Back in early 2023,  it was announced that Best Actor Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Lily James, who was nominated for an Emmy for her performance as Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy, had signed on to star in the thriller Relay for director David Mackenzie, whose credits include Outlaw King, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Best Picture nominee Hell or High Water. By the end of April, they were joined in the cast by Sam Worthington of the Avatar franchise and production was underway. A year and a half later, Relay has finally secured a U.S. distribution deal, with Bleecker Street revealing that they’re planning to give the film a theatrical release sometime in 2025.

Worthington and Mackenzie previously worked together on Under the Banner of Heaven. Details on his Relay character have not been revealed.

Mackenzie wrote the screenplay for Relay with Justin Piasecki, whose only previous credit is a 2008 short film. The story Mackenzie and Piasecki crafted together sees Ahmed taking on the role of Tom, a world class “fixer” who specializes in brokering lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten their ruin. He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and always follows an exacting set of rules. But when a message arrives one day from potential client Sarah (James), needing Tom’s protection just to stay alive, the rules quickly start to change.

While we’ve been waiting for the movie to secure distribution, it was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. A good number of positive reviews came out of that screening, as can be seen on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mackenzie is also producing Relay alongside Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk, Sigma’s Gillian Berrie, and Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman. Black Bear’s Michael Heimler and John Friedberg executive produce with Thunder Road’s Erica Lee and Charlie Morrison. Black Bear fully financed the film. UTA Independent Film Group worked with Black Bear to arrange the financing.

Relay sounds interesting to me and I’m a fan of Hell or High Water, so I look forward to seeing how this is going to turn out. Are you interested in Relay? Let us know if you’ll be watching this movie in 2025 by leaving a comment below.

The post Relay: Riz Ahmed, Lily James thriller will get a theatrical release in 2025 appeared first on JoBlo.

A24 has just released the trailer for Babygirl — an intense and unconventional erotic thriller that plays with power struggle, consent, grooming, and coercion. Our own Chris Bumbray enjoyed the provocative film at TIFF this year, saying in his review, “It’s controversial, but it’s also one of the sexier films to come along in recent memory. Kidman deserves major praise for her consistent refusal to play it safe as an actress.”

Babygirl stars Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos), Antonio Banderas (Desperado), Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw), Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me), and Jean Reno (Léon: The Professional). Babygirl will cheekily be released in theaters just in time for Christmas viewings, giving it a December 25 release date. That’s the same weekend Disney is releasing Mufasa, Paramount is releasing Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Angel Studios is releasing the faith-based post-apocalyptic film Homestead.

Reijn directed Babygirl from a screenplay she wrote herself. The story she crafted for this one centers on a high-powered CEO who puts her life’s work on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.

Reijn is producing Babygirl for MAN UP Film, alongside A24 and David Hinojosa of 2AM. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman, and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2AM serve as executive producers. A24 is providing the financing. In addition to working with Reijn on Bodies Bodies Bodies and Babygirl, A24 also picked up the distribution rights to her feature directorial debut Instinct, which was selected as the official Dutch entry for the Best International Feature Oscar.

In his review, Chris Bumbray also highlights the film’s look, “Like Bodies Bodies Bodies, Babygirl is stylish. She reteams with her usual cinematographer, Jasper Wolf. She includes a propulsive score by Juan Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, composer of HBO’s The White Lotus (to which this shares some thematic similarities). Technically, the film is pretty impeccable, although at close to two hours, the pace starts to drag in the last act. The film’s ending is somewhat anti-climactic, although perhaps leaving it so open was the intent all along. 

While Babygirl might be too provocative to work as an awards play for A24, the company’s notoriety, and the premise will no doubt make it a hotly debated film once it hits theaters later this fall.” 

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Filming has wrapped on a horror thriller called The Cure, and Deadline reports that the film stars Ashley Greene of the Twilight franchise and genre regular David Dastmalchian, who was recently seen in the likes of Late Night with the Devil, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Afraid, and The Boogeyman. Newcomer Samantha Cochran also has a lead role.

Nancy Leopardi, who previously directed Nanny Cam and Lethal Seduction, was at the helm of this one, working from a screenplay by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer, the writing duo behind Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane. The story they crafted for The Cure centers on Cochran’s character, Ally Braun, an adopted 16-year-old with a mysterious illness who learns her bio-tech billionaire parents (Dastmalchian and Greene) are harvesting her blood for nefarious purposes.

Sydney Taylor (American Born Chinese), Tyler Lawrence Gray (Wolfpack), and Dylan Flashner (Running on Empty) round out the cast.

Leopardi told Deadline the film is “a satirical take on the modern billionaire class cloaked in a crowd-pleasing thriller. The Cure is made in the tradition of classic horror and sci-fi films that are inspired by terrifying socio-political realities and advances in bio-technology. Like Ex-Machina, A.I., and Videodrome I believe we are on the cusp of a revolution in science and the big question is – who will benefit?“

The film is being produced by John Ierardi and Bo Youngblood of Showdown Productions, Indy Entertainment, and Natalie Marciano and Rock Jacobs of Rebel Entertainment. Executive producers include Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman, Lucky 13 Productions, Phil Shaltz, Filmhedge, Peter Roumeliotis of Popternative Pictures, Jeff Rice, Michael Breen, J. Todd Harris, Michael Leon Cassutt, and John Harris.

Just a few weeks ago, it was announced that Bernstein and Greer have also written a horror movie called The Monster, which Darren Lynn Bousman, best known for his work on several of the Saw sequels, will be directing. Djimon Hounsou (A Quiet Place Part II) and Lauren LaVera of the Terrifier franchise star.

Does The Cure sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this David Dastmalchian / Ashley Greene horror thriller by leaving a comment below.

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Comic book films have gotten bolder as time marched on and some properties would eventually cross over into more mature content with an R-rating. The biggest story this year is, of course, the massive success of Deadpool & Wolverine and its no holds barred on language and violence. With a worldwide box office of over $1.3 billion, Deadpool & Wolverine has been a huge success, and it’s also done pretty well on Disney+. According to Disney, the film has garnered 19.4 million views globally in its first six days on the streaming service.

James Gunn has also been able to let loose in the DCEU with his movie The Suicide Squad, which also led to the adult-oriented TV spin-off Peacemaker. Deadline is reporting that Gunn will not shy away from R-rated content in the new DCU. When talking with Collider, he was inquired if he would first see how an R-rated movie would perform before committing to exploring more. Gunn responded,

We’re not about that. We’re not about ‘See how it does.’ We’ve got one opportunity to take these characters and really press forward and do what we believe. I am a great believer that if we tell good, authentic stories, if a movie does well or doesn’t do as well, if you keep with that same philosophy, that you’re going to build a universe that people are going to love and want to be a part of for a long time.”

He continues,

It’s not about testing out to see if this thing works. It’s just about telling a story. If a story is going to be R-rated, we’re totally okay with that. If it’s going to be PG, PG-13, or G, I don’t care — whatever is worthy of the story, that’s what we’re going to do.”

He also cited the success of Deadpool & Wolverine and how “people love that character” and “people love that format.” Furthermore, he says that there are already projects in development at DC that will likely be stamped with an R-rating. Gunn added, “You know Peacemaker is unrated, basically. So, we have all sorts. I like the idea of doing all sorts of different things.”

The post James Gunn explains that R-rated movies are not off-limits in the DCU if it’s worth it to the story appeared first on JoBlo.

That we are once again talking about Lyle and Erik Menendez says a lot about Ryan Murphy’s grip on pop culture. But it also might have a lot to say about our court system. In the most recent news, the brothers – who are both currently serving life imprisonment sentences for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise Mendendez – are seeking clemency. And while California governor Gavin Newsom would be the ultimate decider on granting clemency, the move is currently delayed as the state awaits a new district attorney.

That DA, Nathan Hochman, will take his position in the first week of December, replacing George Gascón. On his plans over the Mendendez brothers, he stated, “Once I take office on December 3, I look forward to putting in the hard work to thoroughly review the facts and law of the Menendez case, including reviewing the confidential prison files, the transcripts of the two trials and the voluminous exhibits, as well as speaking with the prosecutors, defense attorneys and victim family members.”

As per Governor Newsom’s office (via Deadline), “The governor respects the role of the district attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility…The governor will defer to the D.A.-elect’s review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions.”

If things work out in favor of Erik and Lyle Menendez, their charges could be dropped to manslaughter; with that, they would see a release from prison, a landmark move that would change the entire trajectory of their story.

The Menendez brothers became immediate examples of sensationalism in the media, their story grabbing every headline and their trial coverage being widely covered on television, marking one of the earliest examples of a murder trial getting that sort of attention. While appeals have been made, this is by far the closest Erik and Lyle have gotten to seeing their sentence reduced. And, really, Ryan Murphy may hold a lot of credit for that, whether you like the guy’s style or not.

Do you expect to see the Menendez brothers released from prison?

The post The Menendez Brothers’ clemency trial delayed due to incoming DA appeared first on JoBlo.

That we are once again talking about Lyle and Erik Menendez says a lot about Ryan Murphy’s grip on pop culture. But it also might have a lot to say about our court system. In the most recent news, the brothers – who are both currently serving life imprisonment sentences for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise Mendendez – are seeking clemency. And while California governor Gavin Newsom would be the ultimate decider on granting clemency, the move is currently delayed as the state awaits a new district attorney.

That DA, Nathan Hochman, will take his position in the first week of December, replacing  George Gascón. On his plans over the Mendendez brothers, he stated, “Once I take office on December 3, I look forward to putting in the hard work to thoroughly review the facts and law of the Menendez case, including reviewing the confidential prison files, the transcripts of the two trials and the voluminous exhibits, as well as speaking with the prosecutors, defense attorneys and victim family members.”

As per Governor Newsom’s office (via Deadline), “The governor respects the role of the district attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility…The governor will defer to the D.A.-elect’s review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions.”

If things work out in favor of Erik and Lyle Menendez, their charges could be dropped to manslaughter; with that, they would see a release from prison, a landmark move that would change the entire trajectory of their story.

The Menendez brothers became immediate examples of sensationalism in the media, their story grabbing every headline and their trial coverage being widely covered on television, marking one of the earliest examples of a murder trial getting that sort of attention. While appeals have been made, this is by far the closest Erik and Lyle have gotten to seeing their sentence reduced. And, really, Ryan Murphy may hold a lot of credit for that, whether you like the guy’s style or not.

Do you expect to see the Menendez brothers released from prison?

The post The Menendez Brothers’ clemency trial delayed due to incoming DA appeared first on JoBlo.

 Poetry Comics Month, Day 19: Square

Reuters is reporting that Sony is in talks to buy Kadokawa Corporation, the company that owns FromSoftware, Spike Chunsoft and many other Japanese businesses. If successful, it would be a big move for Sony, gaining names as big as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Danganronpa, and be a strike back against Microsoft’s recent…

Read more…

Reuters is reporting that Sony is in talks to buy Kadokawa Corporation, the company that owns FromSoftware, Spike Chunsoft and many other Japanese businesses. If successful, it would be a big move for Sony, gaining names as big as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Danganronpa, and be a strike back against Microsoft’s recent…

Read more…

Now You See Me 3 has officially wrapped production, with star Jesse Eisenberg thanking the crew in a video posted on the sequel’s official X/Twitter page.

“Thank you so much for just being the most wonderful crew to work with and [it’s] just such an unbelievable blessing to be here,” Eisenberg said.

Plot details for the magical heist sequel are being kept under wraps, but original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman all returned to reprise their roles. It was also announced earlier this year that Justice Smith (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), Ariana Greenblatt (Borderlands), and Rosamund Pike (Saltburn) would be joining the project as well, with Pike said to be playing a “pivotal role” in the movie. I can imagine her being the latest target of the Four Horseman.

Now You See Me 3 will reintroduce audiences to “the thieving illusionists known as the Four Horseman while introducing audiences to a new generation of magicians.” The studio envisions the sequel as the launching pad for the franchise’s future. Given the fresh young cast members, you might be able to tell who this “new generation” of magicians will be.

The sequel is directed by Ruben Fleischer, with Eric Warren Singer, Seth Graham-Smith, and Mike Lesslie having penned various drafts of the script. Earlier this year, Jesse Eisenberg told Collider that he had recently read the script and was excited to return to the franchise. “Yeah, I did [read the script]. Hopefully it will happen in the next six months. I think it will, it seems like it will. Yeah, it’s really great,” Eisenberg said. “For me, the thing I love about it so much, having just read the script, it celebrates intelligence and it’s non-violent but exciting, and it’s so weird to see that because it sounds so obvious, and it sounds like that would be common, but it’s actually quite uncommon to have a movie that’s this franchise, this Hollywood-style movie that’s really just about teamwork and intelligence, rather than just violence.“

Now You See Me 3 will hit theaters on November 14, 2025.

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