A24 will be giving Civil War, the latest film from Alex Garland, the director of Ex Machina, Annihilation, Devs, and Men, a theatrical release on April 12th – and with that release date just a couple months away, a new trailer for the film has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.
The screenplay Garland wrote for Civil War digs into what happens when 19 states secede from the United States, with factions forming in the West and Florida. Meanwhile, the President says the conflict will be dealt with swiftly, but are things already impossible to control? While some choose to engage with the catastrophe head-on, others prefer to pretend like it’s not happening right outside their door. As the President sends the American military out to “resolve” matters in the West, people are left to despair as the world burns around them. Meanwhile, Kirsten Dunst’s character appears to be leading a team of journalists toward the U.S. Capitol, presumably to get answers about how they plan to quell the ongoing violence.
As mentioned in the synopsis, the film stars Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man), and she’s joined in the cast by Wagner Moura (Narcos), Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), Stephen Henderson (Dune), Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina), Jesse Plemons (Power of Dog), and Nick Offerman (The Last of Us).
A24 produced the film alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA and Gregory Goodman.
In addition to directing the films mentioned in the first paragraph, Garland has also written The Beach, 28 Days Later,Never Let Me Go, and Dredd, among others. (There have been claims that he directed Dredd as well.) A couple weeks ago, it was announced that Garland and 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle are working on a sequel called 28 Years Later, which may be the first entry in a trilogy of sequels.
What did you think of the new trailer for Civil War? Are you a fan of Alex Garland’s work, and will you be watching this movie on the big screen when it’s released in April? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
It’s showtime! OK, so we have until the summer to find out what Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has in store, but Michael Keaton is ready for the world to see what the sequel has going for it. As he put it, the production was less “strange and unusual” than one of the most fun he’s had in a while.
Speaking with People, Michael Keaton hyped the production of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice by saying, “It’s the most fun I’ve had on set in a long time…On one hand, you’d go, ‘Well, of course it’s the most fun. It looks like fun.’ As you know, it doesn’t always work like that.” Fortunately, it has worked out in Keaton’s favor; and it may work out for viewers, too, as the filmmakers set out to capture so much of what made the first Beetlejuice – which had some of the most inventive practical effects and makeup of any ‘80s movie – so enduring. “The one thing that [director Tim Burton] and I decided on early, early, early on from the beginning, if we ever did it again, I was totally not interested in doing something where there was too much technology…It had to feel handmade…What made it fun was watching somebody in the corner actually holding something up for you, to watch everybody in the shrunken head room and say, ‘Those are people under there, operating these things, trying to get it right.’”
This “back to basics” approach has been teased before, but Keaton’s particular enthusiasm over Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s practical effects gives further evidence that, while being in front of a green screen can present limitless cinematic possibilities, it’s tough to top the authenticity and draw of doing things by hand.
As we all know, a Beetlejuice sequel has been in the works for well over 30 years, with Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian the original plan. The ghost with the most may not be catching any gnarly waves this time around, but instead will focus on…actually, we don’t really know! Plot details have been thin for the follow-up, but we do know that it does lean heavily into the family aspect. This makes sense, as Jenna Ortega will be playing Lydia Deetz’s (Winona Ryder) daughter and Beetlejuice (Keaton, of course) is now officially a married man to Monica Bellucci’s character.
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article listing ten movies that – despite being well known – were difficult to find (legally) on any streaming service or even on disc. Those titles ranged from Ron Howard’s Cocoon to movies like Dawn of the Dead (the original). In the comments, many of our readers chimed in with their two cents on films they’ve found difficult to find over the years, so here are a few more challenging-to-find flicks, some of which may surprise you.
Dogma:
Now, unlike other movies on this list, there’s a legitimate reason why Dogma is so hard to find, and it goes back to the complicated way it was initially released in 1999. Kevin Smith’s film was originally made for Miramax Films, but the company that Disney owned at the time became worried about the risk of releasing a film deemed blasphemous. So, the heads of Miramax, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, released the movie on their own (through Lionsgate), meaning they owned the rights to it. With Harvey Weinstein now in prison, the former mogul has been holding onto the rights in a vain attempt to do something with the property to raise money. With him no longer on speaking terms with his brother Bob and Kevin Smith vowing never to associate with them again, I wouldn’t hold my breath for a re-release unless the rights are somehow pried from the Weinstein Brothers’ control.
Shoot to Kill:
The late, great Sidney Poitier stars this underrated action thriller from 1987. In it, he plays an FBI agent on the trail of a serial killer. He’s forced to chase his prey into the remote Pacific Northwest, where he’s infiltrated a hiking group led by a woman (Kirstie Alley) whose boyfriend (Tom Berenger) is an expert tracker. To save her, the agent and the tracker must team up (in classic mismatched buddy fashion) to track down the killer. What’s cool about this one is that all of the men on the hike with Alley are played by guys who have played villains (Clancy Brown, Richard Masur, and Andrew Robinson), so you never know who the killer is. This was a Touchstone Pictures release, so Disney owns the rights. It’s out on DVD but has never been issued on Blu-ray, and it’s unavailable on any of Disney’s streaming services (not even on Star in Canada – which has most Touchstone movies). Of all the movies on the list, this is the one I’m most eager to see get re-released, as it’s a total gem. It’s Sidney Poitier’s only real-deal action movie, and despite being in his sixties at the time, he did many of his own stunts. His chemistry with Berenger in this is also really good.
The Devils:
Ken Russell’s infamous film has a long history that explains why it’s never been issued on disc in North America. It’s an X-rated, surreal account of a catholic priest (played by Oliver Reed) who burned at the stake as a witch due to the hysterical accusations of a lusty, hunchbacked, maniacal nun, played by Vanessa Redgrave. In the UK, this is more of a cult movie so that you can find it on disc. It occasionally shows up in the US on The Criterion Channel (it’s streaming this month), but only in a dated transfer of the censored R-rated cut. Warner Bros, who owns the rights, has seemingly always been terrified of this film, but they won’t license it out either, despite interest from Criterion and other labels.
The Cannonball Run:
You’d think that the third most popular film of 1981, and one that spawned two sequels, would be easier to find. If you grew up in the eighties, The Cannonball Run was everywhere, and the cast was jam-packed, including Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Farrah Fawcett, and even Jackie Chan. It’s about an illegal cross-country race and was a major blockbuster in its time. This one isn’t available because it was financed independently, while the sequels, which you can find, were not. One interesting thing about this movie is that Roger Moore plays a man who believes he’s…well…Roger Moore (or rather James Bond). EON Pictures were so upset that they included a clause in all future 007 contracts that actors could never wear a tuxedo in non-Bond projects while under contract. Moore himself had mixed feelings about the film, as one of the women who plays his companions in the movie, stuntwoman Heidi von Beltz, was left quadriplegic after a controversial accident during shooting. This is available on a DVD from HBO that was released in the 90s.
Wired:
This controversial dramatization of Bob Woodward’s infamous account of John Belushi’s final days was roundly attacked by friends of the comedian back in 1989. Michael Chiklis plays Belushi in a performance that nearly ended his career – until he landed the lead in the series The Commish a few years later. Friends of Belushi’s took this movie so poorly that Dan Aykroyd had co-star JT Walsh blocked from a role in one of his movies years later. That said, the story has a happy ending as Chiklis, who’s gone on to a great career, ran into James Belushi, John’s brother, years later in a bar. He said the two had a drink and officially buried the hatchet after Chiklis apologized for taking a role in a movie that the family found hurtful. Of all the films on the list, maybe this is the only one that deserves the forced obscurity it’s found itself in, as its release serves no one. Also, it’s a bad movie.
We may not be getting a big-screen sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, but the saga will continue on Prime Video with Blade Runner 2099. Production on the live-action series is gearing up to start in April, but Deadline reports that a new director has been tapped to helm the first two episodes of Blade Runner 2099.
Game of Thrones director Jeremy Podeswa was originally tapped to helm Blade Runner 2099 but had to exit over scheduling conflicts. Deadline reports that Jonathan van Tulleken has signed on to replace him. In addition to directing the first two episodes of the sci-fi series, he will also serve as an executive producer. He recently came off directing the first two episodes of FX’s upcoming Shōgun series and has previously helmed episodes of Misfits, Trust, Upload, and The Changeling.
Blade Runner 2099 was originally slated to start shooting in Belfast last summer, but the Hollywood strikes put a stop to that. The push also found the series moving out of Belfast in favour of Prague. Shining Girls creator Silka Luisa is the writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the series. Original Blade Runner director Ridley Scott is also onboard as an executive producer through his Scott Free production banner.
“The original Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, is considered one of the greatest and most influential science-fiction movies of all time, and we’re excited to introduce Blade Runner 2099 to our global Prime Video customers,” said Amazon Studios head of global television Vernon Sanders when the project was announced in 2022. “We are honored to be able to present this continuation of the Blade Runner franchise, and are confident that by teaming up with Ridley, Alcon Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, and the remarkably talented Silka Luisa, Blade Runner 2099 will uphold the intellect, themes, and spirit of its film predecessors.“
“We are delighted to continue our working relationship with our friends at Amazon. And we are beyond excited to continue to extend the Blade Runner canon into a new realm with the provocative storyline that Silka has created,” Alcon Entertainment co-CEOs and co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson said. “Audiences first discovered Ridley Scott’s brilliant vision for Blade Runner 40 years ago, and since then, it has become one of the most influential science-fiction films of all time. Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up sequel, Blade Runner 2049, then became one of the best-reviewed sequels of all time. So, we recognize that we have a very high bar to meet with this next installment. Together with Silka and our partners at Amazon, and Scott Free Productions, we hope that we can live up to that standard and delight audiences with the next generation of Blade Runner.“
While I’m disappointed that we won’t get to see Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 follow-up, I am curious to see what the Prime Video series will bring.
Plot: Franklin Anderson struggles to make new friends when he moves to a new state (possibly Minneapolis). However, after meeting Charlie Brown and entering a soap box derby race, Franklin learns valuable lessons about friendship and how winning isn’t everything.
Review: Moving to a new town is especially difficult when you’re a kid. In addition to being a social disadvantage in a school setting, your after-school playtime quickly becomes an exercise in manifesting imaginary friends. For Franklin Anderson, being popular was never an option. His dad moves around a lot, so Franklin jumps from one state to the next, living out of a suitcase and never settling in one place long enough to make honest-to-goodness friends. This pattern is about to change when he meets the Peanuts gang and learns that the traditional methods of making friends sometimes don’t apply.
Back in my day, we had specials like A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969), Snoopy Come Home (1972), It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), and more to keep us connected with the Peanuts gang. Today, Raymond S. Persi directs Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin as part of Apple TV+‘s revival of Peanuts cartoon specials, released during Black History Month, and focusing on one of the gang’s black characters, Franklin.
Right out of the gate, I’ll say Welcome Home, Franklin looks incredible! Thanks to the film’s 2D presentation, the special harkens back to more traditional animation methods. Immediately, the overall look of the film blew me away. In all my time reviewing animation for JoBlo, I’d never seen something look this good on my monitor. The vibrant colors pop off the screen, with dynamic lighting effects lending depth and atmosphere to the world. There’s a particular moment in the film when Franklin and Charlie Brown walk past a fence speckled with sunlight that had me rewinding the scene multiple times to bask in the beauty of the art. It’s nice to see Apple taking so much care with the Peanuts property, presenting the classic characters created by Charles M. Schulz in a way that demands your attention and warmly hugs your senses.
In addition to telling a touching tale about fostering new friendships, the film takes time to explore some of Franklin’s interests, including his love of Jazz and baseball and members of his family tree. By the movie’s end, he’s still a supporting character, but he’s given depth and feels like a more valued member of the Peanuts cast.
Throughout the film, Franklin attempts to make friends with A-tier members of the Peanuts gang, including the blanket-hugging Linus Van Pelt, the borderline villainous Lucille “Lucy” Van Pelt, and Snoopy, the beloved beagle who thinks he’s people. When Franklin’s attempts to appeal to the Van Pelt siblings fail, he stumbles upon Charlie Brown, the flagship human and emotional punching bag of the Peanuts crew. Without hesitation, Charlie Brown extends a hand of friendship to Franklin and invites him to be his partner for an upcoming soap box derby race. They view the race as an opportunity to make their mark in a town of talented kids, and the pressure of winning gets the better of them. Their bosom-buddy chemistry devolves, leaving them at odds and desperate to mend the rift. Their divide adds intense drama to an otherwise light-hearted story, with valuable lessons about acceptance abound.
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin explores the complicated emotions that come with feeling othered by your peers and surroundings. The film treats its young audience respectfully by making Franklin’s plight simple yet nuanced enough to deliver a powerful message about friendship, patience, and tolerance. As an adult fan of the Peanuts gang, I loved reuniting with Charlie Brown and the rest of the kids. As I’d said, Schulz’s Peanuts never looked this good, and the poignant storytelling that made the classic animations so impactful exists here, too. Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin shines in its blending of nostalgia and animation that always stays in style.
No amount of chest compressions can save Sony‘s Madame Web from being labeled a total failure with fans and at the box office. Sony’s latest Spider-Man-less Spider-Verse movie is dead on arrival after a $26.2M launch, and the studio’s plans to launch a franchise with Dakota Johnson’s Cassandra Webb at its center will undoubtedly get scrapped. Despite earning $170 million at the box office, Sony’s Morbius was a disaster. Memed to death and still a go-to for how not to make a comic book action film, Morbius should have been a lesson learned for a studio struggling to make people care about its superhero movies not featuring Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Then there’s Madame Web, which makes Morbius look like Citizen Kane.
According to an insider veteran (via The Hollywood Reporter), “We’re not going to see another Madame Web movie for another decade-plus.” Adding, “It failed. Sony tried to make a movie that was a different type of superhero movie.”
Sony’s Madame Web introduces a trio of Spider-Women (sort of), played by Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor, and Sydney Sweeney. If Madame Web managed to ensnare enough fans and dollars, the idea was to launch a franchise with Johnson’s character as a guide for her clutter of Spider-Women. That’s no longer going to happen.
“We are in transition when it comes to superhero movies,” notes the insider. “I don’t know how big that transition is or what the other side looks like. It may be fewer movies, but bigger brands. Sony is willing to take some risk but also wants home runs — that’s good. And if [Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man Universe title] Kraven is a gigantic hit, the narrative could be completely different. So it’s too early to know the outcome.”
The problem with Madame Web isn’t the cast or how it’s aimed at female audiences. The problem is everything else. Morbid curiosity won out for me this weekend, and I subjected myself to Madame Web on Sunday. I went into the experience knowing it was ill-received but still hoped for the best, as I always do. I love superheroes, and I love superhero movies. If anyone’s going to find a silver lining in Madame Web, it’s me. Do you know what I found? Madame Web is an eventless slog that squanders the talents of several outstanding actors. The film’s list of failures is vast, from questionable direction to baffling edits, long stretches of cringe dialogue, and a one-dimensional villain that I would say is the worst in Marvel film history. It’s the first movie in ages I considered walking out of.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, was more even-handed about Madame Web than I am. You can read his full review here.
Madame Web could achieve cult status as an MST3K-style watch in the future. I’ll give it that much. However, I sincerely doubt that was Sony’s goal. If Sony wants people to show up for Kraven the Hunter, another risk at the box office, they might want to pivot their approach sooner rather than later.
We’ve heard of directors banning cell phones and even producers from the set, but if you’re working on a Christopher Nolan movie, you better have the right footwear – that means no Uggs!
Appearing on The Late Show (via GQ), host Stephen Colbert asked Nolan – who is currently on the awards circuit trying to land Oppenheimeras many Oscars as possible – about the stories of him banning Uggs from the set. “Ah, the Uggs controversy…I try to minimize distractions…Even though we’re all engaged in this absurd process where this wall is real, but there’s lights and a guy with a microphone, you’re asking the actor to focus in on the reality. So everything you can do—like wearing the correct shoes, or, whatever, not changing your trousers… Anything we can do to keep that reality, that bubble, intact.” Nolan also brought up the so-called “Uggs controversy” on The View, saying it throws off the vibe if people come out wearing everything for their character’s wardrobe except the shoes. We have to assume that Christopher Nolan has a ban on Crocs as well…
Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt previously revealed that the Ugg ban is real, saying, “I’ve never known anyone to detest a pair of Uggs more than Chris Nolan…It’s a testament to how he wants everything on set to look as it would [in the period]. If there’s a plastic bottle in the shot, he’s like, ‘Ugh!’ He hates to even look at it. I would sometimes put on some Uggs and I’d just get this withering look down to my feet—it was like being in The Devil Wears Prada again.” So, sheepskin kicks and Aquafina bottles are out, but yes, you can still sit down.
Stories such as these present some fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes that most of us would never have heard about; they also give us a glimpse into our favorite filmmakers far removed from the surface. We can completely understand why Quentin Tarantino would ban cell phones on a set, but to find out that Christopher Nolan can’t bear the sight of Uggs while he’s making a movie about the Manhattan Project? That’s taking focus to another level.
What do you think of Christopher Nolan’s ban on Uggs? Is it sensible or a little too dictatorial?
Almost four years have gone by since it was announced that CJ ENM, the production company behind Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, was teaming with Ari Aster’s Square Peg to produce an English language remake of the 2003 South Korean cult film Save the Green Planet. The original film was directed by Joon-hwan Jang, and at the time it was said that Jang would be at the helm of the new take on the concept as well. But now Variety reports that the project has a new director: Yorgos Lanthimos, whose film Poor Things is nominated for 11 Oscars and just won five BAFTAs. With Lanthimos signed on, the Save the Green Planet remake is now expected to head into production this summer, with filming locations in New York and the U.K.
Described as an eccentric black comedy, the original Save the Green Planet followed a disillusioned young man who captures and tortures a businessman whom he believes to be part of an alien invasion. A battle of wits ensues between the captor, his devoted girlfriend, the businessman and a private detective.
Here’s a longer synopsis: Joon-hwan Jang imagines the fate of the human race hinging on Byun-gu, a bitter, paranoid and eccentric beekeeper who, with the help of his tightrope walker girlfriend, Sooni, kidnaps a powerful and successful businessman, Man-sik. Byun-gu believes that Man-sik is an alien from the planet Andromeda, one of many hiding among us and plotting to destroy the Earth in a few days. Amphetamine-popping Byun-gu sees himself as the planet’s last hope, and sets about torturing Man-sik with relish, trying to convince him to contact the “Royal Prince” and call off Armageddon. A battle of wits and wills ensues, with Man-sik trying to convince his captors that he’s human and attempting to escape. Man-sik recognizes Byun-gu as a disgruntled former employee whose comatose mother suffers from a mysterious illness. It begins to seem that Byun-gu’s true motivation may be personal, but he’s still ruthlessly determined to get Man-sik to confess and cooperate, even if he has to risk killing him. Meanwhile, a dishevelled detective, Chu, and his young acolyte, Inspector Kim, discover that the person who kidnapped Man-sik may have struck several times before, always with deadly results.
When the Save the Green Planet remake was first announced, it was said that the screenplay was being written by Will Tracy, a writer on HBO’s Succession and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Since that announcement, Tracy has also co-written the genre film The Menu.
Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe at Element Pictures are producing the new film alongside CJ ENM and Square Peg.
Are you interested in the Save the Green Planet remake? Have you seen the original film, and what do you think of Yorgos Lanthimos directing the new one? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
If you’ve finished Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and are craving my technological mystery and action, Apple TV+ is developing a series for you. According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Apple TV+ is reportedly bringing a futuristic drama series based on the novel Neuromancer by William Gibson to the streaming platform. Skydance TV is the production company, with Graham Roland serving as the project’s writer and showrunner. JD Dillard (The Outsider, Devotion, Utopia) directs from Roland’s screenplay, with filming taking place in Europe, possibly Spain and London.
Here’s the plot summary according to Richtman’s Patreon post:
“Neuromancer” follows Case, a former data thief who is recruited for a dangerous mission by a mysterious employer; in a world where cyberspace and reality merge, Case must navigate through perilous encounters with the help of Molly, a skilled street samurai with a penchant for danger. Together, they embark on a journey that will test their limits and challenge the very nature of reality itself.
If you’re curious about the characters, here’s a breakdown of the leading players:
Case (Lead): A male aged 25-35. Case is a skilled hacker with a troubled past. His expertise in the technological underground makes him the perfect candidate for the mission, but his journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty.
Molly (Lead): A female aged 30-45, Molly is a formidable mercenary known for her cruelty and combat skills. Operating in the physical realm, she serves as Case’s protector and ally on his mission.
Armitage (Lead): A male aged 45-55, Armitage is the enigmatic figure who hires Case for the mission. Former military and mysterious, he brings a sense of gravitas and intrigue to the story.
According to Richtman, several actors have passed up the lead role, including Oscar Isaac, Miles Teller, Jeremy Allen White, Nicholas Hoult, and Taron Egerton, with Robert Pattinson mulling over a recent offer. It’s clear that Dillard wants a high-profile actor to take the lead, and strangely, so many have passed. Then again, top-tier actors often have commitments to other projects in advance.
Are you familiar with William Gibson’s Neuromancer? Have you read the book? Will it make for an entertaining drama series? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
While two of Monty Python’s most famous former members, Eric Idle and John Cleese, are embroiled in a very public feud, it wasn’t always this way. In recent weeks, Idle has been vocal about how he feels the Monty Python estate is being handled, with him targeting Terry Gilliam and his daughter, Holly, who manages the rights, directly. John Cleese jumped to their aid, writing on X (perhaps in a tongue-in-cheek way) that (referring to Idle) “we always loathed and despised each other, but it’s only recently that the truth has begun to emerge.”
Now, this might need to be taken with a grain of salt, as Cleese has a notoriously dry wit. Let’s not forget that he eulogized his best friend, Graham Chapman, by saying, “Good riddance to him, the freeloading bastard! I hope he fries.” That was lovingly tongue-in-cheek, although Idle and Cleese always seemed to have a frostier relationship than the others. But, it wasn’t always so, with Idle and Cleese once making a non-Python movie together called Splitting Heirs, that’s been somewhat lost to time.
That 1993 film was Idle’s attempt to break into the American market as a solo comedy star, similar to how Cleese had with A Fish Called Wanda. Indeed, Idle had a minor hit in 1990 with the memorably titled Nuns on the Run, but Splitting Heirs was to be more ambitious. It paired him with Rick Moranis, who was coming off the Honey I Shrunk the Kids movies at the time and was about two babies that got switched at birth. Rick Moranis is an American who finds out he’s a long-lost heir to a family of British aristocrats, but his best pal, who shares the same birthday as him, becomes convinced that he is, in fact, the heir. The friend – you guessed it – is played by Idle.
In the film, Idle tries to recover his presumed birthright through a series of schemes, but he gets into trouble when he consults with a shady lawyer, played by John Cleese, who believes he wants Moranis dead – which is not so. The film is an amusingly old-fashioned romp, but it likely seemed dated in 1993 in a way A Fish Called Wanda had not, and it died quickly at the box office. It’s mostly known for being one of Catherine Zeta-Jones’s first movies, with the twenty-three-year-old actress being the girl both Idle and Moranis are fighting over. One of the strangest things in the movie is that Idle is playing a character at least twenty years younger than he was at the time (he was fifty when this was made and is playing a guy in his late twenties- early thirties) and not too convincingly. One might say the whole movie is a tad ego-driven, with Idle’s two love interests being played by two of the sexiest twentysomethings in England at the time (Zeta-Jones and Sadie Frost), but then again Cleese got to romance Jamie Lee Curtis in A Fish Called Wanda, so who cares?
But again, the most notable thing is that Cleese co-stars (in a glorified but extended cameo), in a solo movie made by the one guy everyone assumed was his biggest rival. It’s interesting to see them work together in a non-Python film, and I imagine Cleese had a decent enough time making it, as he hired this film’s director, Robert Young, to make his Wanda follow-up, Fierce Creatures.
Indeed, it’s sad to see Idle and Cleese at odds, as both men are in their eighties, and one always likes to assume that by the time we reach that milestone, we’re beyond petty things such as money. Alas, that’s rarely the case, isn’t it?
If you want to see Splitting Heirs, you can buy it here, but at the moment, it’s not streaming anywhere.
Have you ever seen this rather obscure romp? Let us know in the comments.
