Paramount Pictures has unveiled the first official trailer for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi as well as a restricted trailer for the action drama. Directed by Michael Bay, 13 Hours: The Secret of Benghazi is based on a true story and stars John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, and Toby Stephens. Mitchell Zuckoff’s nonfiction book 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi inspired the film which focuses on the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi.
13 Hours will open in theaters on January 15, 2016.
Queen Latifah and Mary J Blige (Photos by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
NBC’s live musical event The Wiz Live! has just added Grammy winners Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah to the cast. According to NBC’s official announcement, Queen Latifah will be playing the Wiz, “the mysterious and powerful wizard who holds the keys to the Emerald City, but whose metamorphosis from ordinary to extraordinary is itself a hoax. She rose to her lofty position after being transported by accident to Oz in a hot air balloon during a snowstorm.”
Blige has been cast as “Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, who holds sway over the Winkies and the Winged Monkeys that do her bidding. She captures Dorothy and her friends to avenge the unintentional murder of her evil sister, Evvamean, and to get back the powerful silver slippers given to Dorothy by the Good Witch of the North.”
The Wiz Live! will also star Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em. Mills previously played Dorothy in The Wiz‘ original Broadway production.
The Wiz Live! will be directed by Kenny Leon, and Harvey Fierstein is working on new written material. Neil Meron and Craig Zadan are executive producing, and Fatima Robinson is on board as choreographer. NBC’s airing the live special on December 3, 2015.
“We are so happy reuniting with Latifah,” stated Zadan and Meron. “We’ve been friends for a long time, and we’ve had quite a lot of success together. To see her play the iconic role of the Wiz and make it her own is going to be one of the joys of producing this event.”
“I can’t wait to watch Mary bring the badness that is Evillene,” added director Kenny Leon. “Her talent range is off the charts and I know audiences won’t be able to take their eyes off her.”
Ruben Blades and Mercedes Mason star in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ (Photos by Frank Ockenfels 3 / AMC)
Fear the Walking Dead star Ruben Blades is a huge, life-long comic books fan and Mercedes Mason is so into The Walking Dead that she leaped at the chance to be a part of the new spin-off series coming to AMC in August 2015. Both teamed up with executive producer Gale Anne Hurd at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con for roundtable interviews to talk about Fear the Walking Dead, their characters, and the world that this new zombie apocalypse series takes place in.
As an actor, what’s the appeal of doing a show like this about a zombie outbreak?
Mercedes Mason: “I’ll jump in on this one because I’m so passionate about the original show. I was such a big fan that when this came into my life, I spent about four minutes screaming. And as I was watching the original, I had all these questions. What happened? What happened when Rick Grimes…I mean, Rick Grimes wakes up from this coma and it’s depletion. There’s nothing in the city. He’s walking aimlessly. He’s like a man alone.
I had a million questions as a fan. So I love that this show is coming about. There’s sort of a peek into the world from a different area, obviously – we’re going to be placed in L.A. – of what happens amongst the people? And how do we learn that these are the bad guys when they still look human? They don’t look monstrous in our version. So it’s nice to see that slow burn into okay, now this is our new world. How do we cope? I loved it.”
Ruben Blades: “Everybody remembers October 12th, 1492. You were born in the 1500s, you wouldn’t know what happened. Who knows what happened October 11th. Who wrote about that? Where’s the testimony of what happened? You know what it is. You get up in the morning and have an everyday normal day. And then the next day, you have all these things happening to you that you have no clue what it is. You have these strange people, strange animals, strange language, diseases and your world is destroyed forever. Who wrote about October 11th? Nobody. So this is October 11th.”
In The Walking Dead you see Daryl, who’s equipped for this world, had a terrible life before but he can shine. Will we see who’s going to shine in Fear the Walking Dead?
Gale Anne Hurd: “Absolutely. We have no police officers in this. We have average people. We have an English teacher. We have a guidance counselor. We have a barber. We have people with everyday professions, many professions that interact with people but they’re not in charge. They have to cope with what’s happening and they have to bring their family together because as with most of us, we’re not all going to be in the same place if something like this were to happen. Some people will be in school, some will be at work, some will be wherever.
You also have the denial factor. You have the denial with characters Alycia [Debnam-Carey] and Mercedes [play] that’s like, ‘I have this bright future ahead of me. Things are going to get better.’ That’s what we believe in the American dream. It’s going to be better, especially as we launch into adulthood. On The Walking Dead, we’ve never dealt with teenagers or young adults at all.
That is sort of a whole missing section, and we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens with Alicia who’s headed off to Berkeley as a top student and has dreams and ambitions. We’ll see what happens with a kid who’s troubled and is dealing with drug addiction and how that tears apart a family. We’ll also deal with the immigrant experience that we meant to come here for a new life and what they want for their children, to have a better life than they did. That has all been changed irreparably.”
What do we learn about your characters? Can you give us a little of your characters’ backstory?
Ruben Blades: “Daniel Salazar is from a Central American country. He’s been in the United States for a decade and a half. Came to the country like many Latinos come to the country, because of political issues in their countries of origin, set up a new life with his wife who is played by Patricia Spindola, very excellent Mexican actress. She and my daughter are part of the Salazar family. I’m a barber. I have a barber shop. Like Gale was saying, trying to reinvent your life, basically. Having the opportunity to do so, most people that are immigrants go to New York or Los Angeles. Los Angeles being preferred because I guess of the climate, you don’t have any snow, by Central Americans. So when this happens, again you’re forced to deal with the issue. Some people are better prepared than others and don’t know this.
It’s interesting. I hope I can say this but it’s interesting that the first person that realizes what’s going on is a drug addict. I thought that was very interesting. It wasn’t the schoolteacher. It was the drug addict, the first one who understood what was going on or had an inkling what was going on. And everyone begins to discover that their past, sometimes things that you’re trying to put behind you, all of a sudden acquire a relevance that allows you to deal with a situation that you hope and wish you’d left behind.”
Mercedes Mason: “Ofelia is a daughter of immigrant parents so there’s a lot of allegiance to her parents. She’s definitely a bit of a daddy’s girl. She loves her parents, obviously, wants the best for them. I come from immigrant parents but I know even growing up you feel like you have to cater to them and take care of them because English isn’t their first language. So, you’re defending them a lot and you want to protect them. Even as a kid, I remember thinking, ‘I’ve got to make sure my parents are okay.’
Ofelia’s absolutely the same way, so when this happens, the tables start turning. She doesn’t know who she can rely on because she also starts discovering things about her parents that she had no idea, that they maybe aren’t exactly who they said they were and maybe some of the reasons they had left El Salvador, she was unaware of. So she’s sort of stuck in this world now where yesterday, October 11th, she had every opportunity and hope and a bright future and now she’s literally questioning everything that she knows.
Her world is crumbling and she’s grasping for straws trying to figure out who she is. It’s almost like going through puberty again. You are figuring out exactly what’s happening to you and what you’re capable of and who you can rely on. So for Ofelia especially initially, it’s very, very scary until she has to find herself.”
Is having no source material for this show scary, liberating, or exciting?
Gale Anne Hurd: “It’s exciting. It’s something that, from the very beginning, Robert Kirkman wanted to do. So because he feels unrestrained and there’s not expectations from a fan base who’re saying, ‘You didn’t do the panel from the comic book exactly the way it was in the comic book.’ There is none of that but at the same time, there’s no road map. But it allows us to really surprise the audience because there are no expectations about where we’re going, where we’re headed. We won’t get the questions, ‘When’s Meghan going to show up?’ If I hear that one more time, I may go crazy.
I’m hoping it actually spawns a comic book so there can be a complete turnaround. I don’t know if you know this, but Ruben’s a huge comic book collector from way back.”
Ruben Blades: “When it was about comics, I used to come to the Con.”
At the same time, we know what will happen, so you have a pit in your stomach.
Mercedes Mason: “It’s amazing that the audience knows more.”
Gale Anne Hurd: “I mean, it’s very Hitchcockian when it’s like, ‘Don’t go down the stairs, don’t go in the basement. Don’t go down that dark hallway and open that door.’ But then we really actually want you to go there but no, we don’t. It’s that push/pull.”
How would you describe the characters central to Fear the Walking Dead?
Gale Anne Hurd: “These are characters with no roadmap as Mercedes was saying. When Rick Grimes woke up, two things. He was a police officer. He already had a skill set. You’re trained in keeping the peace. You’re trained in being an alpha male. And you’re good with firearms. There’s a skill set that’s automatic. We do get to see, there are a few flashbacks in the show, what really happens as people who don’t know what’s going on have to contend and survive or not, with what’s going on in an urban population in a world that we haven’t seen on television before.
It’s not an East L.A. that’s just gangs. These are normal, average people. First we get to find out who they are in normal life. That’s another thing that we haven’t seen before, and really get into problems that average families throughout the world will be facing and relating to. You blend different family units and you have everyday problems. We’ve just never seen before compounded by what the hell is going on?”
Ruben, you have a long, distinguished career. How did you get attached to this?
Ruben Blades: “I was unemployed. That was the first thing. No, really. I asked. I asked. I said if they saw something in me that would help develop the character. The character is very, very complex which is why I decided to do this. My band is very upset because I’m the singer and while I’m doing this, I’m not singing with the band but they have another singer so they’re working. They allow me to do this too. It’s a very complex role.
It’s one of the most complex roles I’ve had because of the background and the stuff that happens. And AMC’s a quality group. If you think about AMC, 15 years ago they were just maybe on the way out, God knows, become like Blockbuster. All of a sudden, they’ve got the right amount of people. I don’t know how it happened but it wasn’t luck. They had Mad Men, boom! Then they had Breaking Bad, boom, boom, boom! Then they have The Walking Dead, again. So it’s a quality group, very smart people, very nice people to deal with. So I said sure. It was a no-brainer.”
Helen Mirren and Bryan Cranston in ‘Trumbo’ (Photo Courtesy of Bleecker Street)
New photos have arrived for the dramatic film Trumbo starring Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, John Goodman, Alan Tudyk, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Directed by Jay Roach, Trumbo‘s set to have its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival as part of the festival’s Special Presentation lineup. Following its world premiere at TIFF, Trumbo will arrive in theaters on November 6, 2015.
The Plot:
The successful career of 1940s screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) comes to a crushing end when he and other Hollywood figures are blacklisted for their political beliefs. Trumbo tells the story of his fight against the U.S. government and studio bosses in a war over words and freedom, which entangled everyone in Hollywood from Hedda Hopper (Mirren) and John Wayne to Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger.
Bryan Cranston and Diane Lane in ‘Trumbo’ (Photo Courtesy of Bleecker Street)
Grammy nominee Meghan Trainor has recorded a new, original song for the animated film The Peanuts Movie directed by Steve Martino (Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, Ice Age: Continental Drift). The upcoming film from Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation is based on the classic, iconic comic strip created by Charles Schulz and which is considered one of the most influential comic strips in history.
Charles Schulz’s son, Craig, and his grandson, Bryan, are producers of the feature-length film along with Cornelius Uliano, Paul Feig (director of Spy and Bridesmaids), and Michael J. Travers.
“I was thrilled to be offered the chance to see an early version of The Peanuts Movie – and to then be inspired to write a song that captured the film’s spirit, energy and sense of joy. It was a pleasure to work with director Steve Martino to make sure the song did right by the incredible characters that the team is bringing to the big screen,” stated Trainor. “I can’t wait for everyone to hear the song!”
The Peanuts Movie soundtrack will be available on October 23, 2015. The film will hit theaters on November 6, 2015.
In addition to Trainor, The Peanuts Movie cast members chimed in on the new original song news. Snoopy and Woodstock issued a joint statement commenting on the news: “’/’’!’”/’/’!/’!’”
The Plot:
In The Peanuts Movie, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved “Peanuts” gang make their big-screen debut, like they’ve never been seen before, in stunning state of the art 3D animation. Charlie Brown, the world’s most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the Ice Age films, The Peanuts Movie will prove that every underdog has his day.
Carlos Valdes at Comic-Con 2015 (Photo by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
Carlos Valdes says he knew his character, Cisco, in The CW’s The Flash was going to die in season one because writer/executive producer Andrew Kreisberg just couldn’t keep the news a secret. “I actually knew about it beforehand to be honest, because Andrew, when he gets excited about stuff, he’ll just tell us. ‘In episode 17 this is what’s going to happen…’ So, yeah, I already knew about it. He told me weeks in advance. He told me, ‘So, episode 15 Wells is going to kill you.’ I was like, ‘Oh…that’s awesome.’ He was like, ‘But don’t worry. We bring you back because Barry goes back in time.’
I was like, ‘Okay, that’s good. Either way, I just love being a part of the show so whatever happens, I’m cool.’ But now that the show is what it is, I’m like, ‘Yeah, don’t kill me. Don’t do it again, please. At least not for a while,'” said Valdes during roundtable interviews at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.
But as for any secrets Valdes might want to reveal about season two and his possible meta-human abilities, the actor said Kreisberg doesn’t tell him everything because Andrew knows he can’t keep a secret.
“He knows I’ll blab. He knows I get excited about it too, so he keeps it from me. But as far as I can tell, there are some weird things happening to Cisco biologically,” explained Valdes. “He has these dreams, like in episode 120 – around there, and they start using them to their advantage as a tool to trap the Reverse Flash. I think Cisco is not just grappling with what’s happening in his headspace but also the things that Dr. Wells told him at the end of season one about this destiny he is supposed to have. So I think you can expect those things to have repercussions in season two.”
Things are complicated for Cisco, and Valdes says in season two fans of the series can expect him to be attempting to come to terms with everything he learned about himself at the end of season one.
“At the end of season one, I think everybody, especially Cisco, was just so overwhelmed with what was happening that the dour circumstances, just the wormhole and Barry potentially going back in time and changing everything. I think emotionally Cisco is just so overwhelmed he has to just tunnel vision and work on the task and be a part of the team, and just do what it takes to stop the singularity, and do all this stuff.
He doesn’t have time to think about the emotional repercussions of anything like that. So when Dr. Wells plants that seed, there’s this complicated state of denial that sort of arises from that,” said Valdes. “I think with regards to that I don’t think he’s fully accepted that, you know? Dr. Wells essentially betrayed all of us, so as far as Cisco is concerned he doesn’t believe him. But we’ll start to see how that plays in season two.”
Obviously, Cisco’s not the only character in The Flash who will be attempting to grapple with the dramatic events that took place in the final episodes of season one. Season two may find Barry (played by Grant Gustin) keeping more to himself rather than being a member of the team.
Asked about that, Valdes replied, “I think Cisco to a certain degree, looks up to Barry and so as a result of that, Cisco will respect any decision that Barry makes. If Barry wants to go it alone, he will respect that. And I think even if their friendship would suffer as a result of that, I think Cisco ultimately wants what’s best for Barry because he loves him that much. He just wants to be the best hero that he can be, because it’s about saving lives.”
On a lighter note, which character in the DC universe would Valdes like to see introduced into the show? “Oh boy, where’s the list? I think Mirror Master would be good,” answered Valdes. “Mirror Master’s once that I want to see just because I feel like our effects team can do anything. They’ve been able to give life to stuff that they’re not even sure they can do. They just do it. I’d be interested to see how they would facilitate that character’s powers.”
‘Colonia’ starring Emma Watson and Daniel Bruhl (Photo Credit: Courtesy of TIFF)
The Toronto International Film Festival announced the first round of films that will be part of the Galas and Special Presentations lineup at the 2015 festival. The 40th TIFF will run September 10th through 20th, 2015 and will include premieres of films from directors Michael Moore, Ridley Scott, Brian Helgeland, Charlie Kaufman, Stephen Frears, and Rebecca Miller.
“We are celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2015 and this first round of films offers a taste of the incredible lineup at this year’s Festival,” stated Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF. “Made by both established and emerging filmmakers from around the world, these films offer a global snapshot of our times.”
“This year we are thrilled to share a diverse array of filmmakers from Australia, India, France, China, the United Kingdom and the USA,” added Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival. “We look forward to sharing these fantastic films with Toronto audiences — the most engaged and enthusiastic in the world.”
TIFF GALAS – Lineup
Demolition, Jean-Marc Vallée, USA – World Premiere and Opening Night Film
In Demolition, a successful investment banker, Davis (Jake Gyllenhaal), struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. Despite pressure from his father-in-law (Chris Cooper) to pull it together, Davis continues to unravel. What starts as a complaint letter to a vending machine company turns into a series of letters revealing startling personal admissions. Davis’ letters catch the attention of customer service rep Karen (Naomi Watts) and, amidst emotional and financial burdens of her own, the two strangers form an unlikely connection. With the help of Karen and her son (Judah Lewis), Davis starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.
Beeba Boys, Deepa Mehta, Canada
An adrenaline-charged violent Indo-Canadian gang war mixes guns, bhangra beats, bespoke suits, cocaine, and betrayal. Gang boss Jeet Johar and his loyal, young crew are audaciously taking over the Vancouver drug and arms scene from an old-style crime syndicate. Hearts are broken and family bonds shattered when the Beeba Boys (known as the “nice boys”) do anything “to be seen and to be feared” — in a white world.
The Dressmaker, Jocelyn Moorhouse, Australia – World Premiere
Based on the best-selling novel by Rosalie Ham, The Dressmaker is a bittersweet, comedy-drama set in early 1950s Australia. After many years working as a dressmaker in exclusive Parisian fashion houses, Tilly Dunnage, a beautiful and talented misfit, returns home to the tiny middle-of-nowhere town of Dungatar to right the wrongs of the past. Not only does she reconcile with her ailing, eccentric mother Molly, and unexpectedly falls in love with the pure-hearted Teddy, but armed with her sewing machine and incredible sense of style, Tilly sets out to right the wrongs of the past and transforms the women of the town but encounters unexpected romance along the way. Starring Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis and Hugo Weaving.
Eye in the Sky, Gavin Hood, United Kingdom – World Premiere
London-based military intelligence officer Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) is remotely commanding a top secret drone operation to capture a group of dangerous terrorists at their safe-house in Nairobi, Kenya. The mission suddenly escalates from a
capture to a kill operation, when Powell realizes that the terrorists are about to embark on a deadly suicide mission. American drone pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is poised to destroy the safe-house when a nine-year-old-girl enters the kill zone just outside the walls
of the house. With unforeseen collateral damage now entering the equation, the impossible decision of when to strike gets passed up the kill chain of politicians and lawyers as the seconds tick down. Also stars Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi and Iain Glen
Forsaken, Jon Cassar, Canada – World Premiere
Tormented by a dark secret, an aging gunfighter abandons a life of killing and returns home, only to discover his mother has died. He’s forced to confront his estranged father and the life he left behind. Starring Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland and Demi Moore.
Freeheld Peter Sollett, USA – World Premiere
Based on the Oscar-winning documentary and adapted by the writer of Philadelphia, Freeheld is the true love story of Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree and their fight for justice. A decorated New Jersey police detective, Laurel is diagnosed with cancer and wants to leave her hard-earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie. However the county officials — the Freeholders — conspire to prevent Laurel from doing so. Hard-nosed detective Dane Wells and activist Steven Goldstein come together in Laurel and Stacie’s defense, rallying police officers and ordinary citizens to support their struggle for equality. Starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon and Steve Carell.
Hyena Road (Hyena Road: Le Chemin du Combat), Paul Gross, Canada – World Premiere
A sniper who has never allowed himself to think of his targets as humans becomes implicated in the life of one such target. An intelligence officer who has never contemplated killing becomes the engine of a plot to kill. And a legendary Mujahideen warrior who had put war behind him is now the centre of the battle zone. Three men, three worlds, three conflicts — all stand at the intersection of modern warfare, a murky world of fluid morality in which all is not as it seems.
LEGEND, Brian Helgeland, United Kingdom – International Premiere
The true story of the rise and fall of London’s most notorious gangsters, brothers Reggie and Ron Kray, both portrayed by Tom Hardy in an amazing double performance. LEGEND is a classic crime thriller that takes audiences into the secret history of the 1960s and
the extraordinary events that secured the infamy of the Kray twins.
Lolo, Julie Delpy, France – North American Premiere
While on holiday in the south of France, Parisian sophisticate Violette falls in love with carefree geek Jean-René. As their relationship blossoms, Jean-René heads to Paris to spend more time with Violette but finds himself up against her possessive teenage son Lolo
who is determined to sabotage their relationship by any means necessary. A razor-sharp comedy from Julie Delpy.
The Man Who Knew Infinity, Matthew Brown, United Kingdom – World Premiere
A true story of friendship that forever changed mathematics. In 1913, Ramanujan, a self-taught mathematics genius from India, travelled to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he forged a bond with his mentor, the eccentric professor GH Hardy, and fought to
show the world the magic of his mind. Starring Dev Patel and Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons.
The Martian, Ridley Scott, USA – World Premiere
During a manned mission to Mars, astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, The Martian features a star-studded cast that includes Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.
The Program, Stephen Frears, United Kingdom – World Premiere
From Academy Award-nominated director Stephen Frears (The Queen, Philomena) and producers Working Title (The Theory of Everything), comes the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of one of the most celebrated and controversial men in recent history, Lance Armstrong. Starring Ben Foster, Dustin Hoffman, Chris O’Dowd and Guillaume Canet.
Remember, Atom Egoyan, Canada – North American Premiere
Remember is the contemporary story of Zev, who discovers that the Nazi guard who murdered his family some 70 years ago is living in America under an assumed identity. Despite the obvious challenges, Zev sets out on a mission to deliver long-delayed justice with his own trembling hand. What follows is a remarkable cross-continent road-trip with surprising consequences. Starring Academy Award winners Christopher Plummer and Martin Landau.
Septembers of Shiraz, Wayne Blair, USA – World Premiere
A thriller based on the New York Times bestseller, this is the true story of a secular Jewish family caught in the 1979 Iranian revolution and their heroic journey to overcome and ultimately escape from the deadly tyranny that swept their country and threatened to extinguish their lives at every turn. Starring Salma Hayek and Adrien Brody.
Stonewall, Roland Emmerich, USA – World Premiere
This fictional drama inspired by true events follows a young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) finds himself alone in Greenwich Village, homeless and destitute, until he befriends a group of street kids who introduce him to the local watering hole, The Stonewall Inn — however, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe haven. As Danny and his friends experience discrimination, endure atrocities and are repeatedly harassed by the police, the entire community of young gays, lesbians and drag queens who populate Stonewall erupts in a storm of anger. With the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born. Starring Jeremy Irvine, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ron Perlman and Joey King.
TIFF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS – Lineup
Anomalisa, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, USA – Canadian Premiere
A man struggles with his inability to connect with other people. Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan and David Thewlis.
Beasts of No Nation, Cary Fukunaga, USA/Ghana – Canadian Premiere
Based on the highly acclaimed novel, director Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation brings to life the gripping tale of Agu (newcomer Abraham Attah), a child soldier torn from his family to fight in the civil war of an African country. Idris Elba dominates the screen in the role of Commandant, a warlord who takes in Agu and instructs him in the ways of war.
Black Mass, Scott Cooper, USA – Canadian Premiere
In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly persuades Irish-American gangster Jimmy Bulger to act as an informant for the FBI in order to eliminate their common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement while becoming one of the most ruthless and dangerous gangsters in Boston history. Starring Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Nicholson, Corey Stoll and Peter Sarsgaard.
Brooklyn, John Crowley, United Kingdom/Ireland/Canada – Canadian Premiere
Set on opposite sides of the Atlantic, this drama tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey, a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and Eilis must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters.
The Club, Pablo Larraín, Chile – North American Premiere
Four men live in a secluded house in a seaside town. Sent to purge sins of the past, they live under a strict regime and the watchful eye of a caretaker. Their fragile stability is disrupted by the arrival of a fifth man who brings with him their darkest secrets.
Colonia, Florian Gallenberger, Germany/Luxembourg/France – World Premiere Colonia tells the story of Lena and Daniel, a young couple who become entangled in the Chilean military coup of 1973. Daniel is abducted by Pinochet’s secret police and Lena tracks him to a sealed off area in the south of the country called Colonia Dignidad. The Colonia presents itself as a charitable mission run by lay preacher Paul Schäfer but, in fact, is a place nobody ever escapes from. Lena decides to join the cult in order to find Daniel. Starring Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl and Michael Nyqvist.
The Danish Girl, Tom Hooper, United Kingdom – North American Premiere The Danish Girl is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener (portrayed by Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander), directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables). Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
The Daughter, Simon Stone, Australia – North American Premiere
A man returns to his hometown and unearths a long-buried family secret. As he tries to right the wrongs of the past, his actions threaten to shatter the lives of those he left behind years before. Starring Geoffrey Rush, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto and Sam Neill.
Desierto, Jonás Cuarón, Mexico – World Premiere
Moises is traveling by foot with a group of undocumented workers across a desolate strip of the border between Mexico and the United States, seeking a new life in the north. They are discovered by a lone American vigilante, Sam, and a frantic chase begins. Set against the stunningly brutal landscape, Moises and Sam engage in a lethal match of wits, each desperate to survive and escape the desert that threatens to consume them. Starring Gael García Bernal and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Dheepan, Jacques Audiard, France – North American Premiere
To escape the civil war in Sri Lanka, a former Tamil Tiger soldier, a young woman and a little girl pose as a family. These strangers try to build a life together in a Parisian suburb.
Families (Belles Familles), Jean-Paul Rappeneau, France – World Premiere
When Shanghai-based businessman Jérome Varenne learns that his childhood home in the village of Ambray is at the centre of a local conflict, he heads there to straighten things out and finds himself at the centre of familial and romantic complications. Starring Mathieu Amalric.
The Family Fang, Jason Bateman, USA – World Premiere
Annie and Baxter Fang have spent most of their adult lives trying to distance themselves from their famous artist parents. But when both siblings find themselves stalled in life, they return home for the first time in a decade where they become entangled in a dark mystery surrounding their parents’ disappearance. Jason Bateman directs and stars, along with co-stars Nicole Kidman and Christopher Walken, in this film based on the New York Times bestseller.
Guilty (Talvar), Meghna Gulzar, India – World Premiere
Based on true events that set off a media frenzy all over the world, Guilty follows the 2008 Noida Double Murder Case of an investigation into the deaths of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar and 45-year-old Hemraj Banjade, a domestic employed by Aarushi’s family, in Noida, India. The controversial case lives on in the mind of the public, despite a guilty verdict that sentenced the parents of the murdered girl to life in prison. Starring Irrfan Khan.
I Smile Back, Adam Salky, USA – Canadian Premiere
Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Amy Koppelman, I Smile Back explores the life of Laney (Sarah Silverman), a devoted wife and mother who seems to have it all — a perfect husband, pristine house and shiny SUV. However, beneath the façade lies depression
and disillusionment that catapult her into a secret world of reckless compulsion. Only very real danger will force her to face the painful root of her destructiveness and its effect on those she loves.
The Idol (Ya Tayr El Tayer), Hany Abu-Assad, United Kingdom/Palestine/Qatar – World Premiere
A young boy in Gaza, Mohammad Assaf, dreams of one day singing in the Cairo Opera House with his sister and best friend, Nour. One day, Nour collapses and is rushed to the hospital where it is discovered that she needs a kidney transplant. Nour leaves Mohammad with a dying wish that someday, he will become a famous singer in Cairo. Escaping from Gaza to Egypt against unbelievable odds, Mohammad makes the journey of a lifetime. From two-time Academy Award nominee Hany Abu-Assad comes this inspirational drama inspired by the incredibly true story of Mohammed Assaf, winner of Arab Idol 2013.
The Lady in the Van, Nicholas Hytner, USA/United Kingdom – World Premiere
Based on the true story of Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who “temporarily” parked her van in writer Alan Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years. What begins as a begrudged favour becomes a relationship that will change both their lives. Filmed on the street and in the house where Bennett and Miss Shepherd lived all those years, acclaimed director Nicholas Hytner reunites with iconic writer Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George, The History Boys) to bring this rare and touching portrait to the screen. Starring Maggie Smith, Dominic Cooper and James Corden.
Len and Company, Tim Godsall, USA – North American Premiere
A successful music producer shattered when both his estranged son quits the industry and exiles himself in upstate New York, but the solitude he seeks is and the pop-star (Juno Temple) he’s created come looking for answers.
The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos, Ireland/United Kingdom/Greece/France/Netherlands – North American Premiere
In a dystopian near future, single people are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days or are transformed into animals and released into the woods. Starring Colin Farrell, Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux and Ben Whishaw.
Louder than Bombs, Joachim Trier, Norway/France/Denmark – North American Premiere
An upcoming exhibition celebrating photographer Isabelle Reed three years after her untimely death brings her eldest son Jonah back to the family house, forcing him to spend more time with his father Gene and withdrawn younger brother Conrad than he has in years. With the three men under the same roof, Gene tries desperately to connect with his two sons, but they struggle to reconcile their feelings about the woman they remember so differently. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Gabriel Byrne and Jesse Eisenberg.
Maggie’s Plan, Rebecca Miller, USA – World Premiere
Maggie’s plan to have a baby on her own is derailed when she falls in love with John, a married man, destroying his volatile marriage to the brilliant Georgette. But one daughter and three years later, Maggie is out of love and in a quandary: what do you do when you suspect your man and his ex-wife are actually perfect for each other? Starring Julianne Moore, Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph.
Mountains May Depart (Shan He Gu Ren), Jia Zhang-ke, China/France/Japan – North American Premiere
The new film from master filmmaker Jia Zhang-ke (A Touch of Sin) jumps from the recent past to the speculative near-future as it examines how China’s economic boom has affected the bonds of family, tradition, and love.
Office, Johnnie To, China/Hong Kong – International Premiere
Billion-dollar company Jones & Sunn is going public. Chairman Ho Chung-ping has promised CEO Chang, who has been his mistress for more than 20 years, to become a major shareholder of the company. As the IPO team enters the company to audit its accounts, a series of inside stories start to be revealed. Starring Chow Yun Fat, Sylvia Chang, Tang Wei and Wang Ziyi.
Parched, Leena Yadav, India/USA – World Premiere
Three ordinary women dare to break free from the century old patriarchal ways of their village in the desert heartland of rural India. Starring Tannishtha Chaterjee, Radhika Apte and Surveen Chawla, this unforgettable tale of friendship and triumph is called Parched.
Room, Lenny Abrahamson, Ireland/Canada – Canadian Premiere
Told through the eyes of five-year-old-Jack, Room is a thrilling and emotional tale that celebrates the resilience and power of the human spirit. To Jack, the Room is the world… it’s where he was born, where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. But while it’s home to Jack, to Ma it’s a prison. Through her fierce love for her son, Ma has managed to create a childhood for him in their 10-by-10-foot space. But as Jack’s curiosity is building alongside Ma’s own desperation — she knows that Room cannot contain either indefinitely. Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers and William H. Macy.
Sicario, Denis Villeneuve, USA – North American Premiere
In the lawless border area stretching between the U.S. and Mexico, an idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elite government task force official (Josh Brolin) to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Led by an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past (Benicio Del Toro), the team sets out on a clandestine journey that forces Kate to question everything that she believes.
Son of Saul (Saul Fia), László Nemes, Hungary – Canadian Premiere
October 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Saul Ausländer is a Hungarian member of the Sonderkommando, the group of Jewish prisoners isolated from the camp and forced to assist the Nazis in the machinery of large-scale extermination. While working in one of the crematoriums, Saul discovers the body of a boy he takes for his son. As the Sonderkommando plans a rebellion, Saul decides to carry out an impossible task: save the child’s body from the flames, find a rabbi to recite the mourner’s Kaddish and offer the boy a proper burial.
Spotlight, Tom McCarthy, USA – International Premiere Spotlight tells the true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would rock the city and cause a crisis in one of the world’s oldest and most trusted institutions. When the newspaper’s tenacious “Spotlight” team of reporters delves into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church, their year-long investigation uncovers a decades-long cover-up at the highest levels of Boston’s religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci, Brian d’Arcy James and Billy Crudup.
Summertime (La Belle Saison), Catherine Corsini, France – North American Premiere
Delphine, the daughter of farmers, moves to Paris in 1971 to break free from the shackles of her family and to gain her financial independence. Carole is a Parisian, living with Manuel, actively involved in the stirrings of the feminist movement. The meeting of the two women changes their lives forever. Starring Cécile De France, Izia Higelin, Noémie Lvovsky and Kévin Azaïs.
Sunset Song, Terence Davies, United Kingdom/Luxembourg – World Premiere
Terence Davies’ epic of hope, tragedy and love at the dawning of the Great War follows a young woman’s tale of endurance against the hardships of rural Scottish life. Based on the novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon and told with gritty poetic realism by Britain’s greatest living auteur, Sunset Song stars Peter Mullan and Agyness Deyn.
Trumbo, Jay Roach, USA – World Premiere
The successful career of 1940s screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) comes to a crushing end when he and other Hollywood figures are blacklisted for their political beliefs. Trumbo tells the story of his fight against the U.S. government and studio bosses in a war over words and freedom, which entangled everyone in Hollywood from Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) and John Wayne to Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger.
Un plus une, Claude Lelouch, France – World Premiere
Charming, successful, Antoine (Jean Dujardin) could be the hero of one of those films he composes the music for. When he leaves for a job in India, he meets Anna (Elsa Zylberstein), a woman who isn’t like him at all, but who attracts him more than anything. Together, they are going to experience an incredible journey.
Victoria, Sebastian Schipper, Germany – Canadian Premiere
On a night out in Berlin, Victoria meets four young local guys. After joining their group, she becomes their driver when they rob a bank. Finally, as dawn breaks, everyone meets their destiny.
Where to Invade Next, Michael Moore, USA – World Premiere
Oscar-winning director Michael Moore returns with what may be his most provocative and hilarious movie yet. Moore tells the Pentagon to “stand down”— he will do the invading for America from now on. Discretely shot in several countries and under the radar of the global media, Moore has made a searing cinematic work that is both up-to-the-minute and timeless.
Youth, Paolo Sorrentino, Italy/France/United Kingdom/Switzerland – North American Premiere Youth explores the lifelong bond between two friends vacationing in a luxury Swiss Alps lodge as they ponder retirement. While Fred (Michael Caine) has no plans to resume his musical career despite the urging of his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz), Mick (Harvey Keitel) is intent on finishing the screenplay for what may be his last film for his muse Brenda (Jane Fonda). And where will inspiration lead their younger friend Jimmy (Paul Dano), an actor grasping to make sense of his next performance? From Italy’s Oscar-winning foreign language film writer and director Paolo Sorrentino, Youth asks if our most important and life-changing experiences can come at any time — even late — in life.
Jonathan Hyde and Richard Sammel at Comic Con 2015 (Photos by Richard Chavez / Showbiz Junkies)
The stakes are higher in FX’s second season of The Strain, so says Jonathan Hyde who plays Eldritch Palmer in the horror series based on the books by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro. Hyde’s character has been rejuvenated and is a major player in this new season airing on Sunday nights at 10pm ET/PT, and at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con he talked about season two.
“The crowds are massive now. Instead of a couple of vamps, you’ve got thousands. Instead of a few people desperately trying to battle them, you’ve got thousands fighting back so obviously the stakes are getting bigger as the virus spreads through the city and, indeed, probably through the world. I think the character developments are very curious as well. When you’re 86 and an angry trillionaire and you’re ill, there’s not a lot to do but just lie there and make more money,” explained Hyde. “Then to be restored to health where you’ve got strength and vigor, that changes everything.”
This second season is much more challenging for Hyde now that Eldritch is able to get out and about. “[He’s] more statesman-like, I think. A much more public face. I’ve always thought in the past that he was rather reluctant to be seen in public, reclusive almost,” said Hyde. “And now he’s got his confidence to do that, to talk to large groups of people – to help large groups of people.”
Richard Sammel, who plays Thomas Eichorst on The Strain, believes season two is even better than the show’s first. “The second season is kind of a very fresh freedom,” said Sammel during our roundtable interview at Comic-Con.
“I personally think that the second season is better than the first because it’s more solid. We have more faith in us. We know our characters. The writers far and away from just trusting that, they push the boundaries with their writing because they introduce completely new storylines that go sideways, meaning that they develop a lot of stories that are not in the books that keeps it sexy for those who’ve read the books. But they mingle very well with what’s written in the book so it’s not that what’s written in the books just stands where it is and we have a season that has nothing to do with the book. No. The book also is pushed but it’s mingled with those other conflicts. New characters, very important characters, are introduced – three, that I can think of now.”
Sammel’s surprised and impressed with each new script. “It’s like you climb up a tree and you see all the ways it could go. You have an overview of the potential of your character. But then every time [it] happens to me that it goes that way but it took the branch I’ve never seen and it goes elsewhere,” explained Sammel. “We are discovering the scripts and the destiny of our characters two weeks before we shoot the actual episode.”
As for discovering his character, is it possible Eichorst will be the new vessel for the Master? “Well, I’m a good vessel,” replied Sammel. He went on to explain how he views Eichorst’s position, saying, “I didn’t follow Hitler as a Nazi to become Hitler. I didn’t follow the Master in order to become the Master. I follow a strong father figure, a strong leader, because I believe in his dogma. So it makes me one of the best generals you can probably imagine, but then even if the Master decides, ‘I will be the Master. You, Eichorst, will be the Master.’ I would go with that. I would take it as a big distinction. I think I’m a very good vessel, a very appropriate vessel.”
Oscar-winner/turtleneck sweater fan Diane Keaton has signed on to the cast of HBO’s The Young Pope. The eight-episode drama series is set to star Jude Law and will be directed by series creator Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty).
Filming’s expected to begin this week.
“The clear signs of God’s existence. The clear signs of God’s absence. How faith can be searched for and lost. The greatness of holiness so great as to be unbearable when you are fighting temptations and when all you can do is to yield to them. The inner struggle between the huge responsibility of the Head of the Catholic Church and the miseries of the simple man that fate (or the Holy Spirit) chose as Pontiff. Finally, how to handle and manipulate power in a state whose dogma and moral imperative is the renunciation of power and selfless love towards one’s neighbour. That is what The Young Pope is about,” stated Sorrentino.
The Young Pope is a Sky, HBO, and Canal + production.
The Plot:The Young Pope tells the controversial story of the beginning of PIUS XIII’s Pontificate. Born Lenny Belardo (Law), he is a complex and conflicted character, so conservative in his choices as to border on obscurantism, yet full of compassion towards the weak and poor. He is a man of great power who is stubbornly resistant to the Vatican courtiers, unconcerned with the implications to his authority.
During the series, Belardo will face losing those closest to him and the constant fear of being abandoned, even by his God. He is, however, not afraid of undertaking the millennial mission of defending that same God and the world representing Him.
Keaton stars as Sister Mary, a nun from the U.S. now living in Vatican City.
Tom Cruise sings during a Lip Synch Battle with host Jimmy Fallon (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein / NBC)
Set aside 10 minutes to watch Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation star Tom Cruise take on The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon in an epic Lip Sync Battle. Cruise kicks it off with “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd and Fallon follows with “Undercover of the Night” by The Rolling Stones.
Cruise then does a slide across the floor a la Risky Business, but it’s just a tease. Instead of “Old Time Rock and Roll,” Cruise performs a duet with himself on Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” Fallon concedes the win to Cruise, and they team up to close out the battle with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” from Cruise’s Top Gun.
