Last week, it was revealed that American Beauty and Skyfall director Sam Mendes conceived and has signed on to take on the monumental task of telling the story of arguably the most popular rock band of all time, The Beatles. His epic concept was not to have just one biopic but to make four separate movies, with each film focusing on a member of the group. Not many details have been announced beyond that, but as Mendes pitched his idea to Hollywood, Sony Pictures would end up outbidding the other studios for the chance to release these movies.
The Hollywood Reporter now reveals that Sony head Tom Rothman is betting big on this project by releasing all four movies in the same year. Rothman told THR, “You have to match the boldness of the idea with a bold release strategy. There hasn’t been an enterprise like this before, and you can’t think about it in traditional releasing terms.” The Beatles have a famously pricey catalog of songs to license and having access to the library of music plus their life stories is a giant investment for the studio. Sony hopes to start shooting in the U.K. in mid-2025 for a planned 2027 release for all four biopics. They will all shoot together like Lord of the Rings. However, besides Mendes, no writers have been signed on for the project yet, and the studio will not have an estimate of the budget until the scripts are written.
Mendes’ vision involves having each movie tell the story from each Beatle’s point of view and will interconnect with the other films. The 1917 director conceived of this grand idea and had pitched it to Hollywood, but it was Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler at Sony Pictures who would end up winning the chance to take on this massive project. Mendes spoke with Deadline about the deal coming together, “We went out to L.A. just before Christmas to pitch the project, and it’s fair to say we were met with universal enthusiasm. The reason Sony stood out from competing offers was down to Tom and Elizabeth’s passion for the idea, and commitment to propelling these films theatrically in an innovative and exciting way.”
Sam Mendes’ production company, Neal Street Productions, will be partnering up with Sony Pictures Entertainment for the films, and Mendes will be on board as the director of all four. According to Deadline, this will be marking the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and Beatles members – Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, as well as the families of John Lennon and George Harrison – have granted the full life story and music rights for a scripted film.
A remake of the 1991 Christina Applegate cult classic Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (watch it HERE) is coming our way as a BET+ Original Film – and Iconic Events Releasing has announced that they will be giving the film a theatrical release on April 12th. Along with this announcement comes the unveiling of a teaser trailer for the new Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, and you can check it out in the embed above. If you like what you see, head over to DontTellMomFilm.com to purchase tickets to see the movie on the big screen!
Directed by Wade Allain-Marcus (French Dirty) from a script by Emmy-nominated writer Chuck Hayward, whose credits include Ted Lasso and WandaVision, this remake has the following synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Tanya Crandell can’t wait to spend the summer living it up with her friends in Spain before heading to Howard University in the fall. But when her mom decides to head to a much-needed wellness retreat in Thailand, Tanya is forced to stay home with her three siblings instead. Following the unexpected death of their elderly babysitter, Tanya gets a job working for the confident and ambitious Rose. Juggling work, family, and a complicated romance, Tanya faces the responsibility of adulthood at the cost of her summer of freedom.
Simone Joy Jones (Anything’s Possible) stars as Tanya Crandell and is joined in the cast by comedian Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) as Tanya’s mom, June Squibb (Thelma) as the ill-fated babysitter, and Nicole Richie (The Simple Life) as Rose. Also in the cast are Donielle Tremaine Hansley (Charm City Kings), Jermaine Fowler (The Blackening), Tyriq Withers (The Game), Gus Kenworthy (American Horror Story), Miles Fowler (Women of the Movement), and Iantha Richardson (Will Trent).
The Don’t Tell the Babysitter’s Dead remake was produced, in partnership with BET+’s Original Films, by Juliet Berman, Oren Segal, Justin Nappi, and Juliana Maio. Michael Phillips and Tova Laiter serve as senior executive producers, with Ryan Huffman executive producing and Eric Tosstorff and Kim Coleman co-producing. Tyra Banks is executive producing the film through her company SMiZE Productions.
Last month, we learned that, while the original film was rated PG-13, the remake has earned an R rating for “teen drug use, language and some sexual references.”
What did you think of the teaser trailer for the Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead remake? Will you be catching this movie on the big screen in April? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The first time I saw Denis Villeneuve’s take on Frank Herbert’s Dune, I was mesmerized. Going to the cinema and finding yourself lost in the story, you know they’ve succeeded. You can see from our own Chris Bumbray’s take on Dune: Part 2, the second installment does not disappoint. It is a bold and thrilling new chapter in Villeneuve’s three part series. The new film features an incredible ensemble including newcomers to the story, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken. The visual effects, the brilliant story, and the on-screen talent all add to something truly special.
I loved Dune: Part 2 and I was thrilled to cover the second installation as it’s a world I highly enjoy visiting. First up, we sat down with Dave Bautista. The actor continues to impress me. Every time we speak, his commitment to the craft is incredible. And it shows. He opened up about taking on the role of Beast Rabban, and how he has approached the character. It is always wonderful to speak to this fine performer.
Next up, it was an honor to speak to the great Stellan Skarsgård. He opened up about creating this villain and working with Villeneuve. He discussed working under the make-up and bringing a bit of humanity to the powerful role. The way he talked about the film and the respect he has for Denis’ work makes it clear why these films work so well.
Denis Villeneuve has become one of my favorite filmmakers. The man behind Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 has brought the incredible text from Herbert to life in a fantastical way. He may not be known as a franchise director, he sees the world of Dune as something unique and atypical when it comes to blockbusters. He has succeeded marvelously thus far.
One of the best performances in the new film is from the talented Rebecca Ferguson. With all the other talent interviews in-person, they had Ms. Ferguson set up for virtual interviews. This made for a fun interaction. As I sat down at the other end of the Zoom call, Rebecca claimed she thought I had a certain resemblance to Mr. Villeneuve. I’ll take it. And yes, this wonderful actress was incredibly kind to speak with. She discussed bringing Jessica to a whole new level in the latest chapter, and what a performance she gives.
Dune: Part 2 opens this Friday in theatres. And yes, it’s worth seeing on the biggest and best screen available.
Nintendo filed a civil lawsuit on February 26 against Yuzu software developer Tropic Haze, claiming that the team’s tech let folks illegally pirate 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom over one million times a full week and a half before it even came out. According to the Mario maker, the harm caused by…
Nintendo filed a civil lawsuit on February 26 against Yuzu software developer Tropic Haze, claiming that the team’s tech let folks illegally pirate 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom over one million times a full week and a half before it even came out. According to the Mario maker, the harm caused by…
In recent years I’ve come to accept that I just don’t love open-world games. It’s partially because my life has only gotten busier and I have less free time to spend on games, so I gravitate towards shorter experiences. But it’s also because open-world game design tends to be boring and repetitive in my opinion. This…
In recent years I’ve come to accept that I just don’t love open-world games. It’s partially because my life has only gotten busier and I have less free time to spend on games, so I gravitate towards shorter experiences. But it’s also because open-world game design tends to be boring and repetitive in my opinion. This…
It’s been a big year for Martin Scorsese as his movie Killers of the Flower Moon received countless amount of accolades. The film also nabbed nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress and the big one, Best Picture. Scorsese is getting rare praise that he’s still on top of his game at 81 years old. His next project, a biblical film about Jesus Christ, shows that he’s not taking it any easier at this point in his career. The film that finally brought him his Oscar, The Departed, is getting a new 4K UltraHD Blu-ray release from Warner Bros. Blu-ray.com has now revealed the special features as well as the technical specs of this upcoming release.
The special features and specs include:
HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Guilt and Betrayal: Looking into The Departed – Fetaurette
Stranger Than Fiction:
The True Story of Whitey Bulger
Southie and The Departed
Crossing Criminal Cultures
Nine Additional Scenes with Introduction by Marty Scorsese
Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature Video
The film’s synopsis reads, “In South Boston, the state police wants to end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank Costello. A young rookie, Billy Costigan, is assigned to infiltrate Costello’s mob. Another young cop, Colin Sullivan, is among a handful of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But Colin is working for Costello, keeping the crime boss one step ahead of the police. Each man becomes consumed by his double life, but when it becomes clear to both the mob and the cops that they have moles in their midst, Billy and Colin must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save themselves.”
The 4K UltraHD Blu-ray will go on sale on April 23.
Hello again, everybody. JoBlo.com here bidding you a big Wahoo welcome to WTF Happened to This Movie?! That’s right, the Cleveland Indians are well on their way to clinching the AL East – which means the 1989 sports comedy Major League is well on its way to becoming a classic of the genre.
But how did Major League reach this status? How did it become one of the most quotable comedies of the decade? How did the cast pull off pitching, swinging and winning like a professional baseball team? How did it go on to represent Cleveland even though it wasn’t even shot there? And why did they have to make those sequels? Well, let’s go juuuuuust a bit outside to find out: WTF Happened to this Movie?!
You might be surprised to know that Major League comes courtesy of the same guy who won an Oscar for writing TheSting. But David S. Ward is a huge Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) fan, even though they’re far from being the pride of the city, as they hadn’t been to a World Series since 1954 by the time Major League came out. Hey, according to Harry Doyle, they offered free admission to anyone alive when the Indians last won the pennant! But it’s this “Cleveland disease” that pushed Ward to write Major League, saying, “I wanted to do a film about an underdog team and I can’t think of a more underdog team than Cleveland.” Ward also knew the Indians doing so well would have to be a comedy!
Still, studios didn’t think people would want to see a baseball movie, as the MLB was hitting its stride on national television. But there was at least some precedence in the ‘80s, as both The Natural and Bull Durham were hits.
Once Ward finished the screenplay – which he started writing in 1984 – it had to get approval from Bob DiBiasio, senior vice president of public affairs for the Indians. After that, it went out, attracting Charlie Sheen early on, with the eventual Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn saying it was as good as Platoon’s and even comparing it to crack.
As for Vaughn, the uncontrollable pitcher from the California Penal League was a perfect role for Sheen, who actually played high school ball – although he couldn’t throw faster than 88 mph, practically a lob compared to Vaugn’s 101. Joining Sheen would be fellow Platoon co-star Tom Berenger as aging catcher Jake Taylor (right after he made the underrated Shoot to Kill). Manning third base – except when he’s purposely missing ground balls so as not to ruin his pretty face – was Roger Dorn, played by Corbin Bernsen.
The notables taking to the outfield (the rest of those in the dirt didn’t get much screen time) were Willie Mays Hays and Pedro Cerrano. Wesley Snipes actually turned down a role in Do The Right Thing to play Hays, partly inspired, of course, by Willie Mays. But his audition was far from easy, as he was made to run bases – except he wasn’t in any baseball gear, and so couldn’t gain traction (Hays fared much better in his pyjamas). Haysbert, as the voodoo-loving Cuban Cerrano, was based on the famed Alou brothers and even Wade Boggs, who had his own superstitious habits. Like Sheen, Snipes and Haysbert proved they were perfectly cast, as the former caught a near-homerun and the latter was smacking home runs, including the one in the climactic game.
These skills were discovered during a modified two-week spring training session led by Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager (who was also cast as the team’s third base coach and would even serve as Berenger’s stand-in at points). He coached the prospects in learning more about the game and conditioning. After all, Ward needed a cast who could, well, throw a ball and handle a bat. As he said, “It was really important to us to get a group of guys who looked like they could actually play. They’re not professional quality, but you aren’t going to look at them and say, ‘That guy can’t play.’” But not everybody could {ahem} swing it, like Skip Griparis, who landed Bob Uecker’s co-color commentator Monte instead. And Jeremy Piven didn’t make an impression at all, as his scenes as a heckler were cut. When Vaughn isn’t on the mound, there’s spitballer (or is it snotballer?) Eddie Harris, played by Chelchie Ross.
Handling manager duties as Lou Brown – formerly of the Toledo Mudhens – would be James Gammon, while ex-showgirl-turned-owner Rachel Phelps was played by Margaret Whitton, who saw the character as a mix of controversial Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott (eventually ousted for being a racist Nazi lover) and Yankees icon George Steinbrenner. Speaking of Steinbrenner, the production had to get his approval to use the Yankees as the team the Indians beat in the AL East clincher; Steinbrenner agreed, apparently because of his Cleveland roots. One standout in that game was Yankees slugger Clu Haywood, who was played by Cy Young winner Pete Vuckovich.
Another MLB face in a key supporting role is the aforementioned Bob Uecker, who plays announcer Harry Doyle. Uecker is actually still the Milwaukee Brewers’ announcer, having started his major league career with them. And as you can expect, he ad-libbed most of his own classic lines. Rene Russo made her big screen debut as Lynn Weslin, Jake Taylor’s ex. The rest of the supporting cast includes Charles Cyphers, Andy Romano, and even Neil Flynn, later better known as Janitor on Scrubs. And of course, there’s Jobu, who has become a fan favorite of the Indians. In fact, the team, taking a cue from Cerrano, put up their own makeshift shrine with Jobu during the 2016 World Series. His magic did not work…
With a budget of $11 million, Major League began production in the hot summer of 1988…in Milwaukee. That’s right, the movie based around the Cleveland Indians was shot where the Milwaukee Brewers play, as Milwaukee County Stadium stood in for Cleveland Stadium. (Keen eyes will notice a sign for WTMJ-TV, a station based out of Milwaukee.) There were a few reasons for this. For starters, the production couldn’t properly work around the schedules of the Indians and the Brown, who also played at the stadium. As it turns out, the Browns had started pre-season, so yard markings were already on the field. There, too, were union issues within Cleveland, while it also cost less to film in Wisconsin.
But Cleveland still gets its due on the screen, with the opening credits sequence – set to Randy Newman’s “Burn On”, a reference to a 1969 fire on the Cuyahoga River – showing the city’s character. Baseball-wise, some exteriors and footage were taken at their stadium, including an aerial shot done on July 3rd with 50,000+ fans in attendance. As for fans at Milwaukee County Stadium, extras came out in droves at the start…but began to dwindle once they found out they had to buy their own stadium food! Another tie to Cleveland is in Tucson, Arizona, as their then-spring training facility was at Hi Corbett Field.
Filming Major League was fairly smooth, with most of the cast having fond memories of the shoot. And how could they not, with poker games and late-night partying, like every night they went out was as if they had just won the division. The biggest drinker of them all, though, was the skipper. Beloved by the entire cast as a “manager on-screen and off”, James Gammon came in remarkably hungover on at least one documented occasion. Such were his powers that Sheen called him a “f*cking warlock.” Sheen himself kept busy by figuring out how to juggle the flight schedules of the various women he had flown in so they wouldn’t run into each other.
Sheen also took up another hobby, using steroids during the six to eight weeks of filming to enhance his performance. And while it increased his fastball speed, he admits it also brought his “asshole meter” way up. But he was a bit testy anyway, as his Rick Vaughn haircut made him the subject of harassment in bars.
On the on-set factoid side, while Sheen had an arm, the home plate was moved up 10 feet to give the illusion of faster throws. Others got some help from the production team as well in the editing room, as Willie Mays Hays’ running scenes were all put in slow-mo because Wesley Snipes wasn’t very fast.
With filming wrapped, it was time to put Major League in front of an audience…where one aspect was so reviled that Ward and company changed it and were forced into reshoots. Originally, Major League ended with a twist: Rachel Phelps never intended to move the Indians to Miami after all; in fact, she was rooting for them to win, using her string-pulling to motivate the team to victory. But a test screening revealed that audiences hated giving her a heart, which we know she didn’t have anyway based on her cardboard cutout…As such, additional reaction shots of Rachel being pissed off at the team’s success were filmed.
With the better ending in place, Major League slid into theaters on April 7th, 1989, the same week as the start of the MLB season. The movie opened at #1 with $8.8 million, beating out fellow newcomers The Dream Team, Cyborg, Dead Calm, and Rain Man, getting a post-Oscars boost. It would hold the #1 spot for another week before eventually grossing a total of $49.8 million. The Indians, for their part, would go 73-89 that season.
In the 35 years since its release, Major League would become one of the most beloved sports movies ever. The American Film Institute would nominate it as one of the 50 best ever, while an ESPN reader poll ranked it the second best baseball movie ever, not far behind Field of Dreams, which was actually released one month after Major League. From her viewpoint, Rene Russo said, “Out of all the movies I’ve ever done, that’s the one that more people come up to me to talk about. It really is a cult classic. Not even cult, really. Everybody just loves that film.”
But not everybody loves the sequels, beginning with 1994’s Major League II, which reunited the director with most of the core cast, with the notable exception of Wesley Snipes, who was replaced by Omar Epps. Turns out Snipes had developed a bit of an ego; as Corbin Bernsen put it, “He’d become Wesley Snipes. That rubbed me the wrong way.” While it’s considered a dud (5% on Rotten Tomatoes), 1998’s Back to the Minors is even more distinct for just how bad it is. Even Ward – who had no involvement (unlike Corbin Bernsen, Dennis Haysbert, Bob Uecker, and Takaaki Ishibashi from Major League II) – doesn’t even consider it a real sequel. The title doesn’t even make sense!
But Ward would still absolutely revisit the series. There was even talk before of a planned third movie – a real one, that is – that would find the Indians actually winning the World Series, something he didn’t think would be logical for the first movie (hey, even dreamers have to be realistic sometimes). In 2011, cast members Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen, Wesley Snipes, and even Bob Uecker all reportedly expressed interest, with Sheen saying the script was “pure gold”. This time around, we’d find Rick Vaughn trying to mentor his reluctant illegitimate son, who is also an ace pitcher.
Major League has had an impact on the world of baseball itself, too. Aside from various tributes and spoofs within the community, the city of Milwaukee has embraced the movie nearly as much as Cleveland has, hosting theme nights based around the movie. Topps even released a set of trading cards to celebrate the 25th anniversary. Ward himself also takes credit for the popularity of relief pitchers using walk-on music. And yes, Mitch Williams, who also went by “Wild Thing” and wore #99, walked out to the same song as Rick Vaughn. And according to Sheen: “That f*ckin’ guy never gave me credit.”
Poor Charlie Sheen, the star of Major League, seems to keep getting benched when it comes to the movie. When the Indians went to the World Series in 2016, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have Sheen – as Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn – throw out the ceremonial first pitch. And yet management never even invited him to the mound. Maybe with all that tiger blood they thought he was a Detroit fan?
If you thought you were getting through Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC unscathed because you have a 200-hour file and an NG+ character, Hidetaka Miyazaki has recently assured you’ve got another thing coming. Speaking to Famitsu, whose interview was translated via Reddit and reported by GamesRadar, Miyazaki…
