The official trailer for Ballerina declares that vengeance has a new face…and that face belongs to Ana de Armas. But that doesn’t mean that this John Wick spinoff doesn’t also have an old face in it, as the trailer includes a snippet of the Baba Yaga himself, Keanu Reeves.
In addition to Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves, the cast of the new addition to the John Wick franchise includes Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, and Ian McShane. Len Wiseman (the Underworld franchise, Live Free or Die Hard) directs from a screenplay by Shay Hatten (John Wick 3 & 4).
John Wick director Chad Stahelski serves as a producer along with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee.
“Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma,” reads Lionsgate’s official synopsis.
Ballerina (full title: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina) was shot way back in 2022 with a target release set for the summer of 2024. Lionsgate opted to pull it from the schedule and moved it to a June 6, 2025 date to allow Stahelski to help out with some reshoots.
Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel in ‘Megalopolis’ (Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate)
In moviemaking, ambition and indulgence often go hand-in-hand. And that can be a double-edged sword. Case in point: legendary writer/director Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project Megalopolis.
Set in the fictional city of New Rome, Megalopolis is the story of two political rivals. One is the current mayor, Frank Cicero (Better Call Saul, Giancarlo Esposito), who wants to preserve the way of life of the people of his city. The other is a visionary architect named Cesar Catalina (Adam Driver from Marriage Story) who has a more utopian vision for the future of the city. In between them is Cicero’s daughter and Cesar’s lover, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel from Game of Thrones), who is forced to mediate the power struggle.
Megalopolis was, and is, a labor of love for Francis Ford Coppola. He began developing it back in the early eighties, but the finished script feels very much like a product of our current times. The main character names are not coincidental – it’s a sprawling Roman epic that loosely parallels the Catilinarian Conspiracy and all of the backstabbing and intrigue that came with it. But Megalopolis is also very modern feeling, drawing influences from everything from early science fiction and Shakespeare to contemporary blockbusters and recent politics.
From a technical standpoint, Megalopolis is a masterpiece. It’s a visual feast, full of grandiose sets and lavish costumes, that just begs to be seen on the biggest screen possible. The city of New Rome, both Cicero’s reality of it and Cesar’s fantasy, are beautifully crafted and painstakingly created. Most of the characters are rich and upper class, and the wild, eccentric costuming reflects that. There’s even a scene where a young pop star (played by viral sensation Grace VanderWaal) wears a dress that can be seen through. Not seen through as in transparent, seen through as in what is behind her can be seen on the dress.
Story-wise, Megalopolis is all over the place. There are seemingly dozens of threads to follow, and while they do all connect in some way, it’s a lot to take in and process. The shifting alliances and shady practices aren’t tough to follow, but things do get fairly messy at times. This is all part of Coppola’s theater of the absurd – the plot is just as abstract as the set pieces. Heck, there are characters in this movie named Wow Platinum and Vesta Sweetwater. It’s meant to be somewhat ridiculous.
And while we’re on the subject of characters, the cast in Megalopolis is absolutely worth discussing. While Driver, Esposito, and Emmanuel get most of the screen time, a movie as large as this wouldn’t be complete without a standout ensemble, and Coppola can assemble talent like no one else. Shia LeBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, and Talia Shire all have important supporting roles, and the bit players include names like Dustin Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney, Kathryn Hunter, and Balthazar Getty. This is a cast that, frankly, only someone like Francis Ford Coppola could put together.
Which brings us back to the ambition and indulgence of the film. There is no question that Megalopolis is about as ambitious of a movie as one is bound to find. That’ll happen when a movie is 40 years in the making. It’s a larger-than-life film, like a superhero movie without any action scenes. Cesar even has a superpower that allows him to stop time. Again, a visual feast.
The indulgence comes into play with the storytelling. The concepts of the film have been rewritten and redeveloped so many times, with all of this rewriting and redeveloping happening while major American events like 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic are going on. There are thinly veiled metaphors and analogies all over the place, and while it’s easy to see the film is depicting the crumbling of an empire, it feels like the last forty years of American History crammed into a two hour and fifteen-minute movie. Which, to his credit, Coppola could have easily made longer, but why? He more than gets his point across, and probably could have done it in less time. But that wouldn’t have allowed him as much indulgence.
See Megalopolis. See it on a big screen with a pumping sound system. It’s a finely crafted multi-media machine of a movie. Which we should all expect from a filmmaker like Coppola when he takes this long to cook it. But remember – it’s as much prophecy as it is entertainment. And take it as such.
GRADE: B-
MPAA Rating: R for language, drug use, nudity, sexual content, and some violence
Release Date: September 27, 2024
Running Time: 2 hours 18 minutes
Studio: Lionsgate
Roz (Lupita N’yongo), and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in ‘The Wild Robot’ (Photo Credit: DreamWorks Animation)
DreamWorks Animation and the talented filmmakers behind How to Train Your Dragon join forces once more to adapt Peter Brown’s beloved children’s book The Wild Robot.
The story starts on a deserted island following a shipwreck caused by a violent storm. Small animals poking around accidentally activate the robot Rozzum Unit 7134 (voiced by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o), or “Roz” for short.
The service android wanders the forest, asking the understandably confused and frightened wild animals if they need assistance. After an accident leaves an egg exposed to the elements, Roz decides to make it her task to care for it. This decision winds up pitting Roz against a crafty fox named Fink (voiced by Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us) who really wants the egg for his lunch. After successfully protecting the egg and aiding Fink from a run-in with a porcupine, Roz and Fink become partners in protecting the egg until it hatches.
When the little orphaned gosling first sees Roz, it naturally believes that the robot is its mom. “You’re its mother now,” says Pinktail the possum (voiced by Catherine O’Hara, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). “I do not have the programming,” replies Roz. Pinktail speaks the truth when she responds, “No one does.”
Pinktail informs Roz that the gosling needs to eat, swim, and learn to fly before winter to join the other birds and stay alive. So, Roz and Fink set out to teach little gosling, who they name Brightbill (voiced by Kit Connor, Heartstopper), all he needs to learn to survive. However, there’s a catch. Fink warns Roz that Brightbill is a runt and wasn’t meant to make it this far. Despite this, Roz refuses to be discouraged from looking after and teaching Brightbill.
The Wild Robot is a sweet, funny, and visually stunning animated adventure that explores themes of parenthood and community. It boasts an exceptionally skilled voice cast and a touching screenplay. In fact, it’s the best animated film from DreamWorks since the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy.
Lupita Nyong’o does a wonderful job of bringing the robot, Roz, to life, first as a determined and robotic dry machine trying to perform services for the animals and then developing a softer and more human side as the robot starts to feel what it’s like to be a mother.
Pedro Pascal is hilarious as the voice of Fink the fox who starts off only interested in using Roz to his advantage, but swiftly becomes her best friend and ally in protecting and teaching Brightbill. Pascal as Fink steals every scene he’s in and has the best lines in the film.
The movie is also visually breathtaking, from the brightness and vibrant hues of the forest to the mesmerizing scene of colorful butterflies covering a large tree and then taking flight. There’s no way Academy voters can pass this entertaining offering by, come Oscar season.
Both humorous and heartfelt, The Wild Robot is destined to become a classic.
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, action, and peril
Release Date: September 27, 2024
Running Time: 1 hour 41 minutes
Directed By: Christopher Sanders
HBO’s first lengthy teaser trailer for The Last of Us season two begins with 50 seconds of normalcy, or at least as close to normalcy as the series allows. That’s followed by one minute of intense action, thrills, and chills.
The teaser dropped, along with three character posters, on “The Last of Us Day.” September 26th is designated as the TLOU Day, or “Outbreak Day,” since it’s the day in the video game that the cordyceps virus catalyzed the events of The Last of Us.
“After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind,” reads HBO’s synopsis.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return to lead the cast as Joel and Ellie. Returning stars also include Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Newcomers to the post-apocalyptic series include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac.
Two-time Emmy-winner Catherine O’Hara will guest star in season two.
The critically acclaimed series is based on the Naughty Dog video game created for PlayStation consoles. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are the writers and serve as executive producers along with Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells.
Poster of Pedro Pascal as Joel in ‘The Last of Us’ season 2 (Photo Credit: HBO)Poster of Bella Ramsey as Ellie in season 2 (Photo Credit: HBO)Poster of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in season 2 (Photo Credit: HBO)
Mary J. Blige stars in ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ season 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Power Book II: Ghost season four powered its way to a new viewership record on Starz. The network reports that the critically acclaimed drama averaged 10.5 million multiple-platform viewers 90 days post-premiere. In addition, season four episode eight showed a 6% increase over episode seven and took the #1 spot among cable programs in Black households in four major cities.
The season’s final two episodes will air on September 27th and October 4th.
The cast is led by Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick, Mary J. Blige as Monet Tejada, Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith as Davis MacLean, and Gianni Paolo as Brayden Weston. Woody McClain stars as Cane Tejada, Lovell Adams-Gray is Dru Tejada, LaToya Tonodeo is Diana Tejada, Alix Lapri is Effie Morales, and Larenz Tate is Rashad Tate. Caroline Chikezie plays Noma, Lightskinkeisha is Brushaundria Carmichael, and Michael Ealy is Detective Don Carter.
“New alliances have been formed with each faction and Tariq and Brayden must find a way back into the game. But Brayden starts flirting with a new, reckless lifestyle, leaving Tariq to wonder if there really is room for two at the top. With Monet left for dead, Davis facing potential disbarment, and Effie looking to secure her future at Stanford, everyone’s on their own,” reads Starz’s synopsis. “Diana and Dru continue to question their roles while Cane levels up and starts working with Noma. As Noma is fighting to establish her business in the States and keep her daughter Anya in line, she finds her way on Tariq and Brayden’s radar. With the fate of his future in the game and his family at the forefront, Tariq must reconcile his past to rise to the top of the good chain and become who he needs to be to protect those he loves most.”
Brett Mahoney guides the series as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Courtney A. Kemp (creator/showrunner of the original Power series), Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Mark Canton.
Oxygen True Crime’s Serial Killer Capital: Los Angeles takes a deep dive back into LA of the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s, focusing on the multiple serial killers that terrorized the city. The two-hour special premieres on Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 7pm ET/PT.
Patrick Reardon, David O’Donnell, and George Plamondon executive produce the special, with Dale Fisher serving as a co-executive producer.
Poster for ‘Serial Killer Capital: Los Angeles’ (Photo Credit: Oxygen True Crime)
Oxygen True Crime released the following lengthy description:
“The City of Angels became a city of horrors as a serial killer, whom authorities began referring to as the Southside Slayer, devastated the community. The bodies of women were discovered one after another in alleys, on playgrounds, and even on the steps of an elementary school. The investigators’ worst fears were confirmed when they determined after years of working on the cases that there wasn’t just one Southside Slayer, but four separate serial killers operating at the same time in the same place.
Serial Killer Capital: Los Angeles features families of victims speaking for the first time, firsthand survivor accounts, and interviews with law enforcement who eventually find justice for many of the murdered women. As crime in 1980s Los Angeles intensified due to gang activity and the crack epidemic, the police noticed a trend. In South Los Angeles, women were discovered shot or strangled to death. After a suspect was arrested the killings continued, leading police to believe there was more than one serial killer. As multiple serial killers walked free, the horrific murders created panic and confusion within the city and police force.
However, law enforcement remained undeterred in their quest to bring the killers to justice. After the infamous O.J. Simpson case in the 1990s, the Los Angeles Police Department invested millions of dollars into a new crime lab, including DNA forensics. These new advancements drove the unending hunt for the killers who police believe were responsible for more than 100 murders.”
Hulu’s finally released the full trailer for Rivals, the eight-episode series based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel. David Tennant (Good Omens) and Alex Hassell (The Tragedy of Macbeth) star in the adaptation, premiering on October 18, 2024.
“Set against the backdrop of power-grabbing social elites, Rivals dives headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986, where hair-dos are big and ambitions are even bigger,” reads Hulu’s synopsis. “Deals are brokered in boardrooms, as well as bedrooms. Nobody can be sure who will come out on top. With every man and woman out only for themselves, can true love really blossom?”
David Tennant stars in ‘Rivals’ (Courtesy of Robert Viglasky/Disney)
Hassell plays dashing ex-Olympian, Member of Parliament, and dangerously charismatic Rupert Campbell-Black. David Tennant stars as Lord Tony Baddingham. The cast also includes Aidan Turner (Poldark) as Declan O’Hara, Nafessa Williams (Black Lighting) as Cameron Cook, Katherine Parkinson (Humans) as Lizzie Vereker, and Bella Maclean (Spring Awakening) as Taggie O’Hara.
The ensemble also includes Emily Atack, Catriona Chandler, Oliver Chris, Danny Dyer, Rufus Jones, Lisa McGrillis, Luke Pasqualino, Claire Rushbrook, and Victoria Smurfit.
Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Alexander Lamb, Felicity Blunt, Laura Wade, Lee Mason, and author Dame Jilly Cooper executive produce. Writers include Treadwell-Collins, Wade, Sophie Goodhart, Marek Horn, Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Dare Aiyegbayo, and Kefi Chadwick. Elliot Hegarty is the lead director and executive produces episodes one through four. Dee Koppang O’Leary and Alexandra Brodski also direct episodes.
Alberg and Cassandra make a big decision about their new relationship on Fox’s Murder in a Small Town episode two. “Fall From Grace” will air on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.
Rossif Sutherland stars as Karl Alberg and Kristin Kreuk plays Cassandra Lee. Recurring guest stars include Mya Lowe (My Life with the Walter Boys) as Corporal Edwina Yen, Savonna Spracklin (Two-Spirit Odyssey) as Isabella Harbud, Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) as Sergeant Sid Sokolowski, and Fritzy-Klevans Destine (Superman & Lois) as Constable Andy Kendrick. Special season one guest stars include James Cromwell (Succession), Stana Katic (Castle), Paula Patton (Sacrifice), and Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek).
“Fall From Grace” Plot: While celebrating their high school reunion several former classmates of Cassandra’s discover a dead body at the marina which leads Alberg on an investigation into who the dead resident of Gibsons was and who is responsible for the murder.
Murder in a Small Town Description, Courtesy of Fox:
Murder in a Small Town follows Karl Alberg (Sutherland), who moves to a quiet, coastal town to soothe a psyche that has been battered by big-city police work. He’ll quickly learn that this gentle paradise has more than its share of secrets and will need to call upon all the skills that made him a world-class detective in solving the murders that, even in this seemingly idyllic setting, continue to wash up on his shore. Kreuk stars as Cassandra Lee, a local librarian who becomes Karl’s muse, foil, and romantic interest.
Apple Original Films released a new Wolfs trailer two days ahead of the film’s premiere on Apple TV+. The action comedy reunites George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and the final pre-release trailer shows the off-screen friends exchanging insults and being forced to work together on a case.
“Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high-profile crime,” reads Apple TV+’s synopsis. “But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the two ‘lone wolves’ are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control in ways that neither one of them expected.”
Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Richard Kind, Zlatko Buric, and Poorna Jagannathan also star. Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s Jon Watts wrote the screenplay, directs, and produces. Additional producers include Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Grant Heslov, George Clooney, and Dianne McGunigle.
Brad PItt and George Clooney star in ‘Wolfs’ (Photo Credit: Apple Original Films)
Apple Original Films announced that a sequel to the comedy had been greenlit one month prior to its limited theatrical release on September 20, 2024.
“Wolfs is the kind of big event movie that makes Apple TV+ such an exceptional home for the best in entertainment,” stated Matt Dentler, head of features, Apple Original Films. “With George and Brad’s remarkable and engaging chemistry under Jon Watts’ extraordinary direction, Wolfs blends all the great elements of comedy, action and drama into a hugely entertaining movie that will leave audiences ready for what’s next. Releasing the movie to theaters before making it widely available to Apple TV+ customers brings the best of both worlds to audiences, and we’re excited to see fans embrace the movie as we start working with Jon on the sequel.”
Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott in ‘Bring Them Down’ (Photo Courtesy of Fantastic Fest)
Bring Them Down starring Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, and Nora-Jane Noone was named Best Picture at the 2024 Fantastic Fest held September 19-26 in Austin, TX. The annual festival spotlights the best in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and action. Screenings at the popular festival have included the world or US premieres of critically acclaimed films including Smile, Frankenweenie, Parasite, Jojo Rabbit, John Wick, and There Will Be Blood.
“Our jurors faced the formidable challenge of selecting winners from a remarkable array of stories, each representing different cultures and perspectives. Their task was not easy, but it truly reflects what Fantastic Fest is all about: embracing the richness of global cinema and the shared human experiences that unite us all,” stated Annick Mahnert, Director of Programming for Fantastic Fest.
“MAIN COMPETITION” FEATURES
Best Picture: BRING THEM DOWN, directed by Christopher Andrews
Best Director: James Ashcroft – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN
Best Actor: Geoffrey Rush – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN
“NEXT WAVE” FEATURES
Best Picture: SISTER MIDNIGHT, directed by Karan Kandhari
Best Director: Emma Benestan – ANIMALE
Honorable Mention: TOUCHED BY ETERNITY, directed by Mārcis Lācis
HORROR FEATURES
Best Picture: CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING, directed by Sander Maran
Best Director: John Hsu – DEAD TALENT SOCIETY
Honorable Mention: The Ensemble Cast of TRIZOMBIE, directed by Bob Colaers
SHORTS WITH LEGS
Best Picture: She Stays, directed by Marinthia Gutiérrez
Honorable Mention: Duck, directed by Rachel Maclean
SHORT FUSE
Best Picture: Be Right Back, directed by Lucas Paulino & Gabe Ibañez
Honorable Mention: The Night Practice, directed by Bogdan Alecsandru
FANTASTIC SHORTS
Best Picture: The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste, directed by Pernell Marsden
Honorable Mention: Atom & Void, directed by Gonçalo Almeida
DRAWN AND QUARTERED
Best Picture: Mira, directed by Eva Louise Hall
Honorable Mention: The Night Boots, directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon
AUDIENCE AWARD
DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY, directed by John Hsu
