Here be SPOILERS. Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters, and while the sequel is being celebrated as a fantastic adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel, director Denis Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts did make a few changes, most notably with the character played by Anya Taylor-Joy.

Anya Taylor-Joy plays Alia, the younger sister of Paul Atreides. While the character spends much of the movie as an unborn fetus, she is seen as an adult in Paul’s visions. In Frank Herbert’s novel, Alia is a young toddler during the events covered in the sequel, as there’s a two-year time jump in the middle of the story. Jon Spaihts explained to Inverse why they didn’t go this route. “We were a little leery of that talking toddler, as a distraction in the middle of the film,” Spaihts said. “That’s a difficult thing to execute on film.“

Spaihts added that they had another reason for skipping the time jump in the novel. “To allow such a long time lapse inevitably would sort of cool the passions of Part One,” Spaihts said. “If Duke Leto’s death were years and years ago, then it would lessen the lingering trauma that all the characters were feeling. We wanted the heat of their passion to be fresh and their wounds to be fresh.“

If Denis Villeneuve returns to make Dune: Messiah, we will likely see much more of Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia.

Our own Chris Bumbray gave the Dune sequel a rave review. “In this day of assembly line blockbusters, it’s a miracle that director Denis Villeneuve has managed to get not one but two incredible, uncompromised epics like this through the studio system,” he wrote. “It works as a tentpole blockbuster, but Dune Part Two is also filmmaking at the highest level. It’s a real cinematic event everyone owes it to themselves to take in and hopefully won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. It’s a masterpiece.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

Dune: Part Two will “explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” The film is now playing in theaters, so be sure to let us know what you thought of it!

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Here be SPOILERS. Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters, and while the sequel is being celebrated as a fantastic adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel, director Denis Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts did make a few changes, most notably with the character played by Anya Taylor-Joy.

Anya Taylor-Joy plays Alia, the younger sister of Paul Atreides. While the character spends much of the movie as an unborn fetus, she is seen as an adult in Paul’s visions. In Frank Herbert’s novel, Alia is a young toddler during the events covered in the sequel, as there’s a two-year time jump in the middle of the story. Jon Spaihts explained to Inverse why they didn’t go this route. “We were a little leery of that talking toddler, as a distraction in the middle of the film,” Spaihts said. “That’s a difficult thing to execute on film.“

Spaihts added that they had another reason for skipping the time jump in the novel. “To allow such a long time lapse inevitably would sort of cool the passions of Part One,” Spaihts said. “If Duke Leto’s death were years and years ago, then it would lessen the lingering trauma that all the characters were feeling. We wanted the heat of their passion to be fresh and their wounds to be fresh.“

If Denis Villeneuve returns to make Dune: Messiah, we will likely see much more of Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia.

Our own Chris Bumbray gave the Dune sequel a rave review. “In this day of assembly line blockbusters, it’s a miracle that director Denis Villeneuve has managed to get not one but two incredible, uncompromised epics like this through the studio system,” he wrote. “It works as a tentpole blockbuster, but Dune Part Two is also filmmaking at the highest level. It’s a real cinematic event everyone owes it to themselves to take in and hopefully won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. It’s a masterpiece.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

Dune: Part Two will “explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” The film is now playing in theaters, so be sure to let us know what you thought of it!

The post Dune: Part Two writer explains why they changed Anya Taylor-Joy’s character appeared first on JoBlo.

I hope you haven’t gotten sick of hearing “Yes, chef” yet because there’s another season of The Bear on the way. The third season of the award-winning series is currently shooting in Chicago, but Deadline reports that The Bear has also been renewed for season 4, which will be shot back-to-back with season 3.

Although the renewal isn’t official, it would make sense for FX to want to get another season in the can. The Bears stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri are in high demand, with plenty of other projects on their slate. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is also on the rise, especially after it was confirmed that he would be playing Ben Grimm/The Thing in Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie.

Some have wondered if the season 4 renewal might mark the end of The Bear, as something similar happened with Atlanta, which came to an end after the third and fourth seasons were shot back-to-back. Again, nothing is official, but sources tell Deadline that a fifth season is still a possibility.

Jeremy Allen White stars in The Bear as an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother’s sandwich shop. The series has proven to be quite the hit. It took home ten awards at the Emmy ceremonies earlier this year, including Best Comedy Series, Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Jeremy Allen White), Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Ayo Edebiri), and more.

The third season doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but FX chairman John Landgraf revealed last month that it will premiere in June with a binge release. When asked if he could reveal if the new season would have as many high-profile guest stars as it did last season, Landgraf said, “Unfortunately, I can’t. I was surprised as you were when the Christmas episode came through the door.” The episode Landgraf spoke of was pretty jam-packed with big names, with Jamie Lee Curtis, Gillian Jacobs, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, and Jon Bernthal all appearing.

As a massive fan of the series, I’m definitely than ready for more of The Bear.

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Deadline reports that Jude Law and Jason Bateman are set to star in Black Rabbit, a limited series for Netflix created by Zack Baylin (King Richard) and Kate Susman (The Order).

The official description for Black Rabbit reads: “When the owner of a New York City hotspot (Law) allows his turbulent brother (Bateman) back in his life, he opens the door to escalated dangers that threaten to bring down everything he’s built.” In addition to Law and Bateman, the one-hour drama will also star Cleopatra Coleman (Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire), Amaka Okafor (Bodies), Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (Gangs of London), and Dagmara Dominczyk (Succession).

Jason Bateman will also direct the first two episodes of Black Rabbit, as well as executive produce with Michael Costigan for Aggregate Pictures. Law will also executive produce with Ben Jackson for Riff Raff Entertainment, along with Zach Baylin and Kate Susman for Youngblood Pictures. Zac Frognowski, Justin Levy, David Bernon, and Andrew Hinderaker are also on board as executive producers, with Hinderaker serving as co-showrunner with Baylin and Susman.

Black Rabbit will serve as Bateman’s small-screen follow-up to Ozark, the critically acclaimed Netflix crime drama which followed a married couple who move to the Lake of the Ozarks to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. Bateman has been enjoying a fruitful relationship with Netflix, as he’s also directing Dark Wire for the streaming service. The FBI surveillance thriller is based on actual events and chronicles how the FBI established a fake telecom company to pose as a phone service provider to listen in on one of the world’s most infamous gangs.

Batemen is also set to star in and direct Daddy Ball for Netflix, a series adaptation of David Gauvey Herbert’s Esquire magazine article which deals with dad-on-dad youth sports rivalries. On the Long Island Inferno, two fathers, both with complicated pasts, took it all too far. There were claims of stalking, corrupt cops, and mob connections. Neither man was ever the same.

As for Law, he will be featured in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, a live-action series described as “a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy. And it’s the story of their journey trying to find their way home.” The series will debut on Disney+ later this year.

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Deadline reports that Jude Law and Jason Bateman are set to star in Black Rabbit, a limited series for Netflix created by Zack Baylin (King Richard) and Kate Susman (The Order).

The official description for Black Rabbit reads: “When the owner of a New York City hotspot (Law) allows his turbulent brother (Bateman) back in his life, he opens the door to escalated dangers that threaten to bring down everything he’s built.” In addition to Law and Bateman, the one-hour drama will also star Cleopatra Coleman (Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire), Amaka Okafor (Bodies), Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (Gangs of London), and Dagmara Dominczyk (Succession).

Jason Bateman will also direct the first two episodes of Black Rabbit, as well as executive produce with Michael Costigan for Aggregate Pictures. Law will also executive produce with Ben Jackson for Riff Raff Entertainment, along with Zach Baylin and Kate Susman for Youngblood Pictures. Zac Frognowski, Justin Levy, David Bernon, and Andrew Hinderaker are also on board as executive producers, with Hinderaker serving as co-showrunner with Baylin and Susman.

Black Rabbit will serve as Bateman’s small-screen follow-up to Ozark, the critically acclaimed Netflix crime drama which followed a married couple who move to the Lake of the Ozarks to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. Bateman has been enjoying a fruitful relationship with Netflix, as he’s also directing Dark Wire for the streaming service. The FBI surveillance thriller is based on actual events and chronicles how the FBI established a fake telecom company to pose as a phone service provider to listen in on one of the world’s most infamous gangs.

Batemen is also set to star in and direct Daddy Ball for Netflix, a series adaptation of David Gauvey Herbert’s Esquire magazine article which deals with dad-on-dad youth sports rivalries. On the Long Island Inferno, two fathers, both with complicated pasts, took it all too far. There were claims of stalking, corrupt cops, and mob connections. Neither man was ever the same.

As for Law, he will be featured in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, a live-action series described as “a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy. And it’s the story of their journey trying to find their way home.” The series will debut on Disney+ later this year.

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Director Fede Alvarez’s upcoming contribution to the Alien franchise, the feature film Alien: Romulus, is on track for an August 16th theatrical release – and according to World of Reel, a test screening was just held in California a few days ago. The site reports that test screening audience members have revealed plot details (which line up with a synopsis that recently showed up online), the reason for the Romulus subtitle, and a new design element for the iconic Facehuggers that make them more dangerous than ever before!

Here’s the synopsis, as shared by Perfect Organism: A group of scavengers depart their home planet for an abandoned spaceship, aiming to steal equipment. Unleashing baby Xenos and the fearsome Xenomorph in a gory battle. More chest rips and stunning visuals, staying true to the franchise’s essence with some twists.

World of Reel’s sources confirm that the story crafted by Alvarez and his frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues takes place at a Weyland-Yutani research station that has been abandoned for hundreds of years. The name of this research station: Romulus. The station will be investigated by a crew of six scavengers, of which Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is the lead. Andy (David Jonsson) is Rain’s android brother. The other four scavengers are composed the tropes that we usually connect with the Alien franchise, except they are much younger than in previous films. The early reactions also imply that the Facehuggers in Alien: Romulus have spiked barbs on their fingers — making the act of face-hugging way more graphic and gruesome. There is some very graphic violence in the film.

As mentioned, the film’s cast includes Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) and David Jonsson (Industry), as well as Isabela Merced (Madame Web), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn (The Batman), and Aileen Wu (Away from Home). Spaeny has previously revealed that the story takes place between the events of the original Alien and its follow-up Aliens. Merced has said there’s a scene in the film that’s so disgusting, a lot of viewers will have to look away, so that goes along with the “graphic and gruesome” description. “Graphic and gruesome” is what we expected from this movie as soon as it was announced that it was being made by the director of Evil Dead 2013 and Don’t Breathe.

When the project was announced near the start of 2022, it was said that Alvarez pitched this idea to Ridley Scott years ago. Whatever the idea was, it stuck with Scott. So in late 2021, he called Alvarez and asked if he still wanted to make an Alien movie. Clearly, the answer was yes. 20th Century Studios division president Steve Asbell told The Hollywood Reporter that they picked up the project “purely off the strength of Fede’s pitch. It was just a really good story with a bunch of characters you haven’t seen before.“

It has been said that the story Alvarez and Sayagues crafted for this movie is not connected to the other films in the Alien franchise. An early description said it will show us what happens when “a group of young people on a distant world find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.” The Hollywood Reporter noted, “as opposed to the other movies which focused on adults in corporate, militaristic and scientific roles, this now-ninth installment of the franchise will focus on a group of young people. On a distant colony, the group finds themselves in a fight for their lives with the titular alien, a creature known as a Xenomorph, whose race propagates by implanting eggs into people’s stomachs via face-huggers, with the juveniles eventually violently bursting out of the host’s chest.”

This new Alien movie is coming to us from Momentum and 20th Century Studios, with Ridley Scott producing through his Scott Free banner. 

Are you looking forward to Alien: Romulus? What do you think of the talk of scavengers and Facehuggers that has come out of the test screening? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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DC is eager to make the Suicide Squad a household name. After two films of varying quality and the release of Rocksteady’s live-service loot shooter Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the comic book studio that loves to print Batman comics is debuting a new Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer featuring a new assembly of villains and antiheroes to unleash untold destruction on unsuspecting citizens.

Eri Osada (Kobato, Ma La Nu Pei) directs Suicide Squad ISEKAI with original character designs by Akira Amano (Psycho-Pass, Kamonohashi Ron No Kidan Suiri) and scripts by Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara. Here’s the official synopsis:

In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that’s connected to this world through a gate. It’s a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies—an “ISEKAI”!

With lethal explosives planted in their necks, there’s no running or hiding, and failing the mission means a one-way ticket to the afterlife! Can Harley Quinn and her crew conquer this perilous ISEKAI realm?! Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the “Suicide Squad” as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure! 

Anna Nagase voices Harley Quinn, Yuuichirou Umehara plays the Joker, Reigo Yamaguchi voices Deadshot, Jun Fukuyama plays Clayface, Taku Yashiro voices Rick Flag, Kujira plays Amanda Waller, and Reina Ueda voices Fione.

In today’s Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer, Amanda Waller orders the “worst of the worst” to hop dimensions to the ISEKAI realm. Under the threat of death, Task Force X uses every trick in their trade to inflict pain in a world of swords and sorcery. If this plot sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is, and my body is ready!

What do you think of today’s Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer? Do you still find Task Force X interesting, or should DC stop pushing the team in front of our eyes? I’m game to give this animated feature a go and hope I like it more than Batman Ninja.

The post Harley Quinn, Joker, and a motley crew of anti-heroes unleash unbridled destruction in the Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer appeared first on JoBlo.

DC is eager to make the Suicide Squad a household name. After two films of varying quality and the release of Rocksteady’s live-service loot shooter Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the comic book studio that loves to print Batman comics is debuting a new Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer featuring a new assembly of villains and antiheroes to unleash untold destruction on unsuspecting citizens.

Eri Osada (Kobato, Ma La Nu Pei) directs Suicide Squad ISEKAI with original character designs by Akira Amano (Psycho-Pass, Kamonohashi Ron No Kidan Suiri) and scripts by Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara. Here’s the official synopsis:

In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that’s connected to this world through a gate. It’s a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies—an “ISEKAI”!

With lethal explosives planted in their necks, there’s no running or hiding, and failing the mission means a one-way ticket to the afterlife! Can Harley Quinn and her crew conquer this perilous ISEKAI realm?! Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the “Suicide Squad” as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure! 

Anna Nagase voices Harley Quinn, Yuuichirou Umehara plays the Joker, Reigo Yamaguchi voices Deadshot, Jun Fukuyama plays Clayface, Taku Yashiro voices Rick Flag, Kujira plays Amanda Waller, and Reina Ueda voices Fione.

In today’s Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer, Amanda Waller orders the “worst of the worst” to hop dimensions to the ISEKAI realm. Under the threat of death, Task Force X uses every trick in their trade to inflict pain in a world of swords and sorcery. If this plot sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is, and my body is ready!

What do you think of today’s Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer? Do you still find Task Force X interesting, or should DC stop pushing the team in front of our eyes? I’m game to give this animated feature a go and hope I like it more than Batman Ninja.

The post Harley Quinn, Joker, and a motley crew of anti-heroes unleash unbridled destruction in the Suicide Squad ISEKAI trailer appeared first on JoBlo.

Talk about a fast turnaround! After winning four golden statues at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony for the twisted Frankenstein-like drama Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone are reteaming for the lauded director’s next feature, Kinds of Kindness. The film opens in theaters this summer on June 21, with several high-profile stars joining Stone in the project that sounds like Lanthimos plays musical chairs with his actors.

Joining Emma Stone for some of the Yorgos Lanthimos goodness are Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse), Jesse Plemons (Civil War), Hong Chau (The Menu), Margaret Qualley (Drive Away Dolls), Joe Alwyn (The Favourite), Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World: Dominion), and Hunter Schafer (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Song Birds & Snakes).

While walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes, Lanthimos described Kinds of Kindness as follows: “It’s three contemporary stories, and there’s a core of actors — seven total — who play one character in each story.” he said. “So, they’ll play three different characters.” Does what I said about musical chairs with actors make sense now?

Poor Things is currently streaming on Disney+/Hulu, with physical copies arriving on Blu-ray and DVD at retailers. The borderline pornographic, visually splendiferous exploration of independence and expression banked $108.7M worldwide. Poor Things also cleaned up at the Oscars with four wins, including prizes for Best Actress (Emma Stone), Make-Up and Hairstyling, Costume Design and Production Design. During her acceptance speech, a flabbergasted Emma Stone dedicated her win to the other women nominated for Best Actress, with a special mention for Killers of the Flower Moon actress Lily Gladstone.

Kinds of Kindness opens in theaters alongside Focus Features/New Regency’s The Bikeriders and Sony’s It Ends With Us. The Bikeriders, starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and Norman Reedus, follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life. Meanwhile, It Ends with Us tells the story of Lily, who believes she’s found true love with Ryle, but when a painful incident triggers past trauma, she must decide if love alone can carry her marriage through. However, things are complicated when her first love returns to her life.

Are you curious to learn more about Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness? What did you think about Poor Things? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Yorgos Lanthimos reteams with Emma Stone this summer for a game of musical chairs with actors in Kinds of Kindness appeared first on JoBlo.

Snowpiercer season 4 went into production in early 2022, and by the middle of that year, TNT had confirmed that season 4 would also be the last season of the show. That was soon after TNT owner WarnerMedia merged with Discovery Inc to form Warner Bros. Discovery… and things have been pretty wild since that merger happened, with films being scrapped as tax write-offs, content purges, and streaming service shake-ups. One of their surprising “write down strategy” moves came in January of 2023, when Warner Bros. Discovery decided they wouldn’t even bother to air Snowpiercer season 4 on TNT. The show has been searching for a new home ever since. Today, Deadline reports that it has found one: AMC.

Deadline lets us know, “The first three seasons of the show will stream on AMC+ later this year and season 4 will air on the linear network and the streaming service in early 2025.” Snowpiercer is a Tomorrow Studios production.

Ben Davis, EVP of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, provided the following statement: “Snowpiercer is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with a loyal fanbase – similar to the passionate fandoms we serve across our biggest franchise series – and a welcome addition to AMC and AMC+. We look forward to giving viewers an opportunity to binge the first three seasons later this year, in anticipation of the arrival of a remarkable fourth season helmed by Paul Zbyszewski and this stellar cast, which will premiere in 2025.“

Inspired by director Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 film of the same name (watch it HERE) and its graphic novel source material, Snowpiercer is set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. The series centers on the remnants of humanity who inhabit a perpetually moving train, with 1001 cars, that circles the globe. As it does, issues of class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival are raised.

Paul Zbyszewski executive produced Snowpiercer season 4 with Christoph Schrewe, Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements, Matthew O’Connor, Ben Rosenblatt, and Scott Derrickson. The film’s original producers, Bong Joon Ho, Miky Lee, Jinnie Choi, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Dooho Choi, also executive produce. Scott Derrickson earns an executive producer credit because he directed the original pilot, which then underwent reshoots that Derrickson didn’t participate in.

Are you a fan of Snowpiercer, and are you glad to hear that season 4 will finally air on AMC next year? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

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