Denis Villeneuve, the director of “Dune: Part Two,” has been announced as the keynote speaker of “Stories of the Season,” the exclusive awards season event held by Puck, the new media company, Gold Derby has learned exclusively.
Villeneuve was selected to headline the invite-only event held in Los Angeles on November 15 in part due to his rich history of creative excellence and business acumen. The conversation, hosted by Puck’s Matt Belloni, will dive into the filmmaker’s unique process and discuss his views on the current state of the industry. The “Stories of the Season” chat will also be recorded and published later as an episode of Belloni’s podcast, “The Town.”
The director, who has been nominated for three Academy Awards, is among the frontrunners in this year’s race for Best Director; the film, which opened in March 2024 to strong reviews (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) is also predicted...
Villeneuve was selected to headline the invite-only event held in Los Angeles on November 15 in part due to his rich history of creative excellence and business acumen. The conversation, hosted by Puck’s Matt Belloni, will dive into the filmmaker’s unique process and discuss his views on the current state of the industry. The “Stories of the Season” chat will also be recorded and published later as an episode of Belloni’s podcast, “The Town.”
The director, who has been nominated for three Academy Awards, is among the frontrunners in this year’s race for Best Director; the film, which opened in March 2024 to strong reviews (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) is also predicted...
- 10/30/2024
- by Debra Birnbaum
- Gold Derby
We come bearing good news The Bear fans! And yes, that was sort of pun intended. Thanks to a recent filming update provided by Chairman of FX John Landgraf, it sounds like The Bear season 4 is on track to arrive on time based on the promising filming update he provided. And that's always great news!
Landgraf was recently a guest on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast where he shared at what point production is at the moment in terms of filming. Ahead of season 3's debut, FX announced that the show had been renewed for a season 4. There were also rumors that the third and fourth season were filming at the same time. And the chairman confirmed this on the podcast. Here's what he had to say, per Collider:
Out of 20 episodes, they shot about 16 and a half. So they can go back in production in February to finish.
Landgraf was recently a guest on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast where he shared at what point production is at the moment in terms of filming. Ahead of season 3's debut, FX announced that the show had been renewed for a season 4. There were also rumors that the third and fourth season were filming at the same time. And the chairman confirmed this on the podcast. Here's what he had to say, per Collider:
Out of 20 episodes, they shot about 16 and a half. So they can go back in production in February to finish.
- 10/30/2024
- by Aysha Ashley Househ
- ShowSnob
Screenwriter Peter Craig, who co-wrote the upcoming Gladiator II, and producer Bryan Unkeless, known for such fare as I, Tonya and Project Power, have teamed up to launch film and television production banner Night Owl.
It’s no small flex to launch a shingle in the current Hollywood climate, but the two players have extremely enviable track records and, more importantly, come with several projects already zipping along the development tracks.
There’s the adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s wildly popular novel Remarkably Bright Creatures, which is set up at Netflix with Where the Crawdads Sing filmmaker Olivia Newman attached to direct and Sally Field attached to star. (Fun fact: Craig is Field’s son.)
There’s Tropical Underworld, a crime drama series set in Hawaii and based on a Bloomberg article written by Chris Pomorski. The project sold in a competitive bidding war to Fifth Season, which beat out such companies as A24,...
It’s no small flex to launch a shingle in the current Hollywood climate, but the two players have extremely enviable track records and, more importantly, come with several projects already zipping along the development tracks.
There’s the adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s wildly popular novel Remarkably Bright Creatures, which is set up at Netflix with Where the Crawdads Sing filmmaker Olivia Newman attached to direct and Sally Field attached to star. (Fun fact: Craig is Field’s son.)
There’s Tropical Underworld, a crime drama series set in Hawaii and based on a Bloomberg article written by Chris Pomorski. The project sold in a competitive bidding war to Fifth Season, which beat out such companies as A24,...
- 10/28/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Since its premiere in September 2007 all the way to its series finale in December 2012 and to this day, Gossip Girl has been one of the most beloved teen drama series of all time. The CW series based on the book series of the same name helped launched its home network and became a pop culture phenomenon in no time.
The series launched its young cast of stars into superstars, with the likes of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, and more becoming movie and television stars. Gossip Girl even launch one of the most successful modern rock stars! The cast has truly come a long way from their days on the Upper East Side.
As Gossip Girl makes its triumphant return to Netflix in the United States on Oct. 29, 2024, millions of fans will start rewatching the series and inevitably wondering, "How old was the cast 17 years ago?" Let's...
The series launched its young cast of stars into superstars, with the likes of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, and more becoming movie and television stars. Gossip Girl even launch one of the most successful modern rock stars! The cast has truly come a long way from their days on the Upper East Side.
As Gossip Girl makes its triumphant return to Netflix in the United States on Oct. 29, 2024, millions of fans will start rewatching the series and inevitably wondering, "How old was the cast 17 years ago?" Let's...
- 10/27/2024
- by Reed Gaudens
- Netflix Life
Outer Banks: Everything You Need to Know About Season 4 Part 2 - Main Image
The treasure hunt is far from over, and Outer Banks Season 4 Part 2 has several questions to answer after a series of massive cliffhangers in Part 1.
The Pogues are back for more action and adventure, but before fans see the entirety of the fourth season, their favorite show has followed the Netflix trend of splitting popular series into two parts.
The first part, released on October 10, featured the first five episodes. Although that’s only half of the fourth season, it has already put viewers on the edge of their seats.
From the big revelation about JJ’s father (Rudy Pankow) to the fates of Sarah (Madelyn Cline) and Pope (Jonathan Daviss), here’s everything you need to know about Outer Banks Season 4 Part 2.
What Happened in Outer Banks Season 4 Part 1?
Warning: Major spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
The treasure hunt is far from over, and Outer Banks Season 4 Part 2 has several questions to answer after a series of massive cliffhangers in Part 1.
The Pogues are back for more action and adventure, but before fans see the entirety of the fourth season, their favorite show has followed the Netflix trend of splitting popular series into two parts.
The first part, released on October 10, featured the first five episodes. Although that’s only half of the fourth season, it has already put viewers on the edge of their seats.
From the big revelation about JJ’s father (Rudy Pankow) to the fates of Sarah (Madelyn Cline) and Pope (Jonathan Daviss), here’s everything you need to know about Outer Banks Season 4 Part 2.
What Happened in Outer Banks Season 4 Part 1?
Warning: Major spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
- 10/24/2024
- EpicStream
Jennifer Lopez is seemingly always busy, juggling her acting and music career all at once. Her work ethic has paid off big time over the years. But despite Lopez’s accomplishments, an insider claimed Affleck felt his ex-wife was capable of much more.
Ben Affleck Allegedly Felt That Jennifer Lopez Needed to Change Her Career Plans Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck | Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic
If anyone knows what a career overhaul takes, it’s Affleck. Although his career was off to a good start after Good Will Hunting, his stock plummeted quickly in the mid-2000s. Doing a long stretch of under-performing films, in addition to his controversial relationship with Lopez at the time, drove Affleck away from Hollywood.
This hiatus was needed, however, as it inspired Affleck to reboot his career. He returned by acting in features like Hollywoodland and directing Gone Baby Gone, intentionally focusing on much more meaningful projects.
Ben Affleck Allegedly Felt That Jennifer Lopez Needed to Change Her Career Plans Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck | Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic
If anyone knows what a career overhaul takes, it’s Affleck. Although his career was off to a good start after Good Will Hunting, his stock plummeted quickly in the mid-2000s. Doing a long stretch of under-performing films, in addition to his controversial relationship with Lopez at the time, drove Affleck away from Hollywood.
This hiatus was needed, however, as it inspired Affleck to reboot his career. He returned by acting in features like Hollywoodland and directing Gone Baby Gone, intentionally focusing on much more meaningful projects.
- 10/5/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Museum of Modern Art
As the career-spanning Johnnie To retrospective continues, a Samuel L. Jackson series includes Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and Jungle Fever on 35mm.
Bam
A Duras-Akerman double bill plays Sunday.
Film at Lincoln Center
NYFF Revivals continues with films by Robert Bresson, Raymond Depardon, and Clive Barker, Compensation, and more.
Film Forum
A George Stevens retrospective begins; restorations of The Devil, Probably and Lancelot du lac continue; Shane screens on Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
“Kill Yr Landlords” includes work by John Schlesinger, Hal Ashby, and Nikos Papatakis; films by Dovzhenko and Dreyer play in “Essential Cinema.”
Roxy Cinema
Apocalypse Now: Final Cut plays Friday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A Frank Oz retrospective begins; Burden of Dreams and Fitzcarraldo both screen.
Metrograph
Pulp Fiction, There Will Be Blood, The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice, Lolita, and...
Museum of Modern Art
As the career-spanning Johnnie To retrospective continues, a Samuel L. Jackson series includes Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and Jungle Fever on 35mm.
Bam
A Duras-Akerman double bill plays Sunday.
Film at Lincoln Center
NYFF Revivals continues with films by Robert Bresson, Raymond Depardon, and Clive Barker, Compensation, and more.
Film Forum
A George Stevens retrospective begins; restorations of The Devil, Probably and Lancelot du lac continue; Shane screens on Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
“Kill Yr Landlords” includes work by John Schlesinger, Hal Ashby, and Nikos Papatakis; films by Dovzhenko and Dreyer play in “Essential Cinema.”
Roxy Cinema
Apocalypse Now: Final Cut plays Friday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A Frank Oz retrospective begins; Burden of Dreams and Fitzcarraldo both screen.
Metrograph
Pulp Fiction, There Will Be Blood, The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice, Lolita, and...
- 10/4/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Hollywood veteran Kevin Costner may have gained tremendous acclaim and fame for his outstanding work in the Western genre, but that didn’t stop him from trying his hand across other genres too. While his versatility as an actor spread over thrillers, romance, and action projects, it also saw him embody one of the most legendary heroic outlaws from English folklore: Robin Hood.
Kevin Costner. | Credits: Sgt. Patrick King/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons.
Like multiple other takes on the character, Costner’s film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves from 1991 was a commercial success but was also met with mixed reviews: Doomed by critics and loved by fans. And while Costner may have been satisfied with the work he did on the movie, Russell Crowe – who also played an iteration of the hero – had some serious scathing criticism for him.
Russell Crowe Brutally Berated Kevin Costner’s Prince of Thieves
Easily...
Kevin Costner. | Credits: Sgt. Patrick King/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons.
Like multiple other takes on the character, Costner’s film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves from 1991 was a commercial success but was also met with mixed reviews: Doomed by critics and loved by fans. And while Costner may have been satisfied with the work he did on the movie, Russell Crowe – who also played an iteration of the hero – had some serious scathing criticism for him.
Russell Crowe Brutally Berated Kevin Costner’s Prince of Thieves
Easily...
- 9/27/2024
- by Mahin Sultan
- FandomWire
In a battle of wits, sarcasm, and intelligence, very few from Hollywood come anywhere close to beating Robert Downey Jr. A mastermind with the most iconic responses ready at hand, the perfect Tony Stark portrayer has never once failed to leave the people around him baffled by him, be they his own peers or viewers who just can’t have enough of his work.
Robert Downey Jr. | Credits: Gage Skidmore/Cca-by-sa-2.0/Wikimedia Commons.
As it turns out, this list of admirers includes Rebecca Hall’s name as well. Apparently, the 42-year-old stunner, who has even worked with genius brains like Christopher Nolan, couldn’t hide her amazement while working with Downey Jr. on Iron Man 3. To say the least, after working with him, even Hall couldn’t deny just how synonymous he is with his former MCU superhero.
Rebecca Hall Credits Robert Downey Jr. for Being the Real-Life Tony...
Robert Downey Jr. | Credits: Gage Skidmore/Cca-by-sa-2.0/Wikimedia Commons.
As it turns out, this list of admirers includes Rebecca Hall’s name as well. Apparently, the 42-year-old stunner, who has even worked with genius brains like Christopher Nolan, couldn’t hide her amazement while working with Downey Jr. on Iron Man 3. To say the least, after working with him, even Hall couldn’t deny just how synonymous he is with his former MCU superhero.
Rebecca Hall Credits Robert Downey Jr. for Being the Real-Life Tony...
- 9/22/2024
- by Mahin Sultan
- FandomWire
The latest film in the “Transformers” franchise – “Transformers One” – is finally in theaters, and this time it’s animated. The new film from director Josh Cooley serves as a prequel to the entire universe and chronicles the early days of Optimus and Megatron’s friendship. Here the official logline:
“The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.”
For this prequel, the voice cast is entirely different from the live-action films and boasts some pretty big A-listers. Here’s our complete “Transformers One” cast and character guide.
Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax
Chris Hemsworth plays Orion Pax in “Transformers One,” who eventually becomes Optimus Prime.
Hemsworth is most known for playing Thor in a number of Marvel projects including “Thor,” “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Avengers: Endgame.” He’s also recently starred in “Mad Max: Furiosa” and “Extraction.
“The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.”
For this prequel, the voice cast is entirely different from the live-action films and boasts some pretty big A-listers. Here’s our complete “Transformers One” cast and character guide.
Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax
Chris Hemsworth plays Orion Pax in “Transformers One,” who eventually becomes Optimus Prime.
Hemsworth is most known for playing Thor in a number of Marvel projects including “Thor,” “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Avengers: Endgame.” He’s also recently starred in “Mad Max: Furiosa” and “Extraction.
- 9/20/2024
- by Jacob Bryant
- The Wrap
Marvel once recruited actor Rebecca Hall for Robert Downey Jr.’s last Iron Man solo film. Since Iron Man 3 was very much unlike Hall’s usual work, doing the feature required a bit of a learning curve. Especially when it came to working with her co-star Downey.
Rebecca Hall felt that Robert Downey Jr is Tony Stark Rebecca Hall and Robert Downey Jr. | Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Iron Man 3 stood out from Hall’s usual work. The Night House star might’ve been known for more dramatic, grounded features that were smaller in scale. Up until doing the Marvel blockbuster, Hall’s most popular films might’ve been Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige and Ben Affleck’s The Town. In a 2013 interview with The Los Angeles Times (via Daily Actor), even Hall herself acknowledged that Iron Man was a huge shift in her filmography.
“It is a departure.
Rebecca Hall felt that Robert Downey Jr is Tony Stark Rebecca Hall and Robert Downey Jr. | Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Iron Man 3 stood out from Hall’s usual work. The Night House star might’ve been known for more dramatic, grounded features that were smaller in scale. Up until doing the Marvel blockbuster, Hall’s most popular films might’ve been Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige and Ben Affleck’s The Town. In a 2013 interview with The Los Angeles Times (via Daily Actor), even Hall herself acknowledged that Iron Man was a huge shift in her filmography.
“It is a departure.
- 9/18/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Jennifer Lopez collaborated with filmmaker Kevin Smith in the comedy-drama Jersey Girl. Smith was already accustomed to working with Lopez’s ex-boyfriend Ben Affleck. But working with Lopez would be a first for the Chasing Amy director. Smith admitted he had a few concerns about her before she stepped foot on the film set.
Kevin Smith didn’t know what kind of Jennifer Lopez he’d work with for ‘Jersey Girl’ Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez | Richard Corkery / Getty Images
Smith was pleasantly surprised when he worked with Lopez for the first time in the 2004 feature. Lopez wasn’t in the movie for very long, but her presence in Jersey Girl had a large impact on the project. Her relationship with Affleck at the time was seen as the source of the film’s underwhelming performance. But even before she was officially brought on board, Smith worried that her involvement might cause a few problems.
Kevin Smith didn’t know what kind of Jennifer Lopez he’d work with for ‘Jersey Girl’ Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez | Richard Corkery / Getty Images
Smith was pleasantly surprised when he worked with Lopez for the first time in the 2004 feature. Lopez wasn’t in the movie for very long, but her presence in Jersey Girl had a large impact on the project. Her relationship with Affleck at the time was seen as the source of the film’s underwhelming performance. But even before she was officially brought on board, Smith worried that her involvement might cause a few problems.
- 9/17/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Exclusive: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is set to recur in the Peacock series Law & Order: Organized Crime for Season 5 as Isabella Spezzano, a figure from Stabler’s (Meloni) past.
Law & Order: Organized Crime follows the detectives of the Organized Crime Control Bureau as they take on New York City’s most vicious and violent criminal syndicates. In addition to Meloni, Danielle Moné Truitt and Ainsley Seiger also star.
The show was renewed for a fifth season in April following the announcement the procedural would move from NBC to its streamer Peacock. The move gives Peacock an original Dick Wolf drama series to go with the Wolf Entertainment library and next-day runs of the company’s remaining NBC series Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, Law & Order and Law & Order: Svu, which are among the platform’s most viewed titles.
Law & Order: Organized Crime follows the detectives of the Organized Crime Control Bureau as they take on New York City’s most vicious and violent criminal syndicates. In addition to Meloni, Danielle Moné Truitt and Ainsley Seiger also star.
The show was renewed for a fifth season in April following the announcement the procedural would move from NBC to its streamer Peacock. The move gives Peacock an original Dick Wolf drama series to go with the Wolf Entertainment library and next-day runs of the company’s remaining NBC series Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, Law & Order and Law & Order: Svu, which are among the platform’s most viewed titles.
- 9/13/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Is this Saturday Night Live or Succession?
After Lorne Michaels seemingly confirmed that Season 50 would be his last at the helm of SNL — good god, the man will be 80 at year’s end — pundits and show alumni are suddenly waving the “not so fast” flags. Just in case you were thinking about wagering on Michaels’ departure?
“It is dumb money to think that Lorne is stepping down after the 50th,” Seth Meyers told Matt Belloni this week on The Town podcast.
Belloni, who has devoted multiple podcasts to handicapping Michaels’ SNL successor, explained that he’s done a 180 on SNL’s future leader. “I thought for sure the 50th would be the big moment,” he said. “And (next) summer, he would say, ‘I’m gonna hang on Paul McCartney’s yacht, and I’m not coming back.’”
Now Belloni is changing his tune. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen,...
After Lorne Michaels seemingly confirmed that Season 50 would be his last at the helm of SNL — good god, the man will be 80 at year’s end — pundits and show alumni are suddenly waving the “not so fast” flags. Just in case you were thinking about wagering on Michaels’ departure?
“It is dumb money to think that Lorne is stepping down after the 50th,” Seth Meyers told Matt Belloni this week on The Town podcast.
Belloni, who has devoted multiple podcasts to handicapping Michaels’ SNL successor, explained that he’s done a 180 on SNL’s future leader. “I thought for sure the 50th would be the big moment,” he said. “And (next) summer, he would say, ‘I’m gonna hang on Paul McCartney’s yacht, and I’m not coming back.’”
Now Belloni is changing his tune. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen,...
- 9/12/2024
- Cracked
Both Ben Affleck and his younger brother Casey Affleck became Hollywood success stories. During their ascent to the top, there was little room for rivalry between the two, despite the media occasionally claiming otherwise.
How Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck avoided a sibling rivalry Casey Affleck and Ben Affleck | Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Ben and Casey Affleck had similar beginnings in the film industry, but their career paths slightly diverged after becoming more successful. They both started working as child actors with their friend Matt Damon. But Casey admitted that one of his main reasons for getting into the acting business was to be near girls.
“The person who directed the plays at my high school came to me and said: ‘We’re doing a musical. We have 19 girls and we need one male at the very least to play the male lead.’ And I considered another summer of baseball...
How Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck avoided a sibling rivalry Casey Affleck and Ben Affleck | Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Ben and Casey Affleck had similar beginnings in the film industry, but their career paths slightly diverged after becoming more successful. They both started working as child actors with their friend Matt Damon. But Casey admitted that one of his main reasons for getting into the acting business was to be near girls.
“The person who directed the plays at my high school came to me and said: ‘We’re doing a musical. We have 19 girls and we need one male at the very least to play the male lead.’ And I considered another summer of baseball...
- 9/6/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Whispers around the Hollywood water cooler say Will Smith is exiting his co-starring role for the forthcoming big-budget action film Sugar Bandits. According to Deadline, Smith’s production studio, Westbrook, remains a part of the project, which was supposed to begin filming soon but petered out because Smith became uncertain about his on-screen commitment.
People close to the situation say Will Smith is forfeiting his co-starring role due to scheduling conflicts. However, which endeavor stands in the way of his participation in Sugar Bandits remains to be seen. The plan is to recast Smith’s part and keep the film on track to shoot in 2025. Sugar Bandits is reportedly an $80 million production, with the project selling at EFM and Cannes to distributors and Amazon Prime. However, Smith’s name was attached to the deal and was the primary reason buyers forked over the cash. With Smith out of the picture,...
People close to the situation say Will Smith is forfeiting his co-starring role due to scheduling conflicts. However, which endeavor stands in the way of his participation in Sugar Bandits remains to be seen. The plan is to recast Smith’s part and keep the film on track to shoot in 2025. Sugar Bandits is reportedly an $80 million production, with the project selling at EFM and Cannes to distributors and Amazon Prime. However, Smith’s name was attached to the deal and was the primary reason buyers forked over the cash. With Smith out of the picture,...
- 9/4/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Will Smith is exiting his co-starring role in upcoming action movie Sugar Bandits.
We understand Smith and his production company Westbrook will remain producers on the big-budget project, which was due to begin filming in coming months but had stalled due to uncertainty over Smith’s on-screen commitment.
We hear that Smith is exiting as an actor due to scheduling conflicts. It’s not immediately clear, however, which, if any, project is being fast-tracked for the A-lister.
Word is Westbrook is seeking to re-cast Smith’s role and still intends to make Sugar Bandits in 2025. However, there’s now a question mark over the film’s outlook. The circa $80M project was sold all around the world at the EFM and in Cannes to leading independent distributors and Amazon Prime on the understanding that Smith would be starring in it.
Oscar winner Smith was to play a former special...
We understand Smith and his production company Westbrook will remain producers on the big-budget project, which was due to begin filming in coming months but had stalled due to uncertainty over Smith’s on-screen commitment.
We hear that Smith is exiting as an actor due to scheduling conflicts. It’s not immediately clear, however, which, if any, project is being fast-tracked for the A-lister.
Word is Westbrook is seeking to re-cast Smith’s role and still intends to make Sugar Bandits in 2025. However, there’s now a question mark over the film’s outlook. The circa $80M project was sold all around the world at the EFM and in Cannes to leading independent distributors and Amazon Prime on the understanding that Smith would be starring in it.
Oscar winner Smith was to play a former special...
- 9/4/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Having starred as Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and in CW’s Gossip Girl, by the late 2000s, Blake Lively had already cemented herself as a notable name in showbiz. However, Ben Affleck was pretty oblivious to Lively’s filmography when she auditioned for The Town.
Blake Lively in Gossip Girl | Credit: The CW
Considering the entire film hinged on the character of Krista Coughlin, getting it right was the most challenging part of the casting process. With no idea about Lively’s prior work, Affleck initially felt that she was just another attractive blonde girl, but Lively did make him eat his own words.
Ben Affleck Wanted the Credit for Putting Blake Lively on the Map A still from The Town | Credit: Warner Bros.
While Ben Affleck was going from actress to actress to find the right fit for Krista, one reading from Blake Lively assured...
Blake Lively in Gossip Girl | Credit: The CW
Considering the entire film hinged on the character of Krista Coughlin, getting it right was the most challenging part of the casting process. With no idea about Lively’s prior work, Affleck initially felt that she was just another attractive blonde girl, but Lively did make him eat his own words.
Ben Affleck Wanted the Credit for Putting Blake Lively on the Map A still from The Town | Credit: Warner Bros.
While Ben Affleck was going from actress to actress to find the right fit for Krista, one reading from Blake Lively assured...
- 9/1/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
Ben Affleck was very impressed by Blake Lively’s audition for The Town. But what Affleck didn’t know at the time was that she was already pretty famous in her own right.
Ben Affleck’s first impression of Blake Lively Ben Affleck | Bryce Vickmark/Getty Images
Affleck didn’t know what to expect from Lively for The Town. But while casting her role, there weren’t any other actors giving him the performance he was looking for.
“The whole movie kind of hinges in a lot of ways on her performance, and I knew it was going to be the hardest part to cast,” Affleck said in a 2010 interview with Esquire.
Lively had already been an accomplished actor by the time she screened for The Town. She starred in comedies like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and was the lead in Gossip Girl. But Affleck had little to...
Ben Affleck’s first impression of Blake Lively Ben Affleck | Bryce Vickmark/Getty Images
Affleck didn’t know what to expect from Lively for The Town. But while casting her role, there weren’t any other actors giving him the performance he was looking for.
“The whole movie kind of hinges in a lot of ways on her performance, and I knew it was going to be the hardest part to cast,” Affleck said in a 2010 interview with Esquire.
Lively had already been an accomplished actor by the time she screened for The Town. She starred in comedies like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and was the lead in Gossip Girl. But Affleck had little to...
- 8/31/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The recent news of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s divorce has continued to make headlines with the two stars yet to make an official statement regarding it. It has been a rather surprising turn of events as Lopez expressed her ultimate love for Affleck some months ago with her latest studio album and its companion film and documentary.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starred in two films together including Gigli and Jersey Girl | Credits: Miramax
However, sources have been pointing out red flags between the couple in recent months that point to issues between them, With the divorce now official, the discourse has been around how each of them has been handling the upsetting situation. Lopez is reportedly devastated by the divorce and is really disappointed with Affleck.
Fans Side With Jennifer Lopez Amid Divorce, As Ben Affleck’s Past Scandal Gets Brought Up
Fans started seeing red flags...
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starred in two films together including Gigli and Jersey Girl | Credits: Miramax
However, sources have been pointing out red flags between the couple in recent months that point to issues between them, With the divorce now official, the discourse has been around how each of them has been handling the upsetting situation. Lopez is reportedly devastated by the divorce and is really disappointed with Affleck.
Fans Side With Jennifer Lopez Amid Divorce, As Ben Affleck’s Past Scandal Gets Brought Up
Fans started seeing red flags...
- 8/29/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
The heist movie genre has seen many films set in different places. Ben Affleck’s The Town was set in the middle of a Red Sox game, Oceans Eleven heist was during a boxing match in a casino, and the latest from Lionsgate 1992 puts a heist in the middle of the Rodney King Verdict protests. The Tyrese Gibson-led film sees him play Mercer, a fresh out-of-jail employee who finds himself and his son in the middle of a heist.
1992 Review
I remember seeing this trailer at the end of last year and being intrigued by the premise. Heist movies are one of my favorite genres, and if done right, they can be instant classics. With 1992 set amid the uprising protests post-Rodney King verdict, the film’s tone is strong and has an unwavering message that is heartbreaking at its core.
It’s both daring and insane to deliver...
1992 Review
I remember seeing this trailer at the end of last year and being intrigued by the premise. Heist movies are one of my favorite genres, and if done right, they can be instant classics. With 1992 set amid the uprising protests post-Rodney King verdict, the film’s tone is strong and has an unwavering message that is heartbreaking at its core.
It’s both daring and insane to deliver...
- 8/28/2024
- by Ricky Valero
- FandomWire
One of the most popular characters from the hit Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” will have a lesser role in the upcoming fourth season. Philip Dunster, who plays the talented but self-centered soccer star Jamie Tartt, will no longer be a regular cast member. Entertainment reporter Matthew Belloni revealed Dunster may make some guest appearances but his time on screen will be significantly reduced.
This change comes from scheduling conflicts with other acting jobs Dunster has taken. He is committed to the Prime Video thriller “The Devil’s Hour” where he plays Mike Stevens. Dunster also joined the cast of Apple TV’s drama “Surface” in a season two role. With commitments to both shows, he no longer has availability to be a series regular on “Ted Lasso.”
A little Ted Lasso news: Phil Dunster, who plays Jamie Tartt, is not expected to return for Season 4. He's got conflicts with other shows.
This change comes from scheduling conflicts with other acting jobs Dunster has taken. He is committed to the Prime Video thriller “The Devil’s Hour” where he plays Mike Stevens. Dunster also joined the cast of Apple TV’s drama “Surface” in a season two role. With commitments to both shows, he no longer has availability to be a series regular on “Ted Lasso.”
A little Ted Lasso news: Phil Dunster, who plays Jamie Tartt, is not expected to return for Season 4. He's got conflicts with other shows.
- 8/28/2024
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
The fate of one of 2024’s runaway hits, It Ends With Us, could leave fans with a sour taste as the story is likely to go unfinished on the silver screen. The cinematic adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling book counts $242 million for the Justin Baldoni-directed drama starring Blake Lively, Baldoni, and Brandon Sklenar, with a $300 million take in sight. To put its success in perspective, It Ends With Us only cost $25 million, making the box office profits nothing to dismiss. However, an ongoing feud between Lively and Baldoni could keep audiences from seeing an It Ends With Us sequel.
Typically, studios lock down the necessary cast members and fast-track a sequel when a surprise smash like this comes along. It helps that Hoover’s sequel novel exists, leaving the path to more story crystal clear. However, a source close to the original film’s production says it’s...
Typically, studios lock down the necessary cast members and fast-track a sequel when a surprise smash like this comes along. It helps that Hoover’s sequel novel exists, leaving the path to more story crystal clear. However, a source close to the original film’s production says it’s...
- 8/27/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have both starred in quite a few blockbuster movies in their long careers. But Garner admitted that there was a part of her that wanted to one up her husband at the box office.
Jennifer Garner once joked that it’d be nice to beat Ben Affleck at the box office Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner | Steve Zak Photography/FilmMagic
Garner and Affleck both knew what it was like to be a part of a few blockbusters. Although Affleck once had the bigger commercial success when it came to films. Even earlier in his career, movies like Armageddon and Pearl Harbor solidified him as a reliable box-office star. Although overtime Affleck wanted to stop doing movies strictly for the paycheck.
“The only thing I regret are the times I took movies just to work,” Affleck once told Entertainment Weekly.
The pivot Affleck took with his...
Jennifer Garner once joked that it’d be nice to beat Ben Affleck at the box office Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner | Steve Zak Photography/FilmMagic
Garner and Affleck both knew what it was like to be a part of a few blockbusters. Although Affleck once had the bigger commercial success when it came to films. Even earlier in his career, movies like Armageddon and Pearl Harbor solidified him as a reliable box-office star. Although overtime Affleck wanted to stop doing movies strictly for the paycheck.
“The only thing I regret are the times I took movies just to work,” Affleck once told Entertainment Weekly.
The pivot Affleck took with his...
- 8/27/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck has long been celebrated for his acting and filmmaking talents. Despite his fame and acclaim, the actor has a deep connection to his roots, particularly one American city that gave him his career’s two greatest films: Good Will Hunting and Gone Baby Gone.
Ben Affleck | Photo by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Despite the importance that the city of Boston has played in his life and career, Affleck once tried to avoid filming The Town, there. Not wanting to repeat himself, he ultimately did end up filming there, which is now one of his most successful films of all time.
Reason Why Ben Affleck Avoided Filming in The City of Boston
Matt Damon And Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting | Credit: Miramax Films
Ben Affleck has had a long connection with the city of Boston. Apart from living there for a while,...
Ben Affleck | Photo by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Despite the importance that the city of Boston has played in his life and career, Affleck once tried to avoid filming The Town, there. Not wanting to repeat himself, he ultimately did end up filming there, which is now one of his most successful films of all time.
Reason Why Ben Affleck Avoided Filming in The City of Boston
Matt Damon And Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting | Credit: Miramax Films
Ben Affleck has had a long connection with the city of Boston. Apart from living there for a while,...
- 8/24/2024
- by Maria Sultan
- FandomWire
Ben Affleck has represented his hometown of Boston in many of his films. But after a while, he felt that it was important to move beyond his home when developing his movies.
Ben Affleck believed that he had to get out of Boston for his movies Ben Affleck | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Affleck reignited his career by directing two highly acclaimed movies in very familiar territory. Both Gone Baby Gone and The Town took place in Boston. But initially, Affleck was reluctant to do The Town because it hit too close to home.
“I was actually hesitant purely because of that. I had done my love letter to Boston with Gone Baby Gone, and I didn’t want to repeat myself,” Affleck once told Movies.ie. “But the story got to me. I just loved the characters here, the journey they go on. You just feel it in your bones, and...
Ben Affleck believed that he had to get out of Boston for his movies Ben Affleck | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Affleck reignited his career by directing two highly acclaimed movies in very familiar territory. Both Gone Baby Gone and The Town took place in Boston. But initially, Affleck was reluctant to do The Town because it hit too close to home.
“I was actually hesitant purely because of that. I had done my love letter to Boston with Gone Baby Gone, and I didn’t want to repeat myself,” Affleck once told Movies.ie. “But the story got to me. I just loved the characters here, the journey they go on. You just feel it in your bones, and...
- 8/24/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The recent years have not been kind to Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner. After their fiercely successful respective Hollywood careers spanning 25+ years and each enjoying a spot at the peak, for such tragedy and misery to befall both actors within 2 years of each other is nearly unheard of.
Jeremy Renner and Ben Affleck in The Town [Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]
For Ben Affleck, his misery pertains more to the romantic/personal aspect of his life, as reports of his second breakup and first divorce from Jennifer Lopez flood the internet exactly 2 years after the celebrity couple got hitched. For Jeremy Renner, his fate is a bit more tragic and much more deserving of the public’s undying sympathies.
And yet, beyond the haze of nightmarish accidents and déjà vu breakups, one thread ties both Oscar-worthy actors together under a single title: The Town.
Jeremy Renner Leaves Ben Affleck Baffled in The Town...
Jeremy Renner and Ben Affleck in The Town [Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]
For Ben Affleck, his misery pertains more to the romantic/personal aspect of his life, as reports of his second breakup and first divorce from Jennifer Lopez flood the internet exactly 2 years after the celebrity couple got hitched. For Jeremy Renner, his fate is a bit more tragic and much more deserving of the public’s undying sympathies.
And yet, beyond the haze of nightmarish accidents and déjà vu breakups, one thread ties both Oscar-worthy actors together under a single title: The Town.
Jeremy Renner Leaves Ben Affleck Baffled in The Town...
- 8/23/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
From executive producer Snoop Dogg, 1992 is a tense crime-thriller that follows Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) as he desperately tries to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son (Christopher A'mmanuel) amidst the turbulent 1992 L.A. uprising following the Rodney King verdict.
Across town, another father and son (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when they collide in this action-packed new movie from filmmaker Ariel Vromen (The Iceman).
Earlier this month, we had the good fortune to sit down with Eastwood to learn how he approached playing a character who operates in shades of grey and what he enjoyed about exploring the complicated family dynamic of the crooks who embark on this heist.
The actor also reflects...
Across town, another father and son (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when they collide in this action-packed new movie from filmmaker Ariel Vromen (The Iceman).
Earlier this month, we had the good fortune to sit down with Eastwood to learn how he approached playing a character who operates in shades of grey and what he enjoyed about exploring the complicated family dynamic of the crooks who embark on this heist.
The actor also reflects...
- 8/23/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
“The Instigators” is many things. Doug Liman’s movie starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck is a buddy comedy, a heist caper, and a thriller — but it is also a stealth menswear stunner.
That might not be entirely surprising, given the internet uproar when the trailer revealed Jack Harlow’s vintage Red Sox jacket. That was thanks to costume designer Charlese Antoinette’s eye for vintage shopping (both in person and online); the rest of the workwear that fills the Apple TV+ movie was a little harder.
“I couldn’t do a lot of thrifting with those guys for the outfits they end up wearing once the whole heist began,” Antoinette told IndieWire about locking Affleck and Damon’s crooks into one look. “That stuff was new, and we had to age it down and make it look beat up and old. That’s also why I like thrifting, because...
That might not be entirely surprising, given the internet uproar when the trailer revealed Jack Harlow’s vintage Red Sox jacket. That was thanks to costume designer Charlese Antoinette’s eye for vintage shopping (both in person and online); the rest of the workwear that fills the Apple TV+ movie was a little harder.
“I couldn’t do a lot of thrifting with those guys for the outfits they end up wearing once the whole heist began,” Antoinette told IndieWire about locking Affleck and Damon’s crooks into one look. “That stuff was new, and we had to age it down and make it look beat up and old. That’s also why I like thrifting, because...
- 8/21/2024
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
After months of speculation, Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from her husband, actor Ben Affleck. The two have had a long romantic history; they first dated more than 20 years ago before getting engaged in 2002, but they called off their wedding in 2003 and split for good in 2004.
Ben and Jen reconnected in 2021, and fans were excited about the potential for a romance. In 2022, they had tied the knot in a romantic Georgia wedding, but it seems the flames didn’t last long. Two years after their pricey, elegant wedding ceremony, Lopez has officially filed for divorced. Each half of this ultra-famous duo has racked up plenty of cash through the years, and they reportedly don’t have a prenup — but who has the higher net worth in 2024?
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez sneak a kiss in 2002 | Bauer-Griffin/Gc Images Jennifer Lopez is worth a staggering $400 million
Lopez has had a lengthy acting and singing career.
Ben and Jen reconnected in 2021, and fans were excited about the potential for a romance. In 2022, they had tied the knot in a romantic Georgia wedding, but it seems the flames didn’t last long. Two years after their pricey, elegant wedding ceremony, Lopez has officially filed for divorced. Each half of this ultra-famous duo has racked up plenty of cash through the years, and they reportedly don’t have a prenup — but who has the higher net worth in 2024?
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez sneak a kiss in 2002 | Bauer-Griffin/Gc Images Jennifer Lopez is worth a staggering $400 million
Lopez has had a lengthy acting and singing career.
- 8/21/2024
- by Julia Mullaney
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Actress Blake Lively stars as “The Cat” alongside Hugh Jackman as ‘L’Ombre’ in the September 2024 “Vogue” feature “The Heist of the Heart”, directed by Baz Luhrmann:
Lively is known for starring as 'Serena van der Woodsen' in The CW drama TV series "Gossip Girl".
She also starred in a number of features including "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005)…
…"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (2008), "The Town" (2010), "Green Lantern" (2011)...
..."Savages" (2012), "The Age of Adaline" (2015), "The Shallows" (2016) and "A Simple Favor" (2018).
Lively also played a drug-addicted prostitute…
…in "The Rhythm Section", directed by Reed Morano…
…and currently stars in “It Ends With Us”.
Click the images to enlarge...
Lively is known for starring as 'Serena van der Woodsen' in The CW drama TV series "Gossip Girl".
She also starred in a number of features including "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005)…
…"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (2008), "The Town" (2010), "Green Lantern" (2011)...
..."Savages" (2012), "The Age of Adaline" (2015), "The Shallows" (2016) and "A Simple Favor" (2018).
Lively also played a drug-addicted prostitute…
…in "The Rhythm Section", directed by Reed Morano…
…and currently stars in “It Ends With Us”.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 8/21/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Blake Lively has always made interesting choices as an artist. As /Film's Hannah Shaw-Williams noted while writing about the larger-than-anticipated box office debut for Lively's romantic drama "It Ends with Us," the "Gossip Girl" alum is the rare actor to become "a reliable star of so-called 'chick flicks' i.e. movies overtly marketed towards a female audience" in recent years. This dates back to her breakout role nearly 20 years ago in Ken Kwapis' "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," a deeply earnest coming-of-age film that also happens to be about a pair of jeans that magically fits four teen girls with decidedly different body types. It's a good movie!
As she settled into adulthood, Lively continued to branch out, collaborating with auteurs like Rebecca Miller and Oliver Stone while primarily focusing on low-to-mid-budget, non-franchise fare at a time when such films were being banished to the direct-to-streaming realm. That's not...
As she settled into adulthood, Lively continued to branch out, collaborating with auteurs like Rebecca Miller and Oliver Stone while primarily focusing on low-to-mid-budget, non-franchise fare at a time when such films were being banished to the direct-to-streaming realm. That's not...
- 8/16/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
That octopus book is heading to the screen.
Netflix has picked up a film package that adapts Remarkably Bright Creatures, the wildly popular novel by Shelby Van Pelt.
Sally Field, the veteran actress last seen in 80 for Brady, is in talks to star in the feature that is to be directed by Olivia Newman, perhaps best known for helming Where the Crawdads Sing. Newman is also writing the script with John Whittington.
Producing the adaptation will be David Levine via Anonymous Content along with Bryan Unkeless (I, Tonya) and Peter Craig, the established screenwriter of The Town and The Batman. Craig is also Field’s son.
The novel tells of the unique relationship between a lonely woman working as a janitor at an aquarium and a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus living at the facility.
The woman is grieving the death of her husband and also still processing the disappearance...
Netflix has picked up a film package that adapts Remarkably Bright Creatures, the wildly popular novel by Shelby Van Pelt.
Sally Field, the veteran actress last seen in 80 for Brady, is in talks to star in the feature that is to be directed by Olivia Newman, perhaps best known for helming Where the Crawdads Sing. Newman is also writing the script with John Whittington.
Producing the adaptation will be David Levine via Anonymous Content along with Bryan Unkeless (I, Tonya) and Peter Craig, the established screenwriter of The Town and The Batman. Craig is also Field’s son.
The novel tells of the unique relationship between a lonely woman working as a janitor at an aquarium and a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus living at the facility.
The woman is grieving the death of her husband and also still processing the disappearance...
- 8/14/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ben Affleck helped his career resurgence by becoming a top director in the film industry. But there was one passion project he blamed ex-wife Jennifer Garner for not being able to shoot.
Ben Affleck almost directed an episode of this television series Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner | Steve Zak Photography/FilmMagic
Affleck once credited Garner for his transition into directing. He was already familiar with writing projects in addition to acting in them, but he had no experience actually directing full length features. He decided to take a chance with filmmaking after his career experienced a downward spiral. His crumbling relationship with Jennifer Lopez, coupled with his film choices, inspired Affleck to take a break from Hollywood.
During his time off, he got into a deeper relationship with Daredevil co-star Jennifer Garner. After his brief hiatus, Affleck figured directing might be a good way to continue his comeback. His decision...
Ben Affleck almost directed an episode of this television series Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner | Steve Zak Photography/FilmMagic
Affleck once credited Garner for his transition into directing. He was already familiar with writing projects in addition to acting in them, but he had no experience actually directing full length features. He decided to take a chance with filmmaking after his career experienced a downward spiral. His crumbling relationship with Jennifer Lopez, coupled with his film choices, inspired Affleck to take a break from Hollywood.
During his time off, he got into a deeper relationship with Daredevil co-star Jennifer Garner. After his brief hiatus, Affleck figured directing might be a good way to continue his comeback. His decision...
- 8/11/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Though he’s best known as an actor, the two-time Oscar winner Ben Affleck has excelled in a variety of fields, including writing, directing and producing. And it was the writing and producing catgories that brought him his two Academy Awards. Let’s take a look back at 18 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1972, Affleck first gained notice as a hot young actor with supporting performances in movies such as “School Ties” (1992), “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and “Mallrats” (1995). He shot to stardom when he and Damon, lifelong friends, decided to write a couple of plum roles for themselves in the inspirational drama “Good Will Hunting” (1997). The box office smash bring the duo an Oscar and Golden Globe for screenwriting, launching both of their onscreen careers.
Having firmly established himself as a leading man, Affleck decided to try his luck behind the camera by directing the murder mystery...
Born in 1972, Affleck first gained notice as a hot young actor with supporting performances in movies such as “School Ties” (1992), “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and “Mallrats” (1995). He shot to stardom when he and Damon, lifelong friends, decided to write a couple of plum roles for themselves in the inspirational drama “Good Will Hunting” (1997). The box office smash bring the duo an Oscar and Golden Globe for screenwriting, launching both of their onscreen careers.
Having firmly established himself as a leading man, Affleck decided to try his luck behind the camera by directing the murder mystery...
- 8/10/2024
- by Christopher Rosen, Chris Beachum and Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
Plot: Rory and Cobby are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician’s ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture — or worse.
Review: There are so many things that The Instigators has going for it: The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman reuniting with star Matt Damon, Damon reuniting with his Ocean’s franchise and Good Will Hunting co-star Casey Affleck, and Affleck co-scripting the movie. Setting it in the city with two of Hollywood’s most unabashedly vocal Bostonians, this movie sounded brilliant on paper. On...
Review: There are so many things that The Instigators has going for it: The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman reuniting with star Matt Damon, Damon reuniting with his Ocean’s franchise and Good Will Hunting co-star Casey Affleck, and Affleck co-scripting the movie. Setting it in the city with two of Hollywood’s most unabashedly vocal Bostonians, this movie sounded brilliant on paper. On...
- 8/9/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
“Soap opera” is a term that conjures cliché images. In hindsight it’s a rather sexist phrase, like the studio-system category of “women’s pictures.” Soap operas have always dealt, at times in depth, with women’s experiences. When the phrase came into vogue, in the 1960s, soap operas were what housewives watched on network television in the afternoon (I’d watch my mother get absorbed into them). One of the many ways that they were unfairly sneered at is that the culture gave no credibility to the fact that soap operas were a serial form, which allowed them to slip into the nuances of a dramatic situation. Sure, they featured broad acting and a certain mannequin-model handsomeness and beauty, yet they gripped people — mostly women — because there was something vital and alive in them.
“It Ends with Us” is an overripe saga of love and romance that’d also...
“It Ends with Us” is an overripe saga of love and romance that’d also...
- 8/7/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Husband and wife Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are set to face off at the box office this weekend, despite the fact that their movies are aimed at dudes and women, respectively.
The most wonderful surprise that everyone is buzzing about is Wayfarer Studios and Sony’s feature take of author Colleen Hoover’s first novel It Ends With Us, starring Lively and Justin Baldoni and directed by the latter. Presales are through the roof, with opening estimates quite wild. At the low end is Nrg’s $23 million, which even if this $25M co-production falls apart and opens at that level is still amazing for a female-skewing pic, the marketplace and Lively as a leading lady.
For Mrs. Ryan Reynolds (who made a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine), her last live-action feature that did respectable business was 2018’s A Simple Favor ($16M); even with a $23M start, It Ends With Us...
The most wonderful surprise that everyone is buzzing about is Wayfarer Studios and Sony’s feature take of author Colleen Hoover’s first novel It Ends With Us, starring Lively and Justin Baldoni and directed by the latter. Presales are through the roof, with opening estimates quite wild. At the low end is Nrg’s $23 million, which even if this $25M co-production falls apart and opens at that level is still amazing for a female-skewing pic, the marketplace and Lively as a leading lady.
For Mrs. Ryan Reynolds (who made a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine), her last live-action feature that did respectable business was 2018’s A Simple Favor ($16M); even with a $23M start, It Ends With Us...
- 8/6/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air. Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.
The series received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special, Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Or Anthology Series...
The series received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special, Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Or Anthology Series...
- 8/5/2024
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Armie Hammer may be exiled from Hollywood, as he self-proclaims, but the controversial actor is back on TV…at least, by way of Olympic gold medalist Justin Best.
Best, who recently followed in the women’s gymnastics team’s footsteps by winning a gold medal as part of the U.S. men’s rowing team, credited Hammer’s portrayal of twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss in “The Social Network” as the inspiration for him becoming a professional rower. The Winklevoss twins’ lawsuit against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, is captured in the David Fincher Oscar-winning film, as well as their rowing exploits.
“So I was in between sports and I was going into my freshman year of high school and I had gotten a concussion in football and I was like, ‘No more football,’” Best told People from the Olympics Team USA house. “And obviously the Winklevoss twins are portrayed,...
Best, who recently followed in the women’s gymnastics team’s footsteps by winning a gold medal as part of the U.S. men’s rowing team, credited Hammer’s portrayal of twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss in “The Social Network” as the inspiration for him becoming a professional rower. The Winklevoss twins’ lawsuit against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, is captured in the David Fincher Oscar-winning film, as well as their rowing exploits.
“So I was in between sports and I was going into my freshman year of high school and I had gotten a concussion in football and I was like, ‘No more football,’” Best told People from the Olympics Team USA house. “And obviously the Winklevoss twins are portrayed,...
- 8/5/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Instigators is a heist action comedy film directed by Doug Liman from a screenplay co-written by Chuck Maclean and Casey Affleck. The Apple TV+ film follows the story of a former marine and an ex-con as they team up for a heist. When their plan goes awry they have to run and they drag one of their therapist in the process. The Instigators stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in the lead roles with Hong Chau, Paul Walter Stuhlbarg, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Jack Harlow, and Ron Perlman starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the action, comedic banter, and heist drama in The Instigators here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Logan Lucky (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Bleecker Street
Logan Lucky is a heist comedy-drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Rebecca Blunt. The 2017 film follows the story of Jimmy Logan,...
Logan Lucky (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Bleecker Street
Logan Lucky is a heist comedy-drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Rebecca Blunt. The 2017 film follows the story of Jimmy Logan,...
- 8/5/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Jeremy Renner, an actor who was a star even before he realized it, could display a range like no other. Catching his first big break with a hauntingly dark, disturbing, and traumatic lead in Dahmer (2002), Renner went on to bag 2 Oscar nominations for his roles in The Hurt Locker (2008) and The Town (2010). A year later, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Jeremy Renner and Gil Birmingham in Wind River [Photo: Fred Hayes/The Weinstein Company]
Since Thor (2011), Jeremy Renner has stayed within the comfortable safety net of his Avengers role until Taylor Sheridan made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, so to speak. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s directorial debut, Wind River (2017), struck a chord with the actor.
He later went on to collaborate with Sheridan in Mayor of Kingstown, a series that surpasses expectations and delivers a thrilling commentary on America’s prison-incarceration economy.
Jeremy Renner Crosses a Milestone in...
Jeremy Renner and Gil Birmingham in Wind River [Photo: Fred Hayes/The Weinstein Company]
Since Thor (2011), Jeremy Renner has stayed within the comfortable safety net of his Avengers role until Taylor Sheridan made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, so to speak. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s directorial debut, Wind River (2017), struck a chord with the actor.
He later went on to collaborate with Sheridan in Mayor of Kingstown, a series that surpasses expectations and delivers a thrilling commentary on America’s prison-incarceration economy.
Jeremy Renner Crosses a Milestone in...
- 8/3/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck found their way back to each other after decades of being apart. At the time, Lopez seemed content in her relationship with The Town star. Still, even when their relationship seemed its healthiest, Lopez felt reuniting with an ex wasn’t always the best thing to do.
Jennifer Lopez felt reuniting with an ex lover wasn’t for everybody Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck at the ‘Gigli’ California premiere | Chris Weeks/FilmMagic
Even after breaking up and finding different partners to spend their lives with, Affleck and Lopez maintained contact over the years. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck revealed that they just supported each other’s careers from afar as friends.
“We don’t have the kind of relationship where she relies on me for advice,” Affleck said. “But we do have the kind of relationship where there’ll be an e-mail saying,...
Jennifer Lopez felt reuniting with an ex lover wasn’t for everybody Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck at the ‘Gigli’ California premiere | Chris Weeks/FilmMagic
Even after breaking up and finding different partners to spend their lives with, Affleck and Lopez maintained contact over the years. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck revealed that they just supported each other’s careers from afar as friends.
“We don’t have the kind of relationship where she relies on me for advice,” Affleck said. “But we do have the kind of relationship where there’ll be an e-mail saying,...
- 8/3/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Doug Liman’s The Instigators begins with Boston crime boss Mr. Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg) laying out his plan to rob the corrupt Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman) on election night. When Besegai’s regular crew falls through, he’s forced to turn to the only men desperate enough to take such a high-risk job on such short notice: Cobby (Casey Affleck), a local barfly with a criminal record, and Rory (Matt Damon), a depressed divorcee who vowed to kill himself in a year’s time if his life didn’t start to improve. And that was about a year ago.
The pair make for an excellent odd couple. Cobby spends the entire film providing a color commentary on the action in a detached monotone. He strikes you as a kind of class clown, the sort of guy who can (and will) tell you what everyone else is doing wrong but who...
The pair make for an excellent odd couple. Cobby spends the entire film providing a color commentary on the action in a detached monotone. He strikes you as a kind of class clown, the sort of guy who can (and will) tell you what everyone else is doing wrong but who...
- 8/1/2024
- by Ross McIndoe
- Slant Magazine
Is it just idiotic to keep hoping original made-for-streaming features might pass for real movies? Sure, there’s an occasional exception, but not Apple TV+’s The Instigators, even the generic title of which sounds like a dozen things you watched on planes and promptly forgot. The comedy-ish thriller about a pair of inept crime cohorts winging it after a botched heist boasts considerable resources, a proven director and a highly capable cast. But even an extended vehicular chase sequence involving half of Boston law enforcement and a trail of wreckage generates few sparks.
The Doug Liman film will play a week in theaters from August 2 before its global streaming premiere a week later. Which is one week more than the director’s last film — the silly but at least enjoyably pulpy Road House remake with Jake Gyllenhaal — got before dropping on Amazon.
As fodder to shove into high rotation on subscriber algorithms,...
The Doug Liman film will play a week in theaters from August 2 before its global streaming premiere a week later. Which is one week more than the director’s last film — the silly but at least enjoyably pulpy Road House remake with Jake Gyllenhaal — got before dropping on Amazon.
As fodder to shove into high rotation on subscriber algorithms,...
- 8/1/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Despite winning an Oscar for playing the saddest man in all existence in “Manchester by the Sea,” Casey Affleck’s earlier roles seemed well aware that he could nail the role of an annoying kid brother. One of the best jokes in “Good Will Hunting” is Affleck in the backseat of the car singing, “I wish I had a double burger…” and then he brought that same irritating-yet-endearing energy to the trilogy of “Ocean’s” movies. While Affleck may not be playing a kid brother in his new movie “The Instigators,” it’s the same type of chattering tag-along that works incredibly well for him (and perhaps no surprise that he also co-wrote the script). Paired once again with Matt Damon, the two’s instant chemistry easily carries the film as a breezy watch that for better and worse provides the sense that the stars are making it up as they go along.
- 8/1/2024
- by Matt Goldberg
- The Wrap
Anyone can see that the heist at the heart of “The Instigators” is a bad idea: A two-bit crime boss knows the Boston mayor has been padding his pockets for decades, and figures they’re never fatter than on election night, when Beantown’s biggest donors fork over envelopes stuffed with cash. Said mobster wants to send in a team of dimwitted guys to relieve the crooked politician of all those 11th-hour “campaign contributions.” There’s just one small problem: “What if Choy wins the run-off?” asks Matt Damon’s Rory, who figures the corruption they’re targeting could cost the mayor the election.
In “The Instigators,” that small problem quickly snowballs into a veritable avalanche of complications, as Damon and Casey Affleck play characters grossly ill-equipped to be stealing from Boston’s most powerful man. As blue-collar Rory, Damon represents the unshaven and inexperienced polar opposite of a pro like Jason Bourne.
In “The Instigators,” that small problem quickly snowballs into a veritable avalanche of complications, as Damon and Casey Affleck play characters grossly ill-equipped to be stealing from Boston’s most powerful man. As blue-collar Rory, Damon represents the unshaven and inexperienced polar opposite of a pro like Jason Bourne.
- 8/1/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Even if it loses the NBA rights, Warner Bros. Discovery still operates NBA TV, which could be a major bargaining chip.
Warner Bros. Discovery is on the clock. The struggling media entity has until the end of the day — Monday, July 22 — to decide if it will officially exercise its contractual right to match third-party bids for a portion of the NBA’s next set of broadcast rights. Last Wednesday, the league’s board of governors officially accepted the terms of a new $7.6 billion per season media rights deal that for the first time in what will be more than 35 years, did not include Wbd’s cable network TNT. Thanks to its existing broadcast deal, which runs through the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery has the right to match either Amazon or Comcast’s offers. While Comcast’s bid to put games on NBC and Peacock appears to be too rich for Wbd CEO David Zaslav,...
Warner Bros. Discovery is on the clock. The struggling media entity has until the end of the day — Monday, July 22 — to decide if it will officially exercise its contractual right to match third-party bids for a portion of the NBA’s next set of broadcast rights. Last Wednesday, the league’s board of governors officially accepted the terms of a new $7.6 billion per season media rights deal that for the first time in what will be more than 35 years, did not include Wbd’s cable network TNT. Thanks to its existing broadcast deal, which runs through the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery has the right to match either Amazon or Comcast’s offers. While Comcast’s bid to put games on NBC and Peacock appears to be too rich for Wbd CEO David Zaslav,...
- 7/22/2024
- by Matt Tamanini
- The Streamable
Jon Hamm, with his celebrated portrayal of Don Draper in the well-acclaimed series Mad Man, has carved out an important place in Hollywood. His cinematic career spans diverse roles across all genres, showing his screen presence. But along with his successful string of movies and shows, the actor was also rumored to have a competitive career streak with Ben Affleck.
Jon Hamm in Mad Men (2007) || AMC
But the duo collaborated in the movie The Town, and it was all that Hamm needed to realize that certain roles might not align with his professional and personal goals.
Jon Hamm’s Perspective Changed After Working With Ben Affleck Jonn Hamm in Howl (2010) || Oscilloscope Laboratories
The duo acted together in The Town, in which Affleck was not just starring but was also directing. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jon Hamm admitted that he was indeed intrigued by Affleck’s career trajectory.
Jon Hamm in Mad Men (2007) || AMC
But the duo collaborated in the movie The Town, and it was all that Hamm needed to realize that certain roles might not align with his professional and personal goals.
Jon Hamm’s Perspective Changed After Working With Ben Affleck Jonn Hamm in Howl (2010) || Oscilloscope Laboratories
The duo acted together in The Town, in which Affleck was not just starring but was also directing. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jon Hamm admitted that he was indeed intrigued by Affleck’s career trajectory.
- 7/17/2024
- by Sakshi Singh
- FandomWire
24 years after Russell Crowe delivered entertainment in the Roman Colosseum in Ridley Scott's Best Picture-winner "Gladiator," the director is back with a sequel that will be hitting theaters in November. We finally got a look at the "Gladiator II" trailer today and to say that it looks wild would be an understatement. Scott has upped the action while assembling a stellar ensemble cast led by Paul Mescal ("All of Us Strangers"), Pedro Pascal ("The Mandalorian"), and Denzel Washington ("The Equalizer").
While Scott clearly isn't going for overall historical accuracy here, these films are based loosely on what happened in Ancient Rome during these storied gladiator battles. The trailer features some particularly wild moments, including a rhino being let loose in the arena. But the wildest moment comes early when the arena is flooded to simulate a navy battle, with huge war ships and dozens of men duking it out for the Romans to watch.
While Scott clearly isn't going for overall historical accuracy here, these films are based loosely on what happened in Ancient Rome during these storied gladiator battles. The trailer features some particularly wild moments, including a rhino being let loose in the arena. But the wildest moment comes early when the arena is flooded to simulate a navy battle, with huge war ships and dozens of men duking it out for the Romans to watch.
- 7/9/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
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