Move over, Judge Judy. There’s a new gavel-smasher in town, and his name is Will Ferrell! The former Saturday Night Live star and comedy mastermind is reuniting with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Neighbors, and Bros director Nicholas Stoller for Judgement Day, a TV courtroom comedy in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Judgement Day “follows a young convict fresh out of prison who takes a reality TV courtroom hostage, blaming the megalomaniac TV judge (Ferrell) for a past ruling that the convict feels ruined his life.”
If you’re like, ‘Wait. When did Ferrell and Stoller work together?’ The duo teamed up for You’re Cordially Invited, a wedding dramedy starring Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon. The upcoming feature follows a woman (Reese Witherspoon) planning her sister’s wedding and the father of another bride-to-be (Will Ferrell). They discover they are double-booked for their destination wedding, so both parties decide to share the venue, but chaos and disaster await. Nicholas Stoller directs You’re Cordially Invited from his script. Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Leanne Morgan, Rory Scovel, Stony Blyden, and Jack McBrayer star as primary cast members.
Before You’re Cordially Invited and Judgement Day, Stoller helmed Bros, a romantic comedy featuring an entirely openly LGBTQ+ cast and one of my favorite comedies of 2022. Stoller co-wrote the screenplay with Billy Eichner, who leads the film alongside Luke Mcfarlane (Killjoys). Stoller also wrote the script for Judgement Day, continuing his quest to make audiences laugh out loud.
Will Ferrell is developing several projects, including Street Justice, an upcoming comedy from director Peter Atencio (Jean-Claude Van Johnson, Keanu, Key and Peele) and writer Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse). The film features Ferrell as a vigilante dispensing justice outside the law.
On the production side, Ferrell executive produces No Good Deed, an upcoming dark comedy starring Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson, Abbi Jacobson, Teyonah Parris, Poppy Liu, and O-T Fagbenle. No Good Deed tells the story of three very different families vying to buy the same 1920s Spanish-style villa that they think will solve all their problems.
Who would you cast as the “young convict” alongside Will Ferrell in Judgement Day? Let us know in the comments section below.
You are sorely mistaken if you thought Hutch Mansell had little gas in the tank after the events of 2021’s Nobody. Bob Odenkirk is back in the first look at one of next year’s most anticipated action films, Nobody 2. The new image comes courtesy of Empire Magazine, whose previews of some of next year’s hottest films include exclusive photos, interviews, and tidbits. The Night Comes For Us director Timo Tjahjanto helms this bloody and bone-cracking sequel, which bodes well for action fans.
Now that Hutch’s family knows about his secret past, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle. He must adapt and find ways to balance his family life and the one he left behind, and that won’t be easy after making plenty of noise in the first film. “Now that he’s back at it in full throttle, how does his family react to this beast?” Tjahjanto told Empire. “You’ll see a lot of the questions that fathers and husbands ask — ‘How do they react to this other side of me who’s constantly hustling and working for the family?’ It’s gonna be quite a journey.”
While there was grit and grime to 2021’s Nobody, Tjahjanto says Nobody 2 takes a different approach. The latest film in the series will be brighter, “summery” and more colorful. This change will put a fresh coat of paint on Nobody 2, and we can’t wait to see it.
Today’s first-look image of Nobody 2 finds Bob Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell covered in blood while holding a warm Uzi at arm’s length. Mansell’s had a rough go, and it looks like anyone who crosses him could find themselves on the business end of a gun.
Odenkirk is reprising the role of Hutch Mansell, with Christopher Lloyd confirmed to be back as his father, David, and Connie Nielsen returning as Hutch’s wife, Becca. It remains to be seen if Gage Munroe and/or Paisley Cadorath will return as Hutch and Becca’s children, Blake and Abby, or if RZA will appear as Harry. It has been announced that Sharon Stone has joined the cast of Nobody 2 as a “stone cold villainess,” while Colin Hanks is playing a corrupt sheriff.
In September, Timo Tjahjanto said production for Nobody 2 was complete. He also praised the cast, saying everyone, especially Odenkirk, gave their all to the sequel.
“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,” said Tjahjanto.
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.”
Are you excited to see Nobody 2 next year? Let us know in the comments section below.
The first season of Legendary’s MonsterVerse TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters ran on Apple TV+ from November into January (you can read our own Alex Maidy’s review of the first batch of episodes HERE), and while Godzilla was an important figure in that season, it wrapped up with an episode that indicated Kong might be taking the spotlight if there were to be a follow-up. In April, it was confirmed that Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 was a sure thing – and cast member Anna Sawai said she hoped the new episodes would be in production soon. Well, now, seven months later, filming is officially underway on Monarch season 2! Apple TV made the announcement on social media:
Greetings from Skull Island. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 is in production. pic.twitter.com/1o3E5DwsPE
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the latest chapter in Legendary Entertainment’s MonsterVerse series, which currently consists of Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and the Netflix animated series Skull Island.
The ten episode first season was set after “the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real” (as seen in Godzilla 2014). It tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw, taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga – spanning three generations – reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.
The cast includes Anna Sawai, Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski. Season 2 brings the addition of Prey star Amber Midthunder.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters comes our way from Legendary Television. Matt Shakman (WandaVision) directed the first two episodes. Black, Fraction, and Shakman executive produce the series with Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell from Safehouse Pictures, as well as Andy Goddard, Brad Van Arragon, and Andrew Colville. Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita executive produce on behalf of Toho Co., Ltd., the owner of the Godzilla character.
Did you watch the first season of Monarch, and are you glad to hear that season 2 is in production? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The creative world of Minecraft is coming to a theater near you on April 4, 2025, starring Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and more for an adventure based on the beloved game fueled by exploration and imagination. When Warner Bros. shared its first look at A Minecraft Movie, reactions were less than kind. Thankfully, today’s Behind-the-Scenes video offers a broader look at the live-action adaptation, quelling some of our concerns. Today’s Behind-the-Scenes video for A Minecraft Movie follows the cast and crew into a colorful world teeming with wonders and danger. I hope today’s unique look at the film gives fans more of what they expect from such an open-ended adaptation.
Here’s the official synopsis for A Minecraft Movie courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures:
“Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Hansen), Natalie (Myers) and Dawn (Brooks)—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.”
In the Behind-the-Scenes video for A Minecraft Movie, Emma Myers (Wednesday), Jack Black (Nacho Libre), Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black), Jason Momoa (Fast X), director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), and others emphasize that the title of the films is A Minecraft Movie, not The Minecraft Movie. In other words, the film is one interpretation of the Minecraft property and does not serve as a definitive take on the ever-expanding universe.
In the video, Jack Black explains that his character, Steve, has dreamed about exploring a world like Minecraft since childhood. Meanwhile, Jason Momoa offers more information about his character, Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, a competitive video game player from the 1980s. Garrett hasn’t moved on from when he was the “King of Kong,” but he’s about to put his skills to the test when he finds himself in the Minecraft Universe. Sebastian Eugene Hansen’s character, Eugene, is a modder who manipulates code to introduce new rules and mechanics to the game.
The Behind-the-Scenes video for A Minecraft Movie also includes detailed looks at the villains, including zombies, skeletons, and the Creepers. As the stars and crew take us around the set, we see how faithful Hess and his team are to recreating the Minecraft Universe in live-action. This video is a much better showing than the previous trailer. Speaking of trailers, a new trailer for A Minecraft Movie drops tomorrow!
How do you think A Minecraft Movie is shaping up? Has the new video swayed your opinion of the movie? Let us know in the comments section below.
At one point in time, Steven Spielberg was set to direct the thrillerCape Fear, while Martin Scorsese was attached to direct the historical drama Schindler’s List. Then Scorsese decided to step away from Schindler’s List, a choice that coincided with Spielberg deciding that Cape Fear was too violent for him. So the directors traded movies – resulting in Scorsese directing Robert De Niro and Juliette Lewis to Oscar nominations for Cape Fear and Spielberg turning Schindler’s List into a Best Picture winner. Now, Spielberg and Scorsese are teaming up to executive produce a TV series adaptation of Cape Fear, with Nick Antosca on board as executive producer and showrunner – and Deadline reports that Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story) has signed on to play the villainous Max Cady in this new take on the story!
Coming our way from Amblin Television and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, this version of Cape Fear is said to be “as an unconventional take on the IP” that turns the story into a tense, contemporary thriller that examines America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century. In it, a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Amanda and Steve Bowden when Max Cady (played by Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison. The story will be told over the course of ten episodes. The show is set up at Apple TV+.
The Cape Fear story began with a novel called The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. First published in 1957, that book received a film adaptation in 1962 that was directed by J. Lee Thompson (who was working from storyboards devised by original director Alfred Hitchcock). Released in 1991, Scorsese’s Cape Fear was a second take on the material. It’s said that Antosca has been obsessed with the Cape Fear movies since he was a kid. His previous credits include Hannibal, The Forest, Channel Zero, Brand New Cherry Flavor, Antlers, The Act, Candy, and A Friend of the Family.
In addition to Spielberg, Scorsese, and Antosca, the Cape Fear TV series will be executive produced by Alex Hedlund of Eat the Cat and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey of Amblin Television. Bardem will be an executive producer on the show as well.
By taking on the role of Max Cady, Bardem is following in the footsteps of Robert Mitchum, who played the character in 1962, and Robert De Niro, who played him in 1991.
What do you think of Javier Bardem being cast as Max Cady in the Cape Fear TV series? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Taylor Sheridan never stops working. We are lucky that the multi-hyphenate talent has given us everything from historical epics to contemporary melodramas while developing a roster of writers and directors he can rely on to shepherd his various ideas into popular television programming. Through his various series, Sheridan has been more hands-on with some than others, and Landman benefits from having his involvement as a writer on all ten episodes and director on the first two. Landman is not only another solid entry in Sheridan’s expanding roster of projects but also his best series since the first season of Yellowstone (READ OUR REVIEW).
Based on Christian Wallace’s podcast Boomtown, Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a veteran of the oil business, as he fixes the day-to-day operational challenges for his boss, Monty Miller (Jon Hamm). These problems range from dealing with legal challenges, the death of oil engineers, and negotiating with Mexican drug lords using the West Texas land that Norris’ employers are drilling on. Tommy must also contend with his son Cooper (Jacob Lofland) working the high-risk life of an oil engineer while his daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) and his ex-wife Angela (Ali Larter) complicate his home life. It is a high-stakes glimpse into the working-class world of those who get us the fuel we need daily with the risks the rich and powerful must face.
I chatted about Landman with the series stars, including Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter. Billy Bob Thornton talked about the unexpected humor inside the deeply dramatic world of Tommy Norris. In contrast, Ali Larter talked about Angela as more than a cliche ex-wife character. Taylor Sheridan collaborator James Jordan talked about what sets this series apart from Yellowstone, while Mark Collie talked about his Sheriff character and how he channeled the role. Jacob Lofland talked about the arduous life Cooper has chosen to lead. Kayla Wallace talked about her character Rebecca Falcone and whether she could hold her own opposite Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton. Paulina Chavez discussed the honor of playing her character of Paulina. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.
Netflix has just released the powerfully haunting new trailer for The Piano Lesson. Denzel Washington produces another film adaptation of August Wilson’s plays after he directed and starred in 2016’s Fences. This movie becomes even more of a family affair as Denzel’s son, John David Washington, stars in the drama and it’s directed by another of Denzel’s sons, Malcolm Washington. Malcolm Washington also wrote the script with Virgil Williams.
The cast also features Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Jerrika Hinton, Gail Bean, with Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins.
The official synopsis reads, “A battle is brewing in the Charles Household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, a brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.
Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, THE PIANO LESSON explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence – revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy. The film is directed by Malcolm Washington in his feature debut. From Oscar nominated producers Denzel Washington and Todd Black, and featuring an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith with Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins. Co-written for the screen by Virgil Williams & Malcolm Washington, and featuring music scored by Alexandre Desplat.”
Denzel Washington produces the film with Todd Black and the movie is executive produced by Jennifer Roth, Constanza Romero Wilson and Katia Washington.
Malcolm Washington said in a statement about The Piano Lesson, “Our first mandate was to honor and uphold the legacy of August Wilson; imbue his spirit into the work. I tried to open myself up to him and learn as much as I could. I read about his close relationship with his mother, that he grew up behind Bella’s Market — a small storefront that we honor in our film. I traveled to his neighborhood, Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District and walked the streets he grew up on, spoke to his family, all while digging deeper and deeper into his masterwork.”
Writer/director Damien Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on his breakout horror film Terrifier, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2, which was a massive hit when it was released in 2022, earning $15.1 million at the box office. Since the second film did so well, Terrifier 3 has a substantially higher budget. A “couple million” went into this one – and it paid off, as the new sequel was well-received (JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols considers the film to be the best entry in the Terrifier franchise) and proved to be a major box office success, making over $73 million worldwide. Now, our friends at Bloody Disgusting have revealed that fans will have the chance to watch Terrifier 3 in the comfort of their own homes very soon, as the film is set to receive a digital release on November 26th. A DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD release will follow on December 17th, making this Christmas horror movie the perfect stocking stuffer. Copies are available for pre-order on Amazon.
Terrifier 3 has the following synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve. Here’s some more information: After surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they’re safe, Art the Clown returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.
David Howard Thornton reprises the role of Art the Clown, a character who was first introduced in Leone’s 2013 anthology All Hallows’ Eve (although Thornton didn’t start playing him until Terrifier). Also in the cast are Lauren LaVera, who’s back as Terrifier 2 heroine Sienna; Elliot Fullam returns as Sienna’s brother Jonathan, Samantha Scaffidi is returning as Terrifier and Terrifier 2 character Victoria Heyes, and Daniel Roebuck, who has been cast in the role of Santa Claus. FX legend Tom Savini also shows up, as do Jon Abrahams, Antonella Rose, Krsy Fox, and legendary character actor Clint Howard. Chris Jericho, who had a cameo in Terrifier 2, is back in Terrifier 3 – but he made sure to let everyone know that his appearance in the film doesn’t last very long.
Are you glad to hear that Terrifier 3 is getting a digital release this week? Will you be buying the movie on physical media? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Tron: Ares director Joachim Rønning recently commemorated the wrapping of filming earlier this summer with some behind-the-scenes images and stating, “That’s a wrap on TRON: ARES. Thanks to an incredible and tireless crew, I really believe we pushed the filmmaking limits on this movie. Even through six weeks of night shoots you never slowed down. Also, a big thank you to our wonderful cast for leaving everything on screen. I can’t wait to show the world what we’ve done.” It was also revealed that Nine Inch Nails is scoring the film in place of the last film’s composers, Daft Punk.
Empire has recently shared a new picture from the upcoming Tron: Ares that teases more of Jared Leto’s character — the titular Ares. Additionally, Rønning has also explained more about his intended heavier score with Nine Inch Nails, saying, “With Nine Inch Nails making the music, this installment will be a little grittier, a little bit more industrial. It’s been important for me to contrast The Grid and the real world. In that sense, Nine Inch Nails lends itself perfectly into this new Tron world that we are creating.”
He also explains that the darker tone of the music will not necessarily mean the tone of this entry will be more melancholy, but there will also be some heart and human spirit emanating from the soundtrack. Rønning expounded, “What I always look for in any story is a strong emotional core. This film will probably be more emotional than people are expecting. It’s about the cost of being human.”
Tron: Ares “follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.” The film stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson.
To the delight of Tron fans, it was confirmed that Jeff Bridges will also return. “I’m heading off this Saturday to play a part in the third installment of the Tron story,” Bridges said. “I’m excited about that. It’s wild. Jared Leto is the star of this third one, and I’m really anxious to work with him, and I’ve admired his work.” He also spoke about the visual effects of the last Tron movie, which found him digitally de-aged in a way that didn’t always work. “[I’m really excited] to see what the technology is going to be all about [this time],” he said. “When I did Tron: Legacy, we had to put all these dots on our face and all these kinds of things. And that’s [probably] all passé. I had to see myself as a young guy or as another character, but the same guy, but it was gonna be digitally created. I think it was [de-aging], but I didn’t like the way I looked in it; I felt like I looked more like Bill Maher than myself; it was kind of bizarre [laughs]. I’m anxious to see what the technology and what it will be. I hear there’s even less A.I. stuff in this. It’s going to be more a practical set, and they’re beautiful; there are beautiful sets that I’ve seen.“
Tron: Ares is set to hit theaters on October 10, 2025.
Every week, moviegoers are polled by a company called CinemaScore to see how they like new movies in theatres. Their opinions are averaged out, and the film is assigned a letter grade. If the movie scores in the A-range, it will likely prove to be at least a decent-sized hit. Movies scored in the B-range usually do mediocre business, although there have been plenty of hits that have scored this way, too – it might just mean that the movie inspires strong feelings, with some people loving it and others not. Anything below a C-rating is a disaster, unless it’s a horror movie, because for whatever reason, even hit horror movies typically have underwhelming CinemaScore ratings. Only 22 films have ever gotten an F, but a D rating is considered the kiss of death for your film, with Joker: Folie a Deuxrecently scoring a dreaded D. Only one movie that scored lower than that has ever grossed $100 million – and that movie is 2001’s Vanilla Sky.
But wait a second, you might be asking yourself… doesn’t everyone love that movie? Nowadays, yes, they mostly do, with the film a favourite among many Tom Cruise fans, who maintain that it features one of his greatest-ever performances. But, during the holiday season of 2001, during an especially fraught time – coming just months after the devastating 9-11 attacks, audiences wanted escapism when they went to the movies, not a deep, probing journey into one man’s psyche – even if it happened to star Tom Cruise. Thus, when they turned out to see Vanilla Sky, expecting an upbeat Tom Cruise movie, they revolted, only for those same people to help turn it into a major cult hit once it hit DVD, and eventually came to be regarded as a classic.
Vanilla Sky is a remake of a Spanish film called Abre los ojos, which translates as Open Your Eyes and was the toast of the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Tom Cruise happened to be there that year, saw the film, and optioned the remake rights with producing partner Paula Wagner. Cruise’s career was at an interesting point at the time. The star was absent from screens in 1997 and 1998, with him spending fifteen months shooting Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, which is a project he devoted himself to so entirely he didn’t take on any work for about two years, despite arguably being at the peak of his fame. When he returned to screens, it was in an against-type supporting role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. However, the action spectacle of Mission Impossible II quickly reestablished his box office dominance, and soon he was once again arguably the world’s biggest movie star.
At the same time, he’d struck up an amazing creative partnership with writer-director Cameron Crowe on their smash hit, Jerry Maguire. In the wake of that movie’s success, Crowe got his passion project, Almost Famous, financed by Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks SKG. Despite critical raves, the movie was surprisingly unsuccessful at the box office, earning just over $30 million in North America. Enter Tom Cruise, who was keen to reunite with Crowe on a remake of Open Your Eyes, inviting him over to his house to watch the original film. Sensing its potential, Crowe, a true auteur, would not only direct but also write the screenplay, which would be closely patterned on the original.
When asked why he’d do a remake, Crowe, in a perceptive moment, compared what he was doing to a band covering another band’s song. Rather than depart from the material too drastically, Crowe opted to make the film a faithful remake, with certain shots in it being direct adaptations – such as the famous opening where Cruise’s character runs through an abandoned Time’s Square, being a direct riff on a scene in the original, where the lead character runs through an abandoned Madrid.
Crowe would go even further than that. When casting the movie, he opted to have star Penelope Cruz reprise her role as the lead love interest, a dynamic young woman named Sofia.
The film would mostly follow the story beats of the original, with Cruise playing David Ames, a privileged, handsome playboy who owns a Conde Nast-style publishing empire (in fact – Ames Publishing was actually shot at the Conde Nast headquarters). Ames busies himself with a string of affairs but one day finds himself beguiled by a woman dating his best friend. Yet, before they can start a relationship, Ames winds up in a disfiguring car accident caused by a spurned lover, Cameron Diaz’s Julie Gianni. This leaves him scarred until a surreal operation can cure his appearance. Yet, while outwardly cured, Ames starts to seemingly go insane, having a hard time separating what’s real and what’s not, with the film framed by his prison confession to a psychiatrist, played by Kurt Russell.
While this is similar to the original, Crowe would imbue the film with his own perspective, turning the movie into somewhat of a pastiche of American pop culture from the sixties and seventies, the eras in which our hero, played by Cruise, came of age, and influence the chunks of the movie, as we learn late in the film, are supposed to be a simulation. Likewise, the impeccably crafted soundtrack is a serious selection of one banger after another, including everything from The Beach Boys to The Chemical Brothers, Radiohead, an original song by Paul McCartney and Sigur Ros, whose guitarist, Jonsi, would later become Cameron Crowe’s regular composer after he split with his wife Nancy Wilson, of Heart, who composes the terrific score for this.
One of the reasons the movie strikes a chord with audiences more now than it arguably did in 2001 might be that Tom Cruise means something different to modern audiences than he did in 2001. Cruise is one of those stars who seemed to emerge fully formed. Still, throughout the ’80s and ’90s, he was always, above all things, a romantic lead and kind of the all-American ideal of the perfect man, a thing which likely made his casting in such a bizarre, surreal movie like this tough-to-swallow for audiences at the time. While he’s still a gigantic star, we idealize him less now, with him having had his ups and downs throughout his career, which came to a head in the 2004-2005 period, when his Scientology advocacy became controversial. He was able to bounce back, but notably, outside of his re-teaming with Cameron Diaz in Knight and Day, he never again played a real romantic lead in a love story, with him focusing primarily on action films, a genre he rarely toyed with during his heyday.
All this actually makes Vanilla Sky play a little better than it might have back in 2001, where, in the wake of 9/11, audiences wanted escapism. Yet, the film is a masterpiece, and Cruise delivers the performance of a lifetime as the spoiled but sympathetic Ames. Again, it’s one of those parts only a guy like Cruise can play, as he has your sympathy no matter what. Hollywood has never had a romantic lead like him since, with guys like Jake Gyllenhaal or Chris Evans sometimes trying to make old-school, Tom Cruise-style movies like the former’s Love and Other Drugs or the latter’s Pain Hustlers. In these movies, they play unsympathetic characters you’re nonetheless supposed to root for and like, but they can’t pull it off. Cruise could have. Heck, he made you love Frank TJ Mackey in Magnolia, and he’s a RABID misogynist. Cruise is Cruise, and there’s no one else like him.
What’s also interesting about Vanilla Sky is how lavish it is for a psychological thriller. There’s absolutely no way an actor nowadays would have the kind of clout Cruise wielded twenty years ago, with him not only being allowed to shoot at Conde Nast but also arranging for Times Square to be shut down and abandoned so they could film the famous sequence where he runs through an abandoned New York. That isn’t CGI. That’s Cruise, baby. He even gets Steven Spielberg, his buddy at the time, to show up as himself in a party sequence. Spielberg later cast Crowe himself in a cameo in Minority Report as a bit of quid pro quo. The film also allowed Crowe to reunite with some of his Almost Famous cast members, Jason Lee and Noah Taylor, who have prominent roles. The movie also gave Tilda Swinton one of her first significant parts in an American movie, while Michael Shannon also has a small role, which is more extensive in the alternate director’s cut, which has since been released on Blu-Ray.
While audiences initially didn’t respond to Vanilla Sky, Cameron Diaz’s performance as the unhinged Julie Gianni was highly acclaimed, with her earning several big award nominations, including nods from the Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards. Many attributed the film’s surprising climb to $100 million as further proof of Cruise’s undeniable star power at the time, but even before it left theatres, it developed a cult. Perhaps the film’s biggest fan was a surprise, with the director of the original Open Your Eyes, Alejandro Amenabar being a noted fan of the film, saying, “When I learned, quite some time ago now, that Cameron Crowe was going to write and direct the film based on Open Your Eyes with Tom Cruise in the leading role, I felt honored. Now that I have seen Vanilla Sky, I couldn’t be more proud. Cameron has all my respect and admiration. Respect, for having plumbed the deepest meaning of the work. Admiration, for having sought new viewpoints and a fresh approach to the mise-en-scene, giving the film his own unmistakable touch. Vanilla Sky is as true to the original spirit as it is irreverent towards its form, and that makes it a courageous, innovative work. I think I can say that, for me, the projects are like two very special brothers. They have the same concerns, but their personalities are quite different. In other words, they sing the same song but with quite different voices: one likes opera, and the other likes rock and roll.”
