Although Timo Tjahjanto has a new action film, The Shadow Strays, premiering on Netflix next month. His next and higher-profile action film has just been put in the can. Tjahjanto has posted on his social media that principal photography on Nobody 2, starring Bob Odenkirk and Christopher Lloyd, has wrapped and now it’s on to post-production.
Tjahjanto posted a picture of the film’s (presumably final scene) clapperboard along with a photo of him and the film’s star, Bob Odenkirk, behind the scenes celebrating the wrap. The caption simply states, “Wrapped. See you at the cinemas.”
We recently got to speak with Tjahjanto as he glowed about his cast for Nobody 2. Tjahjanto proclaimed, “I underestimated just how crazy Bob Odenkirk is! Honestly, Bob is a 61-year-old man and his dedication and the training that he undergoes…man….like, I’m embarrassed. I’m significantly younger than him and I get tired by the time we are shooting.”
He continues, “Hollywood schedules are relentless! I thought, ‘More money, more time.’ It’s nothing like that. It’s this crazy gauntlet of heavy scenes. Bob is a beast. I think you’re gonna like it. All I can say right now is that the theme is ‘family,’ and that’s what we’re trying to keep in mind while making this sequel.”
When the subject of Christopher Lloyd came up, Tjahjanto had this to say about the veteran actor, “Man, he is the funniest guy ever! Honestly, I was so worried cause he’s like…you know, [he’s] in [his] twilight age. But I’ve never seen an 85-year-old man having so much fun! He hasn’t lost any of his spark. I see the same guy playing Doc Brown and all that stuff. His improvisation and his ad-libbing skills are off the charts. When you’re dealing with an elderly actor or a senior actor, you think you should be more delicate, but not with him. I had fun with him. He’s gonna be great as well.”
Bob Odenkirk returns as Hutch Mansell, the mild-manner family man who keeps his past as a government assassin under wraps. Connie Nielsen is also returning as Hutch’s wife, Becca, as well as Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s father, a retired FBI agent. It was also announced a couple of months ago that Sharon Stone would be playing the main villain of the sequel.
As ambitious as Megalopolis is, one factor that Francis Ford Coppola wanted to push even further was the fact that he included a scene that featured a “live theater” component in which a person from the audience would stand in front of the screen and briefly interact with Adam Driver’s character on screen. Coppola instituted this unique fourth wall-break at the Cannes screenings and certain IMAX presentations have also played out the scene with a microphone set up at the foot of the screen and the picture shrinking to a size so that Driver’s character can make somewhat eye contact with the person in the theater.
Obviously, it would be a monumental task for every single theater screening to incorporate a plant in the audience to bring this moment to life, but IndieWire reports that over 20 markets in North America will feature this live participant component to the film. The scene in question is largely inconsequential to the rest of the film, except for Coppola’s philosophical writing that he may still have wanted the viewers exposed to. However, instead of simply cutting out the scene, the picture shrinks as intended, but the interaction comes from an actor off-screen.
In the screenings that will feature the live actor, the screening may be labeled “The Ultimate Experience” when you’re buying your tickets, and each of those showings will feature what Lionsgate is calling a “Live Participant” as part of the movie. It is being assumed that this will mostly take place on IMAX or PLF screens. However, it is also said that there are a handful of the live experiences that will also be available on standard screens.
As unique and strange as this hook is, it’s not even the most experimentally ambitious that Coppola has gotten. For 2011’s Twixt, which was a horror mystery starring Elle Fanning and Val Kilmer, Coppola intended to do a 30-city tour of that film in which he would “live edit” the movie so that it would play differently to each audience it’s screening for. With that concept, “they have a great deal of footage which adds up to a movie called Twixt, but depending upon where and when you see the presentation, you might see a totally different telling of the story than others.”
Director Cosmos Kiindarius made his feature directorial debut with the 2016 thriller Stand, which was about American brothers who head out into the Vietnam jungle and get trapped in a mine field that was left over from the war. Now he’s about to head into production on his second film, a psychological horror tale called Dirt, and he has gotten some genre icons to join the cast. Dirt will feature Malcolm McDowell of A Clockwork Orange (and the Rob Zombie Halloween movies), A Nightmare on Elm Street heroine Heather Langenkamp, and Courtney Gains from the Stephen King adaptation Children of the Corn. Also in the cast are James Paxton, who recently appeared in Twisters and happens to be the son of Bill Paxton, Emily Tosta (Mayans MC), and Owen Vaccaro (The House with a Clock in Its Walls). Filming is set to begin in New Mexico this November.
Dirt is said to be a “chilling blend of romance, psychological horror, and addiction” that will delve deep into “the complexities of love and the dark corners of the human mind.” The story centers on Sammy (Paxton) and Marisol (Tosta), an ill-fated couple embarking on a road trip from Miami to Los Angeles in search of a fresh start. Their journey takes a sinister turn when they accidentally hit a mysterious desert creature, unleashing a powerful curse that intertwines their fates with themes of addiction and despair. As they confront their pasts and the horrors of their choices, the road ahead becomes perilously unpredictable.
Kiindarius, who is also producing the movie with Salomé Breziner, told Variety, “Dirt is as layered thematically as the painted desert that it’s set in. It explores the universal experience of returning to love after pain and the haunting addiction to our own thoughts that can lead to self-destruction.“
Breziner added, “This horror-tinged thriller blurs the boundaries of magical realism and deeply felt visceral emotions. We’re excited to take audiences on this dark and thrilling journey.“
Does Dirt sound interesting to you? What do you think of the cast that has been assembled for the movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The creature feature Elevation, which stars Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Morena Baccarin (Deadpool), went into production in the second half of 2022 with director George Nolfi, who previously worked with Mackie on the films The Banker and The Adjustment Bureau, at the helm. Earlier this year, it secured a theatrical distributor in the U.S., and now we know that the distributor, Vertical, is planning to bring the film to the big screen on November 8th. With that date just over a month away, a trailer for Elevation has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.
Scripted by John Glenn (Eagle Eye) and SEAL Team duo Jacob Roman and Kenny Ryan, Elevation is set in a post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, where a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.
Mackie and Baccarin are joined in the cast by Maddie Hasson (Malignant) and Danny Boyd Jr. (Bruised).
Nolfi, Mackie, and Glenn produced the film with Brad Fuller, Alex Black, Jeremy Kipp Walker, and Joel Viertel. Black, founder of the production company Lyrical Media, provided the financing. Jon Rosenberg and Alex Ginno of Fuller’s company Fuller Media serve as executive producers alongside Natalie Sellers of Lyrical and Jason Spire of Inspire Entertainment. Ryan and Roman co-produced.
Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey had this to say about the distribution deal: “Elevation brings together a world-class group of seasoned professionals, who have combined the fruits of their craft to deliver a film that is not only thrilling but also delivers a cinematic scope that we seldom see outside of the studio system. Its compelling visual elements provide an elevated feel that sets the film apart from the traditional ‘creature feature.’ We look forward to working with George, Brad, and the team to unveil the film to audiences.“
Nolfi added: “Working with Anthony Mackie, for a third time now, Morena Baccarin, and the rest of our exceptional cast and crew to bring this innovative screenplay to life was a blast. Anthony, Morena, and the rest of the team dove in head first (sometimes literally) as we shot action scenes in some extremely challenging places – from a working ski lift high in the Colorado Rockies, to an active mine under a mile of rock – all to enhance the theatrical experience of the film. We are thrilled to partner with Vertical to put this film in theaters all across the country later this year.“
What did you think of the Elevation trailer? Will you be watching this movie during its theatrical run? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The thriller Rebel Ridge was announced back in 2019, but took five years to make its way out into the world because the production was delayed by the pandemic lockdowns, then by the departure of lead actor John Boyega a few weeks into filming, reportedly due to “family reasons.” Saulnier has said that the making of Rebel Ridge saw him “slamming right into the Hollywood I’ve tried to avoid,” and, “We came back three years in a row to make that movie.” But the troubles were worth it, because the finished film was well-received (you can read our 8/10 review HERE) and a success on Netflix. Now, Saulnier is looking forward to his next movie – and he’s going back to his roots to tell a fun Halloween story.
Saulnier’s previous credits include Murder Party, Blue Ruin, Green Room, Hold the Dark, and episodes of True Detective season 3. During an interview on The Playlist podcast, Saulnier said he’s looking to make something along the lines of Murder Party and Green Room. He told The Playlist (with thanks to MovieWeb for the transcription), “I’m currently writing something that’s a little more in the Green Room universe. Because with Rebel Ridge, I was exploring a new side. I was just tired of everything I do being oppressive. But I’ve kinda gone back. It has to do with music and Halloween and fun shit.”
This sounds great to me, because that description is reminiscent of Saulnier’s 2007 horror comedy feature debut Murder Party, which has been a favorite of mine ever since it was first released on DVD (and remains my favorite Saulnier movie). We just learned a couple of days ago that Murder Party is finally set to receive a Blu-ray release, thanks to a deal that OCN Distribution, sister company of the genre-centric home video label Vinegar Syndrome, has made with distributor Magnolia Pictures and their genre imprint Magnet Releasing.
Written and directed by Saulnier, Murder Party begins when a man gets a random invitation to a Halloween party, and when he arrives he finds he’s the guest of honor at his very own gut-wrenching murder. Made on a budget somewhere in the $200,000 range, the film stars Chris Sharp, Sandy Barnett, Macon Blair, Paul Goldblatt, William Lacey, Stacy Rock, Skei Saulnier, Bill Tangradi, Beryl Guceri, Beau Sia, and a dog named Puff Snooty.
Of course, the music part of the description also brings to mind Green Room, Saulnier’s very cool 2016 action thriller, which told the following story: After witnessing a murder, a punk rock band is forced into a vicious fight for survival against a group of maniacal skinheads. That one starred Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Anton Yelchin, Mark Webber, Alia Shawkat, Macon Blair, and Eric Edelstein.
What do you think of Jeremy Saulnier returning to his Murder Party / Green Room roots with his next movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Jeff Goldblum, 25, has forgotten his mantra. At least, his nameless party guest character – dubbed “Man on the Phone” in the screenplay – has. And it’s the way he delivered that line in 1977’s Annie Hall that made him stand out despite only having a few seconds of screen time. Somehow – just by being himself – Jeff Goldblum turned a throwaway bit into one of the funniest lines in one of the funniest films.
As for Jeff Goldblum himself, he says his mantras are “I am grateful” and “Accept, enjoy, enthuse.” And that, across 50 years on the big screen, is as truthful as it gets when it comes to Jeff Goldblum.
Let’s find out: What Happened to…JEFF GOLDBLUM?
Jeff Goldblum was born on October 22nd, 1952 just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of a doctor and a radio broadcaster, the sort of brains and art pairing that perfectly describes the actor (his father even once considered the arts).
Goldblum developed a love of acting early on, even writing, “Please, God, let me be an actor” on steamed bathroom mirrors. And so it was, doing a few summer acting sessions at Carnegie Mellon before going to New York to study at the famed Neighborhood Playhouse under legendary coach Sandy Meisner.
Two years later, he made his Broadway debut in Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971). A natural performer, Goldblum would continue to take the stage even as he made it on TV and in movies, returning many times over the years…In 2006, he launched his own theater troupe called The Fire Dept, which isn’t surprising considering he started an acting school in the early ‘80s.
Early roles
The stage actually helped him get his start. No, not as Freak #1 in Death Wish (1974; he’d play something similar in ‘76’s St. Ives, also starring Bronson) but rather California Split, as director Robert Altman saw him perform. Altman would next cast him in 1975’s Nashville as a tricycling mute, clearly recognizing the quirk Goldblum had embedded in him. Although he was still a few years off from fame, he had at least the confidence to quit his job peddling office supplies to prisons…As such, he continued with small bits on shows like Columbo and Starsky & Hutch, as well as supporting roles in Next Stop, Greenwich Village and Special Delivery (both 1976).
1977 would mark his first genuine breakthrough. Following The Sentinel, Woody Allen (who Goldblum later named his dog after) cast him in Annie Hall as a man calling his manager to tell him he forgot his mantra. It’s just one line and Goldblum is barely on the screen, but somehow it is one of the most quoted in his career and the iconic comedy. That same year, he stood out as a music critic at a low-level newspaper in Between the Lines, truly introducing us to his trademark humor and mannerisms in every scene he stole. It was like the title for his next picture was intentional…
Following the thriller Remember My Name (1978) and playing a disco owner in Thank God It’s Friday (1978), Goldblum appeared in his first mainstream supporting role, falling victim to the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). Almost a fact, this is where he defined his easily identifiable patterns, especially in speech, blowing away director Philip Kaufman – and audiences – with the delivery of the line: “I – I – I – I never thought that they would come in – in metal ships.” It was never intentional, Goldblum said, but “it became useful.”
It’s this unusual nature, this singular voice that ensured he would get a lot of voice work on shows like King of the Hill, Crank Yankers, Big Mouth, and actual play podcast Dark Dice; heck, he even voiced God on an oddball series call Happy! (2019). And certainly, we can’t forget Verminous Skumm on Captain Planet and the Planeteers, a brilliant one-off on The Simpsons “A Fish Called Selma” and The Prince of Egypt (1998). It’s no wonder he has been cast as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – a character known, at least at first, by his voice and commanding presence – in Wicked.
In 1980, he played a pitch-perfect Ichabod Crane on TV’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the same year his one-season comedy Tenspeed and Brown Shoe aired. The early ‘80s kept him busy: re-teaming with Donald Sutherland for another sci-fi, Threshold, to a Genie Award nod; playing a comic accused of murder in TV movie Rehearsal for Murder (1982); again playing a reporter in ensemble record-seller The Big Chill (1983), turning up for the faithful Philip Kaufman in an unnamed role in The Right Stuff (1983), a cowboy-topped fella named New Jersey in Buckaroo Banzai (1984); and a diverse 1985 triple feature, showing great chemistry with Michelle Pfeiffer in Into the Night, playing a heel who meets a proper fate in Silverado and leading a lousy but near-cult horror-comedy Transylvania 6-500. All the while, he kept doing TV one-offs on fare like American Playhouse, Faerie Tale Theatre and The Ray Bradbury Theatre.
The Fly
But it was time to be afraid, be very afraid. In 1986, Jeff Goldblum starred in David Cronenberg’s The Fly remake. It was the most praise he had ever earned, giving the genre performance of a lifetime that should have been nominated for Best Actor. While always a scene-stealer, too rarely does Goldblum get credit for just how good of an actor he can be. Consider also 2008’s Adam Resurrected, earning some of the highest praise of his career and putting him in the middle of failed Oscar chatter, playing a Holocaust survivor committed to an institution. Another good one is 1992’s Deep Cover, showing he wasn’t afraid to steal scenes from Laurence Fishburne; and for it he earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Perhaps for too long, he spent too much time doing whatever he wanted, however good or bad, concluding his post-Fly output with virtually nothing memorable: lifetime rom-com Beyond Therapy (1987), TV drama Life Story (playing DNA structure discoverer Watson; he would only play one other real-life figure, in Spinning Boris), Cyndi Lauper-starrer Vibes (1988), former Comedy Central staple – and genuinely fun time – Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), an enjoyable enough starring role in The Tall Guy, and again playing a writer in Spanish-French production El Sueño del Mono Loco.
The ‘90s had a forgettable start, too: demented, chewy roles in Mister Frost and HBO movie Framed (1990); 1991’s The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish, which was far less entertaining than the title. 1992 brought Fathers & Sons – giving Goldblum much physical and emotional to handle – and Shooting Elizabeth.
Jurrasic Park
Another resurrection waited behind the gates of Jurassic Park (1993), playing what would be his trademark role: Dr. Ian Malcolm, later reprising him for 1997’s The Lost World and 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion. Somehow – or maybe inevitably – Jeff Goldblum also became a sex symbol. This character is now so regarded that a 25-foot statue was erected in London – and even that was sexy! Jeff Goldblum was now officially in the pop culture hierarchy, a wholly unique figure in a field where it’s near-impossible to stand out. And yet there he is, becoming a guy we knew could bring something interesting to anything. Here was a guy trusted to sell everything from apartments and Apple products (even though he can barely use an iPhone) to Toyotas and German beer (even though he rarely drinks).
As he did for a lot of his post-The Fly work, very little was truly memorable, but he enhanced every project: hosting PBS series Future Quest (1994); 1995’s Hideaway, Nine Months and Powder; 1996’s The Great White Hype and Mad Dog Time. All this unmemorable fare was balanced by another defining role in Independence Day (and its 2016 sequel), as well as – fun fact here – earning an Oscar nod for Best Live-Action Short for Little Surprises. The ‘90s ended with Holy Man (1998) before the next century brought Beyond Suspicion, Chain of Fools, One of the Hollywood Ten (all 2000), Perfume (2001), the paycheck movie Cats & Dogs (2001), Igby Goes Down (2002), Dallas 362 (2003), Mini’s First Time, Fay Grim, Man of the Year (2006), The Switch, Morning Glory (both 2010), Le Week-End (2013), Mortdecai (2015), Hotel Artemis, The Mountain (both 2018)… And what of his various spots on Friends, Will & Grace (earning an Emmy nod), The Larry Sanders Show, Glee, The League, Portlandia, and Kimmy Schmidt? From 2009-2010, Goldblum replaced Chris Noth’s detective on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, a show lucky to have him. But he would leave after 24 episodes, uncertain as to the show’s future. Here’s an even more uncertain future: he was the subject of a death hoax that had him falling off of a cliff. That’s so Goldblum!
Wes Anderson
In 2004, Jeff Goldblum first teamed with Wes Anderson, playing an oceanographer in The Life Aquatic, returning as a deputy in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), a pooch in Isle of Dogs (2018), and, most recently, the alien – how fitting! – in Asteroid City (2023). He, too, has made that MCU rite of passage, having proven himself as a key supporter of blockbuster entertainment, here playing Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) after a credits cameo in Guardians 2 but before in voice form on What If…? Next, he will play Zeus in Netflix’s mythology-based Kaos.
In 2019, Goldblum said, “I still have creative choices more varied than ever. I still feel like I’m on the threshold of my best work, not only understanding it but being able to practice it.” OK, so his next movie was Boss Baby (2021), but you know what he means! That year, he hosted The World According to Jeff Goldblum, in which he somehow made denim, puzzles, and random small stuff interesting!
It’s that endless curiosity and fascination with all of it that continues to keep Jeff Goldblum in the collective consciousness of oddballs everywhere. As he once said, “There’s so much that’s delicious, precious, magnificent, mysterious and infinitely enjoyable that it would be foolish not to make every day an adventure.” And he does because, as we know, Jeff Goldblum, uh, finds a way.
Back in 2022, it was announced that Fighting with My Family co-stars Nick Frost and Lena Headey were going to reunite to work on the serial killer thriller Svalta, which was set to start filming in Finland soon… but then Headey had to drop out of the project due to scheduling issues before it started rolling in 2023 and was replaced by Aisling Bea, whose previous credits include This Way Up, Living with Yourself, and Home Sweet Home Alone. Last month, IFC Films and the Shudder streaming service acquired the North American distribution rights to Svalta, which is now going by the title Get Away, and the plan is that IFC Films will be giving the movie a theatrical release on December 6th. Get Away will then make its way over to Shudder sometime in 2025. As we dive into spooky season, a trailer for Get Away has now arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.
Get Away was directed by Steffen Haars (New Kids Turbo) from a screenplay Frost wrote himself. The story follows a family on their summer vacation to a remote island where they discover a serial killer is on the loose. Unfortunately for them, the locals have no interest in helping the stranded family. The title is taken from the name of the fictional island. As Frost described the story, “Take a gentle English family and send them on holiday to a tiny Swedish island full of maniacs. Simple. Not so much Nuts in May. More ‘Nuts in Mayhem’.“
Frost and Bea are joined in the cast by Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper) and newcomer Maisie Ayres.
Coming our way from XYZ Films, Wayward Entertainment, and Resolute Films, Get Away was produced by Lee Kim for Resolute Films, John Hegeman for Wayward Entertainment, Nick Spicer and Aram Tertzakian for XYZ, and Frost. Richard Kondal co-produced for Big Safari, while Vince Totino of Wayward Entertainment and Patrick Fischer of Creativity Capital served as executive producers. Financing was provided by XYZ in collaboration with IPR.VC, along with additional funding from Creativity Media, with tax incentives and support from Business Finland, Business Tampere, and the City of Tampere.
We first heard about this project back in 2019, at which time Frost’s frequent collaborator Simon Pegg was going to producing the movie with him, and James Serafinowicz and Nat Saunders were going to be co-writing the script. But it doesn’t look like Pegg, Serafinowicz, or Saunders have any involvement with the finished product.
What did you think of the Get Away trailer? Will you be watching this movie later this year? Let us know by leaving a comment below. While we wait for this one, Frost has another horror movie, Krazy House, reaching VOD on October 4th.
Maggie Smith, who has graced audiences with her work in the Harry Potter films, Downton Abbey, A Room with a View and Gosford Park, has passed away at the age of 89.
According to the BBC, her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin have made the announcement with the following statement, “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days. We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Three years ago, it was announced that Freaky (watch it HERE) collaborators Michael Kennedy and Christopher Landon would be teaming up again to bring us a new genre project called Time Cut, which was being described as “Back to the Future meets Scream” – and now, Time Cut is finally ready to make its way out into the world! Netflix has announced that they will be releasing the movie on October 30th, just in time for Halloween viewings, and Entertainment Weekly has unveiled a first look image from the film that can be seen right here in this article.
Although Landon directed Freaky, he did not Time Cut. Instead, Hannah MacPherson, director of Sickhouse and the Into the Dark film Pure, took the helm. Kennedy wrote the initial script with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend story editor Sono Patel, then MacPherson got involved in the writing process as well. Landon produced the film with Matt Kaplan’s ACE Entertainment.
Landon and Kennedy are both known for putting slasher twists on familiar concept. Landon directed the time loop slashers Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2 U, as well as the Kennedy-scripted body swap slasher Freaky. Kennedy also wrote It’s a Wonderful Knife, which was a slasher take on It’s a Wonderful Life. A “Back to the Future meets Scream” movie sounds like something that will be right in line with those films… the only problem is, Time Cut was beaten to the concept! Although it was announced a year after we first heard about Time Cut, the movie Totally Killer was released last October, and it was a time travel slasher blend of Back to the Future and Scream. It even took its lead character to the 1980s, the decade when Back to the Future was released.
Time Cut doesn’t go back that far. It shows us what happens when a teenage girl travels back to the early 2000s to stop a vicious killer from murdering her sister. The cast includes Madison Bailey, Antonia Gentry, Michael Shanks, Griffin Gluck, Summer H. Howell, Rachael Crawford, Megan Best, Sydney Sabiston, Adam Hurtig, Samuel Braun, Kataem O’Connor, Jordan Pettle, Chess Tomlinson, Dutchess Cayetano, Gwendolyn Collins, BJ Verot, Colleen Furlan, and Elena Howard-Scott.
Totally Killer already did the time travel slasher thing and the ’80s were a much cooler time period than the early 2000s, but I’m still on board to watch Time Cut once it starts streaming. I’m always interested in watching a new slasher movie.
Does Time Cut sound like a movie you’ll be watching next month? Take a look at the image, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck is earning high praise and building hype after the film won the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Our own Chris Bumbray even listed it as one of the 10 favorite films of his from the festival. In his review, he states, “Ultimately, Life of Chuck is different for Flanagan because he can fully explore the rich characterizations that define his work without hitting those genre beats. While that might limit his audiences, his fans (of which I am one) will undoubtedly appreciate this detour and find The Life of Chuck a bittersweet tearjerker. More than anything, it’s a warning that our time on earth is limited and that it’s best to find joy wherever we can, even in the most fleeting moments.”
Variety is now reporting that the Stephen King adaptation has been sold to the indie production company Neon and is predicted to be released in the summer of 2025, with an awards push in the fall. Although the film is currently closing with Neon, the terms of the deal have not yet been announced as they are not yet completely finalized. Furthermore, Variety has not been able to get a spokesperson for the film distributor to comment on the acquisition at this time.
Per Variety, “Adapted from Stephen King’s 2020 novella, The Life of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston and is directed by Mike Flanagan. Billed as a ‘life-affirming’ story about an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, the film is split into three distinct chapters that unfurl in reverse chronological order and set against the backdrop of a world that appears to be slowly crumbling. Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Jacob Tremblay co-star in The Life of Chuck, which has been compared to King adaptations like Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me rather than It or Pet Sematary.”
One of the notable scenes from the film’s hype is Tom Hiddleston partaking in an extended dance sequence. Hiddleston spoke about his experience in filming such a sequence, “I had to do all of these technical dances, none of which I have any training in. There are some that came more easily than others. I found I love dancing jazz and swing. Bossa nova is a technical thing that took my hips a minute to get my head around. Polka is like a 100-meter sprint. It feels like a gallop.”
