Two years ago, it was announced that Paul Greengrass – director of most of the films in the Jason Bourne franchise – was set to direct a film adaptation of the Stephen King novel Fairy Tale (you can pick up a copy HERE)… but now the plan has changed. Deadline reports that A24 has come on board to produce the King adaptation as a 10 episode TV series. Greengrass had been working on a feature script, but will now be building that script out into 10 episodes with J.H. Wyman, who will be the showrunner. Wyman’s previous credits include Fringe, Almost Human, and Debris. Greengrass, Wyman, and King will serve as executive producers on the show with Peter Rice, and Greengrass is expected to be involved as director to some degree. We’ll have to wait and see how many episodes he ends up directing.
When Greengrass was trying to turn Fairy Tale into a feature, the project was set up at Universal. Universal lost interest and dropped it, so Rice, a fan of the source material, brought it to its new home at A24, where it was decided that the story would work better as a series.
Fairy Tale follows a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours. Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is 17, he meets a dog named Radar and his aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it. Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world. King’s storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale about another world than ours, in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy – and his dog – must lead the battle.
When Greengrass first picked up the rights to Fairy Tale, he and King released statements complimenting each other. King said, “Needless to say, I’m a Paul Greengrass fan and think he’s a wonderful choice for this film.” Greengrass added, “Fairy Tale is a work of genius. A classic adventure story and also a disturbing contemporary allegory.”
Are you glad to hear that Greengrass and A24 are teaming up to turn King’s Fairy Tale into a 10 episode series? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
Two years ago, we heard that Ghostbusters: Afterlife writer/director Jason Reitman and his co-writer Gil Kenan (who ended up directing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) would be executive producing a new Ghostbusters animated series for the Netflix streaming service. A couple of months ago, Netflix officially gave a greenlight to the series, with Elliott Kalan has boarding the project as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. During an interview with The Direct, Kenan took the chance to hype up the series a bit, while also confirming that he and Reitman are having conversations about continuing the franchise with more live-action films.
When asked if there will be more Ghostbusters movies, Kenan said, “The answer is yes, Jason (and I), we take the responsibility and the joy of being the keepers of the flame of Ghostbusters very seriously… we definitely are continuing the conversation of telling big Ghostbuster stories on the big screen. And stay tuned. There’ll be more. There’ll be more about that later.“
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire earned just under $201 million at the global box office, almost replicating the $203.5 million Ghostbusters: Afterlife made – but Frozen Empire had a $100 million budget, while Afterlife was made for $75 million. So there was some disappointment with its box office numbers, but it doesn’t sound like it’s going to keep another movie from being made.
As for the animated series, Kenan had this to say: “We are in very active development on our animated series that we’re producing with Netflix. That is something that I’m actively involved with, Jason on a day-to-day basis right now, we are really excited about the stories that are starting to be told there, and the way that it intersects with the Ghostbusters stories that you and I love is going to be thrilling for our audiences.“
While we wait to find out what Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan will bring to the Ghostbusters franchise in the future, they have a new movie in theatres right now: the biographical comedy drama Saturday Night, about the night of the 1975 premiere of the NBC show Saturday Night, which we now know as Saturday Night Live. You can read our 8/10 review HERE.
Are you looking forward to watching more Ghostbusters movies and the new animated series? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, Anyone But You, Immaculate) could not be farther away from playing the demure Julia Cornwall in Sony’s Madame Web than in the latest behind-the-scenes pics from her upcoming Christy Martin biopic. In the photos, Sweeney sports a ’90s mullet while giving us a front-row seat to her impressive gun show. As she curls her bicep for the camera, Sweeney smiles brightly, knowing her training to play the former boxer is paying off.
“Well the cat’s out of the bag thanks to some paps in bushes so here’s a little BTS from my film I’m working on right now,” Sweeney wrote on Instagram.
David Michod directs the untitled Christy Martin sports biopic he co-wrote with Mirrah Foulkes. The project charts Martin’s rise to become the most iconic boxer of the 1990s. Dubbed the “female Rocky” by producers, the untitled film follows Martin as she makes a name for herself in the squared circle.
Martin’s life changed dramatically in 1989 when she met her manager and later husband, Jim Martin. Her career blew up when she signed with fight promoter Don King, leading to an iconic cover story for Sports Illustrated. Known for her fighting prowess, stand-out beauty, and charismatic ways, Martin gained a significant fanbase on her way to becoming the welterweight champion. Sadly, like many athletes, Martin struggled behind the scenes with personal demons, toxic relationships, and an attempt to end her life.
In 2010, Christy survived an attempted murder when her husband, James Martin, stabbed her multiple times and shot her at their Florida home. By some miraculous grace, Christy survived. In 2021, James Martin was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman — a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring,” Sweeney wrote. “Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I’m honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all. more to come soon CHRISTY MARTIN.”
Ben Foster plays James Martin in the untitled Christy Martin biopic, with Merritt Weaver, Katy O’Brien, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, and Tony Cavalero filling out the main cast.
Sweeney’s newly minted physique is impressive. As the son of a personal trainer and former bodybuilder, I know hard work and dedication in the gym when I see it. Christy Martin’s complicated tale should allow Sweeney to flex her drama muscles, and we can’t wait to see it.
Plot: In the sixth and final season of the Emmy-nominated comedy, Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, Colin and Guillermo will enter the workforce, visit New Hampshire, go to a human dinner party, fête The Baron and conjure a demon — all while trying to find their place and their purpose in this crazy, mixed-up world.
Review: Since it debuted in 2019, What We Do In The Shadows has consistently been one of the funniest television shows. Taking a cue from the mockumentary film of the same name starring Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, What We Do In The Shadows has followed the Staten Island-based vampires Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Prosch), and Nandor’s familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) as they have explored the day to day life of the bloodsuckers and their interactions with the human world. The series has been consistent in tone and style and has developed a broad narrative over the years. Now that the series is coming to an end, the show is as funny as it has ever been. With new cameos and characters, revisited plot elements from prior seasons, and the same biting sense of humor, the final season of What We Do In The Shadows never misses a beat.
Over the first five seasons of What We Do In The Shadows, there has been a recurring mention of the mission for the vampires to take over North America, something they have failed to do for decades. In the first episode of this season, the housemates realize their fifth roommate, Jerry (Mike O’Brien), has been in a deep sleep since the 1970s and awaken him. Jerry calls out everything that the vampires have not accomplished in the last five decades which prompts them all to reevaluate what they have done with their lives. In the first three episodes of the final season, they all try to get back to tasks they dropped when Jerry went to sleep, providing the writers and cast the chance to probe back into the quirks and misadventures of this crew while still keeping the focus on standalone episodic tales connected with an overall thread leading to the series finale.
While you would think that it would become difficult to keep storylines fresh, especially when you set the season-long narrative to be about what happened in the past, What We Do In The Shadows is still just as funny as ever. Mark Prosch continues to shine, and Colin Robinson takes a more prominent role each successive season. The series does also revisit Laszlo’s sex addiction, porn collection, and scientific exploits while Nandor contemplates his Relentless title and Nadja remains frustrated by the idiotic men surrounding her. We even got a visit from Baron Afanas (Doug Jones) and The Sire, who have always provided fun moments. Kristen Schaal remains a main cast member this season, but The Guide has limited screen time in the first trio of episodes, something the plot indicates will expand in the remaining chapters. While I won’t spoil anything that happens in these first episodes, they are overall a strong opening for the final season that seems like any other season and not contemplative or focused on ending the storylines of these characters.
The last two seasons of What We Do In The Shadows have closed with a feeling of completion to the character arcs, only to return for another solid year of adventures for these characters. The first three episodes this season strike a balance between the characters bickering and in-fighting within their mansion, with the second episode venturing outside of the home and into a workplace. I have always been lukewarm about the vampires interacting in public places, as it borders on ridiculous, but this season works within the plotline being developed for Guillermo. It is also interesting that this season directly addresses the documentary crew that has been chronicling the vampires since the first episode, which leaves me wondering if What We Do In The Shadows will reveal anything about the filmed footage as they did in the final season of The Office. I hope they do not and just let the season end with some questions left unanswered.
Kyle Newachek and Yana Gorskaya each directed five episodes of the final season, with DJ Stipsen on one episode, bringing the final season to a total of eleven episodes rather than the ten in each of the first five seasons. Writers include returning scribes Paul Simms, Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn, Max Brockman, William Meny, Shana Gohd, Rajat Suresh, Jeremy Levick, Amelia Haller, and Lauren Wells, with producers and series creators Jemaine Clement and Taika Waiititi not returning to help close out the final season of the show. Regardless, this talented creative group has managed to mine this concept consistently for over half a decade without ever wasting an episode. I know these first three chapters do not go nearly far enough into the season’s overall arc, but they set things up well, and I never once felt like the cast or crew were giving anything less than their best effort. The jokes are strong, and these actors know their roles inside and out, which makes this series the best comedy on the air next to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
While only the first three episodes of the final season of What We Do In The Shadows were made available for this review, it is impossible to judge how the series finale will or will not wrap things up. Based on how these opening episodes nail every joke and set up the narrative direction for the last run of the series, I am confident that What We Do In The Shadows will leave fans happy with where Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, Colin Robinson, and Guillermo will be in their journey to take over North America. Few shows have remained this funny over six seasons, with many series continuing too long with diminishing returns. By going out on top, What We Do In The Shadows sets itself up to be considered one of the funniest sitcoms of all time and leaves the door open to revisit these characters in the future.
The final season of What We Do In The Shadows premieres on October 21st on FX.
A collaboration between writers and directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, the genre-bending dark comedy Rumours screened out of competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and now a wider audience will have the chance to watch the movie when it reaches theatres this Friday, October 18th. In anticipation of the film’s release, we were able to sit down for an interview with its star, two-time Oscar winner (and many-time Oscar nominee) Cate Blanchett, as well as the directors and Blanchett’s co-stars Denis Ménochet, Roy Dupuis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Rolando Ravello. To find out what they had to say about the movie, check out the video embedded above!
Rumours has the following synopsis: Ricocheting between comedy, apocalyptic horror, and swooning soap opera, Rumours follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies at the annual G7 summit, where they attempt to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis. With unexpected, uproarious performances from a brilliant ensemble cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, and Charles Dance, these so-called leaders become spectacles of incompetence, contending with increasingly surreal obstacles in the misty woods as night falls and they realize they are suddenly alone. A genre-hopping satire of political ineptitude, the latest film from incomparable directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson is a journey into the absurd heart of power and institutional failure in a slowly burning world.
Liz Jarvis, Phillip Kreuzer, and Lars Knudsen produced the film, with Blanchett serving as an executive producer alongside Ari Aster, Phyllis Laing, Jorg Schulze, Jow Neurauter, Tyler Campellone, Adrian Love, Michael O’Leary, Andrew Karpen, and Kent Sanderson.
Are you looking forward to checking out Rumours? Watch our interviews with Cate Blanchett, the directors, and Blanchett’s fellow cast members, then let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below.
Aardman is determined to show fans that there is no clay shortage. The renowned animation studio had recently brought a sequel to Chicken Run to Netflix and now the streamer has released the trailer for their new film, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with this new tale of revenge. The film is written by scribe Mark Burton and is produced by Richard Beek. The executive producers on board include Nick Park, Mark Burton, Sarah Cox, Peter Lord and Carla Shelley.
The official synopsis reads, “Aardman’s four-time Academy Award®-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!”
Nick Park tells Netflix, “Returning to Wallace and Gromit is like meeting up with family friends. People respond to them because they feel so familiar. They’re like an old married couple in some ways, who know each other so well –– it’s a sort of love-hate relationship, but when the chips are down, they are always there for each other. Wallace pushes Gromit’s loyalty to the extreme, and Gromit always wants Wallace to change. It’s something everyone can relate to.”
Crossingham added, “One of our most asked questions is ‘When will Feathers come back?’ Well now is the time, and he’s back with a vengeance.” The directors also said, “We are delighted to introduce Norbot, a ‘nifty odd-jobbing robot’ gnome, designed to help Gromit with his gardening chores. Norbot is Wallace’s most proud achievement to date and, according to Wallace, his ‘best invention ever’! Garden gnomes have long been a part of Wallace and Gromit’s world, but this is no cute patio ornament. Norbot is the ultimate gnome — a ‘smart-gnome.’ We’re so excited to see Wallace unleashing his latest invention, Norbot, into the world. However, his long-suffering pooch, Gromit, may be a little less sure …”
Two years ago, it was announced that Sam Claflin, who may be best known for playing Oswald Mosley on Peaky Blinders, Finnick Odair in the HungerGames franchise, and Billy Dunne in Daisy Jones & the Six, had signed on to star in the supernatural thriller Bagman, from Hunger Games‘ home studio Lionsgate. The finished film received a theatrical release at the end of September, but it seems that few movie-goers noticed. Maybe Bagman will catch more attention now that horror fans will have the chance to watch it in their comfort of their own homes, as the film is set to receive a digital and VOD release this Friday, October 18th. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon, going for the price of $14.99.
Colm McCarthy, who previously directed The Girl With All the Gifts, the Krypton pilot, and the entirety of Peaky Blinders season 2, took the helm of Bagman, working from a screenplay by John Hulme. In this one, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries, and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina and son Jake.
Claflin plays a father who desperately struggles against his deepest inner fear when the childhood monster he once vanquished returns to haunt him. This time, however, the father has to muster the strength to not just fight for himself but for his family. He’s joined in the cast by Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor), Sharon D Clarke (Red White & Royal Blue), Steven Cree (Outlaw King), William Hope (Aliens), Adelle Leonce (Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything), Peter McDonald (The Batman), Henry Pettigrew (The Danish Girl), and Caréll Rhoden (My Husband’s Baby).
Will you be checking out Bagman now that it’s getting a digital and VOD release? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Heeeeere’s Ray! As promotion for Smile 2 ramps up ahead of its wide release this week, comparisons have been drawn between one of its stars, Ray Nicholson, and his famous father, Jack. And yes, it comes down to the grin.
The main comparison between Ray and Jack Nicholson centers on the former’s character poster for Smile 2 and one of the most famous scenes in The Shining, in which he takes an ax to the bathroom door, pokes his head through the hole and takes time to make a reference to The Tonight Show. When asked about the similarities, Ray – in front of one of the movie’s posters, eerily giving the illusion of devil horns sprouting from his head – he told Deadline, “Obviously I love him, he’s my inspiration. I ate dinner with him every night, I studied it, that’s how I learned to be a human being. Of course we’re gonna be kind of similar but as far as talking about it, if he ever did tell me something, I probably wouldn’t investigate it for myself because I’d be like, ‘You’re the best, of course that’s right.’ And it might not work for me. I love him, he’s also my hero. I’m the luckiest kid in the world, that’s all I would say about it.” While Jack was (is?) a notorious Hollywood playboy, Ray’s mother is Rebecca Broussard, the model-actress who Jack was partners with in the late ‘80s and early part of the ‘90s.
Ray Nicholson on fans reactions to the similarities between his ‘Smile 2’ promo poster and his father Jack Nicholson’s infamous ‘The Shining’ smile, plus how his father is an inspiration to him: “He’s my hero” | #SmileMoviepic.twitter.com/FZ6bwSOAxs
The similarities between Ray and Jack Nicholson’s smiles is no doubt there, so consider that a bonus in the creep department. As with the first movie (which we dug, giving it a 7/10), it’s present in the viral marketing as well, as the studio has sent participants to MLB playoff games to pretty much just sit there and smile for the duration…although one got spooked when a foul ball was headed his way.
Here is the official plot of Smile 2: “About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.”
Madeleine McGraw and her sister Violet McGraw have had separate successes in the horror genre, with Madeleine having a standout role in The Black Phone and Violet dealing with M3GAN (plus playing roles in the Mike Flanagan projects The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep). Now, they’ll be facing horrors together in The Curse of the Necklace, which is set to be released through the Tubi streaming service this Friday, October 18th. Ahead of that date, a trailer for the film has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.
Directed by Juan Pablo Arias Munoz (Pumpkinhole, not to be confused with Pumpkinhead) from a screenplay by John Ducey (whose previous credits include A Christmas Mystery, A Hollywood Christmas, and I Believe in Santa), The Curse of the Necklace follows the Davis family, who navigate through tough times in the 1960s. Laura Davis is separated from her husband Frank due to unpredictable temper fueled by alcohol. As she returns to work as a nurse, her daughters, 11-year-old Ellen & 16-year-old Judy, grapple with the changes in their family dynamics. The plot thickens when Frank attempts to win Laura back with a beautiful antique necklace, which turns out to be a conduit for the tormented soul of an evil boy from long ago, putting Laura & her daughters in grave danger.
The McGraw sisters are joined in the cast by Sarah Lind (A Wounded Fawn), Henry Thomas (The Fall of the House of Usher), Roma Maffia (Nip/Tuck), Felix Solis (Man on a Ledge), Jacob Moran (Christmas on the Square), Christina Moore (90210), newcomer Archer Anderson, Amato D’Apolito (Shaft), Connor Hammond (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Matt Fowler (One Night in Miami), Danielia Maximillian-Almeda (Adult Swim Yule Log), Ali Afshar (A California Christmas), Brynne Kurland (Holiday in the Vineyards), and Lauren Swickard (Dear White People).
Christina Moore and Ali Afshar produced the film with Daniel Aspromonte. The McGraw sisters served as executive producers alongside Jackie McGraw, their mother.
What did you think of the trailer for The Curse of the Necklace? Will you be watching this movie on Tubi? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Except for one particular TSA agent. Netflix has just released the trailer for Carry On. Carry On is an upcoming feature film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Jungle Cruise, Black Adam) and starring Taron Egerton (Rocketman, Kingsman: The Golden Circle). TJ Fixman wrote the script’s first draft, with Michael Green responsible for the most recent polish. Dylan Clark (The Batman) is producing. Carry On is the first production of the overall deal between Netflix and Amblin.
The film also stars Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, Sinqua Walls and Jason Bateman. The cast will also include Gil Perez- Abraham, Tonatiuh, Curtiss Cook, Joe Williamson and Josh Brener. The plot logline reads, “A young TSA agent fights to outsmart a mysterious traveler who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight.” Collet-Serra is no stranger to a suspense-filled thriller in the airline setting as the director had also helmed the Liam Neeson airplane actioner Non-Stop.
The executive producers on the project include Holly Bario, Brian Williams, Jaume Collet-Serra, Seth William Meier and Scott Greenberg.
Egerton describes his character, “He’s pretty noble and selfless. He has all the qualities of an archetypal hero underneath the lack of direction.” He expounds, “He’s unhappy at work at the airport and feeling flat and dejected about it. He’s also just found out his girlfriend is pregnant. So, he feels pressure to be a responsible father and provider, but I think he also feels a deep lack of fulfillment. So when he’s put in this terrible situation, he has a huge occasion to rise to.”
Collet-Serra adds, “Ethan is a relatively ordinary person thrust into an extraordinary situation, and how he adapts and grows to save his loved ones over the course of the film ends up making him pretty extraordinary, even though what he discovers is that being extraordinary is actually just being himself.”
Carry On starts boarding on Netflix on December 13.
CHRISTY MARTIN.”
