Film fans were shaken earlier this year with the immensely sad news of actor Carl Weathers’ passing. The star had been a cultural icon thanks to his immaculate portrayal of Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies, as well as his run of action roles in films like Predator and Action Jackson. Weathers had recently been seen as a regular cast member in the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian. On August 29, the actor has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Variety reports on his former co-stars, including Sylvester Stallone and Adam Sandler, paying tribute to Weathers. In February, after the news broke of Weathers’ passing, his Rocky co-star Sylvester Stallone posted a video recalling what it was like to work with him. In his tribute, Sly stated, “He showed up at the eleventh hour with all the attributes: the body, the skill, the soul and the acting chops. I never could have accomplished what we did with Rocky without him. He was magic.” Weathers would even get to show off his comedy chops by playing a fictional version of himself on Arrested Development. His co-star, David Cross, remembered him by saying, “He was a cool dude, and there’s nothing Hollywood about him at all.”

Cross also added, “I’ve seen other dramatic actors try to be funny and it’s uncomfortable and awkward.” He continued, “This role was probably harder than playing Apollo Creed. He came on to the crazy and silly show and didn’t try to be funny, he knew it already was over-the-top and funny so he played his role with subtlety.” 

Adam Sandler would work with Weathers on Happy Gilmore, where Weathers created another comedy icon with his golf coach character that sported a wooden hand, Chubbs. Sandler had also paid tribute in a video where he said, “he was built like a truck, cool as hell and handsome as hell.” Sandler continued to say that he was “so sweet to us and helped us relax immediately.” With the news of Happy Gilmore 2, it’s inevitable Sandler will work in a remembrance in some vein. Weathers had already reprised the role in Sandler’s 2000 film Little Nicky.

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Back in 2006, the late, great Wes Craven produced a killer dog movie called The Breed (watch it HERE), which was directed by Nicholas Mastandrea from a screenplay by Robert Conte and Peter Martin Wortmann and starred Michelle Rodriguez, Oliver Hudson, Taryn Manning, Eric Lively, Hill Harper, Nick Boraine, and Lisa-Marie Schneider. Now a remake (or an “unconventional reimagining,” as they’re calling it) of The Breed is in the works, going by the title A Breed Apart, and Deadline reports that Hayden Panettiere, who worked with Craven on Scream 4, has joined the cast!

Brothers Nathan and Griff Furst are directing A Breed Apart, and are also producing it hrough their Curmudgeon Films shingle. The Fursts are no strangers to killer animal movies, as Griff’s previous directing credits include Trailer Park Shark, Ghost Shark, Swamp Shark, Lake Placid 3, Alligator Alley, and Arachnoquake. The brothers teamed up to direct the 2018 movie Nightmare Shark.

We’ve previously heard that the film will follow an eclectic group on a mission to search for abandoned dogs on a remote island — an expedition that ends in terror. Now, Deadline has unearthed more information, discovering that the project is “more accurately a sequel of sorts and is set after events of the first film.” The new picture originally bore the same name, but the title has now been tweaked.” The story begins when a pack of dogs escape during the making of a fictional The Breed 2 movie during filming on a remote island. Years later, a group of YouTubers are drawn to the island to try and find the canines in a project they hope goes viral and which is the brainchild of influencer Vince Venture. The reality is that they face a fight for survival and each of the influencers must use their unique skills to stay alive.

Panettiere joins previously announced cast members Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner, who also shared the screen in Fall, and Page Kennedy, who had to deal with man-eating sharks in The Meg and Meg 2: The Trench. Currey’s character is Violet, “a rebel icon and badass on a mission to search for abandoned dogs on a remote island which leads to complete adrenaline-fueled terror.” Kennedy is playing Farmer John, “a country-rapper who provides comedic relief.“

Other new additions to the cast include Joey Bragg (Liv and Maddie), Troy Gentile (The Goldbergs), and Riele Downs (Henry Danger). Bragg’s character is influencer Vince Venture.

The 2006 film The Breed had the following synopsis: Two close brothers, Matt and John head to an exotic island for a week of fun and relaxation. Joined by Matt’s girlfriend Nicki, Sara, and a friend Noah, the group intend on having a week of relaxation, fun and spending quality time together. However, after one of them is viciously attacked by a dog, the friends decide to leave the island early – only to find their sea plane set adrift by the dogs. As the day goes on, the friends find themselves fighting for their lives against a vicious pack of mutated dogs who don’t intend on the group making it out alive off the island…

Does A Breed Apart sound interesting to you? What do you think of Hayden Panettiere joining the cast? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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PLOT: The Curtis’ family is selected to test a new home device: a digital assistant called AIA. AIA learns the family’s behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way.

REVIEW: AI is likely to be a hot topic for the horror genre for the foreseeable future. The unforeseen element of the tech makes it ripe for spooky tales. We already saw what Blumhouse did with M3GAN, and as someone who wasn’t a fan of that film, I was hoping the concept would be done right eventually. Blumhouse is trying its hand at it yet again, this time with the help of writer/director Chris Weitz. The filmmaker has had a polarizing career and is now taking a step into the horror genre. And it’s as generic as you could possibly imagine.

The concept of an AI going from helping a family with their household tasks to overstepping their bounds and controlling their lives is interesting enough. John Cho and Katherine Waterston are decent but feel like they’re sleepwalking through their performances. The movie pretty plainly lays everything out for you, so the various moments where the characters remain unaware just make them look inept. The acting amongst the kids is a little iffy, although Lukita Maxwell is good as the oldest daughter. The subplot involving her sensitive photos could have been really thought-provoking but it’s played more like a music video, with the conflict and resolution tied up as quickly as they happened.

David Dastmalchian appears as Lightning (no, I’m not joking). He’s mostly expounding exposition about the AI and works well in the role. Like most Dastmalchian side roles, I wanted more of him and the movie would have benefited with a bit more Lightning. But it’s hard to ignore that he’s part of an absurd storyline involving the AI’s parent company that should have been scrapped. The film is constantly struggling with making this story important and at every turn, tells you the opposite. Because if anything, it’s just one step of thousands that the AI will be making, so why does this family even matter in the long run?

Given the subject matter, there is some AI imagery used throughout. I’d say that it kind of works with the uncanny valley effect. Outside of the credits and a few select sequences, it’s mostly just used for brief thrills which is probably for the best as it got a bit distracting. And the other evil elements of the AI aren’t handled with any kind of nuance either. There’s some creepy imagery that is quickly ruined with an explanation of what it actually is. It’s clear from the beginning that things aren’t quite right with the AI, making the story void of any subtlety.

The biggest issue I had with the movie is that it just kind of ends. Right when it feels like the stakes are finally ramped up and we’re leading to an interesting conclusion, the credits roll. There’s such a feeling of defeat while not even feeling like an earned victory. Which I suppose makes sense since the stakes were hardly even ramped up in the first place. A few bad people get offed but the family is never in any real danger. There’s never even that moment where the AI turns on them, hunting them down and causing mayhem. I felt robbed of some greater sequence that just never materialized. Afraid feels like it’s entirely missing its third act.

The lack of promotion was already pointing towards Afraid being bad, but I just wasn’t anticipating such banality. Every idea is run over so many times that it’s painfully tired at every turn. The dreaded PG-13 Blumhouse Curse strikes again with such mind-numbingly stupid moments, that it’s hard not to feel bad for everyone involved. They deserved better. Blumhouse is steadily chipping away at its once stellar reputation and being replaced by companies like Neon and A24. Afraid is more of their uninspired fare that belongs on a streaming carousel somewhere, not taking up theater screens. Because the more crap like this gets released in theaters, the more the theatrical experience is diminished.

AFRAID IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON AUGUST 30TH, 2024.

Afraid

NOT GOOD

4

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Deadline reports that John Wick director Chad Stahelski has snagged the rights to Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger novels with plans to develop it as a TV series through his 87Eleven Entertainment production company.

The Joe Ledger series currently consists of 10 novels and follows the titular character, a Baltimore detective who is recruited into the Department of Military Sciences, a specialized entity of the US Government which deals with technologically advanced threats to the US and the world at large by terrorists. Such threats include zombies, vampires, aliens, and robots. “I really loved reading the Joe Ledger series. It’s an all-time epic action series with intrigue, suspense, and such engaging characters,” said Stahelski in a statement. “As I read it, I could see the immediate cinematic potential. I’m excited to be working with Jonathan to turn it into a TV series.”

Joe Ledger author Jonathan Maberry added, “Chad’s career, both behind and in front of the camera, pretty much defines the kinds of things I love to watch. The Matrix, The Crow, John Wick – and so many others are solidly in my wheelhouse. And we’re both lifelong martial artists as well as professional pop-culture geeks. When we sat down for the first time to discuss Joe Ledger, it was clear that he not only read the books but deeply and empathetically understood the characters. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone in Hollywood whose mind runs along tracks this similar to my own. He’s also a visionary and a hell of a lot of fun. This is what they mean when they talk about ‘Hollywood magic.’“

This isn’t the first time a series based on the Joe Ledger novels has been in the works. Nearly 15 years ago, Javier Grillo-Marxuach was penning a Joe Ledger pilot script for ABC, but the studio didn’t move forward with it.

The Joe Ledger series isn’t the only TV project Stahelski has in the works. He’s also set to continue the story of John Wick with John Wick: The High Table. Taking place directly after the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, the series aims to “combine new and old and thrust the Wick universe into a new age.” Stahelski will executive produce the project alongside Keanu Reeves, and will also direct the pilot episode.

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be released in theaters next week, arriving thirty-six years after the release of the first movie. Given the positive first reactions to the sequel, fans have already begun wondering about Beetlejuice 3. Will it happen? I wouldn’t get your hopes up.

While speaking with THR during the London premiere, director Tim Burton was asked about a possible Beetlejuice 3. “Well, if [the same] time frame goes on, I’ll be about 100,” Burton said. “So maybe. I doubt it.” As for why now was the right time for a Beetlejuice sequel, Burton explained that it all came down to Winona Ryder’s character. “Well, because the Lydia character (Ryder) interested me,” Burton said. “Getting older is where you start thinking about what happens in life. [She] starts as a cool teenager. Relationships… Do you have kids? What are they like? What do you like? How do you change? These are all things that I know and experience. So it felt more right to make this now, rather than back in, like, 1989.“

Producer Tommy Harper also recently said that they haven’t even discussed another sequel. “We haven’t talked about where it could go from here, we just talked about making one really good movie,” Harper said. “Make it the best you can, and then anything could happen.“

As with most potential sequels, it typically comes down to the box office. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is projected to open big, with anywhere between $65-$80 million. It also helps that those first reactions have been so positive. Our own Eric Walkuski was a big fan. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an enjoyable, fast-paced bit of lunacy from Tim Burton that should please the many who’ve waited decades for its arrival. It certainly leans into nostalgia throughout, but it also manages to have some bizarre new tricks up its sleeve; it’s not just another retread playing the Greatest Hits from the original,” Walkuski said. “The returning characters are a sight for sore eyes, with Keaton and Ryder not missing a beat reprising their iconic roles, though it’s Catherine O’Hara who absolutely steals the show as the ever-frenetic Delia. There might be one subplot too many (the film juggles about three or four of them), but overall it’s a welcome return to zany form for Burton.“

Here’s the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetljuice: “Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.” The film will be released in U.S. theaters on September 6th.

The post Don’t get your hopes up for Beetlejuice 3, as Tim Burton jokes he’ll be “about 100” by the time he gets around to it appeared first on JoBlo.

After playing Secret Service agent Mike Banning in Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, and Angel Has Fallen, Gerard Butler is taking a break from the Has Fallen franchise, but that doesn’t mean it won’t continue. StudioCanal has dropped the first trailer for Paris Has Fallen, a TV series which seeks to bring the franchise’s high-octane action to the small screen.

The official synopsis for Paris Has Fallen: “When a terrorist group led by the villainous Jacob Pearce (Sean Harris) attacks a high-profile event, with the French Minister of Defence as their target, protection officer Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab) finds himself working with street-smart MI6 operative Zara Taylor (Ritu Arya) to save the day. But when events take a dark turn, Vincent and Zara soon realize that the plan extends beyond just one politician. When they suspect that one of their colleagues in the security services is feeding information to Jacob, Vincent and Zara find themselves needing to rely only on each other. Increasingly isolated and with Jacob always one step ahead, can this unlikely pair stop Paris from falling to a man hell-bent on vengeance?“

Although Gerard Butler isn’t expected to appear in the series, he does serve as one of the executive producers. It was reported in 2020 that Butler would be returning for a fourth installment, titled Night Has Fallen, but we haven’t heard much about the project since.

Anne Chérel, EVP of global sales and distribution at Studiocanal, told Variety earlier this year that it was a challenge to spread the intensity of a big-screen action thriller across eight episodes. “We know that people – or at least not all of them – are going to are going to watch eight hours in a row. So the idea is to have eight episodes that can be perceived as eight action movies,” Chérel said. “Each episode will feel like a mini film delivering epic action sequences. It’s honestly a huge challenge. But Urban Myth Films has delivered a series which maintains the energy and intensity of an action thriller across eight episodes. It’s really exciting.” Chérel teased that much like the film franchise, future seasons of the series could expand to other locales. “A major, major added value for the series is that it plays off the film franchise. People know and can recognize the film trilogy pretty much anywhere and here we have the opportunity to expand the series beyond Paris in the future.“

Paris Has Fallen premieres on Canal+ on September 23rd. What did you think of the trailer for Paris Has Fallen?

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The next installment in the Predator franchise, Predator: Badlands, has quietly been filming with Prey director Dan Trachtenberg once again leading the film. And now, thanks to a new report, we know a bit more about this next Predator film.

Read more…

The next installment in the Predator franchise, Predator: Badlands, has quietly been filming with Prey director Dan Trachtenberg once again leading the film. And now, thanks to a new report, we know a bit more about this next Predator film.

Read more…

Michael Keaton has worked with director Tim Burton on a handful of movies, including the upcoming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but he told The New York Times that he thought he “sucked” in one particular Burton film.

The film in question: Dumbo. The 2019 live-action adaptation of the classic Disney movie featured an all-star cast including Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Alan Arkin, and Danny DeVito. Keaton played V.A. Vandevere, a greedy and ruthless amusement park owner who seeks to exploit Dumbo. “I love working with Tim so much, but I don’t think we ever really analyzed why we work pretty well together; we just do,” Keaton said. “I think I let him down on one movie, but that’s just me, and it bugs me to this day. I was clueless on ‘Dumbo.’ I sucked in ‘Dumbo.’” In response, Burton said, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, but whatever.”

Burton doesn’t consider Dumbo to be his finest hour either, as he recently said he considered calling it quits after the film. “Honestly, after ‘Dumbo,’ I really didn’t know,” Burton said. “I thought that could have been it, really. I could have retired, or become… well, I wouldn’t have become an animator again, that’s over.” The director added that working on the Wednesday series for Netflix helped reconnect him to making things. “We went off to Romania and it felt like it was a creative health camp,” Burton said. “It went so well.”

Burton continued, “Oftentimes, when you get into Hollywood, you try to be responsible to what you’re doing with the budget and everything else but sometimes you might lose yourself a little bit. This reinforced the feeling for me that it’s important that I do what I want to do, because then everybody will benefit.“

Our own Chris Bumbray thought Keaton did a fine job in Dumbo, saying the actor “seems to be playing the type of Tim Burton role that would have usually gone to Johnny Depp. The difference between him and Depp is that Keaton, while over-the-top and funny, also knows when to dial it way down and reveal a human side. He adopts a flamboyant persona, but you see him slip in and out of it enough to make him seem real rather than a caricature.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.

Here’s the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetljuice: “Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.” The film will be released in U.S. theaters on September 6th. The first reactions have been quite positive, with our own Eric Walkuski calling it a “welcome return to zany form for Burton.“

Do you think Michael Keaton “sucked” in Dumbo?

The post Michael Keaton thought he “sucked” in this one Tim Burton movie appeared first on JoBlo.

Earlier this year, Shudder renewed The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs for a supersized sixth season that was designed to make sure Joe Bob Briggs would be an even more consistent presence on the streaming service throughout the year. Normally, a season of The Last Drive-In would see Joe Bob hosting double features every Friday for ten weeks straight. This season has taken a different approach, having Joe Bob host a single movie every other Friday. Following a special Roger Corman double feature on March 15th, season 6 officially got started on March 29th – and it’s going to wrap up with a six movie marathon called The Last Drive-In: Nightmareathon (with special guest Rhonda Shear of USA Up All Night!) this Friday, August 30th. But before we get to the end of season 6, Joe Bob has taken to social media to announce that Shudder has renewed The Last Drive-In for season 7!

Joe Bob said, “The Last Drive-In has been renewed for a seventh season! That means that we’re gonna continue to do deep dives for another year with great movies and not-so-great movies and horrible movies and lots of hijinks and shenanigans. So thank you for supporting us and please be with us tomorrow night for the Nightmareathon.“

Details on the format of season 7 – whether it will continue the every-other-week single feature approach, return to the weekly double feature approach, or do something new – haven’t been revealed. Whatever the approach will be, it’s great to know that we have another season of Joe Bob to look forward to.

On The Last Drive-In, the world’s foremost drive-in movie critic hosts eclectic horror movies, talking about their merits, histories and significance to genre cinema.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs is produced by Matt Manjourides and Justin Martell and directed by Austin Jennings. Joe Bob is joined on every episode by Diana Prince as Darcy the Mail Girl.

Are you a fan of Joe Bob Briggs, and are you glad to hear that The Last Drive-In has been renewed for season 7? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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