The honeymoon phase for Tekken 8 players has ended. After all he positive buzz Bandai Namco’s latest 3D brawler received following its January 26 launch, the game is slowly spiraling down the drain as its Steam rating has dropped from “mostly positive” to “mixed” now that its controversial battle pass is out.
Two years have passed since Jeff Sneider of The Ankler reported that he had heard Lionsgate is interested in returning to the world of the 1999 hit The Blair Witch Project (watch it HERE), and now that project is officially moving forward under the guidance of Blumhouse Productions! Lionsgate and Blumhouse have made a multi-picture pact that will see Blumhouse reimagining horror classics from the Lionsgate library – and the development and production of a new The Blair Witch Project is the first project on that slate. This announcement was just made today by Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, and Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse.
Blum will be producing the new Blair Witch with Roy Lee, who previously produced the 2016 film Blair Witch.
Fogelson provided the following statement: “I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Jason many times over the years. We forged a strong relationship on The Purge when I was at Universal, and we launched STX with his film The Gift. There is no one better at this genre than the team at Blumhouse. We are thrilled to kick this partnership off with a new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation. We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with them on this and other projects we look forward to revealing soon.“
Blum added: “I’m very grateful to Adam and the team at Lionsgate for letting us play in their sandbox. I’m a huge admirer of The Blair Witch Project, which brought the idea of found footage horror to mainstream audiences and became a true cultural phenomenon. I don’t think there would have been a Paranormal Activity had there not first been a Blair Witch, so this feels like a truly special opportunity and I’m excited to see where it leads.“
What do you think of Blumhouse Productions heading up a reimagining of The Blair Witch Project? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
Last year, a Production Weekly listing claimed that Oliver Park, who previously directed the 2022 horror film The Offering, contributed to the anthology A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio, and directed an episode of the show Strange Events, would be directing a new Blair Witch movie, but that didn’t pan out. Now we’ll have to wait and see who Blumhouse chooses to direct their version of The Blair Witch Project.
The post The Blair Witch Project reimagining coming from Blumhouse appeared first on JoBlo.
PLOT: In the United States, amid a brutal civil war, a team of journalists drive from New York to Washington D.C, where they’ve been promised an interview with the president.
REVIEW: A24 is the only movie studio I know of that’s picked up a cult following of its own. Their brand has become one of the most trusted among discerning film fans, delivering a slew of interesting, provocative movies that fit all genres. In some ways, they are a throwback to an older kind of filmmaking in that they’ve never focused on chasing franchises and have always been filmmaker-focused. They’ve always taken risks, and it’s paid off more than it hasn’t. However, their latest film, Civil War, is arguably their riskiest movie, sporting their biggest budget (north of $50 million) and subject matter that could be seen as a bit of a political powder keg.
For me, it marks Alex Garland’s most ambitious and perhaps his best work as a director. Civil War, while a war film, is likely scarier than anything you’ll see in a movie theater this year. Indeed, Garland’s depiction of a fractured America half destroyed by war is unsettling in a way that hits too close to home. While many have taken issue with the idea that it would center around Texas and California joining forces to take on the rest of the country (which is led by a fascist president played by Nick Offerman), there’s a reason for this. Garland strategically pairs a notoriously red state with a notoriously blue one in that his war isn’t painted as one party against another. If anything, the film is a desperate plea that we have to find some common ground, and the war is presented as a tragedy rife with atrocities on both sides, with neither side being racially homogenous.
Garland’s film cost a reported $50 million, but it looks like it cost at least twice that, with Civil War jampacked with visceral action sequences that look especially impressive on an IMAX screen. The story is told through a group of embedded journalists, none of whom are presented with any explicit bias. Many of the battle sequences are shot in a way that makes it confusing which side is which, serving the movie’s ultimate purpose, which is to depict the tragedy of a civil war that finds fellow citizens killing their own.
Kirsten Dunst has possibly her best role as Lee, a burnt-out photographer who’s dulled herself to the chaos she sees around her so much that none of it registers as much more than an opportunity to take a photo. Her humanity is somewhat rekindled when her Reuters colleague Joel (Wagner Moura), a hot-shot addicted to the adrenalin rush of the job, invites a young photographer to join them on the road. Cailee Spaeny’s Jessie is shown to be reckless and green, with no survival instinct at all, leading Lee to take her under her wing. The three are joined by Stephen McKinley Henderson’s Sammy, who is dead set on covering the war until its end despite his age and mobility issues.
Most of the film centres around their violent cross-country odyssey. Each town they visit puts them in the line of fire as they encounter vigilantes, reckless journalists, war deniers, and a dangerously unhinged soldier in the movie’s standout scene (played by a terrific Jesse Plemons in a small, potent role).
Dunst’s portrayal is believable, with her fitting the portrait of a former hot shot, celebrity journalist worn down by the job to a tee. Looking believably tired and worn, she always holds your sympathy and makes for an ideal companion on this cinematic journey into the inferno. The movie seems heavily inspired by Haskell Wexler’s Medium Cool, with her performance similar in some ways to Robert Forster’s in that film in that she’s become so indifferent to the chaos around her that nothing registers anymore. Spaeny is tasked with playing the opposite role. She’s a live wire that feels everything, constantly putting her in danger. Meanwhile, Henderson’s Sammy is the voice of reason, while Moura’s hot shot Joel is the reckless one who, at one point, admits that a firefight happening near them is making him “hard.”
Garland shoots the film in a way that presents some graphic imagery, like a man being set on fire, in a shockingly matter-of-fact way. It’ll be an experience many will find hard to shake, with Rob Hardy’s IMAX visuals helping make this one of the most visceral and immersive films in recent years. It’s all complimented by a terrific soundtrack by composers Ben Salisbury and Portishead’s Geoff Barrow. It contains some unique and powerful needle drops, including an ironic use of De La Soul and two songs by the punk band Suicide.
It’ll be interesting to see how general audiences react to Civil War, as it’s controversial by design. It asks us to take a long, hard look at what’s happening around us and demands that we look beyond politics and recognize what we have in common rather than what we don’t. It’s a plea for peace in that, like other movies of this nature, notably the apocalyptic drama The Day After, it dares to show us hell in the hope of keeping it from ever happening.
The post Civil War Review appeared first on JoBlo.
Video game adaptations are en vogue. One of last year’s most critically acclaimed shows—The Last of Us—was one such example, and this year, prestige television has come for another, far more unlikely, property: Fallout. Coming to TV by way of Westworld’s Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, Prime Video’s Fallout, which…
Video game adaptations are en vogue. One of last year’s most critically acclaimed shows—The Last of Us—was one such example, and this year, prestige television has come for another, far more unlikely, property: Fallout. Coming to TV by way of Westworld’s Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, Prime Video’s Fallout, which…
Ubisoft and Massive’s upcoming open-world Star Wars Outlaws will require players to be connected to the internet to install the game, even if they bought a physical copy of it. While that might not be a problem for most people in 2024, it raises concerns about how playable the game will be in 10 or 20 years, and once…
Ubisoft and Massive’s upcoming open-world Star Wars Outlaws will require players to be connected to the internet to install the game, even if they bought a physical copy of it. While that might not be a problem for most people in 2024, it raises concerns about how playable the game will be in 10 or 20 years, and once…
The Writers Strike really threw a wrench into many productions, with few coming out unscathed. And Season Three of Chucky certainly had a difficult time getting cameras rolling. So they started without creator/showrunner Don Mancini on set and were able to get just four episodes filmed before the Actors joined suit. Now after the strikes have been settled and they were able to finish up the season with their full creative force, we are being treated to the second half of Season Three.
From the suburbs to a reform school to the White House, the series has gone through quite a change. But even still, I’d argue that the heart of what makes Chucky is still there. Heck, this show features some of the most violent kills in the entire franchise, and it’s airing on cable! I was lucky enough to see the second half of Season Three and fans are in for quite the ride. I talked to the cast about the challenges of filming after a forced break, as well as what it’s like to be bathed in blood for weeks on end. Make sure you check out the interview above as I had an absolute blast talking to this cast.
Chucky Season Three Part Two synopsis:
In Chucky’s unending thirst for power, season 3 now sees Chucky ensconced with the most powerful family in the world — America’s First Family, inside the infamous walls of the White House. How did Chucky wind up here? What in God’s name does he want? And how can Jake, Devon, and Lexy possibly get to Chucky inside the world’s most secure building, all while balancing the pressures of romantic relationships and growing up? Meanwhile, Tiffany faces a looming crisis of her own as the police close in on her for “Jennifer Tilly’s” murderous rampage last season.
The post Interview: Jennifer Tilly, Devon Sawa, Don Mancini and the Cast Talk Chucky Season Three Part Two appeared first on JoBlo.
Writer/director Damien Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on his breakout horror film Terrifier, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2, which was a massive hit when it was released last year, earning $15.1 million at the box office. The release of the second film went so well, it’s no surprise to hear (via Variety) that the companies behind these movies – Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting – are re-teaming with the distribution banner Iconic Events Releasing for the theatrical release of Terrifier 3 on October 25th. While Variety was reporting on the theatrical distribution, the film’s star Lauren LaVera was taking to social media to share a picture that was taken of her on the set of Terrifier 3. You can check that out right here:
Terrifier 3 has the following synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve. That’s why Christmas lights can be seen in LaVera’s picture.
David Howard Thornton is reprising the role of Art the Clown, a character who was first introduced in Leone’s 2013 anthology All Hallows’ Eve. Lauren LaVera is back as Terrifier 2 heroine Sienna and Elliot Fullam returns as Sienna’s brother Jonathan. Samantha Scaffidi is returning as Terrifier and Terrifier 2 character Victoria Heyes. Chris Jericho, who had a cameo in Terrifier 2, is also back in Terrifier 3 – but he has let everyone know that his appearance in the film won’t last very long.
Leone has said that this new sequel will be going back to the tone of the first movie, as he’s aiming to make the third film the scariest, goriest, and most depraved of the bunch. He’ll be pulling back on the mystical/fantasy element that was so prevalent in the second film, and is also aiming to make sure this one will be less than two hours long, since the second one surpassed the two hour mark. If you’re worried that Terrifier 3 might wrap the franchise up as a trilogy, have no fear. Leone knows that horror franchises always continue, and anything’s possible once the supernatural gets involved. So even if he brings a sequel to a satisfying conclusion for himself as the creator of the franchise, the door can always be opened to more sequels.
Brad Miska, Cineverse VP of business development and managing director of Bloody Disgusting, had this to say about the Iconic Events Releasing distribution deal: “Iconic absolutely crushed it for us with Terrifier 2. When the film went viral, they did a tremendous job keeping up with the hype and helped us secure thousands of screens across the country. With several months to plan, we know they’re the perfect partner to help us take the franchise to the next level with Terrifier 3.“
Steven Menkin, president and co-founder of Iconic Events Releasing, added: “Iconic Events is thrilled to be able to continue our partnership with Cineverse and showcase the next Terrifier film in the only way it’s meant to be seen … on the big screen. The response from fans for Terrifier 2 was overwhelming and we are excited to give them more of everything that they have come to expect from the Terrifier theatrical experience.“
Are you looking forward to seeing Terrifier 3 during its theatrical run later this year? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post Terrifier 3: Lauren LaVera shares image from set as Iconic Events Releasing picks up theatrical distribution appeared first on JoBlo.
While Kevin Costner is busy promoting his upcoming two-part Western at CinemaCon, he’s making headlines by saying he’d “love” to return for the final episodes of Yellowstone. Costner’s Yellowstone exit caused quite a stir, with the actor going so far as to threaten a lawsuit, saying he’s owed $12 million for the second half of season five. Will Costner return as John Dutton for the final episodes of the series? Let’s see what he has to say.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Costner said, “I’d like to be able to do it but we haven’t been able to … I thought I was going to make seven [seasons] but right now we’re at five. So how it works out — I hope it does — but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on. Maybe it will. Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I’d love to do it.”
Costner’s statement is tricky. He reportedly wanted to approve storylines for his character and have a direct hand in deciding Dutton’s fate. However, like many creators, Taylor Sheridan might prefer something other than giving Costner creative control.
“[Dutton] needs to be proactive in what happens and I’ve kind of had my own fantasy how [the character’s final arc] might be,” Costner added. “But that’s Taylor’s thing. I said as much to him a while back. I had thoughts how it could happen, but we just have to see.”
Costner’s words could be moot, seeing as the scripts for the second half of season five are complete, and production is likely to begin shortly. There’s also a chance Sheridan will want to avoid being bothered with Costner after returning to the drawing board following the actor’s exit. Rewriting the second half of Yellowstone could have been challenging, and scrapping the new ideas to bring Costner back to the fold is a significant hurdle.
What do you think about Costner’s desire to return to Yellowstone to “finish the story?” Is this verbal gesture too little, too late? Is Sheridan’s best move to soldier on without Costner and then focus on his other shows? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
The post Kevin Costner says he’d love to return to Yellowstone but wonders if the ship has sailed appeared first on JoBlo.