Season four of Netflix’s popular Karate Kid sequel, Cobra Kai, will be adding a key character from The Karate Kid III. Thomas Ian Griffith will be reprising his role as Terry Silver when Cobra Kai returns for its fourth season.
“Since the beginning of the series, we’ve been carefully orchestrating the right moment to unleash Cobra Kai dojo co-founder Terry Silver back into the universe. That moment is now. We can’t wait for the whole world to experience Thomas Ian Griffith’s majestic return to the franchise,” stated executive producers/writers Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.
The Cobra Kai cast is led by Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence. Courtney Henggeler plays Amanda LaRusso, Xolo Maridueña is Miguel Diaz, Tanner Buchanan is Robby Keene, Mary Mouser plays Samantha LaRusso, and Jacob Bertrand stars as Hawk. The cast also includes Gianni Decenzo as Demetri, Vanessa Rubio as Carmen, Peyton List as Tory, Martin Kove as John Kreese, Dallas Dupree Young as Kenny, and Oona O’Brien as Devon.
Series stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka serve as executive producers along with Susan Ekins and Westbrook Entertainment’s Will Smith, James Lassiter, and Caleeb Pinkett.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Cobra Kai takes place over 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament with the continuation of the inescapable conflict between Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (Zabka).
M. Night Shyamalan’s Old might just keep you from visiting any beach resorts when you plan your next vacation. The trailer reveals tourists who visit a gorgeous, secluded beach lose years of their lives by aging upwards at an incredible rate. There’s other weird stuff going on this creepy two-minute peek at Shyamalan’s latest twisted thriller.
Old‘s cast includes Golden Globe winner Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Rufus Sewell (The Man in the High Castle), Ken Leung (Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending), Abbey Lee (Lovecraft Country), and Aaron Pierre (Krypton).
Alex Wolff (Hereditary), Embeth Davidtz (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), Emun Elliott (Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Kathleen Chalfant (The Affair), and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) also star.
Director M. Night Shyamalan adapted Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters’ graphic novel Sandcastle and produces with Ashwin Rajan and Marc Bienstock. Steven Schneider serves as an executive producer.
Universal Pictures has set a July 23, 2021 theatrical release date.
The Plot, Courtesy of Universal Pictures:
This summer, visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly … reducing their entire lives into a single day.
Disney’s just released a brand new trailer for the action-adventure film, Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The nearly two-minute trailer finds Blunt’s Dr. Lily Houghton requesting Johnson’s Frank help on her quest to find a tree with healing powers.
Why does it feel as though Disney’s been teasing us with Jungle Cruise news for at least a decade? Probably because it’s actually been more than a decade since Disney announced a film based on the popular Disneyland ride was likely to happen. After casting rumors (Tom Hanks? Tim Allen?) and a change in the filmmaking team behind the ride-inspired movie, the current team was put in place and production wrapped up in 2018. 2019 and 2020 release dates were pushed back (2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic), but the 2021 release date is firm. Jungle Book will premiere in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 30th.
In addition to Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, the cast includes Edgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti. Jaume Collet-Serra directed from a screenplay by Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, and John Requa (story by Ficarra, Requa, John Norville, and Josh Goldstein).
Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox produce along with Seven Bucks Productions’ Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia, and Dany Garcia. Scott Sheldon, Doug Merrifield, and Flynn Picture Co’s Beau Flynn executive produce.
Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila — his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities — possessing the power to change the future of medicine.
Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate — and mankind’s — hangs in the balance.
Chris Noth returns as Mr. Big in ‘And Just Like That…’ (Photo Courtesy of HBO Max)
HBO Max confirmed Chris Noth is indeed on board And Just Like That…, the new chapter in the Sex and the City story. Noth will slip into Mr. Big’s shoes for the Max Original series which reunites three out of four of the original series’ stars.
Sarah Jessica Parker returns as Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon’s back as Miranda Hobbes, and Kristin Davis will reprise her role as Charlotte York. The 10 episode series will also star Sara Ramirez (Madam Secretary).
“I’m thrilled to be working with Chris again on And Just Like That…,” said executive producer Michael Patrick King. “How could we ever do a new chapter of the Sex And The City story without our Mr. Big?”
Additional executive producers include Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Julie Rottenberg, Elisa Zuritsky, and John Melfi. Rottenberg, Zuritsky, Michael Patrick King, Samantha Irby, Rachna Fruchbom, and Keli Goff are writing the new series.
Filming on the half-hour series is expected to take place in New York this summer.
SAG Award nominee Chris Noth’s television credits include Law and Order, The Good Wife, Manhunt: Unabomber, Tyrant, and Equalizer. Noth also starred in the feature films Lovelace, Frankie Go Boom, and White Girl.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO Max:
This new chapter of the groundbreaking HBO series Sex and the City follows Carrie (Parker), Miranda (Nixon), and Charlotte (Davis) as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
Sex and the City New Chapter in the Works Without Kim Cattrall
Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and Evelyn (Emily Blunt) brave the unknown in ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures)
2018’s A Quiet Place introduced us to a post-apocalyptic world in which monsters rule the planet. Humans who were fortunate enough to escape being eviscerated by these hideous creatures were forced into a life of silence. No explanation was offered as to where these beasts came from or how long it took humans to figure out they were blind but had excellent hearing.
A Quiet Place Part II begins by filling in gaps in A Quiet Place’s timeline. The first 15 or so minutes of the sequel answer many of the key questions we’ve been left to wonder about, like where did these creatures come from, and how did the attack begin? Part II touches on how quickly these vicious monsters were able to overtake humans as the dominant species.
Writer/director John Krasinski kept his monsters off screen in much of the first film but there’s no need to hide the creatures in Part II. The sequel’s opening shows the monsters in all their grotesque glory as they decimate the small town where the Abbott family resides.
From the adrenaline rush of fleeing alongside innocent townsfolk, we’re suddenly whisked to Day 474 after the invasion, picking up the story of the remaining Abbotts in the hours immediately following A Quiet Place’s ending. Evelyn (Emily Blunt), now the leader of the Abbott clan after Lee’s tragic death, guides Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) away from their home – the only shelter they’ve known since the aliens began wiping out humans.
A Quiet Place was nearly claustrophobic in its focus on the tiny slice of the planet occupied by the Abbotts. The world expands in A Quiet Place Part II as Evelyn’s forced to flee to keep her family from being sliced and diced by repulsive aliens. The fact the family can communicate in sign language because Regan is deaf plays an even more important role in Part II.
The family’s ability to remain quiet as they walk (barefoot) toward what they believe to be a safe shelter is made much more difficult by the new addition to the family, a baby who arrived not long before Jim was brutally attacked by the invading creatures.
Fortunately for the Abbott crew, a friend from the days prior to the world turning upside down has also survived the invasion. The Abbotts believe there are people worth saving. Emmett (Cillian Murphy) begs to differ. Emmett reluctantly takes in the Abbotts and plays an integral role in Regan’s plan to not just save her family but also possibly save all remaining humans.
Whip-smart and possessing her dad’s courage, Regan steps into her father’s shoes and is the heroine of this sequel. The original film found Regan and her dad discovering they could use her cochlear implant to emit feedback that annoys the creatures and forces them to pause their attacks. That discovery is front and center in the sequel as Regan puts her life on the line while attempting to set the world right.
A Quiet Place Part II divides the action between Regan and Emmett’s journey out into the world and Evelyn and Marcus’ time inside a warehouse surrounded by aliens. Regan’s so fierce and Millicent Simmonds is such a fine actor that her storyline in the sequel outshines that of Emily Blunt’s mama bear, Evelyn. The pairing of Simmonds with Murphy really clicks, and watching their relationship evolve from casual acquaintances to a more familial bond is at the very heart and soul of the sequel.
Blunt is always excellent, and her real-life hubby once again wrote a character arc that enables her to be gentle, strong, and able to transform into a fierce warrior who’s scarier than any alien invader at any moment.
A Quiet Place Part II doesn’t explain why the family insists on walking around barefoot – maybe that weird choice will be addressed in Part III – but otherwise the actions taken by the Abbotts and Emmett seem fairly logical. Marcus makes horrible choices but he’s a kid so it’s to be expected. That’s especially true given the fact he’s living in a world overrun by killer beasts from outer space.
Writer/director Krasinski plays the monster lurking in the shadows card often, with the sequel containing many more jump scares than its predecessor. A Quiet Place was sneakier, while the sequel no longer hides the threat and plops monsters in every possible scene. The creatures never cease to be creepy to behold, and Krasinski appears to relish allowing us to get an up-close-and-personal look at their hideous heads this time around.
Just as with the original film, Part II is a must-see on the big screen. Krasinski and Paramount made the right move by waiting to release the sequel safely in theaters. The screening I attended was mask mandatory with the auditorium at 25% capacity. But even with the smaller crowd, the shared viewing of this post-apocalyptic thriller evaluated the experience. (It’s much more fun when you’re not the only person jumping out of your seat.)
A Quiet Place Part II is that rare sequel that’s just as entertaining as the original. We know the setup, we’ve seen the aliens, and we’ve gathered the necessary basic info on the Abbott family from the first film. Krasinski takes what we know and uses our attachment to the Abbotts to amp up the terror we feel watching the family constantly struggle to survive in this post-apocalyptic world. Can’t wait to see what happens in Part III!
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for terror, bloody/disturbing images and violence
Chris Pratt is recruited to help fight a war taking place in the future in Amazon Studios’ The Tomorrow War. The official trailer’s arrived for the PG-13 sci-fi action thriller which finds Pratt joining a war against aliens in order to save humanity.
In addition to Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), the cast includes Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale), J.K. Simmons (Palm Springs), Betty Gilpin (GLOW), Sam Richardson (Veep), and Edwin Hodge (Mayans M.C.). Jasmine Mathews (Sweetbitter), Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Anne), and Keith Powers (What/If) also star.
Chris McKay directed from a screenplay by Zach Dean. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Jules Daly, David Goyer, and Adam Kolbrenner produced, with Pratt, Rob Cowan, Brian Oliver, and Bradley J. Fischer executive producing.
The Tomorrow War will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on July 2, 2021.
The Plot, Courtesy of Amazon:
In The Tomorrow War, the world is stunned when a group of time travelers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight.
Among those recruited is high school teacher and family man Dan Forester (Pratt). Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist (Strahovski) and his estranged father (Simmons) in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.
Hot off their Billboard Music Awards Top Country Duo/Group win, Florida Georgia Line announced they’ll be back on the road with their “I Love My Country Tour 2021” this fall. The tour will kick off on September 24th in Georgia and will stop in 29 cities including Houston, Omaha, Detroit, San Diego, Portland, and Los Angeles. The lengthy 2021 tour will finish up on November 20th at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA.
“Touring is back, y’all! This is the longest we’ve gone without being on the road, and we’ve been counting down the days until we can finally say – we’re going on tour! Thank you to our fans for all of your support with our new music over the past year, we truly can’t wait to bring these tunes to the stage,” stated FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley. “We’re excited to see your faces, feel the energy, and bring some good vibes to your city this fall. Let’s make some new memories!”
Florida Georgia Line will be joined on the tour by Russell Dickerson, Lauren Alaina and Redferrin.
Tickets go on sale on Friday, June 4th at 10am (local) via Ticketmaster. A special presale opens for members of the FGL Lifers fan club on Friday, May 29th. Citi cardmembers will also have access to presale tickets starting Tuesday, June 1st.
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE’S I LOVE MY COUNTRY TOUR 2021:
SEPTEMBER
24 | Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
25 | New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
26 | Houston, TX – Toyota Center
30 | Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
OCTOBER
1 | Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
2 | Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
7 | Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
8 | Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
9 | Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
14 | Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
15 | Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
16 | St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
21 | Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
22 | Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
23 | Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live
28 | Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
29 | Chicago, IL – United Center
30 | Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
NOVEMBER
4 | San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
5 | Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
6 | Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
7 | Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
11 | Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
12 | Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
13 | San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater
16 | Denver, CO – Ball Arena
17 | Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
19 | Portland, OR – Moda Center
20 | Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Lucy and Adrian want to have a baby and Dr. Hindle’s ready to help them become parents in False Positive, coming this summer to Hulu. However, since this comes from A24 it’s guaranteed there’s going to be bizarre twists and turns. The expected weirdness of an A24 production is confirmed in the new official trailer for the thriller from writer/director John Lee (Pee-wee’s Big Holiday).
Ilana Glazer (Broad City) stars as Lucy and Justin Theroux (Mosquito Coast) plays Adrian. Pierce Brosnan (The Son) slides into the caring (and creepy) doctor role as Dr. Hindle. The cast also includes Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) and Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire).
Glazer co-wrote the script and serves as a producer along with John Lee and Jonathan Wang.
Hulu is expecting to deliver False Positive on June 25, 2021.
Pierce Brosnan in a scene from ‘False Positive’ (Photo Courtesy of Hulu)
The Plot, Courtesy of Hulu:
After months of trying and failing to get pregnant, Lucy (Glazer) and Adrian (Theroux) finally find their dream fertility doctor in the illustrious Dr. Hindle (Brosnan). But after becoming pregnant with a healthy baby girl, Lucy begins to notice something sinister through Hindle’s gleaming charm, and she sets out to uncover the unsettling truth about him, and her own “birth story.” As if getting pregnant weren’t complicated enough…
Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman has added additional cast members to handle characters including Death, Desire, and Despair. Among those joining the cast are Patton Oswalt, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, and Jenna Coleman.
Niamh Walsh, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis, Kyo Ra, Stephen Fry, Razane Jammal, and Sandra James Young have also boarded the Netflix series.
Neil Gaiman, who’s involved as an executive producer and co-writer, penned a lengthy blog post about the new cast members, describing the characters they’ll be playing. (View the full blog entry here.) Gaiman’s been watching the dailies and completed episodes and says, “The Sandman is being made, and it’s… well, it’s The Sandman. Which is the best thing of all.”
The just-announced cast join Tom Sturridge as Dream of the Endless, Gwendolyn Christie as Lucifer, Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain, and Amid Chaudry as Abel. Charles Dance is playing Roderick Burgess, Vivienne Acheampong is Lucienne, and Boyd Holbrook plays The Corinthian.
Netflix provided the following info on who each new cast member will be playing:
• KIRBY HOWELL-BAPTISTE (she/her) is DEATH, Dream’s wiser sister.
• MASON ALEXANDER PARK (they/them) is DESIRE, Dream’s sibling, and desire personified.
• DONNA PRESTON (she/her) is DESPAIR, Dream’s sister, and the twin of Desire.
• JENNA COLEMAN (she/her) is JOHANNA CONSTANTINE, haunted exorcist and Occult Adventuress for Hire.
• NIAMH WALSH (she/her) is YOUNG ETHEL CRIPPS, a betrayed and determined young woman seeking to survive.
• JOELY RICHARDSON (she/her) is ETHEL CRIPPS, Master thief and woman of a thousand identities.
• DAVID THEWLIS (he/him) is JOHN DEE, Ethel’s son. Dangerous, insane and on a quest for truth.
• KYO RA (she/her) is ROSE WALKER, A young woman on a desperate search for her missing brother. She discovers a connection to Dream that neither of them can escape.
• STEPHEN FRY (he/him) is GILBERT, Debonair protector of Rose Walker.
• RAZANE JAMMAL (she/her) is LYTA HALL, Rose’s best friend and travel companion.
• SANDRA JAMES YOUNG (she/her) is UNITY KINCAID, Heiress and mysterious benefactor.
• PATTON OSWALT (he/him) to voice MATTHEW THE RAVEN, Dream’s trusted emissary. A Raven.
David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) and Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman) are co-writers and serve as executive producers. In addition, Heinberg is the series’ showrunner.
The Sandman is a Warner Bros. Television production.
The Plot:
A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he’s made during his vast existence.
Consider me stunned. Okay, “stunned” might be too strong an adjective but I will admit to being more than just simply pleasantly surprised by Disney’s devilishly entertaining Cruella. Even lifelong dog lovers will be won over with this engaging tale of loss, loyalty, and cutthroat high-fashion hijinks that reveals the hidden backstory of 101 Dalmatians’ canine-hating villain.
Cruella traces Cruella de Vil’s roots beginning as an infant born with a shocking head of black and white hair that would make a skunk turn green with envy. Her given name, “Estella,” was only occasionally swapped out for “Cruella” by her mom, and then only when the brash, rebellious young girl who fearlessly stood up for herself was in trouble. Cruella was the darker, uncontrollable side of Estella, and her mom warned her to keep that part of herself in check.
After a devastating series of events, Estella’s childhood shifts from a comfortable enough life with a loving mom to one spent on the streets with a couple of fellow orphans—Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jasper (Joel Fry)—who become her lifelong friends/accomplices. They grift their way through their teen years to young adulthood and as Estella (Emma Stone) matures, her dream of becoming a fashion designer grows stronger.
One thing (which I can’t mention) leads to another (which I also can’t mention), and Estella’s back is forced against the wall. She has no real option other than to give over control to Cruella and let her wicked side stitch together a plan to not only survive but thrive.
Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that but it’s necessary, given the twists, turns, and multiple big reveals, to paint a story with as broad a brush as possible. There are Dalmatians (as revealed in the trailer), but it’s a couple of smaller doggies who will worm their way into your heart in this engaging backstory. Wink and Buddy play big roles and are important members of the gang. They’re pretty much the canine version of cat burglars if the term “cat burglars” referred to actual felines.
Emma Stone competes with the gorgeous costumes designed by Jenny Beavan to be the film’s main draw. Stone wins out, but Beavan’s beautiful designs are a close second. The La La Land Oscar winner is terrific as Estella but even better as the slightly demented Cruella.
Two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Howards End) knows how to play understated evil like nobody’s business. Thompson stars as Baroness von Hellman, a legendary fashion designer whose luster is fading. The narcissistic Baroness who hires Estella turns out to have a history of making her enemies disappear.
Stone and Thompson are surrounded by an outstanding supporting cast that includes Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, John McCrea (“Artie),” Kirby Howell-Baptiste (“Anita Darling”), and Mark Strong (“John”). Not a bad apple in the bunch and each has their own moment to shine in this twisted tale that charts the making of a major Disney baddie.
Prior to Cruella, I’d have told you the odds of me growing to like the 101 Dalmatians’ queen of mean would have been the same as me outshining Simone Biles on the vault at this summer’s Olympics. Not gonna happen. My furry work assistant, Sookie (a Corgi named after Charlaine Harris’ half-fairy vampire magnet), would back me up on that. But Cruella screenwriters Dana Fox and Tony McNamara whip up a redemption story that does the near-impossible by turning the notorious dognapper into a sympathetic figure.
The 101 Dalmatians spinoff/backstory is darker than expected, slightly longer than it needs to be, and much more intense than what’s teased in the trailers. The youngest fans of the animated Disney classic aren’t this live-action spinoff’s target audience; it’s definitely a solid PG-13.
Cruella’s a crime caper with canines, couture, and a crazy collection of colorful characters. Screenwriters Fox and McNamara and director Craig Gillespie weave a delicious punk rock-ish edge into the story that’s surprising and hugely entertaining. Fun, with fabulous costumes and a killer soundtrack, this deep dive into the Disney vault for new material pays off with a film that doesn’t disappoint. (And yes, that’s a jab at Maleficent and its sequel.)
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and some violence
