Mark Wahlberg as Michael in ‘Arthur the King’ (Photo Credit: Carlos Rodriguez / Lionsgate)
Mark Wahlberg and director Simon Cellan Jones (The Family Plan) join forces for Arthur the King, a film that tells the incredible true story of a dog who braved the jungle for over 400 miles to find a home. Wahlberg plays Michael Light, an adventure racer who is at the end of his career. In many ways, Michael is his own worst enemy, driven by his past failures and not really knowing the meaning of being part of a team.
Michael can’t work as a realtor for his father and is always preoccupied with thoughts of racing when he’s at home with his wife and daughter. Michael’s wife, Helen (Juliet Rylance), gives him the okay to do one final race – the Adventure Racing World Championship being held in the Dominican Republic – in hopes he’ll...
Mark Wahlberg and director Simon Cellan Jones (The Family Plan) join forces for Arthur the King, a film that tells the incredible true story of a dog who braved the jungle for over 400 miles to find a home. Wahlberg plays Michael Light, an adventure racer who is at the end of his career. In many ways, Michael is his own worst enemy, driven by his past failures and not really knowing the meaning of being part of a team.
Michael can’t work as a realtor for his father and is always preoccupied with thoughts of racing when he’s at home with his wife and daughter. Michael’s wife, Helen (Juliet Rylance), gives him the okay to do one final race – the Adventure Racing World Championship being held in the Dominican Republic – in hopes he’ll...
- 3/15/2024
- by Kevin Finnerty
- Showbiz Junkies
Let me state right out that I am a sucker for dog movies. I still can’t get over My Dog Skip. I learned valuable lifelong lessons from Old Yeller. I consider Lassie a personal friend. I took selfies at the Oscar nominees luncheon with Messi, the French border collie I was pushing for Best Supporting Actor from Anatomy of a Fall. So yes, I am probably the right audience for the latest in the genre, Arthur the King, and its title star.
However, for about the first 55 minutes or so, Arthur the King is hardly about the dog at all, but rather the extreme physical competition of adventure racing, most particularly the 2018 World Championship taking place in the Dominican Republic. The focus is on frustrated competitor Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg), who never never won the big prize and is determined not to give up. This time he has put...
However, for about the first 55 minutes or so, Arthur the King is hardly about the dog at all, but rather the extreme physical competition of adventure racing, most particularly the 2018 World Championship taking place in the Dominican Republic. The focus is on frustrated competitor Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg), who never never won the big prize and is determined not to give up. This time he has put...
- 3/13/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
In Arthur the King, Mark Wahlberg plays an endurance racer who has repeatedly missed out on finishing first in that big race. Looking for one last shot at greatness, he decides to put together a team to help him reach this goal. What he doesn’t expect is that this race will change his entire outlook, family, and character forever.
The film follows a team of four athletes as they vie for the top spot in the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. This is an endurance race to end all endurance races that essentially takes racers from one side of the country to the other over the course of ten days and traveling a total of 435 miles. As they move through the race, the team picks up a street dog they name Arthur who eventually becomes their fifth member. As the team pushes themselves through the inevitable hardships found throughout the race,...
The film follows a team of four athletes as they vie for the top spot in the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. This is an endurance race to end all endurance races that essentially takes racers from one side of the country to the other over the course of ten days and traveling a total of 435 miles. As they move through the race, the team picks up a street dog they name Arthur who eventually becomes their fifth member. As the team pushes themselves through the inevitable hardships found throughout the race,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
At five of the last 10 Oscars, Best Cinematography has gone hand-in-hand with Best Director: Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” (2014); Lubezki and Alejandro G. Inarritu for both “Birdman” (2015) and “The Revenant” (2016); Linus Sandgren and Damien Chazelle for “La La Land” (2017); and Cuaron doing double duty on “Roma” (2019). Will that trend hold true this year? (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2024 Oscar predictions for Best Cinematography.)
The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity” first prevailed at the American Society of Cinematographers Awards,...
The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity” first prevailed at the American Society of Cinematographers Awards,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Paul Sheehan and Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Neill Blomkamp’s “Gran Turismo” movie from Sony Pictures packs all the adrenaline and all the emotions. Based on a true story, the film follows young Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) as he gets the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go from a video game racer to a real race car driver. It all started with Gran Turismo game creator Kazunori Yamauchi (Takehiro Hira) who got ahold of an automobile simulator and transformed it into a very real racing experience for gamers. Dreamer and Nissan marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) took the love for the game a step further by giving the best players a chance to go through a Gran Turismo academy to compete for the chance at racing on some of the professional courses featured in the game.
Enter David Harbour’s Jack Salter as Chief Engineer enlisted with determining whether the transition from a video game simulation to the real deal is even possible,...
Enter David Harbour’s Jack Salter as Chief Engineer enlisted with determining whether the transition from a video game simulation to the real deal is even possible,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being reviewed here wouldn't exist.
At this point, the "video game movie" classification feels just about as broad and changeable as that of a "superhero movie." Is there any point in lumping together movies like "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" or "Detective Pikachu" with "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" or "Uncharted"? (Does anyone even remember "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" or "Uncharted"?) By the same token, any lingering talk of an all-expansive "curse" associated with these adaptations increasingly comes across less like some inexplicable barrier that studios have (mostly) been unable to cross, and more to do with the idea that simply trying to translate a medium as idiosyncratic and immersive as video games into the wildly different language of film has always been self-defeating.
At this point, the "video game movie" classification feels just about as broad and changeable as that of a "superhero movie." Is there any point in lumping together movies like "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" or "Detective Pikachu" with "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" or "Uncharted"? (Does anyone even remember "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" or "Uncharted"?) By the same token, any lingering talk of an all-expansive "curse" associated with these adaptations increasingly comes across less like some inexplicable barrier that studios have (mostly) been unable to cross, and more to do with the idea that simply trying to translate a medium as idiosyncratic and immersive as video games into the wildly different language of film has always been self-defeating.
- 8/8/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
“Gran Turismo” is a film of contradictions. On the one hand, it’s a video game movie while on the other it’s a true story about how a video game turned one of its players into a legitimate racecar driver. It’s a film aimed at fans of said video game, but not quite a feature built for the whole family. While it’s good in the moment, it’s doubtful you’ll must up much recognition of it within the next few months.
The film tells the story of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a teenage boy trying to figure out his path in life. His father Steve (Djimon Hounsou), would love to see Jann go outside and experience life, but the young man would rather spend his day playing the racing game, Gran Turismo.
On the surface, Jann’s story has all the hallmarks of a typical formulaic family film.
The film tells the story of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a teenage boy trying to figure out his path in life. His father Steve (Djimon Hounsou), would love to see Jann go outside and experience life, but the young man would rather spend his day playing the racing game, Gran Turismo.
On the surface, Jann’s story has all the hallmarks of a typical formulaic family film.
- 8/8/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Gran Turismo, Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming feature adaptation of the best-selling PlayStation video game, captures “all the exhilarating aspects of auto racing and the game,” enthused Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, as he introduced well-received footage from the upcoming film.
From Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, the Aug. 11 release is based on the story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.
Cast members David Harbour and Orlando Bloom were on hand to help present the high-octane footage.
Reading a clunky line from his script, Harbour got a big laugh as he responded, “The Writer’s Strike. I love Chat Gpt.”
Bloom noted that he plays Danny, the market lead at Nissan who convinces PlayStation to run the Gran Turismo challenge at the heart of the movie, revealing “how being good at...
From Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, the Aug. 11 release is based on the story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.
Cast members David Harbour and Orlando Bloom were on hand to help present the high-octane footage.
Reading a clunky line from his script, Harbour got a big laugh as he responded, “The Writer’s Strike. I love Chat Gpt.”
Bloom noted that he plays Danny, the market lead at Nissan who convinces PlayStation to run the Gran Turismo challenge at the heart of the movie, revealing “how being good at...
- 4/25/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Gran Turismo’ Dp Details How He Filmed “Aggressive” Racing Scenes: “We Wanted To Make It Look Real”
Cinematographer Jacques Jouffret aimed to give audiences the thrill of auto racing in Gran Turismo, Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming feature adaptation of the best-selling racing video game. “They’re going to see a race car like they’ve never seen it before,” he asserted during a presentation hosted by Sony at the 2023 Nab Show in Las Vegas.
From Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, the Aug. 11 release is based on the story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver. “This is the true story of this young man. Some very tragic and happy experiences happened to him. Neil really wanted to recreate those moments,” says Jouffret.
The Dp describes the look as a sort of stylized documentary. “We wanted to make it look real, you don’t want it to feel like it’s a computer game,...
From Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, the Aug. 11 release is based on the story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver. “This is the true story of this young man. Some very tragic and happy experiences happened to him. Neil really wanted to recreate those moments,” says Jouffret.
The Dp describes the look as a sort of stylized documentary. “We wanted to make it look real, you don’t want it to feel like it’s a computer game,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joined by director Neil Blomkamp, Sony unspooled high-octane footage of race car driving in a sneak peek at Gran Turismo, Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions’ feature adaptation of the best-selling racing video game, on Wednesday during its CES press conference in Las Vegas.
Slated for an Aug. 11 theatrical release, Gran Turismo was lensed with Sony’s Venice 2 cameras using its Rialto extension system that effectively detaches the sensor from the camera. This allowed the filmmakers to put cameras in the very tight spaces inside the cars, just as the filmmakers on Top Gun: Maverick used this camera system to put these small camera devices inside fighter jets.
Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the Columbia Pictures film is described by the studio as the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.
Slated for an Aug. 11 theatrical release, Gran Turismo was lensed with Sony’s Venice 2 cameras using its Rialto extension system that effectively detaches the sensor from the camera. This allowed the filmmakers to put cameras in the very tight spaces inside the cars, just as the filmmakers on Top Gun: Maverick used this camera system to put these small camera devices inside fighter jets.
Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the Columbia Pictures film is described by the studio as the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.
- 1/5/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While the new film Father Stu may initially come across as a simple bad guy breaks good by becoming a priest and righting his past wrongs, it also manages to tell an earnest and emotionally rewarding story. What could have been a pandering, emotion-laden tale of one individual finding his “divine” purpose in life, instead proves to be a heart-felt and well-executed story of personal discovery and salvation.
After a near-fatal motorcycle accident, Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg) is forced to abandon his lifelong ambition to be a professional boxer. So, he decides to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, despite lacking any experience or training. Then, through another series of startling events, Stuart comes to the realization that he is supposed to be a Catholic priest. Although his family (both father [Mel Gibson] and mother [Jacki Weaver]) are skeptical of his sudden career path alteration – as...
After a near-fatal motorcycle accident, Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg) is forced to abandon his lifelong ambition to be a professional boxer. So, he decides to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, despite lacking any experience or training. Then, through another series of startling events, Stuart comes to the realization that he is supposed to be a Catholic priest. Although his family (both father [Mel Gibson] and mother [Jacki Weaver]) are skeptical of his sudden career path alteration – as...
- 4/13/2022
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
In between tentpole movies, actor Mark Wahlberg has consistently found the time to venture into dramatic territory, specifically hyper-masculine narratives that allow him to play tough guys. (“The Departed” and “The Fighter” represent the best of these efforts.)
While his ideological leanings have never been a secret, Wahlberg’s latest serious role in “Father Stu,” from first-time writer-director Rosalind Ross, may be his most explicitly conservative escapade yet.
Wahlberg takes on the role of Stuart Long, a real-life amateur boxer who became a Catholic priest against all odds. Directionless since childhood, when the death of his younger brother devastated his family, Stuart leaves pugilism behind for the sudden dream of becoming an actor in Los Angeles. It’s there that a love interest, a Mexican woman named Carmen, leads him to a long-winded transformation via the Church.
Veteran actor and perennially controversial celebrity Mel Gibson (Ross’ romantic partner since 2014) plays Stuart’s estranged father Bill,...
While his ideological leanings have never been a secret, Wahlberg’s latest serious role in “Father Stu,” from first-time writer-director Rosalind Ross, may be his most explicitly conservative escapade yet.
Wahlberg takes on the role of Stuart Long, a real-life amateur boxer who became a Catholic priest against all odds. Directionless since childhood, when the death of his younger brother devastated his family, Stuart leaves pugilism behind for the sudden dream of becoming an actor in Los Angeles. It’s there that a love interest, a Mexican woman named Carmen, leads him to a long-winded transformation via the Church.
Veteran actor and perennially controversial celebrity Mel Gibson (Ross’ romantic partner since 2014) plays Stuart’s estranged father Bill,...
- 4/12/2022
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
Father Stu Trailer — Rosalind Ross‘ Father Stu (2022) movie trailer has been released by Sony Pictures. The Father Stu trailer stars Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Jacki Weaver, and Teresa Ruiz. Crew Rosalind Ross wrote the screenplay for Father Stu. Dickon Hinchliffe created the music for the film. Jacques Jouffret crafted the cinematography for the film. Plot [...]
Continue reading: Father Stu (2022) Movie Trailer: Catholic Priest Mark Wahlberg Inspires Others with His self-destruction-to-redemption Story...
Continue reading: Father Stu (2022) Movie Trailer: Catholic Priest Mark Wahlberg Inspires Others with His self-destruction-to-redemption Story...
- 2/10/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
‘Lord Of The Rings’ Oscar-winner Richard Taylor to oversee effects for New Zealand horror.
New Zealand filmmaker Scott Walker is to direct creature feature The Tank, which Cornerstone Films is launching at the virtual Cannes market.
Richard Taylor, the five-time Oscar-winning special effects supervisor whose credits include Blade Runner 2049 and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, will create the creature effects with his team at leading VFX studio Weta Workshop.
The film, which will shoot in New Zealand later this summer, centres on a young family that inherits a remote coastal property in Oregon. When attempting to repair a buried water tank,...
New Zealand filmmaker Scott Walker is to direct creature feature The Tank, which Cornerstone Films is launching at the virtual Cannes market.
Richard Taylor, the five-time Oscar-winning special effects supervisor whose credits include Blade Runner 2049 and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, will create the creature effects with his team at leading VFX studio Weta Workshop.
The film, which will shoot in New Zealand later this summer, centres on a young family that inherits a remote coastal property in Oregon. When attempting to repair a buried water tank,...
- 6/3/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
“Spell” adds to the significant recent growth of African American horror cinema, though really only in casting terms. Otherwise, this reasonably suspenseful if implausible tale is just another variation on the familiar formula of “city folk” making a big mistake going to the country, where every primitive peril awaits them. Here, instead of homicidal hillbillies à la “Texas Chainsaw” and “The Hills Have Eyes,” it’s an Appalachian enclave of Black hoodoo practitioners, with upwardly mobile Omari Hardwick at the “Misery”-esque mercy of witchy Loretta Devine.
Shot in South Africa, British-Zimbabwean director Mark Tonderai and veteran Hollywood scribe Kurt Wimmer’s film isn’t aiming for regional authenticity, though it might have poured on the bad-dream atmospherics a bit thicker to make up for that lack. Nonetheless, this is a decently stylish thriller with occult elements that should satisfy viewers’ genre requirements, though few will demand a second watch...
Shot in South Africa, British-Zimbabwean director Mark Tonderai and veteran Hollywood scribe Kurt Wimmer’s film isn’t aiming for regional authenticity, though it might have poured on the bad-dream atmospherics a bit thicker to make up for that lack. Nonetheless, this is a decently stylish thriller with occult elements that should satisfy viewers’ genre requirements, though few will demand a second watch...
- 10/28/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Early in Reinaldo Marcus Green’s delicate drama “Good Joe Bell,” the eponymous Joe Bell (Mark Wahlberg) — thought not yet “good” enough — makes a promise to his family. “I’m going to try to be better,” the small-town husband and father vows, and such is the theme of this true life story, a wrenching examination of the price of forgiveness, and how even the best of intentions may not ever be enough. While formulaic on its face,
Scripted by “Brokeback Mountain” duo Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Green’s “Of Monsters and Men” followup is based on a true story, and even viewers not familiar with the real tale of Joe and Jadin Bell will likely see some of its bigger “twists” coming — and for those who don’t, well, prepare your tissues. Green and his cast toggle between a demanding narrative structure, introducing Joe in the middle of a planned walk across America,...
Scripted by “Brokeback Mountain” duo Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Green’s “Of Monsters and Men” followup is based on a true story, and even viewers not familiar with the real tale of Joe and Jadin Bell will likely see some of its bigger “twists” coming — and for those who don’t, well, prepare your tissues. Green and his cast toggle between a demanding narrative structure, introducing Joe in the middle of a planned walk across America,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Though principal photography already kicked off in Los Angeles last week on the pandemic-themed thriller “Songbird,” the movie produced by Michael Bay and Adam Goodman has found its two leads, “Riverdale” and “I Still Believe” actor Kj Apa and singer and “Feel the Beat” star Sofia Carson.
Apa and Carson join a cast that already includes Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford, Craig Robinson, Jenna Ortega, Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormare, but Apa and Carson lead the cast in a film that is centered around their love story. Here’s the full, newly released synopsis:
Told from street level through the eyes of the characters, “Songbird” takes place two years into the future, as lockdown has been re-implemented after a more serious virus continues to mutate. In a feeble attempt to keep the sickness contained, the city has been bisected into haves and have nots. The film centers around an essential...
Apa and Carson join a cast that already includes Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford, Craig Robinson, Jenna Ortega, Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormare, but Apa and Carson lead the cast in a film that is centered around their love story. Here’s the full, newly released synopsis:
Told from street level through the eyes of the characters, “Songbird” takes place two years into the future, as lockdown has been re-implemented after a more serious virus continues to mutate. In a feeble attempt to keep the sickness contained, the city has been bisected into haves and have nots. The film centers around an essential...
- 7/13/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Michael Bay-produced pandemic thriller “Songbird” has secured its first international sale out of the virtual Cannes market.
European powerhouse Leonine has snapped up rights for German-speaking Europe, Variety can reveal. It’s believed there’s been strong interest on the continent, and that a number of U.S. distributors are also circling the film, which was shopped to buyers this past week.
Principal cast includes Demi Moore, Craig Robinson, Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormare. ICM Partners and Endeavor Content are handling worldwide sales.
Produced by Adam Goodman and Andrew Sugerman Invisible Narratives in partnership with Bay and Catchlight Studios, “Songbird” is set two years in the future, where a pandemic rages on, continuing to mutate and wreak havoc around the world. The film — which has been likened to a hybrid between “Paranormal Activity” and “Cloverfield” — is focused on an essential worker who is immune to the virus,...
European powerhouse Leonine has snapped up rights for German-speaking Europe, Variety can reveal. It’s believed there’s been strong interest on the continent, and that a number of U.S. distributors are also circling the film, which was shopped to buyers this past week.
Principal cast includes Demi Moore, Craig Robinson, Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormare. ICM Partners and Endeavor Content are handling worldwide sales.
Produced by Adam Goodman and Andrew Sugerman Invisible Narratives in partnership with Bay and Catchlight Studios, “Songbird” is set two years in the future, where a pandemic rages on, continuing to mutate and wreak havoc around the world. The film — which has been likened to a hybrid between “Paranormal Activity” and “Cloverfield” — is focused on an essential worker who is immune to the virus,...
- 6/28/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Bay will produce what may be the first major film shot in Los Angeles during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Deadline reported Tuesday that “Songbird,” directed by Adam Mason, will begin production within five weeks.
While it’s unclear exactly how Mason and his team will pull it off, the production could offer a blueprint for completing films when traditional means of production are off limits.
Mason (Hulu/Blumhouse’s “Into the Dark”) co-wrote a script with Simon Boyes (“Misconduct”) that takes place two years in the future, when the pandemic has not gone away and lockdowns have been reinstated as the coronavirus continues to mutate. Casting is underway.
While Bay is known for megabudget blockbusters, “Songbird” is said to be in the vein of tight, low-budget thrillers like Blumhouse’s “Paranormal Activity,” and unites a team of veterans in the genre. Along with Bay, the producers are former Paramount...
While it’s unclear exactly how Mason and his team will pull it off, the production could offer a blueprint for completing films when traditional means of production are off limits.
Mason (Hulu/Blumhouse’s “Into the Dark”) co-wrote a script with Simon Boyes (“Misconduct”) that takes place two years in the future, when the pandemic has not gone away and lockdowns have been reinstated as the coronavirus continues to mutate. Casting is underway.
While Bay is known for megabudget blockbusters, “Songbird” is said to be in the vein of tight, low-budget thrillers like Blumhouse’s “Paranormal Activity,” and unites a team of veterans in the genre. Along with Bay, the producers are former Paramount...
- 5/19/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Thompson on Hollywood
Michael Bay will produce what may be the first major film shot in Los Angeles during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Deadline reported Tuesday that “Songbird,” directed by Adam Mason, will begin production within five weeks.
While it’s unclear exactly how Mason and his team will pull it off, the production could offer a blueprint for completing films when traditional means of production are off limits.
Mason (Hulu’s “Into the Dark”) co-wrote a script with Simon Boyes (“Misconduct”) that takes place two years in the future, when the pandemic has not gone away and lockdowns have been reinstated as the coronavirus continues to mutate. Casting is underway.
While Bay is known for megabudget blockbusters, “Songbird” is said to be in the vein of tight, low-budget thrillers like “Paranormal Activity,” and unites a team of veterans in the genre. Along with Bay, the producers are former Paramount production chief Adam Goodman...
While it’s unclear exactly how Mason and his team will pull it off, the production could offer a blueprint for completing films when traditional means of production are off limits.
Mason (Hulu’s “Into the Dark”) co-wrote a script with Simon Boyes (“Misconduct”) that takes place two years in the future, when the pandemic has not gone away and lockdowns have been reinstated as the coronavirus continues to mutate. Casting is underway.
While Bay is known for megabudget blockbusters, “Songbird” is said to be in the vein of tight, low-budget thrillers like “Paranormal Activity,” and unites a team of veterans in the genre. Along with Bay, the producers are former Paramount production chief Adam Goodman...
- 5/19/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Former Paramount production chief Adam Goodman’s Invisible Narratives has teamed with Michael Bay to produce Songbird, a pandemic thriller that plans to take an unusual approach to shooting a movie in Los Angeles during the lockdown. It will begin production within five weeks, and might be the first film to shoot in the city.
The film will be directed by Adam Mason (Into The Dark), who wrote the script with Simon Boyes (Misconduct). The filmmakers are providing remote training for the actors. None of the participants would say exactly how they plan to shoot a movie at a time when the guilds are still compiling their own safety protocols so that production can resume. I’m told that the filmmakers behind Songbird have screened their plans by the guilds, and they are good to go.
The film is ostensibly a taut thriller in the spirit of Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.
The film will be directed by Adam Mason (Into The Dark), who wrote the script with Simon Boyes (Misconduct). The filmmakers are providing remote training for the actors. None of the participants would say exactly how they plan to shoot a movie at a time when the guilds are still compiling their own safety protocols so that production can resume. I’m told that the filmmakers behind Songbird have screened their plans by the guilds, and they are good to go.
The film is ostensibly a taut thriller in the spirit of Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.
- 5/19/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
First-time director David Sf Wilson's "Bloodshot" is an origin story of the eponymous superhero, a popular Valiant Comics Character, and revenge propels its plot. Set in an unnamed metropolis of darkly gleaming skyscrapers, the film is surely fun to watch, but it never feels grounded in reality. You never feel like there is anything at stake either, because we are given to understand that our hero is invincible. He does not get damaged by virtually anything, so it makes the action sequences that play out feel like a breeze to watch.
Jumping straight into the action, the story pivots around the tough-as-nails Us Marine Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel). After he and his wife are murdered, Garrison is resurrected by a team of scientists working for an organisation called Rst, which is spearheaded by Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce). At Rst, wounded American soldiers are treated to become "improved, enhanced warriors". Apparently,...
Jumping straight into the action, the story pivots around the tough-as-nails Us Marine Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel). After he and his wife are murdered, Garrison is resurrected by a team of scientists working for an organisation called Rst, which is spearheaded by Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce). At Rst, wounded American soldiers are treated to become "improved, enhanced warriors". Apparently,...
- 3/13/2020
- GlamSham
At this point, it’s hard to imagine that any comic book properties haven’t been mined for film. However, we have a new one in Bloodshot, but it does seem rather unlikely to start up a new franchise for star Vin Diesel. While on paper, this flick must have seemed like a cool vehicle for him, it instead offers up nothing we haven’t seen before, along with a visual style where you can never see anything during the myriad action scenes. In short order, you become disengaged and frankly rather frustrated. Those who expect a sequel from this initial outing are likely to be very disappointed. The movie is based on a comic book, as you might imagine. Ray Garrison (Diesel) is a soldier we watch get murdered early on, only to be brought back to life through nanotechnology by the Rst corporation, led by Dr. Emil Harting...
- 3/11/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Devon Sawa, Dave Bautista, 50 Cent, Jamie King | Written by John Herzfeld, Miles Chapman | Directed by John Herzfeld
Escape Plan 3: The Extractors, directed by John Herzfeld, is the third and final film in the not so good Escape Plan franchise that began in 2013 with a team-up of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and has somehow become a franchise and ended up receiving two direct-to-dvd ensembles with a cast of unknowns, and even weaker narratives. Shot back-to-back with the horrid and Stallone vacant second instalment Escape Plan 2: Hades, yet are both directed by two different directors, completes what is a disaster of a trilogy. The Extractors, thankfully, has nothing in common, in fact has Zero connections to, its predecessor. Yet strangely acts as a direct sequel of sorts to the initial film released in 2013, confused yet? Herzfeld’s film follows Ray Breslin (Stallone) who is hired...
Escape Plan 3: The Extractors, directed by John Herzfeld, is the third and final film in the not so good Escape Plan franchise that began in 2013 with a team-up of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and has somehow become a franchise and ended up receiving two direct-to-dvd ensembles with a cast of unknowns, and even weaker narratives. Shot back-to-back with the horrid and Stallone vacant second instalment Escape Plan 2: Hades, yet are both directed by two different directors, completes what is a disaster of a trilogy. The Extractors, thankfully, has nothing in common, in fact has Zero connections to, its predecessor. Yet strangely acts as a direct sequel of sorts to the initial film released in 2013, confused yet? Herzfeld’s film follows Ray Breslin (Stallone) who is hired...
- 7/3/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Mark Wahlberg's August action flick is coming to Blu-Ray and Digital this fall! For more on all the bonus content, see within...
August's action spectacular, Mile 22, blew audiences away with its non-stop action and well-choreographed fights. Now, Mark Wahlberg's action flick, starring Ronda Rousey, Lauren Cohen, Iko Uwais, and John Malkovich will find its way to Digital October 30, 2018 and Blu-ray/DVD on November 13, 2018. For more on what the home versions will include and our review of the film, see below...
In a visceral modern thriller from the director of Lone Survivor, Mark Wahlberg plays James Silva, an operative of the CIA’s most highly-prized and little-known unit. Aided by a top-secret tactical command team, Silva must transport an asset (Uwais) who has vital information to an airfield for extraction before the enemy closes in. “Loaded with edge-of-your-seat action”, Mile 22 is the perfect film for fans of fast-paced combat cinema.
August's action spectacular, Mile 22, blew audiences away with its non-stop action and well-choreographed fights. Now, Mark Wahlberg's action flick, starring Ronda Rousey, Lauren Cohen, Iko Uwais, and John Malkovich will find its way to Digital October 30, 2018 and Blu-ray/DVD on November 13, 2018. For more on what the home versions will include and our review of the film, see below...
In a visceral modern thriller from the director of Lone Survivor, Mark Wahlberg plays James Silva, an operative of the CIA’s most highly-prized and little-known unit. Aided by a top-secret tactical command team, Silva must transport an asset (Uwais) who has vital information to an airfield for extraction before the enemy closes in. “Loaded with edge-of-your-seat action”, Mile 22 is the perfect film for fans of fast-paced combat cinema.
- 9/13/2018
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Matt Malliaros)
- Cinelinx
“The Purge: Election Year” is the third installment in the James DeMonaco-directed horror series. This time around, former police sergeant Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) has become head of security for Senator Charlene Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), the front runner in the next Presidential election who vowed to eliminate the Purge. Her hate for the annual kill-fest, due to her past history, makes her the target of a new scheme that puts her life at risk.
IndieWire’s Eric Kohn gave the horror film a C+. “James DeMonaco’s allegorical franchise takes a sharp turn into racial politics, but falls short of doing them justice,” he wrote in his review. He adds that, “in theory, ‘Election Year’ offers a form of catharsis from contemporary anxieties by turning them into entertainment. Instead, this latest entry in a ridiculous franchise has become a victim of its own sick joke.”
Read More: ‘The Purge: Election Year...
IndieWire’s Eric Kohn gave the horror film a C+. “James DeMonaco’s allegorical franchise takes a sharp turn into racial politics, but falls short of doing them justice,” he wrote in his review. He adds that, “in theory, ‘Election Year’ offers a form of catharsis from contemporary anxieties by turning them into entertainment. Instead, this latest entry in a ridiculous franchise has become a victim of its own sick joke.”
Read More: ‘The Purge: Election Year...
- 7/1/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
By all accounts, The Purge: Anarchy was never a film I was hoping would exist. Even being a horror fan, I can’t say I wanted to see a sequel to the disappointing 2013 surprise financial hit The Purge. I say disappointed mainly because I was hoping for so much more from a film that advertised one night a year of chaos to the point that the streets would literally run red. What we got instead was a siege film that never fully explored the simple but kind-of genius idea of an annual purge night instated by the government to “cleanse our souls.” James DeMonaco has returned to what will surely be a new franchise, and even with the same writer and director as the first film, I think you’ll be surprised to find that The Purge: Anarchy is an entirely different beast.
The evening of March 21, 2032 is where we...
The evening of March 21, 2032 is where we...
- 7/18/2014
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In 2013, the country responded to the provocative concept that on one night every year, any and all crime is made legal. Audiences turned The Purge into a surprise summer hit as the film debuted at No. 1 with an astonishing $34.1 million weekend at the domestic box office.
After witnessing the response to the film and listening to the conversations that it provoked, James DeMonaco (writer/director of The Purge and writer of The Negotiator, Assault on Precinct 13) quickly returned to the explosive universe that he created with an even more arresting idea for a sequel: placing the audience outside on the streets during the annual Purge.
A speculative thriller that shows us what occurs during The Purge outside of the confines of a suburban neighborhood, The Purge: Anarchy returns us to a dystopic future. Our government, now re-engineered by the New Founders of America (Nfa), has sanctioned its annual 12-hour...
After witnessing the response to the film and listening to the conversations that it provoked, James DeMonaco (writer/director of The Purge and writer of The Negotiator, Assault on Precinct 13) quickly returned to the explosive universe that he created with an even more arresting idea for a sequel: placing the audience outside on the streets during the annual Purge.
A speculative thriller that shows us what occurs during The Purge outside of the confines of a suburban neighborhood, The Purge: Anarchy returns us to a dystopic future. Our government, now re-engineered by the New Founders of America (Nfa), has sanctioned its annual 12-hour...
- 7/7/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Nominees For Camera Operator Of The Year In 2013: Camera Operator of the Year – Feature Film Ian Fox, Soc – Saving Mr. Banks (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Geoffrey Haley, Soc...
- 1/9/2014
- by Ryan Adams
- AwardsDaily.com
Los Angeles, Jan. 9, 2014 — The Society of Camera Operators (Soc) will present its Camera Operator of the Year Awards at their Annual Awards Event, as announced today by Soc Vice President and Awards Executive Producer David Frederick, Soc. The black-tie celebration announcing the winners will be held on February 15, 2014 at the Skirball Cultural Center. The Soc donates all proceeds from the Awards Event to the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to help children overcome their vision deficits. As previously announced, this year.s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are Chris Haarhoff, Soc/Camera Operator (Saving Private Ryan, Fight Club, Almost Famous), William Coe/Camera Technician (The Avengers, J. Edgar, Jersey Boys), Barry Wetcher, Smpsp/Still Photographer (Goodfellas, Quiz Show, Sherlock Holmes) and Jack Carpenter/Mobile Camera Platform Operator (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Crash, The Matrix). The Distinguished Service Award recipient is Stan McClain, Soc (National Security, Almost Famous, Any Given Sunday...
- 1/9/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do? In The Purge, a speculative thriller that follows one family over the course of a single night, four people will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home.
In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—becomes legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It’s one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.
When an intruder breaks into James Sandin’s (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown,...
In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—becomes legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It’s one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.
When an intruder breaks into James Sandin’s (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown,...
- 5/28/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Jacques Jouffret was recognized for his work on Into the Wild on Saturday when he won the Society of Camera Operators' award for Camera Operator of the Year in feature film at the SOC Lifetime Achievement and Camera Operator of the Year Awards presentation.
The SOC also presented director of photography Robert Primes with the Society's President's Award for lifetime achievement in the industry and dedication to the SOC at the ceremony, held at the Goldenson Theater of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences,
Primes won Emmys in 1995 for Antonia and in 1999 for Felicity. He won an American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Award in 2002 for MDs.
The SOC board of governors award for lifetime achievement in the service of the motion picture industry was presented to industry visionary and Panavision vp Joe Dunton.
Mitch Dubin, whose credits include Munich and Jerry Maguire, was honored for lifetime achievement in camera operating.
The SOC held a memorial tribute to Scott Rathner, whose credits include "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal" and The Spiderwick Chronicles, for his lifetime achievement as a camera technician.
The SOC also presented director of photography Robert Primes with the Society's President's Award for lifetime achievement in the industry and dedication to the SOC at the ceremony, held at the Goldenson Theater of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences,
Primes won Emmys in 1995 for Antonia and in 1999 for Felicity. He won an American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Award in 2002 for MDs.
The SOC board of governors award for lifetime achievement in the service of the motion picture industry was presented to industry visionary and Panavision vp Joe Dunton.
Mitch Dubin, whose credits include Munich and Jerry Maguire, was honored for lifetime achievement in camera operating.
The SOC held a memorial tribute to Scott Rathner, whose credits include "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal" and The Spiderwick Chronicles, for his lifetime achievement as a camera technician.
- 2/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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