Charles Bramesco
Noomi Rapace and Orlando Bloom Take on the Terrorists in New ‘Unlocked’ Trailer
There’s some bio-terrorism a-brewin’ in London, and it’s up to Noomi Rapace to track down the no-noodniks responsible and dispense some harsh and uncompromising justice. Nope, it’s not another iteration of the Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo franchise, it’s the new trailer for the upcoming espionage thriller Unlocked. Rapace plays a stone-cold killer who does everything Jason Bourne did (but in chunky heels) as she shoots her way through the United Kingdom’s capital city to disarm a viral germ bomb of some manner or another. It’s a glowing green liquid in a syringe; whatever it is, we know it’s not good news.
‘Wonder Woman’ Is the Top-Grossing Summer Movie of 2017 in the U.S.
Our children won’t believe us when we tell them that there used to be doubt over whether a female-fronted superhero movie would work at the box office. Even at present, the days of studio executive hand-wringing over whether audiences would deign to shell out their precious $11.75 to see a film in which a woman — who was not a man — did superhero things feel favorably remote. For director Patty Jenkins and her marble-carved star Gal Gadot have proven beyond all debate and rage-choked internet commenting that women are perfectly capable of making a whole mess of money during blockbuster season. And now it’s official.
Darren Aronofsky’s Jennifer Lawrence Vehicle ‘mother!’ Bumped Up a Month
For a movie directed by a well-regarded arthouse stalwart with mainstream appeal and starring an actress who was the biggest movie star on Earth as recently as three years ago, it’s weird that mother! has remained almost entirely shrouded by secrecy. We know that Darren Aronofsky’s new movie stars Jennifer Lawrence, it’s some manner of home-invasion psychothriller, and the cast includes Javier Bardem, Kristen Wiig, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer. We saw the poster, which finds JLaw ripping her own heart out in a lush vernal scene like Mola Ram on vacation in Argentina. But apart from that, it’s a big, strange question mark. Word on the street says a trailer is on its way, and yet it’s still impressive that a project this high-profile has gotten so far while remaining almost totally incognito.
‘Dark Tower’ Director Takes Matt Damon’s Robert Kennedy Biopic as Next Project
When a big studio tentpole comes out, it’s common practice for the personnel involved to take their next jobs around the same time, riding the crest of publicity generated by the release. Usually, the offers start coming in shortly after the film in question hits theaters and proves successful or less-so, and the news will follow that. But when, say, the director of the upcoming Dark Tower adaptation signs a deal for his next project weeks in advance of his big premiere, it’s a sign foretelling one of two things. It’s either so good that a studio made him an offer too appealing to pass up, or so bad that he just wants to sign a contract before word gets out.
Sandra Bullock to Go Post-Apocalyptic in Netflix Thriller ‘Bird Box’
Sandra Bullock has been relatively quiet as of late. She starred in Our Brand Is Crisis and lent her vocals to Minions in 2013, which means the last time anybody actually saw her face (sorry, Our Brand Is Crisis) was in 2013’s Gravity. Presumably, she’s been getting some quality time with the family while waiting for the right script, which has hopefully come in the form of the all-ladies Ocean’s 8 due next year. But today brings the news that the former Miss Congeniality has now laid plans for another future project, and this one’s going online.
‘The Snowman’ Trailer: Michael Fassbender in Hot Pursuit of a Chilly Killer
Tomas Alfredson ain’t prolific, but he sure is good at what he does. It’s been six years since the Swedish director’s last film, the brilliantly slippery espionage yarn Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and before that, he put a novel spin on the vampire flick with the gentle, poetic Let the Right One In. The news of another project from the elusive filmmaker is cause for great commotion, and the newly revealed trailer for that film — frost-choked serial killer thriller The Snowman — reminds us why. It has a lot to do with snow, and a lot to do with Michael Fassbender.
Dev Patel and Ben Stiller to Star in Retelling of Sordid Chippendales Origin Story
I’ve got good news, bad news, and further good news. The first good news is that the Chippendales movie you may remember reading about in 2014 has been revived yet again, and seemingly for real this time, with Ben Stiller and Dev Patel attached to star. The bad news is that Patel will not be doing any of the stripping in the film. The other good news is that Stiller won’t, either.
Jon Stewart Interrupts ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ to Joke With Kimmel-Themed Bar Mitzvah Boy
When young Jews hit that magical age of 13, they go through the coming-of-age ceremony known as a bar mitzvah (for boys) or a bat mitzvah (for gals). There’s music, dancing, and food, you receive lots of money for bravely keeping a straight face while assorted relatives pinch your cheeks, and if you’re really lucky, a major late-night personality will bless your entry into the world of adulthood with his virtual presence.
‘Baby Driver’ Star Lily James Takes Key Role in ‘Mamma Mia!’ Sequel
Lily James cannot fight the music. In the title role of 2015’s handsome Cinderella rework, her beautiful singing served as a plot point, attracting a suitor to her like a sailor drawn in by a siren’s song. She’s gotten another bump in visibility as the female lead of Baby Driver, another film fundamentally oriented around music. (The swooningly romantic scene in which she and her crush Baby share a pair of earbuds at a laundromat is already a fan-favorite.) Now she’s taken her next major role, and it’s sure to put her vocal cords through their paces.
Oprah Has Rhinestone Eyebrows in First Photos of Ava DuVernay’s ‘A Wrinkle in Time’
It’s a big day for independent directors making the jump to studio work and proudly bringing their blackness with them. We got a look at the latest photos of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther just this morning, and now Entertainment Weekly has also released a preview of Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of the children’s fantasy book A Wrinkle in Time. The Selma and 13th filmmaker has been hard at work in New Zealand, marshaling the largest studio budget ever entrusted to a woman of color ($100 million), and she’s got a whole lot to show for it. There’s magic, wonder, diverse representation and a whole bunch of other stuff, but mostly, there’s Oprah’s eyebrows.