“Will Smith and MTV have grown up together and share a very cool history,” said executive producer Casey Patterson. “MTV was a part of every phase of Will’s career and he has been a huge part of what defined the MTV culture from the beginning. From TV’s The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, to his music and amazing movies, Will is the voice of a generation and not afraid to use it. The 25th anniversary of the ‘Movie Awards’ is the perfect year to honor #BIGWILLIESTYLE as only MTV can – with lots of big surprises in store.”
Per MTV, the Generation Award is given to an actor “who creates an amazing body of work throughout their career that speaks directly to the MTV audience.” Smith joins a list of Generation Award winners that includes Robert Downey Jr., Mark Wahlberg, Jamie Foxx, Johnny Depp, Reese Witherspoon, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Sandra Bullock, Mike Myers, Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey.
Central Intelligence stars Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are hosting this year’s awards show which will take place on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, CA. The 2016 MTV Movie Awards will be executive produced by Casey Patterson, Garrett English and Jane Mun.
“You’re going to go to war,” says Alfred (Jeremy Irons). “That son of a b#@ch brought the war to us,” replies Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) who’s getting ready to go up against Superman (Henry Cavill) in the superhero action film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Following the catastrophic fight between Superman and General Zod which left buildings in shambles and hundreds dead and injured, Bruce Wayne sees Superman as a threat to the future of mankind. Fearing the being from another planet with powers that could destroy the entire planet, Bruce who’s much older than Superman (he’s been crime fighting for over twenty years while the alien from Krypton fought Zod only two years ago) begins to train like he never has before, even building a special Batsuit for the upcoming fight. While preparing for the grudge match of a lifetime, Wayne is also investigating the brilliant philanthropist Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) who he suspects is involved with some shady dealings and might have in his possession the one item that will help weaken the Man of Steel enough to beat him.
Meanwhile in Metropolis, Clark Kent has become obsessed with the Gotham vigilante known as the Batman. Believing him to be too cruel and vicious, Kent tries to convince his chief editor and boss Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) to let him write a story slamming the Bat. But Perry has no interest in the Bat now that Superman’s actions are being questioned by certain senators and other politicians after an incident in the desert of a foreign country where a whole tribe was almost wiped out. It seems Kent’s colleague and girlfriend Lois Lane (Amy Adams) was following a story and got in over her head so Superman had to once again come to the rescue.
As the world questions whether Superman is friend or foe, the two superhero titans get ready to go up against each other all while being unknowingly maneuvered and finally pushed into a fight to the death by Luthor who has his own agenda and secret weapon.
Dark, tedious, and overlong, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is an unimpressive set up and launching pad to the upcoming Justice League movie. The pacing and tone of the film is heavy and ponderous, taking over an hour to finally get started on the main story which doesn’t really need much of a set up in the first place. The opening scene, which is one of the better ones in the film, conveys well enough Bruce Wayne’s reasons to dislike and fear the powers of Superman.
Henry Cavill looks and sounds the part of Superman but is very rigid and stiff this time out in his performance as the flying superhero. Unlike his first film, Man of Steel, which gave his character an interesting internal struggle to find out who he really was, what he wanted to do with his powers, and how he couldn’t just bury them but instead felt the need to use them to help and save people, here Cavill just stands and poses as though he’s doing a photo shoot for GQ. There’s nothing in the script to provide him with any real substance to this iconic character in this second outing. In fact, it’s the first time in cinema history that Superman comes off self-righteous and pompous.
Ben Affleck is solid as an older, brooding, and very distrustful Bruce Wayne who sees the Man of Steel not as a hero but as a potentially lethal threat to humanity who must be destroyed. Not in the same league as Christian Bale or Michael Keaton, Affleck is effective however at bringing both the billionaire Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader to the screen.
Jesse Eisenberg is horribly miscast as Lex Luthor, the brilliant scientist and evil mastermind whose main goal it seems is to help arrange and cause the fight between Batman and Superman. Why he wants this battle of caped superheroes is never made clear except that he hates Superman for being all powerful. Eisenberg delivers an over-the-top, silly, and outright annoying performance which feels as though it belongs in another movie all together.
The film’s action scenes are loud and explosive but lack any real energy or intensity with the overuse of CGI and slow motion. Director Zack Snyder (300, Man of Steel, Watchmen) relies too much on the special effects and chaotic action scenes which simply aren’t that exciting or original. The final battle (which has been teased in trailers) between Doomsday and the three superheroes – Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) – is the best and only engaging action sequence in the film.
Laborious and uninspired, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a painfully slow, much too serious, and fairly unentertaining superhero film that fails to add anything new or interesting to the genre.
GRADE: C-
MPAA Rating: PG – 13 for intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality
Warner Bros has debuted the teaser trailer for The LEGO Batman Movie from director Chris McKay (Robot Chicken) and screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). The trailer kicks off with Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) laying down some “dope tracks,” dropping the mic, name-dropping the previous Batman movies, and heading home after a hard day at work to enjoy a dinner of Lobster Thermidor. In addition to Arnett, the voice cast includes Rosario Dawson as Batgirl / Barbara Gordon, Ralph Fiennes as Alfred Pennyworth, Michael Cera as Robin / Dick Grayson, Zach Galifianakis as The Joker, and Mariah Carey as Mayor Marion Grange. The LEGO Batman Movie will be released on February 10, 2017.
The Plot: In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.
Warner Bros Pictures is showing off a new trailer for the R-rated The Nice Guys starring the unlikely comedy team of Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3) co-wrote and directed the action comedy, with Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, Beau Knapp, and Kim Basinger co-starring.
The Nice Guys will open in theaters on May 20, 2016.
The Plot: Set in 1970s Los Angeles, down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.
Frank Marshall (Photo 2012 DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau / WireImage)
CinemaCon has chosen Frank Marshall to be the recipient of the International Filmmaker of the Decade Award as just announced by CinemaCon’s Managing Director Mitch Neuhauser. Marshall will receive the award on April 11, 2016, the first day of this year’s CinemaCon. Day one is designated International Day at the annual gathering of National Association of Theatre Owners, with the four day event concluding on April 14 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
“This is truly an honor for CinemaCon and the global theatrical industry,” stated Neuhauser. “Frank Marshall is known for producing some of the most iconic movies of the past few decades — including Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Color Purple, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Sixth Sense, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — to name but a few. In 2016 alone, we can expect to see The BFG, Jason Bourne, Sully, and Assassin’s Creed from this prolific producer.”
In addition to Frank Marshall, CinemaCon will honor Susan Sarandon with the Cinema Icon Award, Stephen Amell with the Male Star of Tomorrow Award, Bryce Dallas Howard with the Award for Excellence in Acting, and Nate Parker with the Breakthrough Director of the Year Award.
More on Frank Marshall, Courtesy of CinemaCon: With a career spanning more than 45 years, more than 80 films and five Academy Award® Best Picture nominations, Marshall has helped shape American cinema, producing some of the most successful and enduring films of all time. A Los Angeles native and son of composer Jack Marshall, Frank started his career as a location manager on Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show. By 1981, Marshall was working as a producer on Raiders of the Lost Ark with Steven Spielberg and future wife Kathleen Kennedy. Shortly thereafter, the trio formed industry powerhouse Amblin Entertainment, and together produced movies such as Gremlins, the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Hook, Empire of the Sun, and the Indiana Jones series.
In 1991, Marshall and Kennedy left Amblin to form their own production company, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, which produced The Sixth Sense, Signs, Seabiscuit, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, War Horse, The Armstrong Lie, and all four films in the Bourne series. In 2012, Marshall took over as sole principal of the company when partner Kennedy became Chairman of Lucasfilm. He recently produced Jurassic World and the four-hour HBO documentary Sinatra: All or Nothing at All.
Jeff Timmons as Billy, Nick Carter as Jack, and Carrie Keagan as Daisy Jane in ‘Dead 7’ (Photo by Raymond Liu/The Asylum/Syfy)
It may sound like an April Fool’s Day joke, but Syfy’s dead serious about the boy band zombie Western film Dead 7. The network’s set an April 1, 2016 premiere date for the horror comedy and has released a lengthy trailer in support of the movie’s upcoming premiere. Dead 7 stars Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, O-Town, and 98 Degrees members taking on the walking dead. I repeat: this is not an April Fool’s Day joke.
The cast of Dead 7 includes former boy banders Nick Carter, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough from Backstreet Boys. NYSNC’s represented by Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick while Jeff Timmons reps 98 Degrees. O-Town’s Erik-Michael Estrada, Jacob Underwood, Trevor Penick and Dan Miller show off their zombie-fighting skills along with American Idol‘s Frenchie Davis, Gerardo Mejia (singer of “Rico Suave”), Everclear’s Art Alexakis, and Jon Secada. The cast also includes Lauren Kitt-Carter, Carrie Keagan, and Debra Wilson.
Nick Carter came up with the story and Sawyer Perry wrote the script. Carter also produced the film along with The Asylum (the company responsible for the Sharknado franchise).
The Plot:Dead 7 tells the story of a ragtag band of gunslingers who team up to rid a small town of a zombie plague in the post-apocalyptic West. The two-hour movie is headlined by Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter playing Jack, the reluctant hero who unites the town’s outlaws in a showdown against the zombie menace.
Mark Wahlberg stars as ‘Mike Williams’ in ‘Deepwater Horizon.’ (Photo Credit: David Lee)
The official teaser trailer’s arrived for Deepwater Horizon based on the 2010 oil rig disaster. The action drama reunites director Peter Berg with his Lone Survivor star Mark Wahlberg for another film inspired by real events. The cast also includes Kurt Russell (Bone Tomahawk), Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), John Malkovich (Crossbones), Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), and Kate Hudson (Rock the Kasbah). Deepwater Horizon opens in theaters on September 30, 2016.
Matthew Sand and Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom) wrote the script. Walhberg, Stephen Levinson, David Womark, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Mark Vahradian are producing with Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King executive producing.
The Plot: On April 20, 2010, the world’s largest man-made disaster occurred on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Directed by Peter Berg, this story honors the brave men and women whose heroism would save many on board, and change everyone’s lives forever.
Sean Harris, Yetide Badaki and Bruce Langley join American Gods (Photos Courtesy of Starz)
Sean Harris (The Borgias), Bruce Langley (Deadly Waters), and Yetide Badaki (Aquarius) have signed on to Starz and FremantleMedia North America’s American Gods. Harris, Langley, and Badaki join previously announced American Gods cast members Ricky Whittle (The 100), Emily Browning, and Ian McShane in the TV adaption of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel.
Hannibal‘s Bryan Fuller and Michael Green serve as showrunners and are adapting Gaiman’s critically acclaimed book for the series. Fuller and Green will also executive produce along with Neil Gaiman and David Slade (30 Days of Night, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse). Slade’s also on board to direct the pilot and other episodes of season one.
According to Starz, Harris is set to play Mad Sweeney, “a down-on-his-luck leprechaun who is having a hard time understanding how he lost his charm and way. Always up for a good fight, Sweeney is never deprived while in the employment of Mr. Wednesday.” Badaki was cast in the role of Bilquis, “an ancient goddess of love who craves the worship she inspired in eras long gone, and who is eager to find that same relevance in today’s world.” And Langley is set to tackle the role of Technical Boy, “a New God who is purveyor of all things technology. Desperate to prove himself, and hungry for respect and power, he struggles to keep his impulsivity and petulance in check, making him dangerously unpredictable.”
Filming is expected to get underway this month.
The Story: The plot posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon, is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.
Netflix just released a new trailer and poster for the comedy movie Special Correspondents. The film, which teams up Ricky Gervais and Eric Bana as reporters who fake the news, will premiere on Netflix on April 29, 2016. Written and directed by Ricky Gervais, the cast also includes Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Benjamin Bratt (24: Live Another Day), America Ferrera (Superstore, Ugly Betty), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire), Kevin Pollak (The Usual Suspects), and Raúl Castillo (Looking).
Gervais previously directed Derek, Life’s Too Short, Cemetery Junction, The Invention of Lying, Extras, and The Office.
The Plot: The film is about a struggling New York based radio journalist whose arrogance and decadent lifestyle has hindered his career. With his job on the line, he fakes front line war reports from the comfort of his hideout above a Spanish restaurant in Queens.
Renee Zellweger stars in Universal Pictures’ ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby.’
The international trailer for Universal Pictures’ Bridget Jones’s Baby has arrived with Renee Zellweger back in the lead but this time out she’s about to be a first-time mom. The problem is she doesn’t know whether her ex-boyfriend (Colin Firth) is the dad or the new guy in her life (Patrick Dempsey) is the father. Directed by Bridget Jones’s Diary‘s Sharon Maguire, the cast also includes Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, and Gemma Jones. Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, and Debra Hayward produced the comedy sequel.
Bridget Jones’s Diary starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant opened in theaters on April 31, 2001 and made $282 million before exiting theaters. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason followed on November 12, 2004 and grossed $262 million during its theatrical run. Bridget Jones’s Baby is set to open in theaters on September 16, 2016.
The Plot: After breaking up with Mark Darcy (Firth), Bridget Jones’s (Zellweger) “happily ever after” hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. What could possibly go wrong? Then her love life takes a turn and Bridget meets a dashing American named Jack (Dempsey), the suitor who is everything Mr. Darcy is not. In an unlikely twist she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch…she can only be fifty percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father.
