Netflix has released the first trailer for Will & Harper, a documentary that follows Will Ferrell’s road trip with his long-time friend Harper Steele after she comes out as a trans woman.
As Ferrell explains in the trailer, the pair met on Saturday Night Live many years ago when Ferrell joined the sketch comedy series as a performer and Steele as a writer. “I met a guy hired as a writer the same week I was hired. He wrote a bunch of sketches for me, and eventually became the head writer of SNL,” Ferrell said. “And, over the years, he became one of my closest friends. And then one day I got this email. ‘Hey Will, something I need you to know. I’ll be transitioning to live as a woman.’” Cue a road trip across America.
“In this intimate, honest, and heartfelt documentary, Will and Harper hit the open road together to process this new stage of their friendship and reintroduce Harper to the country that she loves – this time, as herself,” reads the official description. “Over 16 days, the two drive from New York to LA, visiting stops that are meaningful to them, to their friendship, and to America. Through laughter, tears, and many cans of Pringles, they push past their comfort zones as they re-examine their relationships to these spaces, and to each other, in this new light.“
Will & Harper premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and our own Chris Bumbray found it to be a hopeful, uplifting story. “[Will & Harper shows] how people across all political and social spectrums react to the trans community. To its credit, no one is especially vicious to Harper’s face outside of a sequence where they read cruel tweets,” Bumbray wrote. “She’s misgendered a few times, but it’s pretty much always by accident, and she never takes it personally – nor does Ferrell. They don’t go around lecturing people; they’re just honestly interested in how people genuinely feel – and for the most part, everyone they meet face to face is tolerant and means well.“
Bumbray continued, “As such, Will & Harper is a hopeful, uplifting film that feels like a story of our time. Director Josh Greenbaum includes plenty of Will Ferrell schtick (he once again takes his clothes off for comic effect) and starry cameos from their real friends (including Kristen Wiig, Tim Meadows, and Will Forte, among others). Still, he doesn’t overload the film with comedy. Ultimately, it’s a slice of life that will resonate for many of us.” You can read the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.
Will & Harper will debut in select theaters on September 13th before premiering on Netflix on September 27th.
Keke Palmer is set to star in and executive produce The Burbs, a contemporary series adaptation of the 1989 movie of the same name starring Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher. Peacock has given the project a straight-to-series order. Celeste Hughey (Dead to Me) will write and executive produce it.
“Set in present-day suburbia, The ‘Burbs follows a young couple — with Palmer playing the wife — returning to the husband’s childhood home,” reads the description. “Their world is upended when new neighbors move in next door, bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.” The series will be filmed in the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, which is the same location as the original movie. Seth MacFarlane is onboard as an executive producer alongside Eric Huggins and Aimee Carlson for Fuzzy Door. Briar Grazer, Kristen Zolner, and Natalie Berkus will also executive produce for Imagine Entertainment, which produced the original movie.
The original film was directed by Joe Dante and featured such a fun cast. In addition to Hanks and Fisher, the film also featured Bruce Dern, Corey Feldman, Rick Ducommun, Wendy Schaal, Rance Howard, Gale Gordon, Henry Gibson, Courtney Gains, Robert Picaardo, and more. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Joe Dante film without an appearance from the late, great Dick Miller.
Keke Palmer will next be seen inGood Fortune, an upcoming comedy which will serve as Aziz Ansari’s featured directorial debut. In addition to directing, Ansari also stars as a down-on-his-luck man who works for a rich asshole (Seth Rogen). He’s visited by an angel (Keanu Reeves), who swaps the lives of the two men, hoping it will make Ansari’s character realize that wealth won’t solve his problems. But the plan backfires, and he refuses to go back to his old life as, wouldn’t you know it, money really does solve a lot of problems.
Although Good Fortune will be Ansari’s first movie as director, it wasn’t meant to be. He was in the midst of production on Being Mortal when a sexual assault allegation against star Bill Murray forced production to shut down, and it never resumed.
Sony is beginning to ramp up celebrations for the upcoming 30th anniversary of the PlayStation brand. And new images posted by the company seem to include an icon of a console that looks a lot like the alleged leaked PS5 Pro design. Hmmm…
Sony is beginning to ramp up celebrations for the upcoming 30th anniversary of the PlayStation brand. And new images posted by the company seem to include an icon of a console that looks a lot like the alleged leaked PS5 Pro design. Hmmm…
The Ocean’s franchise is a hell of a lot of fun, but it’s been 17 years since George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and the rest of the fantastic ensemble cast tackled their last caper. Time to bring it back, baby. In that regard, Deadline has heard that Warner Bros. is still moving forward with Ocean’s 14, with both Clooney and Pitt set to return as Danny Ocean and Robert “Rusty” Ryan. They’re also now courting All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger to helm the project.
As Deadline’s report states, it’s still in the early stages, but Berger’s star is certainly on the rise. All Quiet on the Western Front received numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
George Clooney actually teased another Ocean’s project last year, saying, “We have a really good script for another Ocean’s now, so we may end up doing another one. It’s actually a great script.” The actor wouldn’t spill any other details, only to say that “the idea is kind of Going in Style.” The film Clooney refers to is a 1979 heist comedy starring George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg as three friends who decide to rob a bank. The film was remade in 2017 by Zach Braff, with Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin, and Michael Caine starring.
Edward Berger’s latest film, Conclave, recently debuted at the Telluride Film Festival and has been earning rave reviews. “Following the death of the Pope, the reluctant Cardinal Lomeli (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with overseeing the group of Cardinals from across the globe responsible for selecting a new leader for the Church,” reads the description. “But as the political machinations inside the Vatican intensify, he realizes that the departed Pope had kept a secret from them that he must uncover before a new Pope is chosen.”
The film was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (which has now begun), and our own Chris Bumbray was a big fan. “Fiennes delivers an incredible performance as the sharp-witted Lawrence, who has to become something of a detective amid his duties, with his performance bringing to mind Sean Connery in the classic In the Name of the Rose,” Bumbray wrote. “Fiennes expertly depicts Lawrence’s humanity and increasing disillusionment with some of his fellow men of God.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
Plot: Former CIA agent Dan Chase and former FBI Assistant Director Harold Harper set off on their most important mission to date — to recover Emily Chase after she is kidnapped by Faraz Hamzad, a powerful Afghan tribal leader. With all three men claiming her as their daughter, Emily finds herself in an identity crisis that has dire implications.
Review: The first season of The Old Man was a unique take on the espionage drama, pitting the great Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow opposite one another despite not sharing the screen until the final episode. Truncated by Bridges’ cancer diagnosis and recovery along with a bout of COVID, the first season of The Old Man concluded with three episodes less than originally intended. Still, the series presented two of our best acting talents, complemented by solid performances from Alia Shawkat and Amy Brenneman, as the series set up an even more exciting sophomore run. The second season of The Old Man is a vastly different series that still boasts a unique take on the genre while keeping the tone and format that set the first season apart from other shows. With an even more engaging plot and Bridges and Lithgow sharing every episode together, season two of The Old Man is better than the first.
In season one, The Old Man follows former CIA agent Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges), who is on the run and being hunted down by former friend Harold Harper (John Lithgow). Teaming with love interest Zoe McDonald (Amy Brenneman) and his dogs, Chase’s backstory unfolded over the first season, revealing his friendship with Harper during the 1980s in Afghanistan, where they befriended Faraz Hamzad (Navid Negahban). As an asset, they cannot let loose; assassins and killers are deployed to track down Chase, who can thwart them with his particular set of skills despite being of advanced age. As the first season unfolded, we learn that FBI agent Angela Adams (Alia Shawkat) is actually Chase’s daughter, Emily. The finale dropped the bombshell that Angela/Emily is not Chase’s daughter at all but the child of Hamzad. Kidnapped by her biological father, Chase and Harper finally meet and decide to head across the Atlantic to rescue Angela/Emily from Hamzad.
While the first season flashed back and forth between the younger versions of Chase and Harper, played by Bill Heck and Christopher Redman, the bulk of the season was spent trying to determine how the secret life led by Chase and his romantic entanglements with Abbey/Belour Hamzad (Leem Lubany in flashbacks, Hiam Abbass in modern scenes) led to his current predicament. There was a chess match in Harper trying to find Chase while secretly protecting his friend, and Chase and Zoe avoided hitman Julian Carson (Gbenga Akinnagbe). Season two opens in Afghanistan as Chase and Harper show that even if they are decades past their prime, both men have field expertise that makes them viable operatives even in their golden years. This also greatly alters the narrative direction of the second season from the first, as Harper and Chase are now openly allied in their quest to rescue Angela. Chase has been able to use his skills more than Harper has, but both men are not to be trifled with. Over the five episodes made available for this review, the duo has multiple obstacles, both overseas and in the United States, which further complicate the allegiances of everyone involved.
I wanted nothing more than Bridges and Lithgow to share more screen time this season, and I definitely got my wish. The pair are virtually in every scene together this season and are both more than up to the task as veteran operatives. Bridges shows no slowdown after recovering from cancer but plays Dan Chase as susceptible to the ravages of age. Lithgow has long been one of the best actors working, and his transformation from suit and cell phone boss to field agent this season is impressive, to say the least. The supporting cast is all very good, especially Alia Shawkat, who has much more to do this season than before. The entire supporting cast is excellent, including Jessica Harper as Harold’s wife, Cheryl, and Janet McTeer as Harold’s ex. Amy Brenneman gets more to do this season as well. The other big supporting actors this season include Navid Neahhban, Rade Serbedzija, and Joel Grey, all adding more dimension and menace to this story as it evolves from a spy on the run tale to a rescue and revenge narrative.
While the first season featured Jon Watts helming the first two episodes, the second run does not boast the Spider-man: No Way Home filmmaker behind the camera nor the skills of directors Greg Yaitanes or Zetna Fuentes. Jet Wilkinson, who directed the first season finale, returns to direct an episode of this season along with Steve Boyum, Uta Briesewitz, and Ben Semanoff. Showrunner and series co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg returns to script or co-write all eight episodes of this season alongside Hennah Sekander and Elwood Reid. Based on the standalone novel by Thomas Perry, The Old Man deviates significantly from the source material this season. Where the book had a concrete ending, Steinberg and his team expanded the scope of Dan Chase’s story beyond the original conclusion and took things in a distinct direction. This means there are several characters who do not factor into the series, which is designed to continue for multiple seasons. What we still have are flashbacks that shed light on character actions in past decades, which rear their head in the current story, intriguing opening title imagery that adds to the mystery of these characters, and a solid leading cast doing something special with what could have been a generic spy story.
By forging an original narrative that does not follow the source material, The Old Man deepens the relationship between Dan Chase and Harold Harper, giving us some of the best acting of the year between Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow. The production values are stellar, and each episode is even more intense than anything in the first season. Alia Shawkat and Amy Brenneman are excellent, as they get a lot more to do in a season that feels better realized than the truncated first. The Old Man was a good show that took the leap to great and delivered a nail-biting run, which is one of the best second seasons I can recall. No one is safe in this story that sees a hefty body count while never being about violence for the sake of violence. The Old Man has grown beyond its title into something that embraces the age of the lead actors while not letting it define them. This is a story of the consequences of youth haunting you later in life, and I cannot think of better actors to overcome the challenge.
The second season of The Old Man premieres with two episodes on September 5th on FX.
Like the Alien franchise, the Terminator series has been stuck in a rut since its early days, with its subsequent projects failing to recapture the greatness of its first two films. While Netflix’s original anime spin-off, Terminator Zero, doesn’t entirely shake the uncanny sameness of its predecessors, it boldly…
Like the Alien franchise, the Terminator series has been stuck in a rut since its early days, with its subsequent projects failing to recapture the greatness of its first two films. While Netflix’s original anime spin-off, Terminator Zero, doesn’t entirely shake the uncanny sameness of its predecessors, it boldly…
Every month, millions of people around the world take for granted the fact that they are probably members of Amazon Prime. A Prime subscription nets you a lot, including a streaming service and free shipping on online orders, but it also offers new free games every month through Prime Gaming. Sometimes, these…
Every month, millions of people around the world take for granted the fact that they are probably members of Amazon Prime. A Prime subscription nets you a lot, including a streaming service and free shipping on online orders, but it also offers new free games every month through Prime Gaming. Sometimes, these…
