FX is set to launch the new dramatic series The Old Man on June 16, 2022 starring Oscar winner Jeff Bridges (Crazy Hearts). So, what’s it about? The series is based on Edgar Award-winning author Thomas Perry’s bestselling novel, which was published in 2017, and follows Dan Chase (Bridges), a man with an interesting past who’s spent three decades attempting to keep a low profile and not attract the attention of the American government.
The series will kick off with the June 16th release of the first two episodes on FX and Hulu. Additional new episodes will arrive on subsequent Thursdays.
Joining Bridges in the seven-episode season are Alia Shawkat, John Lithgow, E.J. Bonilla, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Amy Brenneman. Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine created the series, wrote, and executive produced. Jeff Bridges, Warren Littlefield, Dan Shotz, David Schiff, and Jon Watts also executive produced. Watts directed the first two episodes.
The Plot:The Old Man centers on Dan Chase (Bridges) who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.
With Dan Chase flushed out of hiding, the FBI’s Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Harold Harper (Lithgow) is called on to hunt him down because of his complicated past with the rogue fugitive. Working alongside Harper is his protégé Angela Adams (Shawkat) and CIA Special Agent Raymond Waters (Bonilla). When Chase proves to be more difficult to apprehend than the authorities expected, Julian Carson (Akinnagbe), a highly trained special ops contractor, is sent to pursue him as well. While on the run, Chase rents a room from Zoe McDonald (Brenneman) who draws on reserves she never knew she had in order to survive the day when she learns the truth about her new tenant.
Jeff Bridges stars as Dan Chase in ‘The Old Man’ (Photo Credit: Kurt Iswarienko/FX)John Lithgow as Harold Harper (Photo by Kurt Iswarienko/FX)Gbenga Akinnagbe as Julian Carson (Photo by Kurt Iswarienko/FX)Alia Shawkat as Angela Adams (Photo by Kurt Iswarienko/FX)Amy Brenneman as Zoe McDonald (Photo by Kurt Iswarienko/FX)E.J. Bonilla as Raymond Waters (Photo by Kurt Iswarienko/FX)
Five time Emmy Award nominee Idris Elba (Luther) is stalked by a lion intent on making Elba and his daughters his next meal in Beast, directed by Baltasar Kormákur (Everest). The official trailer has a definite The Ghost and the Darkness – the 1996 thriller starring Michael Douglas, Val Kilmer, and Tom Wilkinson – vibe but with better effects and only one apex predator.
In addition to Idris Elba, the cast includes Sharlto Copley (Russian Doll), Iyana Halley (This is Us), and Leah Sava Jeffries (Rel).
Rampage‘s Ryan Engle wrote the screenplay based on a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan. Director Baltasar Kormákur, Will Packer, and James Lopez produced, with Jaime Primak Sullivan and Bernard Bellew executive producing.
Universal Pictures has set an August 19, 2022 theatrical release.
The plot, courtesy of Universal Pictures:
“Sometimes the rustle in the bushes actually is a monster.
Idris Elba stars in a pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters who find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator.
Elba plays Dr. Nate Daniels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Copley), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them.
Iyana Halley plays Daniels’ 18-year-old daughter, Meredith, and Leah Sava Jeffries plays his 13-year-old, Norah.”
JD Pardo as EZ Reyes and Andrea Cortes as Sofia in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 4 episode 7 (Photo by Prashant Gupta/FX)
FX’s Mayans M.C. season four episode seven kicks off with Miguel (Danny Pino) on the road in the middle of nowhere. He wakes from napping in the passenger seat when the driver comes to a sudden stop. They spot a car stopped and blocking both lanes. There appears to be a woman in the front seat and, surprisingly, Miguel doesn’t seem to be alarmed by this weird turn of events.
We see a dead woman in the driver’s seat but Miguel and his companion can’t get close enough to check it out before the car explodes. Miguel finally appears to catch on that he’s in danger as a lone motorcyclist appears from behind the burning car.
Miguel’s driver throws it in reverse and speeds away backward while shooting at the motorcyclist. The cyclist backs off but Miguel’s not in the clear. A truck appears on their passenger side and rams into them. (And that’s all we’ll see of Miguel this episode.)
EZ (JD Pardo) and Sofia (Andrea Cortes) have yet another awkward conversation, this time at her apartment. Both have realized the other’s been in prison, and EZ confesses he was in jail for murdering a cop. Sofia calls prison EZ’s “gateway drug” since it led to him joining the Mayans. He corrects her and says Angel’s the one who got him into the Mayans. When she asks if Angel’s older or younger, EZ jokes, “Physically older but emotionally much younger.”
Sofia admits she was in jail for 54 months. She reveals she had it coming and accepted whatever prison sentence they wanted to give her without complaining because she was in fact guilty of negligence in the death of her young daughter.
Sofia agrees to check in on Sally while EZ is out of town taking care of some business. (And by “business”, we mean amping up a war against the Sons.)
Jay-Jay (Greg Serano) leaves EZ a voicemail warning him not to ignore his calls.
Emilio Rivera as Marcus Alvarez and Michael Irby as Obispo “Bishop” Losa in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 4 episode 7 (Photo by Prashant Gupta/FX)
Over at the clubhouse, Bishop (Michael Irby), Creeper (Joseph Raymond Lucero), and Tranq (Frankie Loyal) drink beer while Bishop continues his “pity me” tour. He thinks Marcus is ruining Santo Padre. Tranq and Creeper disagree and believe it’s important the club come together now.
And speaking of Marcus (Emilio Rivera), he asks Bishop to come to the table for a chat but Bishop doesn’t budge. Marcus takes Creeper’s vacated seat instead and informs Bishop he WILL come to his house tonight to celebrate his wife’s birthday. She specifically asked for Bishop to be there and Marcus isn’t about to allow Bishop to continue to pull his crap.
“She’s a good woman, Primo, and if she wants you at her dinner, you better be at her f**king dinner,” warns Marcus.
EZ, Angel (Clayton Cardenas), and Manny (Manny Montana) make it to UC Davis’ hospital parking lot and spot three Sons outside. However, there’s a row of parked bikes which means more Sons are inside watching Packer’s room.
EZ’s entire plan consists of getting revenge for Coco by killing as many high-ranking Sons as possible. Angel points out that’s not much of a plan and EZ explains he’s done with making elaborate plans that never actually work. K.I.S.S. appears to be his new mantra.
Manny’s all for this barebones plan which EZ thinks will take down Packer, Chibs, and other ranking Sons. Angel’s still unconvinced, reminding his little bro they don’t even know where Packer is being kept. Manny and EZ simultaneously say “oncology” and Angel replies, “What the f**k is oncology?”
Manny explains that it means he’s in the cancer ward and Angel, who is so obviously done with this new buddy team of EZ and Manny, says, “Why the f**k you guys just ain’t say that then?”
Back to more serious matters, EZ’s wearing his cut in case he gets killed. He wants them to know he’s a Mayan.
Angel heads inside and purchases a stuffed animal from the gift shop. He then attempts to read the directory to locate the oncology wing but can’t find it. Instead, he asks a Hispanic janitor where the cancer ward is and the janitor says, “Oncology?”
Angel looks ready to kill the next person who mentions that word.
Anyway, after learning its location he joins Manny and EZ outside stairwell 5. He lets them in and EZ’s surprised Angel’s wearing a lab coat. Angel claims he’s just trying to blend in but neither Manny nor EZ think he’s pulling it off.
Angel learned the oncology unit is on the seventh floor and that the hospital’s crawling with Sons. (EZ has definitely not thought this through.) EZ suggests they take the elevator to the 8th floor and then use the stairs to the 7th.
All hell breaks loose when the elevator doors open and four Sons are inside. EZ, Angel, and Manny get off shots before the Sons can react. EZ, Manny, and Angel finally worry about covering their faces as they run down the halls.
They make it to the front lobby and see additional Sons pulling up on their motorcycles, plus a few more coming through the doors drawing their weapons. They yell for the innocent bystanders to get down as the two clubs exchange gunfire.
Manny, EZ, and Angel are now running for their lives while being chased. They continue shooting, and the screaming of staff, patients, and visitors adds to the chaos.
They see even more Sons arriving and Manny volunteers to cause a diversion so EZ and Angel can get out of the building. EZ and Angel run through what appears to be the emergency department and a security guard fires a shot at their retreating backs. It misses and Angel turns and shoots the guard.
Angel pauses, clearly upset he just shot a guard and EZ’s forced to retrieve his brother.
Talk about your unlucky coincidences. EZ suddenly stops urging his brother to leave when he locks eyes with the nurse who just happens to be…wait for it…his ex-girlfriend, Gaby (Sulem Calderon). Angel grabs Gaby since she can identify them and hustles her outside, against her will.
EZ runs into the parking lot and carjacks a doctor. Sons spot their getaway vehicle and start firing just as Manny uses their original vehicle to drive over the line of Sons motorcycles. Apparently, the cops still haven’t arrived as EZ’s able to exit the parking lot and escape with Gaby and Angel in the backseat.
Much later that night EZ’s pulled over and Gaby’s outside the car when Angel gets off the phone with news that Manny was also able to escape. Manny got rid of the Jeep and is going to hunker down in Oakland before heading back to Santo Padre.
Angel’s changed his opinion of the Yuma dude and decides he “might be alright.”
EZ and Angel have no idea what to do with Gaby. EZ finally talks to her alone and learns she’s going to call the police and turn them in because they shot her friend, the security guard. The guard had a wife and kids and didn’t deserve to die. She knows his family and realizes they’ll never see their loved one again.
Gaby calls EZ and Angel animals for destroying the guard’s family.
EZ’s unable to convince her not to tell anyone what happened or give away their identity. Speaking about Angel, Gaby says, “He needs to answer for what he did. He shot an innocent man, EZ.”
Gaby cries and holds EZ’s face as she tells him she loves him. Unfortunately for Gaby, no one means more to EZ than his brother. He will not allow Angel to go to jail.
Gaby’s in the middle of saying, “Your mother would want you to do the right thing,” when a shot rings out. EZ kills Gaby.
Angel screams, “NO! What did you do?! EZ, what the f*ck did you do?”
That incredibly intense scene is followed by Bishop knocking on Marcus’ door. He’s late but at least he showed up and Diana (Patricia De Leon) is happy to see him, even if her husband’s not. Things get even more uncomfortable when Maggie, a friend of Diana’s, shows up. It’s obviously a setup and Bishop’s not in the least bit interested in having Diana play matchmaker.
The night goes horribly and Bishop leaves before dessert. Marcus follows Bishop outside and suggests he leave the club if he doesn’t like the way he’s running it. Bishop believes Marcus’ head is with his family when it should be with the Mayans.
And now on to a different couple… Creeper and Kody (Stella Maeve) are in bed and still getting to know each other. Creeper confesses he’s worried about his brothers and can’t stand the thought of one of them getting hurt when he’s not there to help them. Kody gets him to admit his brothers don’t always take care of him. There wasn’t any retribution when he was shot point-blank a few years back.
Clayton Cardenas as Angel Reyes in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 4 episode 7 (Photo by Prashant Gupta/FX)
Angel finally makes it home and pulls Nails (Justina Adorno) in for a hug. She doesn’t hug him back and he apologizes for being gone so long. (He hasn’t yet realized she lost the baby.) Nails explains she thought she wanted to be in this relationship but she’s realized she can’t fix what was wrong – or fix Angel.
Angel admits he’s been busy, preoccupied, and scared, but Nails knows it’s too late. He doesn’t get to say that after what she’s been through. He apologizes for “whatever” he did and swears he can change. When he brings up EZ, Nails has had enough. She gets up and is ready to leave when Angel finally asks about the baby. She cries and shakes her head no and he finally understands she lost the baby. He actually calls her Stephanie instead of Nails when he asks what happened.
Nails doesn’t reply and Angel starts getting upset – and accusatory – and asks, “What the f*ck did you do?” Nails tells him Felipe took her to the hospital and Angel’s pissed off no one called him. Nails wonders what he would have done if they reached out and adds, “What have you ever done, Angel?”
Nails pushes past him, leaves his ring on the table, and exits his home – and his life.
EZ returns to his trailer to find Sofia’s there taking care of Sally (who looks incredibly happy). EZ has blood on his shirt and hands, and quickly says it’s not his. EZ appears to be in shock and Sofia helps him remove his clothes. He tries to tell her what happened but Sofia doesn’t want to hear about it.
Angel’s home alone drinking and sitting on the floor next to the crib when he hears knocking at the door. He doesn’t make any effort to get up and Felipe (Edward James Olmos) lets himself in. Felipe asks about Stephanie and Angel confirms she’s gone. Felipe’s sorry about what happened to his baby and empathizes with his son’s loss. He explains that you feel the pain and then at some point you move on. Felipe was able to heal with the birth of Angel and then EZ.
However, Felipe’s misinterpreted Angel’s interest in his actions. Angel doesn’t want to know how Felipe moved on; he wants to know what Felipe did in the past that’s made the family so screwed up. “Why do we destroy everything? Why do we lose everyone? What did you do that was so f*cking wrong that God had f*cking rain hell all over us?!” asks Angel.
He demands to know why they’re cursed but Felipe doesn’t answer. Angel’s had enough and kicks his dad out of his house.
Angel then heads over to Coco’s to see Letty, drunk and out of it. Letty’s shocked to see him and Angel denies being drunk and claims he’s there because he can’t stop thinking about her. Letty knows yesterday was a mistake that can’t happen again, but Angel tries to say it wasn’t. Letty’s telling him it will never happen again when Gilly (Vincent Vargas) emerges from another room. (The elder Reyes brother was correct. The family is cursed.)
Gilly realizes what Angel did and begins punching him. Angel falls to the floor and refuses to fight back. Letty kicks them both out as Angel apologizes.
Back at EZ’s trailer, Sofia burns his bloody clothing. Again, EZ attempts to tell her what happened but she stops him. She just wants him to confirm he’s back safe with her and Sally – that’s all that’s important. “Are we safe?” she asks, adding, “Are you safe?”
EZ doesn’t reply and Sofia says that’s all she cares about.
Angel makes it home only to find Adelita (Carla Baratta) inside. He reacts with a derisive chuckle and says, “I can’t f*cking believe it. Of course you would show up tonight.”
He says he doesn’t want to hear what she has to say and warns her he can’t go through this again. A baby crying makes Angel stop yelling. He bends over the cradle and picks up his son. “My boy,” he says, voice infused with love. He says it again while holding his baby and looking at Adelita.
The new trailer for Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder begins with Korg telling kids the story of space viking Thor Odinson. Korg explains that after saving Earth 500 times, Thor worked out and went from dad bod to god bod. The trailer shows a very fit Thor reaching for Mjolnir only to discover it goes to Jane’s outstretched hand rather than his.
Jane points out it’s been three or four years since they were romantically involved. Thor corrects her and says, “Eight years, seven months, and six days…give or take.”
The lengthy trailer also provides our first real look at Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher.
Chris Hemsworth returns to lead the cast as Thor. Russell Crowe is Zeus, Natalie Portman is Jane Foster/Mighty Thor, Tessa Thompson is King Valkyrie, and Taika Waititi is Korg. Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) directs.
Thor: Love and Thunder will open in theaters on July 8, 2022.
Marvel Studios’ official synopsis:
The film finds Thor (Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a search for self-discovery. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Thompson), Korg (Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor.
Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
The official trailer for Netflix’s The Gray Man features looks of action along with Chris Evans declaring, “If you wanna make an omelet, you have to kill some people.” Now, I’m no cook but I’m pretty sure dead humans is not included on the list of omelet ingredients.
The thriller’s based on The Gray Man book series by Mark Greaney and stars Ryan Gosling as CIA operative Court Gentry and Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen. Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Dhanush, Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard, Regé-Jean Page, Julia Butters, Eme Ikwuakor, and Scott Haze also star.
The Gray Man comes from writer/director Joe Russo and director Anthony Russo, the sibling team behind Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: Civil War. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are the co-writers, and the Russos, Joe Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Mike Larocca, and Chris Castaldi produce. Patrick Newall, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Jake Aust, Angela Russo-Otstot, Geoff Haley, Zack Roth, and Palak Patel executive produce.
Netflix will release The Gray Man in theaters on July 15, 2022 followed by a release on the streaming platform on July 22nd.
The Plot:
The Gray Man is CIA operative Court Gentry (Gosling), aka, Sierra Six. Plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy (Thornton), Gentry was once a highly skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and Six is the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Evans), a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out. Agent Dani Miranda (de Armas) has his back. He’ll need it.
The CW’s set a May 31, 2022 premiere for the Nancy Drew spin-off, Tom Swift, starring Tian Richards (Dumplin’). Richards first appeared in the role in season two episode 15 of Nancy Drew, with that episode setting up the spinoff.
In addition to Tian Richards, the season one cast includes April Parker Jones as Lorraine, Ashleigh Murray as Zenzi, Marquise Vilsón as Isaac, and Albert Mwangi as Rowan. LeVar Burton provides the voice of Tom’s AI, Barclay.
In a May 2021 interview with EW in support of his debut as Tom Swift in Nancy Drew, Tian Richards described his hopes for what a Tom Swift series will look like.
“We will see Tom go on a journey to find his dad. At its core, it’s a father-son love story, a father-son hate story, it’s a coming to terms with that entire relationship, and we get to see that take place in the middle of so many intersections. We get to see culture be explored in the Black elite and the 1 percent, which is a society that hasn’t really been explored in depth on television. We get to see so much cool tech and the sci-fi world. And we’ll get to see a beautiful queer man’s journey come to life and so many other people from the community as well. You will get to see reflections from all points of view, all walks of life, and I mean that from our hetero brothers and sisters to our trans brothers and sisters, our fellow queer brothers and sisters,” explained Richards.
Season one of Tom Swift will air on Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT. Melinda Hsu Taylor (The Gifted), Noga Landau (Nancy Drew), and Cameron Johnson (Empire) co-created the series and serve as executive producers. Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, and Lis Rowinski also executive produce.
The Plot, Courtesy of The CW:
As an exceptionally brilliant inventor with unlimited resources and unimaginable wealth, the devilishly charming Tom Swift (Richards) is a man who many men would kill to be, or be with – a man with the world in the palm of his hand. But that world gets shaken to its core after the shocking disappearance of his father, thrusting Tom into a breathtaking adventure full of mysterious conspiracies and unexplained phenomena. On his whirlwind quest to unravel the truth, Tom finds himself fighting to stay one step ahead of an Illuminati-scale cabal hellbent on stopping him.
Tackling this treacherous pursuit armed with his vast intellect, his roguish wit, and an endless supply of designer sneakers, he will also rely on his closest companions: his best friend Zenzi (Murray), whose unabashed and unvarnished candor keeps Tom grounded while she forges a path for herself as a business visionary; his bodyguard Isaac (Vilsón), whose fierce commitment to his chosen family is complicated by his own simmering feelings for Tom; and his AI, Barclay (Burton), whose insights and tough love have been a constant throughout Tom’s life.
At home, Tom’s relationship with his mother Lorraine (Parker Jones) becomes conflicted as she urges him to take his father’s place in elite Black society. But unbeknownst to Tom, his mother’s request is driven by deep secrets of her own. What’s more, the mysterious and dangerous Rowan (Mwangi) intersects Tom’s path with hidden motivations and undeniable mutual chemistry. While Tom navigates these emotionally charged dynamics, his missions will require his genius and his flair for innovation guided by romance, friendship and the mysteries of the universe yet unsolved.
Believe the hype. Top Gun: Maverick is everything you could possibly want out of an epic summer blockbuster. It’s full of spectacular heart-stopping aerial sequences, a plot that won’t strain your brain, romance, humor, and heart. There’s even a wild boat ride tossed in, just for the hell of it.
Boil the plot down to its basics and it’s relatively simple. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) lives to fly but has never been promoted above captain because of his well-deserved reputation as, well, a maverick. He’s still in the U.S. Navy and working as a test pilot (his choice) when he’s pulled back into the world of Top Gun pilots at the request of an old friend.
Maverick returns to his old stomping grounds but this time as the teacher, rather than the brash, cocky student. His task: take a group of elite Top Gun pilots and train them for a nearly impossible mission.
That’s the plot in a nutshell. However, watching how Top Gun: Maverick goes from the nostalgic beat of Cruise whipping the tarp off his beloved motorcycle – the one he cruised around San Diego on in the 1986 film – to the absolutely breathtaking, stomach-churning, white-knuckle ride that is the film’s climax turns out to be one of the most satisfying experiences in recent cinematic history.
Jennifer Connelly subs in for Kelly McGillis as Cruise’s love interest in the sequel, playing the owner of a bar who’s had an on-again-off-again relationship with the test pilot over the years. It’s easy to buy Connelly and Cruise as a couple, though the chemistry is more simmer than sizzle.
The young Top Gun pilots recruited for what’s basically a suicide mission include Rooster (Miles Teller), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), Hangman (Glen Powell), Fanboy (Danny Ramirez), Payback (Jay Ellis), Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis), and the awkward introvert who goes by the flashy call sign Bob (Lewis Pullman, son of Bill Pullman). And while we get to know each of them a little (mostly superficially), it’s the relationship between Maverick and Rooster that’s the heart and soul of Top Gun: Maverick.
Rooster’s the son of Maverick’s friend and wingman, Goose, played by Anthony Edwards in the ’86 film. Goose was killed in an accident that Maverick still feels responsible for three decades later, and the adversarial relationship between Maverick and Rooster is the result of Maverick’s unwelcome interference in Rooster’s career. Rooster’s resentment, and his belief that Maverick was in part responsible for his father’s death, lends itself to some genuinely heavy emotional moments. Their conflict is what gives Top Gun: Maverick a legitimate reason to exist, 35 years after the original film flew into theaters.
Yet as thrilling as the aerial sequences are, not even the most impressive flying scene can match the sheer joy of seeing Tom Cruise’s Maverick and Val Kilmer’s Iceman reunite on screen. Their shared scene is five or so minutes of pure bliss for movie fans. Kilmer’s battle with throat cancer is effectively worked into the script, and Cruise solidifies his place as one of the best actors of his generation working opposite Kilmer in his short but incredibly sweet return to the big screen.
Tom Cruise was adamant that Top Gun: Maverick premiere in theaters rather than via a premium channel, streaming service, or On-Demand. Cruise was also determined to include Val Kilmer in the Top Gun sequel. He was right on both counts, as Top Gun: Maverick absolutely deserves to be seen on the largest screen possible. And without Kilmer’s return, the 2022 sequel may not have had quite the same emotional impact.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion, Tron: Legacy), the long-awaited Top Gun sequel is a better film and even more entertaining than the original Top Gun. It’s fast-paced, the actors are all fantastic, and everything about the production is top-notch. The most surprising part might be just how emotionally invested the audience is compelled to become while rooting for Tom Cruise and his gaggle of pilots to take down an unnamed enemy.
Tom Cruise has never over the course of his 40-year career phoned in a performance. Audiences know what to expect from a Tom Cruise action film and Top Gun: Maverick lives up to all expectations. It’s one of the best action films of his career and, given his impressive filmography, that’s really saying something.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and sequences of intense action
B.J. Novak’s quest for a story turns into a quest for revenge in Focus Features’ Vengeance. Described as a “darkly comic thriller,” Vengeance finds Novak starring as a journalist who believes he’s stumbled into a town full of conspiracy theorists who are convinced the death of a girl he sort of dated wasn’t an accident…it was murder!
Writer/actor B.J. Novak (The Office) stars in and makes his feature film directorial with Vengeance. The cast also includes Issa Rae (Insecure), Ashton Kutcher (The Ranch), Boyd Holbrook (Narcos), J. Smith-Cameron (Succession), and Dove Cameron (Schmigadoon!). Jason Blum, Adam Hendricks, and Greg Gilreath served as producers.
BJ Novak recently spoke with Variety about his directorial debut.
“It’s so easy to misinterpret our connections these days, and it’s also easy to fall in love with someone after they’re out of your life, when you can obsess over their photos and your own memories and regrets. I started there which led me to this idea: what if you were expected to avenge the death of a someone you barely knew?” said Novak. “I wanted to put the character somewhere he was really lost, living with a family in the place he least understood. And then when I looked at a map, Texas was just staring at me. It has this almost mythological quality. From the Alamo onwards, vengeance is in Texas’s DNA. I found that Texas was full of contradictions, especially in that it feels like the most intimidating place and yet also the friendliest.”
Vengeance opens in theaters on Friday, July 29, 2022.
B.J. Novak as Ben Manalowitz and Boyd Holbrook as Ty Shaw in ‘Vengeance’ (Photo Credit: Patti Perret / Focus Features)
Vanessa Hudgens to host the 2022 ‘MTV Movie & TV Awards’ (Photo Courtesy of MTV)
Vanessa Hudgens will handle hosting duties for the upcoming 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards set to air live on Sunday, June 5th at 8pm ET/PT (tape-delayed on the West Coast). Hudgens was the host of the first MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time special in 2020.
The 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards will take place in Barker Hanger in Los Angeles.
The MTV Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED, honoring the best of reality television, will air immediately following the MTV Movie & TV Awards. MTV hasn’t announced a host for the UNSCRIPTED awards.
The blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home tops the list of 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards nominees, picking up seven nominations in categories including Best Movie, Best Performance (Tom Holland), Best Hero, Best Villain, and Best Kiss. Euphoria leads the television nominees with six including Best Show, Best Performance in a Show (Zendaya), and Best Fight.
RuPaul’s Drag Race, Selling Sunset, and Summer House racked up the most Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED nominations.
MTV’s Bruce Gillmer, Wendy Plaut, and Vanessa WhiteWolf, and Den Of Thieves’ Jesse Ignjatovic and Barb Bialkowski are executive producing both awards shows.
Vanessa Hudgens recently starred in the critically acclaimed musical tick, tick…BOOM! with Andrew Garfield and directed by Lin Manuel Miranda. Her credits also include The Princess Switch, Asking for It, Bad Boys for Life, Grease Live, and Powerless.
Westworld season four, a new version of Father of the Bride, and the limited series Irma Vep starring Alicia Vikander will premiere in June 2022 on HBO Max. June’s premiere lineup also includes the documentary The Janes and, sneaking in a bit early on May 30, the streaming debut of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Evan Rachel Wood and Thandiwe return to star in Westworld season four which will introduce new worlds and new characters for audiences to get to know. Westworld‘s fourth season premieres on June 26, 2022.
The popular romantic comedy Father of the Bride gets rebooted/updated with Andy Garcia taking on the titular role. The revised rom-com debuts on June 16th.
The timely documentary The Janes focuses on women who fought for abortion rights pre-Roe v. Wade. The Janes is set to premiere on June 8th. And writer/director Olivier Assayas adapted his 1996 movie into the limited series Irma Vep starring Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl). Irma Vep premieres on June 6, 2022.
Evan Rachel Wood and Aaron Paul in ‘Westworld’ season 3 (Photograph by John P. Johnson/HBO)
SERIES & FILMS ARRIVING ON HBO MAX IN JUNE 2022:
Exact Dates To Be Announced:
The Dog House: UK, Max Original Season 3 Premiere
Endangered, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Gordita Chronicles, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
June 1:
13 Going on 30, 2004
300, 2006
A Star is Born, 2018
Abduction, 2011 (HBO)
Across the Universe, 2007 (HBO)
The Adventures of Mark Twain, 1944
The Amazing Panda Adventure, 1995
Angels & Demons, 2009
The Ant Bully, 2006
Assassination Nation, 2018 (HBO)
Babylon A.D. , 2008
The Bank Job, 2008
Beach Rats, 2017 (HBO)
Bee Movie, 2007 (HBO)
Blue Bayou, 2021 (HBO)
Border, 2018 (HBO)
Colossal, 2016 (HBO)
Caro Comes Out, 2019 (HBO)
Chef, 2014 (HBO)
The Con Is On, 2018 (HBO)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000
Damsel, 2018 (HBO)
Dark Passage, 1947
Day Breakers, 2009 (HBO)
The Da Vinci Code, 2006
Domino, 2005 (HBO)
Extraction, 2020 (HBO)
The Firm, 1993
First Blood, 1982
The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2014 (HBO)
Gridiron Gang, 2006
Guess Who, 2005
Hairspray (Musical Remake), 2007
The Harvey Girls, 1946
Highlander, 1986
Horsemen, 2008
How Do You Know, 2010
How They Got Over, 2017
How to Survive a Plague, 2012
The Holiday, 2006 (HBO)
I Know What You Did Last Summer, 1997
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, 1998
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, 2006
I’ll See You In My Dreams, 2015 (HBO)
The Importance of Being Earnest, 2002 (HBO)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, 2013
John Grisham’s the Rainmaker, 1997
Klute, 1971
The Last Movie Star, 2017 (HBO)
Life Partners, 2014 (HBO)
Macbeth, 2015 (HBO)
Major League II, 1994
Major League: Back to the Minors, 1998
The Mask, 1994
McQueen, 2018 (HBO)
My Boss’s Daughter, 2003 (HBO)
My Days of Mercy, 2017 (HBO)
My Dead Dad, 2021
The One I love, 2014 (HBO)
Papi, 2020 (HBO)
Paris Is Burning, 1990
Rambo III, 1988 (HBO)
Rambo First Blood Part II, 1985 (HBO)
Religulous, 2008 (HBO)
Remember Me, 2010 (HBO)
Ride Along, 2014 (HBO)
Ride the High Country, 1962
Sabotage, 2014 (HBO)
Sleepers, 1996 (HBO)
Soul Surfer, 2011
Stepmom, 1998
Suite Francaise, 2014 (HBO)
The Taking of Pelham 123, 2009
Total Recall, 1990 (HBO)
Unfinished Song, 2012 (HBO)
Un padre no tan padre, 2016
W., 2008 (HBO)
Watchmen (movie), 2009
What Happens In Vegas, 2008 (HBO) (Extended Version)
The World According to Garp, 1982 (HBO)
The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, 2017 (HBO)
June 3:
On My Way with Irina Rimes, Max Original Documentary
Nudo Mixteco, 2021 (HBO)
June 6:
Doctor Who, Season 13
Irma Vep, Limited Drama Series Premiere (HBO)
Total Dramarama, Season S3A
June 8:
The Janes, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
June 9:
Amsterdam, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Max Original Documentary Premiere
Summer Camp Island, Max Original Season 6 Premiere
June 10:
The Card Counter, 2021 (HBO)
Naomi
Odo, Season 3
Victor and Valentino, Season 3B
June 15:
La Unidad, Season 2
June 16:
Father of the Bride, 2022
June 17:
Lucas the Spider, Season 1B
Las Mejores Familias (AKA The Best Families), 2020 (HBO)
Non-Stop, 2014 (HBO)
