Enjoy watching and listening to Wes Anderson talk about creating the ideal set for the film.
Wes Anderson directed Asteroid City and co-wrote the screenplay with Roman Coppola. Anderson produced the film with his long-time collaborators, Jeremy Dawson and Steven Rales.
Scarlett Johansson in director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
The film takes place in 1955 in a fictional town called Asteroid City. Parents and students from across the country gather for a scholarly competition. During the Junior Stargazer competition, there is recreation, rest, drama, comedy and romance. World-changing events disrupt the event.
Steve Carell in director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
The film headlines an impressive ensemble cast: Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Margot Robbie and Jeff Goldblum.
(L to R) Fisher Stevens, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Revolori, and Bob Balaban in director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
Thank you, Comic Book and IMDB, for the information.
(L to R) Liev Schreiber, Steve Carell, Steve Park, and Hope Davis in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, released by Focus Features. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
After two films of genuine friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy, voiced by Anna Kendrick, and Branch, voiced by Justin Timberlake, are now officially a couple!
As they grow closer, Poppy discovers Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boy band phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd, voiced by Troye Sivan; John Dory, voiced by Eric André; Spruce, voiced by Daveed Diggs; and Clay, voiced by Kid Cudi. BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hadn’t seen his brothers since.
But when nefarious pop-star villains kidnap Branch’s bro Floyd for his musical talents, they embark on a harrowing and emotional journey.
The villains are Velvet, voiced by Amy Schumer, and Veneer, voiced by Andrew Rannells. Poppy and Branch reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate worse than pop-culture obscurity.
An animated romantic drama and some comedy, Elemental is a journey of self-discovery between two unlikely friends — fire and water.
Peter Sohn directed and co-wrote the Pixar and Disney movie that takes place in a city where residents of fire, water, air, and land live together. A fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy discover something elemental in common despite their vast differences.
Set in war-torn Afghanistan in 2018, Guy Richie directs The Covenant. The film follows U.S. Army Special Forces Sergeant John Kinley, played by Gyllenhaal. Kinley leads an elite unit tasked with finding Taliban munitions. “He has been deployed numerous times and has a tremendous amount of experience. He has relied on many different Afghan interpreters and has found himself in many different situations,” says Gyllenhaal. “His unit is constantly under threat and in very dangerous situations, and at the beginning of the movie, he seems to be striking out over and over. He’s going through a lot of red tape and is struggling to find any munition sites.”
On a mission with a new interpreter, Ahmed, Dar Salim, after an I.E.D. kills his regular interpreter. Kinley’s unit is all but wiped out by Taliban fighters when they raid an abandoned mine to house explosives.
Only Kinley and Ahmed manage to escape the attack, the pair stranded in Taliban territory with dozens of armed men after them. Ahmed carried John, who had been shot and seriously wounded, to safety through the desert and over a mountain.
But that’s only half the battle.
The Taliban forced Ahmed and his family into hiding, putting a heavy price on his head as Kinley returned home to the U.S.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of obligation to get Ahmed the visas the U.S. government promised his family, Kinley finds himself mired in bureaucracy and red tape. With his wife’s blessing, he returns to Afghanistan to find Ahmed and his family and bring them back to the U.S.
Guy Ritchie also directed Sherlock Holmes and its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin, had always wanted to make a war film. “It’s probably my favorite genre of movies, but we couldn’t find a story that appealed for a long time,” he says.
Ironically, while developing another war movie, Ritchie watched several documentaries about the conflict, and one about interpreters and what they go through struck a chord. “I’d heard various anecdotes about Afghanistan that all sounded, in equal measure, horrifying and inspiring,” says Ritchie. “That was the genesis of the idea that you could see humanity in this traumatized environment, and it still managed to express itself. And this was an amalgam of the different stories, documentaries, anecdotes that I was aware of. And, obviously, the story of one man’s selflessness for another was what I found inspiring about the premise.”
“He thought it was an important story to tell and thought he could tell it through his lens,” says producer John Friedberg, “so he came up with this idea.” Gyllenhaal’s character in The Covenant is on his last tour of duty, trying to make a difference in Afghanistan but also desperate to get home to his wife and family in Santa Clarita, CA. “He represents the boots on the ground, the practical reality of the disparity between how we think things work at an administrative level and how they work at a practical level,” says Ritchie. “He is a good, old-fashioned classical, decent, brave soldier who’s loyal to his country and loyal to his men.”
“What I loved about John Kinley is he’s a good man,” says Gyllenhaal. “Over the past number of years, I’ve tended to move towards characters people would define as ‘complex’ in how they walk the line between good and bad. I don’t know if I fully believe in that. I think we are all very complex, very fascinating human beings put in many different trying circumstances. To me, John Kinley is a character who, through those trials, pulls out morality and humanity, despite himself.”
Francis Lawrence returns to direct the next Hunger Games movie based on Suzanne Collins’s prequel novel. Taking the story from Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt’s screenplay, Lawrence helms the story that began 64 years ago. It was before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as a tribute. And decades before Coriolanus Snow became the authoritarian President of Panem.
Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, Photo Credit: Murray Close
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus, played by Tom Blyth. He is the last hope for his failing lineage. The once-proud Snow family has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.
Snow’s need to ensure the necessities of life requires him to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, portrayed by Rachel Zegler, a tribute from the deprived District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. He becomes infatuated with Lucy Gray and helps her prepare for the Tenth Annual Hunger Games. He helps her develop a public image and hone her skills to win.
Yet, all does not appear picture-perfect because Coriolanus and Lucy Gray become entangled in personal ambition and political intrigue.
With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveals if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.
Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius ‘Lucky’ Flickerman Photo Credit: Murray Close
The film provides a richer look into the origins of the Hunger Games and the history of Panem. The story explores the themes of love, corruption and power.
Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul Photo Credit: Murray Close
Other supporting actors include Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés, Rivera, Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis.
Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photo Credit: Murray Close.
Renfield is a horror thriller written by Ryan Ridley and directed by Chris McKay. Those familiar with Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula will recognize the character R.M. Renfield. The movie draws inspiration from Renfield.
The film follows Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult. He’s a lawyer who journeys to Transylvania for business with an affluent nobleman. He becomes imprisoned in a castle under the spell of a sinister force.
The film delves into the origin story of Renfield and his collapse into madness. His relationship with Dracula, played by Nicolas Cage, moves the story along with some delightful humor.
Renfield is also a psychological thriller, exploring the themes of control, power and the human soul.
Additional cast members include Mckenna Grace, Dakota Fanning and Willem Dafoe in supporting roles.
Joy Ride is a raunchy, hilarious and unapologetic film starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu. The story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure.
When Audrey’s (Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Cola), her irreverent childhood best friend who also is a hot mess. Other friends are Kat (Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star and Deadeye (Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin.
Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.
Stephanie Hsu as Kat, Sherry Cola as Lolo, Ashley Park as Audrey, and Sabrina Wu as Deadeye. Photo Credit: Ed Araquel
Sean McNamara directs this incredible true story, On A Wing and A Prayer. A family’s faith and survival come head to head as a group of strangers unite in a life-saving race against time.
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McNamara’s other credits include faith-based films Soul Surfer and The Miracle Season. His familiarity with spiritual phenomena brings an inspiring battle against the odds of saving the lives of a family.
Doug, played by Dennis Quaid, has to fly a plane without the knowledge or experience to save himself and his family. He discovers the miracles that simple faith can achieve.
Doug and Terri White, played by Heather Graham, and their two daughters, played by Jessi Case and Abigail Rhyne, lead an ideal life in their small town. They are deeply involved in community and church affairs.
Doug and his brother, played by Brett Rice, look forward to the town’s annual barbecue cook-off, where they handily take home first place, distributing the leftovers to the homeless afterward.
When his brother unexpectedly dies, the grieving family travels to Florida for his funeral. Shaken by his brother’s death, Doug questions his long-held faith, distressing Terri, who urges him to hold fast to their beliefs.
After an emotional service, the family boards a private plane to take them home to Louisiana. But within a few minutes of takeoff, disaster strikes. Their pilot suffers a fatal heart attack.
Despite having no experience flying the twin-engine Beechcraft Super King Air 200, Doug has to take control of the aircraft and try to guide it to a nearby landing strip. Rough weather rolls in as he frantically contacts air traffic control for guidance, with Terri as co-pilot.
They put their faith at the forefront. The couple is unaware that officials on the ground are already sending ambulances and emergency vehicles to the tarmac, anticipating the worst.
With time running out, an aspiring air traffic controller breaks protocol and contacts experienced pilot Corey, played by Jesse Metcalfe.
Corey contacts Doug directly from his Connecticut home and provides step-by-step advice as Doug struggles to save his family from seemingly inevitable tragedy. If anyone is to survive, it’s going to take a miracle.
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as estranged friends who reunite to seek revenge on the petulant widower, played by Malcolm McDowell, of their recently deceased best friend.
Along the way, Fonda’s character reunites with her great love, played by Richard Roundtree, as each woman learns to make peace with the past and each other.
Weiz wrote the script because Fonda and Tomlin asked him to write a movie they could star. Weitz said he wrote the story with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in mind as Claire and Evelyn, two pals who come together to get back at their friend’s partner after she passes away.
Tomlin has worked with Weitz previously on Admission and Grandma and has found that the filmmaker is “very open and supportive.”
Fonda also enjoys Weitz’s work, recalling, “I also watched American Pie and About a Boy and really liked Paul’s work, his sensibility.”
She viewed her character as an opportunity to stray a bit from the pure comedic roles she had been doing recently and “thought the script was really intriguing with the interesting play between comedy and tragedy.”
Weitz adds, “I like making movies about mature people who are still changing and becoming something new. Particularly women like Lily and Jane, who are so sharp and funny and loaded for bear.”
He further explains, giving more insight into his artistic approach, “I looked at this as a western, to some degree, with a gunslinger coming to town to get revenge on a man who wronged her, and saddling up with her old friend to help her.”
When Weitz writes a film, he usually thinks of a couple of scenes and then builds out from there instead of being set on making a film about something in particular. “There’s a phenomenological aspect to writing (and acting) that makes one simultaneously the creator and observer if you’re doing it properly,” Weitz notes.
Sharing his philosophy, “In this case, it was Jane walking up to Malcolm and saying ‘I’m going to kill you this weekend’ and wondering why, and then Lily interrupting his eulogy.”
