Dakota Johnson is hopping in a cab to distance herself from the Madame Web fallout for Christy Hall’s upcoming drama Daddio. Setting a destination for theaters on June 28, Daddio stars Johnson (Madame Web, Fifty Shades of Grey, The Social Network) and Sean Penn (Milk, Mystic River, Dead Man Walking) in a character-driven feature about human connectivity and appreciating life’s intricate events that lead to significant changes. The highly anticipated film, written and directed by Christy Hall in her feature directorial debut, received an enthusiastic response and critical praise following its premieres at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.

Here’s the official synopsis for Daddio courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics:

Daddio celebrates the power found in those rare moments of pure human connection, even with the most unlikely person. This highly contained, yet kinetic character-study – encapsulated in one single cab ride – explores the complexities inherent to the secrets we keep, particularly the ones locked away on our phones. It’s about truth and illusion, how we so effortlessly substitute one for the other out of survival. It’s about the hurtful memories of childhood, how past trauma can manifest itself in profound ways. It’s about the dance between the pain and poetry that is the human experience.

In addition to her starring role, Dakota Johnson produces alongside Ro Donnelly through their TeaTime Pictures production studio, along with Hercules Film Fund, First Love Films, Raindrop Valley, Projected Picture Works, and Rhea Films. Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Christy Hall, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, and Terry Dougas also produce, with Jean-Luc De Fanti, Max Work, Kostas Tsoukalas, and Christopher Donnelly serving as executive producers.

Previews for Daddio set the movie up as an emotional roller coaster careening through crowded city streets. Even though they just met, Johnson and Penn’s characters form a meaningful connection immediately, leading to intimate conversations about life, love, and seizing opportunities. The cinematography by Phedon Papamichael is quite stunning, and the limited cast presents an opportunity for Johnson and Penn to chew the scenery with gnashing, shredding bites.

Are you interested in seeing Dakota Johnson leave her search for spiders in the Amazon for an intense cab ride with Sean Penn in Daddio? Let us know in the comments section below. Also, feel free to tell us about your most intense cab ride.

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After a brief halt in production, AMC was able to secure “significant agreements” with the SAG-AFTRA actors union that allowed them to continue filming Interview with the Vampire season 2 during the SAG strike last year, keeping the show on track for its 2024 premiere. The Sunday, May 12th premiere date is now swiftly approaching – and to give viewers a glimpse of what the new episodes have in store for them, a trailer for Interview with the Vampire season 2 has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Anne Rice’s novel Interview with the Vampire centers on the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac as he relates the story of his life to a reporter, in particular how he was turned into a vampire and then mentored by Lestat de Lioncourt. Season 2 of the TV series will pick up in the year 2022, with vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounting his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy after the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen vampire Claudia tried to kill Lestat de Lioncourt. The adventure continues as Louis and Claudia escape to Europe on a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, and it’s there that Louis meets vampire Armand. Louis and Armand’s love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future.

Executive producer Mark Johnson has previously said that Interview with the Vampire season 2 takes place in the 1790s, 1940s, 1970s, and 2023.

The new season stars Sam Reid as the vampire Lestat; Jacob Anderson as Lestat’s companion Louis de Pointe du Lac; Assad Zaman as Rashid, Louis’ companion in present day; Kalyne Coleman as Louis’ sister Grace; Christian Robinson as Levi, an upstanding Baptist who has won Grace’s heart; and Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy, an investigative journalist nearing the end of his career who’s given a second chance at the interview of a lifetime. For season 2, Ben Daniels (Foundation) joins the cast as the vampire Santiago. And while Bailey Bass played the vampire Claudia in the first season, Delainey Hayles takes over the role in the new season.

Guest stars include David Costabile (Suits) as Leonard, “a seasoned TV personality who has a run-in with Molloy”; Roxane Duran (Riviera) as Madeleine, and Bally Gill (Slow Horses) as “Real Rashid.”

Alan Taylor, who directed the Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, executive produces Interview with the Vampire and directed the first two episodes of the show. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul producer Mark Johnson is overseeing the building of AMC’s Vampire Chronicles franchise. Rolin Jones, co-creator and showrunner on the first season of the HBO series Perry Mason, is the creator, showrunner, and writer of the Interview with the Vampire series. Jones and Johnson executive produce the show alongside Taylor. Anne Rice’s son Christopher Rice is also on board as executive producer, and Rice receives an executive producer credit as well.

Will you be watching Interview with the Vampire season 2? What did you think of the trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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The 1980 Robert Altman film Popeye, which gave Robin Williams his first starring role, is kind of a divisive film. It made an admirably grand attempt at adapting the cartoon into a live-action hyper-reality. Not unlike Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy. However, many find the Popeye film hard to swallow and the film was panned by critics. The 1920s cartoon tough guy who likes his spinach would remain somewhat relevant as a mascot here and there. In the 90s, the now-defunct regional theater chain, Dickinson Theaters, had featured the Sailor Man, his girlfriend Olive Oyl and even Bluto in some ads and some promotional merchandise. However, for the most part, Popeye is mostly known to the masses through reputation.

The character would celebrate his 95th anniversary this year and Variety now reports that there will now be a new live-action adaptation of the Popeye character set for release. According to Variety, “The project is currently in development as a big-budget feature, and has attached screenwriter Michael Caleo (Sexy Beast, The Family, The Sopranos).” The film will be coming from Chernin Entertainment and King Features. There is no other word on the project but with the surge of wrestlers turning into legitimate actors, musclemen like Dwayne Johnson, John Cena and Dave Bautista will surely be thrown around. Perhaps even Ryan Gosling or Chris Hemsworth, both who are known for building up their physiques as well as having comedic sensibilities. Reacher‘s Alan Ritchson could even break out of his usual mold for the project.

Popeye would additionally be named as a key inspiration for the menswear collections from brands like Moschino, Supreme and A Bathing Ape. The famous character is also naturally still the face of McCall Farms spinach, as the cartoons feature him eating the vegetable in order to gain the power to pummel threats like Bluto and other rivals. The spinach brand carries the Popeye logo and face on their canned goods.

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Director George Miller is continuing the Mad Max franchise with the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which is set to reach theatres on May 24th – and with that date just a couple months away, a new trailer for the film has arrived online! You can check it out in the embed above.

Directed by Miller from a screenplay he wrote with Nico Lathouris, Furiosa has the following synopsis: As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by the Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home. The story is said to take place over a span of fifteen years.

Title character Furiosa is played by Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), taking over from Fury Road‘s Charlize Theron. Lachy Hulme (Offspring) pulls double duty, playing both Fury Road villain Immortan Joe (taking over from the late Hugh Keays-Byrne) and a character called Rizzdale Pell, who is “one of the gang members affiliated with the warlord Dementus.” We’ve heard Dementus is “a pretty horrible individual, and he’s played by Chris Hemsworth (Thor). Also in the cast are Tom Burke (C.B. Strike) and Quaden Bayles (Three Thousand Years of Longing), with Alyla Browne (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) as a younger Furiosa. Nathan Jones and Angus Sampson are said to reprise their Fury Road roles of Rictus Erectus and The Organic Mechanic.

Miller hasn’t revealed whether or not Mad Max himself will be appearing in the movie, he has only teased that, “Max is lurking there in the background.” If you’re anxious to see more Mad Max, there’s some good news: Miller has confirmed that he has another Mad Max story written, which would presumably be the Mad Max: The Wasteland story that he has referenced here and there ever since Fury Road was released. Now that Furiosa is making its way out into the world, here’s hoping that Miller or a protégé (Miller has said he has three different directors in mind that he would like to see make movies set in the world of his franchise) will get Mad Max: The Wasteland into production sooner than later.

Are you looking forward to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga? What did you think of the new trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Shudder announced a while back that they had renewed The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs for a supersized sixth season that will make sure legendary drive-in critic and movie host Joe Bob will be an even more consistent presence on the streaming service throughout the year. The season 6 action kicked off with a special (A Tribute to Roger Corman) that aired last Friday, and on March 29th the season will really get rolling with its new approach. In the previous seasons, Joe Bob would host double features on a weekly basis. This time, episodes will air every other Friday night, and instead of the usual double features, Joe Bob will be presenting “single titles and surprises”. Single titles every other Friday is how Shudder intends to spread the episodes out over a longer period of the year (apparently, the season will continue into September). In anticipation of this new season of blood, breasts, and beasts, JoBlo’s own Jessica Dwyer had the chance to sit down for an interview with Joe Bob, and you can check it out in the video embedded above!

On The Last Drive-In, the world’s foremost drive-in movie critic hosts eclectic horror movies, talking about their merits, histories and significance to genre cinema.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, which was previously filmed in Texas and then New Jersey, is now set up at the Senoia, Georgia studios where the Walking Dead shows have been filmed, and this location gives Joe Bob access to a backlot for the first time.

Joe Bob provided the following statement: “As everyone knows, you should never invite me into your home, because I always show up. Shudder has graciously invited me to stick around for a sixth year, and I intend to use that kindness to haunt your phones, laptops and big-screen TVs with the most ghastly examples of perversity in the history of cinema. Plus a few old jokes and some celebrity guests who will still return our phone calls. Put it all together and it spells PARTAY.“

Courtney Thomasma of Shudder owner AMC Networks said, “We’re delighted to bring Joe Bob, Darcy and the rest of The Last Drive-In Team back for our biggest season yet of crazy, scary and crazy-scary movies and specials, with the most entertaining commentary on TV. Joe Bob will be hosting more movie nights than any previous season and we can’t wait to continue the Friday night party with our Shudder family.“

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs is produced by Matt Manjourides and Justin Martell and directed by Austin Jennings. Joe Bob is joined on every episode by Diana Prince as Darcy the Mail Girl.

Are you a fan of Joe Bob Briggs, and will you be watching season 6 of The Last Drive-In? Take a look at the interview, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Yesterday, the Disney+ streaming service announced that the latest Star Wars series, Star Wars: The Acolyte, is set to premiere (with two episodes) on June 4th – and with that announcement came the promise that a trailer for the show would arrive online today. True to their word, Disney+ has now dropped a trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte online, and you can check it out in the embed above!

Set hundreds of years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte takes place during the High Republic era of the franchise. The series stars Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Dafne Keen (Logan), Charlie Barnett (You), Jodie Turner-Smith (Anne Boleyn), Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones), Joonas Suotamon (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections).

Here’s the logline: An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.

The Acolyte creator Lesyle Headland has said that the series will flip the script from other Star Wars stories as it won’t always be told from the perspective of the Jedi. “I think that what makes this show different and interesting is that it’s from the perspective of the villains of Star Wars. These are people who are using the Force in their own way, dipping into the darker sides of the Force and are doing it without being sanctioned by the larger institution, which, in this case, is the Jedi.” Headland added that the series will feature “more Jedi than you’ve seen in any of the Star Wars content,” but also more “morally ambiguous characters” as well.

Star Wars: The Acolyte will run for eight episodes, and the first two will be available to watch as of June 4th. Will you be watching the show? What did you think of the trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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In the past two months, accusations of the former Nickelodeon producer, Dan Schneider, were made in a bombshell docu-series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV when the trailer was released, then in the show’s premiere. The two-night event chronicled the accounts of former employees who worked with Schneider on the network as he produced his slate of successful children’s programming, which include All That, Kenan & Kel, Drake & Josh, iCarly, Zoey 101 and more. Allegations were also made against the acting coach, Brian Peck, who would spend long hours with the child stars. Drake & Josh star Drake Bell became a surprise whistleblower for the show as he came forward with his accounts.

As part of the accusations, the ID show emphasizes how much Schneider played up the young actors’ looks as they were presented in an inappropriate manner. According to Variety, Schneider has now responded to the accusations made that he had aimed to sexualize young stars like Ariana Grande, Jamie Lynn Spears and Victoria Justice on his shows. A representative for Schneider said in a statement, “Everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network. If there was an actual problem with the scenes that some people, now years later are ‘sexualizing,’ they would be taken down, but they are not, they are aired constantly all over the world today still, enjoyed by both kids and parents.”

The statement continues, “Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes. In addition, every day on every set, there were always parents and caregivers and their friends watching filming and rehearsals. Had there been any scenes or outfits that were inappropriate in any way, they would have been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny. Unfortunately, some adults project their adult minds onto kids’ shows, drawing false conclusions about them.”

A spokesperson for Nickelodeon would tell Variety, “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct. Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”

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When the character Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne) made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut back in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the idea was that we’d be seeing the character again the following year in her own Disney+ show Ironheart… but 2023 came and went without Ironheart, and the show still doesn’t have an official premiere date. This has caused some fans to speculate that Marvel and Disney+ might have decided to scrap Ironheart, along with the series Wonder Man, which had Yahya Abdul-Mateen II taking on the role of the title character, who is also known as Simon Williams and hasn’t been seen in the MCU yet. But no, Ironheart and Wonder Man are not being scrapped, and in a new interview with Agents of Fandom, Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum described the shows as spectacular, amazing, and different.

Winderbaum told Agents of Fandom, “We’re editing both of those shows as we speak. They’re spectacular, they’re amazing, and they’re different… We’re able to explore corners of the universe that are really exciting. Riri Williams is one of them and I cannot wait for people to meet Simon Williams.“

As for why Ironheart is taking so long to make its way out into the world, that is entirely due to the decision to take more time between the releases of Marvel movies and shows. Winderbaum said, ” “Frankly, in all honesty, there was a mandate to kind of create as much as we could for Disney+ as quickly as we could. And then, there was a shift, and all of a sudden, we have to start spreading our release dates out. So, that really accounts for a lot of the delays.“

Dominique Thorne stars in Ironheart as Riri Williams, “a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man”. Anthony Ramos takes on the role of Parker Robbins/The Hood. Also in the cast are Manny Montana, Shakira Barrera, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Shea Couleé, and Zoe Terakes. We’ve heard that Sacha Baron Cohen was in talks to play Mephisto, but his casting has never been officially confirmed.

Chinaka Hodge, whose previous credit include Snowpiercer and The Midnight Club, is the head writer on the series. Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes direct the episodes. Ryan Coogler, who was behind the Black Panther movies, is an executive producer on the show.

Wonder Man focuses on one of Marvel’s oldest characters, as Simon Williams was introduced back to 1964, in the pages of Avengers #9. “He began his comic book career as a villain but got reintroduced as a hero in the late 1970s. Wonder Man’s civilian name is Simon Williams, and he was a founding member of the Los Angeles-based West Coast Avengers. As an actor and stuntman, Williams’ look included wearing a turtleneck, a red jacket, and sunglasses. Wonder Man strongly relates to Marvel characters Vision and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. The trio shared several adventures, with Wonder Man and Vision thinking of each other as brothers in action. After Vision was dismantled, the villain-turned-hero developed intense feelings for Wanda.”

MSN notes that Abdul-Mateen is joined in the cast by Ben Kingsley, who reprises his Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings role of actor Trevor Slattery; Demetrius Grosse, who plays Simon’s brother, Eric Williams, an Avengers villain from the comics known as the Grim Reaper, and Ed Harris as Simon’s agent, Neal Saroyan. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton as a producer on the show, with Andrew Guest (Hawkeye) serving as the head writer.

Are you looking forward to Ironheart and/or Wonder Man? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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For a reclusive figure, Richard Simmons sure has had a public 2024 so far. First it was blasting Pauly Shore’s portrayal of him in the short film The Court Jester – apparently some sort of dream project for The Weasel – and now he is trying to convince people that he is in fact not lunging towards death’s door.

Richard Simmons drew concern from his social media followers when he wrote, in part, “I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying.  Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying.  Every day we live we are getting closer to our death.” We say “in part” because Simmons would go on to write, “Why am I telling you this?…Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy.” While this would seem to clear it up immediately, it was still a bit too cryptic, prompting replies about his condition, to which Simmons would respond: “Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today.   Even the press has gotten in touch with me.  I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have.  Sorry for this confusion.”

Richard Simmons would go on to give advice pertaining to one’s diet, exercise routine and overall well-being, encouraging his followers to tell those they are close to that they love them.

Now 75, Richard Simmons has kept a mostly low profile for a decade, something that people thought was odd for such a flamboyant, in-your-face pop culture figure. There was even an investigation launched relating to the belief he was being held hostage and speculation that he was in fact “missing”, spawning an aptly named podcast called Missing Richard Simmons.

Whether out of genuine concern or a tacky grab at limelight, most chatter about the fitness guru only forced him to come out of “hiding” to address the rumors. While the more lecherous people did their part in ruining the way Richard Simmons wanted to live, it is nice to hear he’s doing well.

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When it comes to being an actor, it is known that those in the business would have to pay their dues. Sometimes studio politics means playing the game in order to get to the better stuff. The phrase that’s usually said is “one for them” — meaning you just take a job just to show you are a team player. And Syndey Sweeney is attributing her role in the infamous Madame Web to be exactly that. After Sony attempted to expand their Spider-Man property, only to get caught in its own web, which let audiences prey on it, it was recently given a mercy release on digital.

The stars of the film have started to distance themselves from the finished product as well. However, Sydney Sweeney did her part and hopes her role in the production meant building a stronger bond with the film’s studio. According to Deadline, Sweeney told GQ, “To me, that film was a building block, it’s what allowed me to build a relationship with Sony. Without doing Madame Web I wouldn’t have a relationship with the decision-makers over there. Everything in my career I do not just for that story, but strategic business decisions. Because I did that, I was able to sell Anyone But You. I was able to get Barbarella.”

Despite the reception, Sweeney would take the hit in her resume (“hit” in a counteractive sense) and let it roll off her shoulders, “The movie is such a large movie with so many people involved. I was just hired as an actor and happy to bring to life a character that my little cousins are excited about. There’s no outcome I can control on a film like that, especially when I’m not a producer. You sign up for whatever happens and you take the ride.” She was asked if she knew “something was off” during the production, to which she replied, “There’s definitely a different formula when you’re making a film like that, that was very different from what I’m used to.”

The film’s star, Dakota Johnson, would take the flop as a learning experience, “I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again, because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now. But sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, ‘Wait, what?’ But it was a real learning experience, and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”

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