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8 Feb

Famous: Zac Efron takes on dual roles in Jody Hill’s Blake Crouch thriller

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=E5KI4v0aBcE&feature=oembed

Fresh off the well received wrestling drama The Iron Claw and soon to be seen in the comedy Ricky Stanicky, Zac Efron has now signed on to star in the thriller Famous for director Jody Hill – and he’ll be playing dual roles in the film, which is based on a novel by Blake Crouch!

Scripted by Chad Hodge, who created the short-lived, Crouch-inspired TV series Wayward Pines back in 2015, Famous has the following synopsis: Lance Dunkquist has one asset that’s about to change his life – he has the face of a movie star. And not just any movie star – Lance is the spitting image of a Hollywood icon, James Jansen. Lance is about to travel to Los Angeles to make his dream come true. Lance is going to be famous, no matter what it takes… The film aims to be a “provocative and highly entertaining Los Angeles-set thriller that explores the dark side of celebrity, and the lengths people will go to attain it.”

Efron will be playing both overzealous fan Lance Dunkquist and Hollywood heartthrob James Jansen.

Copies of Crouch’s novel can be purchased at THIS LINK. It has the following description: “My name is Lancelot Blue Dunkquist, and the best thing about me is, when you doll me up right, I look just like the movie star, James Jansen.” Meet Lance. 38-years-old. Works a meaningless job. Still lives above his parents’ garage. By all accounts, a world-class loser. Except for one glaring exception… He has a million-dollar face. Lance has been mistaken twenty-eight times for the Oscar-winning movie star, James Jansen, and for the last 10 years, he’s saved his money, studied Jansen’s films, his moves, his idiosyncrasies, even the way he speaks. Now, after an unceremonious termination from his job, Lance has decided that the time has come to go after his dream. From New York’s ridiculous avant-garde, off-off Broadway scene, to the surreal glitter of Los Angeles, follow Lance on his madcap journey of self-abandonment to become his likeness. Part comedy, part human tragedy, and part suspense, the world through the eyes of Lancelot Blue Dunkquist is like none you’ve ever seen.

Mr. Robot creator / Leave the World Behind director Sam Esmail is producing Famous with Chad Hamilton for Esmail Corp. The company’s Nick Krishnamurthy serves as executive producer. Black Bear will be presenting Famous to potential international distributors at the upcoming European Film Market, while CAA Media Finance and WME Independent represent the U.S. rights.

Jody Hill’s previous directing credits include The Foot Fist Way, Observe and Report, The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter, and episodes of Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, The Righteous Gemstones, and Peacemaker.

Does Famous sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this Zac Efron / Jody Hill / Blake Crouch / Chad Hodge / Sam Esmail team-up by leaving a comment below.

Zac Efron

The post Famous: Zac Efron takes on dual roles in Jody Hill’s Blake Crouch thriller appeared first on JoBlo.

8 Feb

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are reuniting for a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s extortion drama High and Low

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High and Low, Akira Kurosawa, Spike Lee, Denzel Washington

A pact between Apple Original Films, A24, Spike Lee, and Denzel Washington is making noise this Thursday with news about a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime drama High and Low. Lee and Washington are old friends, of course, with the duo’s fourth collaboration being for 2006’s Inside Man.

In Kurosawa’s High and Low, an executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom. Details about Lee’s remake are scarce, though we know it will be an English-language reimagining of the original—details about how and if the plot will differ from Kurosawa’s classic crime drama remains a mystery.

Alan Fox and Lee wrote the screenplay for the High and Low remake, with A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures handling development. Production kicks off in March, with Todd Black producing for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman for Mandalay Pictures. In addition to directing and co-writing High and Low, Lee will executive produce through his 40 Acres studio and A Mule Filmworks. Joining Lee as an executive producer is Peter Guber for Madalay Films, Matthew Lindner for Juniper Productions, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington. Mandalay’s Jordan Moldo is co-producing. According to reports, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington began thinking about collaborating on another film project last spring. Still, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed any forward momentum.

Denzel Washington’s next film is one cinephiles didn’t think would ever happen: Gladiator 2. Ridley Scott directs the Gladiator sequel from a script by David Scarpa (All The Money In the World). The film stars Paul Mescal (Aftersun) as Lucius, the young boy who idolized Maximus (Russell Crowe) in the original movie. The cast also includes Denzel Washington (The Equalizer 3), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), May Calamawy (Moon Knight), Lior Raz (The Crowded Room), Peter Mensah (Spartacus), Matt Lucas (Wonka), Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus), and Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express).

Speaking with Deadline in November, Ridley Scott explained how Washington’s character parallels Lucius, saying, “There’s a parallel character, the owner of a business that supplied weapons for the Romans, who supplied the oil when they traveled, who supplied the wine they drink. They wouldn’t drink water, they drank wine. When they traveled, who would supply wagons and horses and tack? There had to be the arms dealers of the period; here is a man who already rich from supplying the weapons, the catapults. His hobby is like a racing stable except it’s gladiators. He’s got a stable of 30 or 40 gladiators. He likes to actually see them fight and it evolves that that’s where he came from. He was captured in North Africa, and evolved into a free man because he was a good gladiator. But he hides that because also he’s now realizing the potential of his actual power. He’s wealthier than most senators, so already has thoughts and designs of the possible idea of taking power from these two crazy princes.”

Are you a fan of Kurosawa’s High and Low? What changes have been made to the story to fit Lee’s directorial style and sensitivities? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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8 Feb

Drive Away Dolls first reactions describe Ethan Coen’s road trip comedy as fast paced, silly, and funny

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The legendary sibling directing duo of Joel and Ethan Coen went their separate directorial ways after the 2018 film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and while there’s talk they’re going to be reuniting to make a horror movie, in the meantime we’ve gotten Joel’s first solo directing effort with The Tragedy of Macbeth, and we’ll be seeing Ethan’s first solo directing effort when Focus Features brings the road trip comedy caper Drive Away Dolls to theatres on February 23rd. Some critics have already had a chance to see the movie, and with two weeks to go until its wide release, the first reactions have started showing up online. We have gathered some of them together below.

First, we have a reaction from JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray:

The majority of the reactions available now lean toward the positive, with viewers having fun laughing along with this fast paced, silly movie:

Of course, no film is for absolutely everyone, so here’s a negative reaction as well:

Scripted by Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke, Drive Away Dolls follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian, who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan star as Jamie and Marian. They’re joined in the cast by Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon.

Coen and Cooke produced the film with Robert Graf, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner.

Drive Away Dolls was first announced in 2007, at which time Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging) was going to be directing the film from Coen and Cooke’s script. Selma Blair, Holly Hunter, Christina Applegate, and Chloë Sevigny were all considered for the lead roles… but the film never made it into production until Coen decided to take the helm in 2022.

What do you think of the first reactions to Drive Away Dolls? Are you looking forward to seeing this movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Whether they’re alone, working as a team, or not even directing the movie, I see anything the Coen brothers are involved with, so I will definitely be watching Drive Away Dolls.

drive away dolls poster

The post Drive Away Dolls first reactions describe Ethan Coen’s road trip comedy as fast paced, silly, and funny appeared first on JoBlo.

8 Feb

Highlander Remake Rumor: Is Michael Fassbender the villain?

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Highlander, Michael Fassbender, Henry Cavill

The tea leaves have aligned, and industry insider Daniel Richtman sees another casting for Lionsgate‘s Highlander reboot emerging from the pattern. According to Richtman, Michael Fassbender (The Killer, Shame, Prometheus) plays the villain in the Chad Stahelski-directed reimagining of the classic action film. According to Richtman, Fassbender is in talks to star alongside Henry Cavill (The Witcher, Argylle, Justice League) as a “Mongol Warrior.”

Please remember that whispers about Michael Fassbender’s involvement with Highlander are rumors. We must wait for Lionsgate to make it official.

The new rumor already has Highlander fans buzzing about Fassbender playing a version of the original Highlander villain, the Kurgan. Portrayed by Clancy Brown in the 1986 fantasy action-adventure film, the Kurgan is an immortal warrior and thorn in the side of Connor MacLeod, the Highlander (Christopher Lambert).

Lionsgate is looking to Stahelski to guide the short- and long-term creative direction, franchise strategy, and strategic growth of the Highlander and John Wick properties to ensure that quality, tone, and vision remain consistent. Stahelski will work side by side with the franchise producers – Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee on the Wick franchise and Neal H. Moritz and the estate of the late Peter S. Davis on Highlander – to maximize the potential of these unique and valuable properties.

“This deal expands on the great creative relationship we already have in place on John Wick and extends it to our Highlander franchise,” Joe Drake, the outgoing chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, and Adam Fogelson, chair of the MPG, said. “From the outset, Chad has been the creative force defining the world of Wick; as we continue to think about the future for that world, we want Chad, working together with Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee of Thunder Road, as our stewards guiding us and strategizing together at every step. This deal makes it official, and we look forward to his steady hand and creative input not just on the film he is making, but other stories that arise from it. He is a true visionary, and we are thrilled to have him in our corner.”

“I am pleased to be able to grow my relationship with Lionsgate in this new oversight role for the John Wick universe and its further expansion,” said Stahelski. “John Wick is so close to my heart and to be able to continue shepherding it will be a blast for me. I’m so happy to also be launching another franchise with Highlander, a world that is so rich with engaging stories to be told.”

What do you think about the possibility of Michael Fassbender playing the villain in Chad Stahelski’s Highlander? Will Fassbender and Cavill have great chemistry? In what form will the Kurgan take in Stahelski’s version if that is the way he chooses to go with the classic character?

The post Highlander Remake Rumor: Is Michael Fassbender the villain? appeared first on JoBlo.

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