Month: July 2024

Twisters, Bill Paxton, James Paxton, tribute, cameo

With the upcoming release of Twisters, it’s hard not to think of the late Bill Paxton, who starred in the original movie alongside Helen Hunt. Although the new movie isn’t expected to feature any of the original actors, it will feature a tribute to Paxton in the form of his son, James.

James Paxton, now 30, will make a cameo appearance in Twisters as a tribute to his father. He was just a year old when the original movie was shot, but his first time seeing the movie arrived a decade later when his father called him in to see it on TV. “Dad was making dinner and he called me in, like, ‘Hey, look, what’s on. It’s your old man,’” Paxton told Variety.

I first heard about ‘Twisters’ in the trades, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting, I wonder….’” Paxton explained. “Then I got an audition through my agents. I read for it and as was customary post-COVID — where most auditions are taped and you send them in, and you never really know if somebody watches them or not — sometimes it takes a while to hear anything. A lot of time went by, so I thought, ‘I guess maybe that’s not going to be something that I’m involved in,’ and then they reached out and had an offer.

Paxton contained, “It was something that I had to take a second to really think about — just for the sheer emotional context and weight of it, because of Dad’s significance in the original and how to do a cameo that is fun for the fans, an Easter egg, and is representative of his spirit. To give a nice blessing to this new chapter because so many wonderful and talented people are making it.” In another world, you can imagine Bill Paxton having a blast returning to the world of storm-chasing for Twisters.

Glen Powell plays storm-chasing superstar Tyler Owens in Twisters and stars alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays Kate Cooper, “a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.” The film also stars Brandon Perea (Nope), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Nik Dodani (Atypical), Katy O’Brien (Love Lies Bleeding), and Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy).

The first reactions have been quite positive, with most calling it a hell of a fun time. We won’t have long to find out for ourselves, as Twisters will be hitting theaters on July 19th.

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Spartacus: house of Ashur, cast, Claudia Black, Graham McTavish

Production on Spartacus: House of Ashur is currently underway in New Zealand, and the rest of the main cast for the upcoming Starz series has been revealed.

The series’ main cast will include Graham McTavish (The Witcher), Tenika Davis (Jupiter’s Legacy), Jamaica Vaughan (Home and Away), Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth), Jordi Webber (Choose Love), Claudia Black (Farscape), India Shaw-Smith (The Pines Still Whisper), and Leigh Gill (Joker). Of course, Nick Tarabay will be reprising the role of Ashur, a former gladiator who used his cunning to serve the house of Batiatus and later the Romans in the original series.

  • Graham McTavish plays Korris, “a former gladiator who won his freedom in the arena and is now Ashur’s Doctore, training the gladiators in Ashur’s Ludus.
  • Tenika Davis plays Achillia, “a female gladiator driven to surpass her male counterparts.
  • Jamaica Vaughan plays Hilara, “a young, elevated house slave, deeply in love with Ashur.
  • Ivana Baquero plays Messia, “a house slave in love with Hilara.
  • Jordi Webber plays Tarchon, “a brash and headstrong gladiator.
  • Claudia Black plays Cossutia, “a politician determined to keep Ashur in his place and is constantly plotting his downfall.
  • India Shaw-Smith plays Viridia, “Cossutia’s daughter.
  • Leigh Gill plays Satyrus, “the leader of the Brothers Ferox, gladiators from a rival Ludus.

If the original series is any indication, I’d wager that more than a few of these characters won’t survive the 10-episode series. House of Ashur is described as a “history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit. The series poses the question: what if Ashur, played by fan favorite Nick Tarabay, hadn’t died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of Spartacus: Vengeance? And what if he had been gifted the gladiator school once owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion?

The first season of Spartacus, subtitled Blood and Sand, tells the story of the man who would become Spartacus as he’s sold into slavery and trained to become a gladiator. Filled to the brim with gruesome blood and sexual content, Spartacus was something to behold, particularly with its unique visual style and scripting. Tragically, Andy Whitfield, who played the title character, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and later died, but not before giving his blessing that the series should continue. Following a prequel series, Liam McIntyre took over the role for Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned.

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Shout! Studios will be giving the psychological thriller The Wasp, starring Naomie Harris of Skyfall and Natalie Dormer of Game of Thrones, a theatrical release on August 30th, and with that date just eight weeks away a trailer for the film has made its way online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Julia’s Eyes director Guillem Morales was at the helm of The Wasp, working from a screenplay written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, based on Malcolm’s stage play of the same name. Harris and Dormer are said to deliver captivating performances in this “tense, twist-filled” film as two estranged friends who reunite over tea, only to unveil a dangerous and deceptive plot that will irrevocably alter their lives.

Dominic Allburn (A Place to Call Home), Jack Morris (Into the Deep), Rupert Holliday-Evans (Silent Witness), Naomi Richards (The Ballad of Lucy Sands), Jake Donald-Crookes (Hill of Vision), Evelyn Temple (The Outlaws), Leah Mondesir-Simmonds (The Silent Twins), Alice Grace (Love Struck), Olivia Juno Cleverley (Napoleon), and Isobel Hawkridge (Sanditon) are also in the cast.

The Wasp sounds intriguing, and I’m definitely interested in watching Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer share the screen in a movie from the director of Julia’s Eyes, so I’ll probably watch this one at some point. I doubt I’ll be seeing it during the theatrical run, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind for a someday view.

Morales’ other directing credits include The Uninvited Guest and episodes of Decline and Fall, The Miniaturist, Urban Myths, The Vineyard, and Inside No. 9.

James Harris produced The Wasp alongside Nate Bolotin, Maxime Cottray, Leonora Darby, Matthew B. Schmidt, and Sean Sorensen. Executive producers include Dean Buchanan, Julie Dansker, Jordan Fields, Sefton Fincham, David Gendron, Ali Jazayeri, Bavand Karim, and Mark Lane. Claire Gibson was line producer, with Willem Osland as co-executive producer.

What did you think of the trailer for The Wasp? Are you a fan of Naomie Harris and/or Natalie Dormer, and does this look like a movie you’d like to catch on the big screen at the end of next month? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The Wasp

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Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro

Sylvester Stallone has taken to Instagram to set the record straight on a supposed feud with Robert De Niro. To make a long story short, it never happened, with Stallone cautioning fans that you can’t believe everything you read.

I just got back from the set of Tulsa King and just want to address something that I think is kind of an absurd rumor about myself and Robert De Niro never wanting to work with each other again,” Stallone said. “And having all sorts of angry comments about our stance on life and our philosophies, whatever. We’ve never had this discussion, probably never will, and I just want to say you can’t believe everything you read.

The rumour of a feud between the two actors originated earlier this year from a “parody” website which ran the headline, “Sylvester Stallone Declines To Work With Robert De Niro on a $1 Billion Project, ‘He’s A Woke Creep.’” Radio show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones also shared the headline on X/Twitter, where it quickly spread.

Stallone and De Niro previously worked together on Cop Land, James Mangold’s highly underrated crime thriller, which also starred Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, and more. They also appeared in Grudge Match, a sports comedy about aging boxers stepping back into the ring one last time.

In the Instagram video, Stallone also mentioned that he’s in the final weeks of production on the second season of Tulsa King in about two weeks. The Taylor Sheridan-created series follows Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), a Mafia capo who is released from prison and brings to set up a criminal organization in Tulsa, Oklahoma, while trying to fix his relationship with his estranged daughter. The second season synopsis reads: “With looming threats from the Kansas City mob and a very powerful local businessman, Dwight struggles to keep his family and crew safe while keeping track of all his affairs. Plus, he still has unfinished business back in New York.” The second season will debut on Paramount+ on September 15th.

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Odenkirk The Office

Domo arigato, Mr. Bob O. We all know Steve Carell as Michael Scott, but before he landed the role of World’s Best Boss at Dunder-Mifflin, several other names were in the running. But one standout is Bob Odenkirk, who had a comedy background to be sure but admits his particular style wouldn’t have fit The Office.

Appearing on Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey’s Office Ladies podcast, Odenkirk explained why he didn’t get the lead role on The Office, which would eventually land Steve Carell six Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. “I am, in a strange way, a very earnest person for a person in comedy. I am oddly earnest, and…it’s one of the reasons I think Steve Carell is a better, you know — is the one who got the role.” He added that Carell has a leg up – hopefully not on a George Foreman Grill – on comedy in general. “There were other parts that I think I was up for that Steve got, and it’s because he’s better at being genuinely fun. I think I bring with me a little bit too much earnest seriousness, and it’s just kinda there. And there’s nothing I can do about it except play other roles where it’s helpful to have that. And, you know, you just don’t believe me as a purely light character.”

The Office may not have been for him but, of course, Bob Odenkirk did get his start in other incredible comedies, writing for Saturday Night Live and the underrated Chris Elliott sitcom Get a Life. He, too, would go on to write for Ben Stiller and Conan O’Brien before launching Mr. Show with David Cross. But most people now probably know him for his dramatic work nowadays, especially as Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Bob Odenkirk would eventually find his place on The Office in the final season, turning up, interestingly enough, as a virtual clone of Michael Scott in “Moving On.” While an intentional riff on Scott, the guest appearance did also serve as a reminder that no one could have done the role like Steve Carell.

How do you think Bob Odenkirk would have done in the Michael Scott role on The Office? What is your favorite comedic contribution from the actor/writer?

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