The answer to the question of why Thor wasn’t involved in Captain America: Civil War is revealed in a new video which San Diego Comic Con attendees were treated to in July and is now finally available online. Chris Hemsworth shows off his comedy chops as Thor explains what he was doing while Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were busy dividing up the superheroes for a ‘civil war.’ Hemsworth’s joined briefly by Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner who was asked to be part of Tony Stark’s team but declined, while apparently no one ever approached Thor to take sides. So instead of battling his superhero buddies, Thor was kicking it down in Australia, wearing shorts, and hanging with everyday people.
No worries though because Thor will be back in Thor: Ragnarok opening in theaters on November 3, 2017. The cast also includes Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Mark Ruffalo, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, and Karl Urban. What We Do in the Shadows‘ Taika Waititi directs, Kevin Feige produces, and Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Victoria Alonso, Thomas M. Hammel and Stan Lee are on board as executive producers.
James Marsden and Evan Rachel Wood in ‘Westwood’ (Photo: John P. Johnson / HBO)
HBO’s new Westworld series just released a new trailer prior to the final episode of The Night Of‘s first season. Based on the classic sci-fi film released back in 1973 and written/directed by Michael Crichton (author of such books as The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park), Westworld is set in a futuristic world in which wealthy vacationers can live out their fantasies. The series stars Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Jimmi Simpson, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Simon Quarterman, Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth, and Clifton Collins, Jr, and was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy.
Westworld season one will premiere on October 2, 2016.
The Plot: The dramatic series Westworld (ten episodes) is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.
Screen Gems had a terrific weekend at the box office, scoring a first place finish with their horror film, Don’t Breathe. Don’t Breathe earned more than double its budget over its first three days in release and should continue to do well due to strong word of mouth and overwhelmingly positive reviews. Also benefiting from both word of mouth and talk of potential Oscar nominations is the indie film, Hell or High Water, starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges. Lionsgate’s slowly increasing the number of theaters playing the dramatic thriller and although it didn’t quite make the Top 10 this weekend, it did ring up $3.7 million in just 900 theaters.
Lionsgate Premiere launched the latest Jason Statham film, Mechanic: Resurrection, into theaters and pulled off a fifth place finish with $7.5 million. Statham starred in the 2011 remake of The Mechanic (the original film had Charles Bronson in the leading role) which rang up $62 million worldwide before exiting theaters. The 2016 sequel’s opening weekend is down about $4 million from that of the 2011 action film.
Elise Eberle as Mercy and Iddo Goldberg as Isaac in ‘Salem’ (Photos: WGN America)
Salem co-creator Adam Simon says it’s the scared people who make the scary things. The comment came after he took a look at my camera’s tabletop tripod which looks a little like a possessed octopus. “If we can get our scares into your heads, they’re not in my head anymore,” said writer/executive producer Simon. Elise Eberle, who plays Mercy Lewis on the WGN America horror series, added, “The things that do come out of your brain…should I be afraid?”
The Salem cast and executive producers were a popular draw at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con where they hosted a packed panel and sat down for roundtable interviews to provide a few hints as to what’s coming in season three. WGN America’s set a November 2nd premiere date for the third season which stars Eberle, Janet Montgomery, Shane West, Seth Gabel, and Iddo Goldberg, with Eberle, Goldberg, and Simon teaming up for interviews to discuss the series.
Elise Eberle, Iddo Goldberg, and Adam Simon Interview:
Speaking of things in Adam Simon’s brain, did he put you through torture last season?
Elise Eberle: “Season two? Oh yeah! He just knocked it out of the park with torturing me.”
Adam Simon: “Yes, but no pain, no gain.”
Elise Eberle: “Playing the burn victim, that was definitely crazy. And that was actually my real voice and I changed it. It was bizarre. And I got to eat (Iddo’s) flesh – real flesh. He’s method. It tasted exactly like turkey.”
Iddo Goldberg: (Laughing) “I ate a lot of fat! All month she kept on giving me fat at lunch. Like, ‘Hey, eat some of this.'”
Elise Eberle: “Oh, totally. I sort of go like, ‘How can they go further than this?’ and then they do succeed in going even further. It’s amazing. I’m always excited to read a new script just to see where it goes. Especially with a show like this, you’re just completely (awed).”
What can you say about season three?
Adam Simon: (Laughing) “Let me say this because I’m here with my two favorite characters on the show…it’s true, from the get-go. I’ll give you a good example. When I wrote the pilot with these two characters, this character (indicating Goldberg) died in the pilot. (Elise’s) we knew was going to stick around a little bit but not a lot. It had a very small function to play. But the extraordinary performances that they each brought to that literally just transformed the trajectory of those characters and they became at the very center and lifeblood of the show. That to me was one of the greatest experiences of the whole show, so it’s been fun.”
Iddo Golberg: “Thanks for not killing me on the first episode!”
Adam Simon: “You thank me now… And then to look at the journey. I’ve just watched the pilot again for the first time in two years, three years, and to see the journey that these two characters in particular have been on… To see (Elise) being walked around with that dog mask on and to see the powerful woman that she becomes in season three. To see this desperate for love, hungry for attention girl that she was in love, dare I say, in season three is a powerful thing. To see the guy who’s getting branded, this kid – the Fornicator – committed to shame and abuse…”
Iddo Goldberg: “I get called the Fornicator by all of my friends! It’s the most bizarre thing.”
Adam Simon: “And then they say, ‘Who did you fornicate with?’ ‘Myself!’ What can I say? But then this guy becomes the conscience of Salem. And then he has to struggle in season three, I would say, with power.”
Iddo Goldberg: “Well, it’s a very easy balance to shift in the wrong direction after having power, but he’s someone who has always not necessarily wanted power, he’s just always wanted to be brave enough to have an even keel. Now his voice has been heard by people he never expected would hear him. Suddenly he’s in a position where people are expecting answers from him. It was such a fun season for me. I was asked before, ‘What does your character get to do this season?’ and my response was, ‘He gets to answer back to people. He gets to raise his voice.’ I’ve always wanted to. In the first two seasons, I always wanted to shout at people.”
Adam Simon: “And that one scene with Dollie unleashed a whole new Isaac.”
Iddo Goldberg: (Laughing) “I’d always have to take it out on a runner, someone on the crew.”
Last year you said you hoped Isaac could lead a war against the witches, so is that possible?
Iddo Goldberg: “Well, it’s sort of possible. I mean he’s definitely championing a war against what’s fair and what isn’t fair. He’s standing for the right things. A complete different side of his mission is to get revenge for the loss of Dollie. At the end of last year we spoke…every year between seasons we come to visit Brannon (Braga) and Adam in the writers room, hang around. ‘Do I die?’ We spoke about where we really wanted to go and I think we had this great chat about Dorcas’ character who Isaac saved at the end of last season from the clutch of Mercy. The idea of having him kind of repair himself and kind of have a responsibility outside of himself, and help him take himself out of his head – we wanted to repair him. We wanted to have a psychological shift to allow him to kind of step up to the plate when he was needed.”
Adam Simon: “That’s another example, and I could cite just as many on (Elise’s) side too, of what’s so exciting in television for a writer who came out of features where you kind of do it and done it and it’s done is the creative dialogue that comes out of these other artists. That was an idea that was born out of Iddo, that this girl we had had him save at the end of last season – he came up to us afterwards and said, ‘What if she’s still around? What if she just keeps following him?’ And bang! We saw a whole new side to this character. You don’t get that chance in a movie that you do over the years of a television show. Not only to have characters evolve like this, but to have their own ideas and contributions change the direction of the show.”
Iddo Goldberg: “Emma (Claire Wynn) who plays her is fantastic. We had really great fun during the season. Who would have thought that Isaac would have a sidekick?”
Watch the full Elise Eberle, Iddo Goldberg, and Adam Simon interview:
‘Falling Water’ executive producer Gale Anne Hurd and writer/executive producer Blake Masters (Photos by: Evans Vestal Ward / USA Network)
USA Network will premiere the new sci-fi drama Falling Water on October 13, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT. The Walking Dead‘s Gale Anne Hurd, Brotherhood‘s Blake Masters, and Homeland‘s Henry Bromell executive produce, with David Ajala, Will Yun Lee, and Lizzie Brochere in starring roles. The series is described as a “mind-bending drama” that follows “three unrelated people who slowly realize that they are dreaming separate parts of a single common dream. The deeper they dig, the more they come to realize that the visions found in their common dream just might hold the key to the fate of the world.”
Executive producers Gale Anne Hurd and Blake Masters appeared at the San Diego Comic Con in support of Falling Water‘s upcoming launch, taking part in both a panel with Comic Con attendees as well as roundtable interviews to delve into the show’s mythology. “One of the central conceits is that we are all dreaming separate tiles in a universal dream. We only see our tile, but maybe there are people who can see other people’s tiles. So that’s really one of the interesting things,” explained Hurd. “If we’re dreaming separate tiles, maybe we can come together and be united because those walls come down. Or, maybe it can continue to instill the fear we see in the world and divide it. It really depends on who those people are who can potentially affect our dreams.”
Hurd’s The Walking Dead and Hunters are big ensemble series, but Falling Water narrows the focus down primarily to three characters. “Obviously we build out the world, […]but it really is about connections. This is a show about connections. It’s a show about three seemingly unconnected people who find out that they are actually connected. We have the character of Tess, played by Lizzie Brochere, who is convinced she’s had a child and is seeking to find that child and prove she had a baby when everyone tells her it’s impossible,” explained Hurd. “So, it’s about that sense of loss and connection.”
“The character of Taka, played by Will Yun Lee, his mother has been catatonic for years and years and years. He’s seeking a reconnection with her. He’ll try anything to bring her back because she’s the piece of the puzzle of his life that is missing,” said Hurd. “And then the character of Burton, played by David Ajala, is madly in love with a woman and yet does she exist or is she just someone that he’s connected with in his dreams? So, there’s that sense of longing and loss and need to connect with a woman that he doesn’t even know is real.”
Masters said that what he tries to do when writing a show is to make sure the audience has something to be engaged with, to become invested in, but that doesn’t mean he needs to string them along by asking questions that aren’t answered. “One of the tenets of the show, and I think it’s really important for the audience to know, is that we’re not a show that intends to string out secrets forever. I think by the end of season one you will understand the entire mythology that we need you to understand to be able to enjoy the show,” said Masters. “There will be future mysteries, but we’re not going to be one of those shows that strings you along with just question after question and not giving you an answer. I don’t watch those shows. I believe the characters we’ve created and the world we’ve created and this fundamental idea of what if somebody could wander into your dreams is compelling enough that we don’t need secrets.”
Masters also believes audiences have moved on to a new evolution in dramatic TV shows. “We’ve done gritty, grounded realism,” explained Masters. “Audiences want a taste of magic now. They want that slightly heightened reality, so the idea is to take all of those storytelling elements of the great shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men and infuse them with a little David Lynch, a little Haruki Murakami, a little bit of that ‘other.’ You can still tell stories that are very character-based, and we do, and yet still have that ongoing stretch and having that character evolution, and having a compelling mythology that creates an audience not just who watches but they want to be a part of it.”
Asked if the dreams featured in the series will have a unified look to them visually, Masters replied, “I think every dream is individual but I think there’s a visual grammar to our dreams.” Masters also said that he and director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) were on the same page when it came to the show’s visual style. “It was a really, really blessed collaboration and the show would not be what it is without him. We spent a lot of time talking about the language of the dream world and we liked the idea that dreams are usually subjective, that you want to travel with the dreamer,” said Masters. “We want to feel that they move through space, just like our dreams do. Now, what happens in those dreams is very particular. Different things will happen in different ways and as our dreamers start running into each other in the dreams occasionally as the season goes on, weird things will happen. But we also wanted the dreams to have that unified cinematic grammar so that the audience was never really confused on is it a dream or is it not.”
Watch the full interviews with Blake Masters and Gale Anne Hurd for more on the casting process, the show’s mythology, the setting, and what viewers can expect when they tune into USA Network’s Falling Water this October:
(Interview by Fred Topel. Article by Rebecca Murray.)
Fox’s Gotham returns for season three on September 19, 2016.
Drew Powell Interview:
Where do we pick up with Butch in season three?
Drew Powell: “At the start of season three Butch is back with Penguin and that dynamic duo is up to no good as usual. He and Tabitha have split. Sad sack, love-torn Butch is back. I think the writers just love messing with Butch in that way. He’s definitely still carrying a torch for her, so we’ll see what happens with that. There is a very cool storyline that’s happening with Penguin that kind of mimics what’s going to be happening in real life, at least here in this country, that’s really neat to see. It’ll be fun to see how long Butch and Penguin stay together and what happens from there. There’s also kind of a battle that Butch will have with another character that I won’t say down the line that’s going to be very cool as well.”
Butch kind of goes where the criminal wind blows.
Drew Powell: “Danny Cannon told me the greatest little tidbit at the beginning of season two. He said, ‘The thing about Butch is he’s a survivor. He will find a way. He’s survived in Gotham this long by finding the haven and figuring out who’s going to be on top, being resourceful, being loyal when he needed to be.’ And, it’s really true. If you look over the course of the first two seasons, that’s been the thing.
One of the fun things looking back is when Butch came on the scene everybody’s like, ‘Oh, he’s just a dumb henchman.’ People didn’t pay him much mind. And by the end of season one, he’s as much responsible for the way that Gotham ends up as anyone by accidentally shooting the love of his life. And so, it’s been fun to play that in season two and then season three’s going to have a whole new group of players. Also, not having a character who was in the canon…Butch is a clean slate so it’ll be interesting to see if they keep going that way or if they turn Butch into a character from the canon at some point. I don’t know.”
Will he ever come into his own or will he always be subordinate to someone?
Drew Powell: “I don’t know. That’s a good question. One of the cool things I liked about season two was there’s a moment where Tabitha and Butch get together and they both kind of realize that they’re better as a team. Tabitha had her brother; Butch had Penguin or Fish. Once they were on their own, they didn’t like it that much and I thought that was kind of cool. Not everybody always has to be on top. Not everybody has to be the boss. You know, everybody finds their niche. But, you underestimate Butch at your own peril, that’s for sure.”
He’s had a taste of power and now with Penguin back, will there be a power struggle?
Drew Powell: “Well, I think that there’s another dynamic that will come into play with their relationship that will cause a lot of stress on that relationship. That’s going to be a lot of fun to play. I will leave it at that, but I can tell you it’s going to be a neat little triangle.”
You don’t have to do research into the comics, but have you?
Drew Powell: “Yeah, I have some. This has been a real fun thing for all of my comic book friends because they are eager to give me advice on what to read and what to check out. The Long Halloween was one of the first ones that they said, ‘You need to, especially as a gangster, read that one.’ So, I read that. I’ve been paying attention to the movies and rewatching some of the movies. That was really my entry point to Batman were all the movies – Michael Keaton and all that. Because I think the TV show which I grew up watching all of those reruns is kind of another entity. It’s hard to compare. It’s great in its own right, but it doesn’t have much to do with the Gotham that we’ve got. So, when your homework is checking out comic books, it’s a pretty good deal.”
Corgi sighting! As a lifelong dog-lover who currently shares her home with the world’s most adorable Corgi, A Dog’s Purpose‘s first trailer has me sold…it also had me tearing up a bit. Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures just debuted the first trailer, poster, and a few new photos in honor of “NationalDogDay, August 26th. Directed by Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Dear John, The 100-Foot Journey) and based on the book by W. Bruce Cameron, the two-legged cast includes Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, Britt Robertson, K.J. Apa, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz, and Pooch Hall. Frozen‘s Josh Gad provides the voice of the titular dog. A Dog’s Purpose opens in theaters on January 27, 2017.
W. Bruce Cameron adapted his book for the screen along with Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells, Maya Forbes, and Wally Wolodarsky. The family-friendly, dog-friendly film was produced by Gavin Polone and executive produced by Alan Blomquist and Mark Sourian.
The Plot: Based on the beloved bestselling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Purpose shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.
Watch the A Dog’s Purpose trailer:
Dennis Quaid in ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ (Photo Credit: Universal Pictures)Britt Robertson and K.J. Apa in ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ (Photo Credit: Universal Pictures)
James Corden picked up Britney Spears for a lengthy Carpool Karaoke bit that featured Britney’s hits including “Toxic,” “Womanizer,” and “Oops!… I Did It Again.” Corden took the lead on most of the verses and Spears didn’t really belt anything out (in fact she often mouthed lyrics rather than singing), but she did seem to be having fun while confessing she wants more kids but definitely isn’t interested in ever getting married again.
Spears also revealed a few of the names she uses to register at hotels including Anita Dick, which she was able to say out loud without cracking up. Corden responded by saying he might start checking into hotels under, “I’m Britney…bitch.” The carpool karaoke finished up with Spears and Corden donning schoolgirl outfits for “Baby One More Time,” with Corden even wearing a wig and pigtails.
Writer/director Fede Alvarez reunites with his Evil Dead (the 2013 version) star Jane Levy for Don’t Breathe, an intense thriller that’s difficult in parts to watch—and I mean that as a compliment. Alvarez has created a home invasion horror story that busts down genre conventions by focusing on four characters who are so flawed it’s impossible to root for any one of them. In fact, Alvarez’ script is so well crafted that the audience’s allegiances will constantly shift as the film progresses toward a twisted ending that thankfully isn’t telegraphed well in advance.
Don’t Breathe is a fairly simple story on its surface. Three friends—Rocky (Levy), Money (Daniel Zovatto), and Alex (Dylan Minnette)—steal Alex’s father’s home security company keys to access houses where they know the owners won’t be at home. Alex establishes a set of rules for those home burglaries that includes a dollar amount limit on the amount that can be taken in order to limit their potential jail time if they’re caught.
Money and Rocky convince Alex to help them pull off one final big score before they take off for California. Their target: a blind Gulf War veteran (Stephen Lang) who lives alone in the only occupied house in a rundown neighborhood. The blind man has apparently received a substantial payment for the wrongful death of his only daughter, and the three partners in crime believe robbing a blind man will be easy-peasy. They quickly learn they’ve drastically underestimated their target and soon become the hunted rather than the hunters. The blind man’s other senses have been heightened to make up for the loss of his sight, and after locking the intruders in his home, the deadly game of cat and mouse is on.
Jane Levy is terrific as the woman at the center of a love triangle who so desperately wants to escape her horrible home life that she’s willing to do whatever’s necessary to get quick cash. ‘Money’ is the least likable and least developed character of the four leads. Zovatto does a good job of playing the rebellious degenerate vibe, but there’s really not much to the character.
Minnette’s Alex is the only semi-sympathetic character in the film, but even he’s not someone you can really pull for, given the fact it’s because of him the gang is able to break into homes and commit burglaries. Plus, he seems to be motivated only by unrequited love for Rocky, which is a rather lame reason to steal from a blind veteran. Lang does a superb job of playing a blind man with Daredevil-ish abilities who quickly goes into fight mode when strangers intent on stealing his wealth invade his humble home.
Alvarez uses lengthy stretches of silence to heighten the tension and draw the audience into the hunt. The criminals often shrink against walls, holding their breath, and that action will be duplicated by those seated in comfy seats in darkened theaters. Don’t Breathe doesn’t resort to gimmicky jump scares and instead methodically (and realistically) goes about upping the suspense as it builds toward a heart-pounding third act, culminating in an unexpected and near-perfect resolution.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: R for terror, violence, disturbing content, and language including sexual references
Release Date: August 26, 2016
Running Time: 91 minutes
“In 66 seconds Roberto Durán changed my life,” says Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro) who’s about to come out of retirement after watching Durán box in the dramatic film, Hands of Stone.
In 1972, Arcel is drawn out of retirement when he’s approached by his friend and colleague, Carlos Eleta (Ruben Blades), to train Roberto Durán (Edgar Ramirez), a tough, cocky, and angry young man who grew up in Panama, struggling to help provide for his family by stealing and fighting. Durán, who distrusts Americans since his American father abandoned the family, is reluctant to work with Arcel. But with the encouragement of Eleta and after Arcel quickly convinces him he still has much to learn about the sport of boxing (including strategy), the two men form an unbeatable team.
Fast-forward to 1980 and, with encouragement from his wife, Felicidad (Ana de Armas), Durán trains to go up against Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond) in a battle for the WBC welterweight title. Using both the strategy he learned from Arcel and his own rude behavior and crass personality as weapons, Durán sets out to defeat Sugar Ray, a fighter who has never been beaten in the ring.
Based on a true story, Hands of Stone is a classic underdog story with a solid cast. Edgar Ramirez is very effective in portraying Duran, displaying the boxer’s drive, arrogance, and physical strength as though he feels completely at home in the ring. Unfortunately for Ramirez and for Hands of Stone, Durán is simply impossible to like or root for.
Robert De Niro delivers another strong performance as Ray Arcel, formerly the best trainer in boxing before he was forced out by the New York mob. Arcel, both in the film and in real life, returned to the ring to train Durán because he was so taken by his brute strength and raw talent. The two men have chemistry together, but it’s neither as dynamic nor as intense as it should have been. Also, the subplot of his estranged daughter suddenly re-entering Arcel’s life and putting more pressure on him feels forced.
The hurdle the film just can’t get over despite impressive performances and fast-paced, well-choreographed boxing scenes is the main character, Durán. He is an unforgiving, brutal, disrespectful, and incredibly unlikable character, and because this is an underdog story, the underdog needs to be sympathetic in at least some (even minor) respect. He’s not, and that makes it impossible for the audience to care about Durán. This is never more evident than when Durán goes up against Sugar Ray Leonard, portrayed impressively by Usher, who’s shown as the class act professional boxer that he was. The audience is actually more likely to root for Sugar Ray to knock Durán’s block off than to pull for the film’s lead character.
GRADE: C
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout and some sexuality/nudity
