode. It was so fun.

I thought it was refreshing to have a hero. That’s just a swell guy. He’s not some brooding person with like conflicted past, or there’s not like a big overarching story. Yeah. He’s just a good guy trying to do right with his new community. What made you go in that direction? It’s really refreshing, and it’s so simple.

That was the theme of masculinity, I think is always inherent in a werewolf movie. I think that for me, creating a character who’s afraid of conflict was a big part of building out this world because so much of everything is inspired by his fear of conflict and how he reacts to being in so much conflict. He’s a really nice guy. He’s a connector. He wants people to get along. He feels like we owe something to each other, and yet here he is, and everyone just gets louder and angrier until he just can’t take it anymore. He delivers some really wonderful speeches in the movie. But the nice guys, I wanted to show sort of the value of connection.

The script does a great job with that. For my final question for you, I really liked how ambiguous the whole werewolf was for a while. At one point, I was like, oh, is the werewolf going to be really within? Is it the humans? You play with that a lot, and we see the different villagers going at each other. We see some deaths that way. We don’t really see a werewolf till very late. Can you just discuss keeping that ambiguous and how you were able to play off that trope?

Well, I think for me, I love monster movies, but I feel like the monster can sometimes ruin the monster movie. I know it’s like, um, I know it’s like a weird thing to say, but I love the tense moments when we don’t know where the monster is. Who’s the monster, or if they’re even as a monster. So I wanted to let the viewers live in that space for as long as possible. I really wanted to make people think they know who it is then, then have them be wrong.

The post Werewolves Within Writer Mishna Wolff Discusses Crafting A Satisfying Mystery appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Amanda Knox blasts film Stillwater for exploiting her case

Amanda Knox is speaking out about her name being associated with the new film Stillwater, saying any connection rips off "my story without my consent at the expense of my reputation".Stillwater stars Matt Damon as a father who flies...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Paul McCartney shares thoughts on John Lennon and auto-tune

Sir Paul McCartney thinks John Lennon would have been "all over" auto-tune. The 79-year-old musician doesn't believe his late Beatles bandmate needed to "fix" his voice but would have enjoyed experimenting with the technology that...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Bob Odenkirk Shares Update After Heart Attack, Gives Thanks for ‘Outpouring of Love’

After being hospitalized on Tuesday after collapsing on set while filming the sixth and final season of AMC’s Better Call Saul, Bob Odenkirk posted an update on Twitter, which you can check out below, thanking family, friends, and fans for the “outpouring of love” following a “small heart attack.”

In his full statement, Odenkirk said: “Hi. It’s Bob. Thank you. To my family and friends and who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much.

“I had a small heart attack. But I’m going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery. Also, AMC and SONY’s support and help throughout this has been next-level. I’m going to take a beat to recover, but I’ll be back soon.”

I had a small heart attack. But I’m going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery.
Also, AMC and SONYs support and help throughout this has been next-level. I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.

— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) July 30, 2021

Season 6 of the Breaking Bad prequel spinoff series stars Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman, Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca, and Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring.

The critically acclaimed drama Better Call Saul is created by Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan, who serve as executive producers along with Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Thomas Schnauz, and Gennifer Hutchison. The series garnered a 2018 Peabody Award, and, over five seasons, has earned 39 Emmy Award nominations, four Golden Globe Award nominations, two Writers Guild Awards, three Critics’ Choice Awards, a Television Critics Association Award and two AFI Awards for “TV Programs of the Year,” among many other Guild nominations.

The post Bob Odenkirk Shares Update After Heart Attack, Gives Thanks for ‘Outpouring of Love’ appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Michael Jackson estate 'optimistic' about revival after recent court victories

The King of pop, Michael Jackson's musical legacy never left, but a kind of comeback is coming.With a series of court victories that bring the end to serious legal crises, with a Broadway show beginning and a Cirque du Soleil show...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Britney Spears has sent a message to her 'haters'

As the battle over Britney Spears' conservatorship continues the singer has sent a message to her "haters".The 'Toxic' hitmaker - who is currently embroiled in a legal battle as she tries to have her father Jamie Spears removed...

from nzherald.co.nz - Entertainment

Tom Hanks to Star in His First Wes Anderson Production

Following the recent casting news that Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton will be starring in Wes Anderson’s next film, The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Oscar winner Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Greyhound) has joined the project, serving as his first Anderson production.

According to the outlet’s sources, Hanks will appear in a small role in the currently untitled project that “could be cameo-like in nature.” The film will be written and directed by Anderson, with production expected to shoot in Spain. Plot details are being tightly kept under wraps, but it is rumored to be a love story set in Europe.

Anderson’s highly-anticipated dramedy romance The French Dispatch will finally release on October 22, 2021, following its Cannes Film Festival debut. Brody, Murray, Swinton along with Frances McDormand, Benicio Del Toro, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Liev Schreiber, and many more stars in the film.

The French Dispatch is described as a love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city centering on three storylines that bring to life a collection of stories published in “The French Dispatch” magazine.

Hanks was most recently seen in the drama adventure News of the World directed by Paul Greengrass. His upcoming projects include Amblin’s sci-fi drama movie Finch, set to be released on Apple TV+, along with Robert Zemeckis’ live-action adaptation of Disney’s Pinocchio, and Baz Luhrman’s Elvis Presley project starring Austin Butler.

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Rosa Salazar Is Hungry For Revenge in Brand New Cherry Flavor Trailer

Netflix has released the official Brand New Cherry Flavor trailer for their forthcoming psychological horror miniseries, starring Rosa Salazar and Catherine Keener. The series is slated to premiere on August 13.

The video, which you can check out below, features Salazar as an aspiring filmmaker who gets betrayed and mistreated by a producer. Because of this, she enlists the help of Keener’s character to enact her revenge on the person who wronged her. It also gives us a preview of the horrific and disturbing scenes that we should expect to see in the upcoming limited series including nightmarish creatures, kittens eating a dead dog, and Salazar’s character getting badly beaten up.

In Brand New Cherry Flavor, Lisa N. Nova comes to LA dead set on directing her first movie. But when she trusts the wrong person and gets stabbed in the back, everything goes sideways and a dream project turns into a nightmare. This particular nightmare has zombies, hitmen, supernatural kittens, and a mysterious tattoo artist who likes to put curses on people. And Lisa’s going to have to figure out some secrets from her own past in order to get out alive.

The 8-episode limited series stars Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel), Oscar nominee Catherine Keener (Get Out), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Eric Lange (Unbelievable), and Jeff Ward (Agents of SHIELD).

Brand New Cherry Flavor is written and executive produced by Nick Antosca (Channel Zero, The Act) and Lenora Zion (Channel Zero), who are serving as showrunners. The first episode is directed by Arkasha Stevenson.

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Report: Horizon Forbidden West Delayed Until 2022

The delays just keep coming. After hesitating to give a date for this year, it appears as though Sony has delayed Guerrilla Games’ PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 open-world RPG Horizon Forbidden West until the first quarter of 2022.

This rumored delay comes from a Bloomberg report that was corroborating an earlier report from GamesBeat report Jeff Grubb during his weekly premium show on Giant Bomb called GrubbSnax. Both allege that Sony has pushed the game out of 2021. Sony and Guerrilla have not officially commented. However, Grubb stated that Sony might have a State of Play in September to speak about it. And according to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, this decision was made “a little while ago.”

However, this reported delay is not too surprising, given what Sony stated in June. Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst candidly said in a Q&A that its release date was still in flux.

“For Horizon, we think we are on track to release this holiday season,” he admitted. “But that isn’t quite certain yet, and we’re working as hard as we can to confirm that to you as soon as we can.”

That same Q&A revealed the God of War sequel (which will likely be called God of War: Ragnarok) would release in 2022. Given all the rampant delays of games like Rainbow Six Extraction, Riders Republic, Skull & Bones, the Prince of Persia remake, and Kena: Bridge of Spirits, just to name a few, a later release date would make more sense. COVID’s impact on game development continues to ripple across the industry, after all.

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