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Public speaking and delivering great speeches are frightening enough under normal circumstances. And on top of that, if you’re delivering a speech on a global platform on the biggest night in Hollywood, that holds a lot of pressure and nervousness. But not to worry, because often the speeches most remembered are those that end in disasters.

So today, let’s check out every artist who might have won hearts and empathy with their Oscar wins, but failed to strike the right balance of charm and humility with their acceptance speeches. Join us as we dive into 10 of the worst Oscar acceptance speeches ever in Academy history.

10. Melissa Leo — Best Supporting Actress for The Fighter (2010)

Playing the role of Alice Ward, the mother of professional boxer Micky Ward, and his brother Dicky, Melissa Leo delivered a phenomenal performance in the 2010 biographical sports drama, The Fighter. So her Oscar win for...

Exclusive: Vertical has acquired U.S. and UK/Ire rights to Guns Up, a new action comedy starring actor and comedian Kevin James. Hailing from writer-director Edward Drake (Detective Knight film series) and Millennium Media, the studio behind the Hitman’s Bodyguard franchise, the film is set to hit theaters this summer.

Also starring Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets), Luis Guzmán (Wednesday), Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and Keana Marie (Dash & Lily), Guns Up follows Ray Hayes (James), an ex-cop and devoted husband and father who leads a dangerous double life as a mob henchman. On the brink of leaving “The Family” and making his dream of opening a diner with his wife Alice (Ricci) a reality, his final job goes off the rails. With the clock ticking, Ray has one night to get his unsuspecting family out of the city before he gets snuffed out.

Writer-director Drake called the film “a love-letter...

Over the last 15 years, director André Øvredal has brought us the likes of Troll Hunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Mortal, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter. He missed out on the Stephen King / Richard Bachman adaptation The Long Walk and has said that not making that movie is one of the big regrets of his life… but he’s not letting that missed opportunity slow him down. Deadline reports that Øvredal is teaming up with Paramount and Walter Hamada’s 18hz on a new horror project – and while we don’t know the title yet, we do know that the the film’s cast includes Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Jacob Scipio (Bad Boys: Ride or Die), and Lou Llobell (Foundation)!

Melissa Leo, Jacob Scipio & Lou Llobell Join André Øvredal's Paramount Horror Pic https://t.co/AOC6qqn5Sl

— Deadline...

Every awards season, movie fans and aspiring pundits across the country become obsessed with the ever-coveted Academy Awards. The longstanding awards show has long been considered the holy grail of the film industry and can often feel like an all-encompassing part of the discourse, particularly around the four acting categories. In the lead-up to Oscar Sunday, many of us debate who will win, and once the ceremony comes and goes, there are still debates over who should have won.

Amidst this hubbub, it's important to remember that the Oscars are but a modicum of what represents the best performances in film. In fact, several of the best actors working today have never been given the honor of an Oscar despite years of treasured performances. The disparity between what Oscar voters love and what history remembers has always been a widening gap, but we can guarantee these 15 omissions from the winner's circle are particularly egregious.

The cast is shaping up for Paramount’s untitled horror movie from The Autopsy of Jane Doe director André Øvredal.

Deadline reports that Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Jacob Scipio (Bad Boys for Life), and Lou Llobell (“Foundation”) have boarded the project.

The screenplay is written by Zachary Donohue (The Den) and T.W. Burgess (Mister Howl), but plot details are being kept under wraps.

Former Warner Bros production executive Walter Hamada, who steered the Conjuring and It franchises, is producing via his 18hz as part of his first-look deal with Paramount. It screenwriter Gary Dauberman is also producing via Coin Operated.

Øvredal earned intentional attention with his Norwegian found footage mockumentary Trollhunter before making his English-language debut with The Autopsy of Jane Doe. He has since helmed the likes of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Following the untitled Paramount project,...

Exclusive: Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell are boarding André Øvredal’s untitled horror movie for Paramount and Walter Hamada’s 18hz.

Former Warner Bros production executive Hamada is producing the pic via his production company as part of his first-look deal with Paramount, alongside It screenwriter Gary Dauberman via Coin Operated. The screenplay is written by Zachary Donohue and T.W. Burgess; the plot, of course, is under wraps. Nathan Samdahl of 18hz will executive produce. Hamada is also producing Primate, which is in post-production, at Paramount.

Leo won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2011 for Paramount’s David O. Russell-directed The Fighter. She’s starred in such movies as Frozen River, on which she received an Oscar nom for Best Actress, and Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners, The Equalizer franchise, Oliver Stone’s Snowden and the HBO series I Know This Much Is True. She is repped by Gersh.

Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Throughout his career, he has taken on physically and emotionally demanding roles, constantly pushing his own limits. His portrayal of Detective Loki in Denis Villeneuve’s psychological thriller Prisoners is a prime example of his dedication.

Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

This isn’t just another crime flick, it’s a psychological rollercoaster that has audiences gripping their seats. The movie’s production cost was at a surprisingly low $46 million, yet it was praised for its gripping plot. Playing Loki meant balancing raw emotion, unrelenting tension, and, at one point, even acting through a gunshot wound to the head. No big deal, right?

The scene that Jake Gyllenhaal found impossible to perform Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

Picture this, you’ve spent the entire movie chasing down a kidnapper. You’re running...

The highly acclaimed 1990s American police drama Homicide: Life On The Street will finally be available to stream in the UK thanks to Sky.

While late and much missed Andre Braugher may have won legions of fans in recent years for his pitch-perfect comic performance as Sgt Raymond Holt in sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it is his towering performance as Detective Frank Pendleton in Homicide: Life On The Street that he made his name.

The show was created by Paul Attanasio, who went on to become Oscar nominated for writing the screenplays for Robert Redford’s Quiz Show and Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco. Attanasio based the show on the book Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets by journalist David Simon, who himself went on to have huge success in television after creating The Wire.

According to Deadline, fans in the UK will now be able to watch the show,...

Sky has taken all seven seasons of the remastered Homicide: Life on the Street.

The iconic cop show adapted from The Wire creator David Simon’s book was recently remastered in HD and Uhd by NBC and Fremantle, launching on Peacock last year and comprising a major part of Fremantle’s MIPCOM catalog.

Sky, which is in the same stable as Peacock, has now swooped in to strike a major UK deal for its channels and Now streaming service, coming a few days after the pay-tv giant bought Emmy-winner Hacks.

Starring Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto and Melissa Leo, Homicide ran for more than 100 episodes and seven seasons in the 1990s and is considered by many to be a precursor to Simon’s The Wire. Adapted from Simon’s Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, the series from Oscar nominee Paul Attanasio followed fictional Baltimore detectives, some of whom turned to violence.

The Mediapro Studio has added an Apple TV+ exec to its burgeoning ranks in the North America.

Francesca Ricagni has been named Head of U.S. Hispanic Content at the Hard Truths and Official Competition company, which is headquartered in Spain but launched an L.A. base last year.

She was previously Creative Executive at Apple TV+ and further back worked at Amazon Studios and Reel One Entertainment. At Apple, she played a key role in projects such as Land of Women, starring Eva Longoria in one of her first Spanish-speaking lead roles, and worked on the Eugenio Derbez series Acapulco and Midnight Family, which came from Pablo Larráin’s production house.

In her new post, she’ll report to Jc Acosta, Head of The Mediapro Studio US & Canada, and will be responsible for overseeing the creation and producion of content for Spanish-language television channels, operators and streaming platforms in North America.

Paul Rust said in a recent episode of the “With Gourley and Rust” podcast that he saw James Franco “flip out” on a set a few days after he co-hosted the 2011 Oscars with Anne Hathaway.

“I saw James Franco flip out once,” Rust claimed. “When ‘Your Highness’ came out, CollegeHumor was going to try to do some promotion, and the idea was that a group of nerds are playing Dungeons and Dragons with the stars of ‘Your Highness,’ James Franco and Danny McBride.”

Rust noted that “this was literally two days after [Franco] had hosted the Oscars. So he was upset because the reviews were not good. He was in a bad mood.”

Franco co-hosted the Oscars ceremony in February 2011. At the time, he was also promoting “Your Highness,” the David Gordon Green-directed stoner comic fantasy film, which was released in theaters in April of that year.

The comedian recalled that,...

Few actors in Hollywood are as respected and admired as Denzel Washington. After getting his start in acting back in the late 1970s and having his first breakout role in the medical drama St. Elsewhere, in which he played Dr. Phillip Chandler on all six seasons, Washington has played a number of iconic characters in a variety acclaimed movies. Some of his most memorable early movies include Glory (1989), Malcolm X (1992), The Hurricane (1999), and, of course, Training Day (2001). In fact, he has been nominated for 10 Oscars so far, winning two, for Glory and Training Day.

Starting in the mid-2000s, a career shift occurred and Washington became something of an action star alongside his continued work in more dramatic productions such as 2002's Antwone Fisher, 2007's The Great Debaters, and 2012's Flight. This new phase of Washington's career could largely be considered to start with Man on Fire in 2004. A handful of years later,...

In 2013, there were two high-profile Hollywood movies about terrorists invading the White House, and the brave Secret Service agents who stepped forward to protect a beleaguered President. On June 28, Roland Emmerich's excellent "White House Down" was released in theaters, and it starred Channing Tatum as the beleaguered agent, and Jamie Foxx as the president. The bad guy terrorist was played by Jason Clarke. "White House Down" also starred Maggie Gyllenhaal, Joey King, and Richard Jenkins. It was, for my money, one of the best films of 2013. 

A broader audience, however, better remembers Antoine Fuqua's "Olympus Has Fallen," which beat "White House Down" to theaters by about three months. "Olympus Has Fallen" starred Gerard Butler as the beleaguered agent and Aaron Eckhart as the President. The bad guy terrorist was played by Rick Yune. The cast of "Olympus" contained more uncut starpower than "White House," as Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd,...

The stars were out for the 2024 Governors Awards held at Dolby Theatre on Sunday evening (November 17) in Hollywood.

The annual event is held prior to the Oscars and celebrates the recipients of a select few of awards conferred by the Academy’s Board of Governors – the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and the Honorary Award.

Many celebrities were in attendance at the event this year, including Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Elizabeth Olsen, pregnant Jennifer Lawrence, Felicity Jones, Marlee Matlin, and more.

Keep reading to find out more…

Each recipient of the Governors Awards is announced over the summer with them being honored at the dinner gala later in the year. Highlights are also shown at the upcoming Oscars.

This year, honorary Oscars were presented to the late Quincy Jones and Juliet Taylor, with Richard Curtis receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award,...

The final sequence of Prisoners has one of the boldest endings among Denis Villeneuve's impressive body of work, and its conclusion is crucial to the payoff of the film's gritty and intricate narrative. The detective-thriller follows Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) on the search for two girls after they disappear from a Thanksgiving dinner. Prisoners takes an incredibly dark turn when Keller takes charge of the situation, torturing the suspected kidnapper, Alex Jones (Paul Dano) ahead of the film's exceptional climax.

Prisoners' cryptic ending intentionally leaves the film open, but the uncertain outcome of Keller's fate was not the only version considered. It's important to note that Villeneuve originally filmed two different endings for Prisoners before he settled on the ambiguous conclusion. The story highlights the painstaking lengths people will go to for their loved ones and does not shy away from delving into the...

Previous | Image 1 of 7 | NextOscar Nominee Michael Shannon of ‘The End’

Chicago – At the recently concluded 60th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff), the stars came out in force to represent their films and walk the Red Carpet. HollywoodChicago.com photographer Joe Arce and editor Patrick McDonald were there to get Exclusive Portraits and the preview on films from Oscar nominees Michael Shannon (“The End”) and Oscar winner (for “The Fighter) Melissa Leo (“The Knife”), as well as comic actor Dave Foley, who was there to moderate (click) “An Evening with Mike Myers.”

Also walking the carpet was the co-writer/featured actor/director Nnamdi Asomugha

of “The Knife” and Canadian co-writer/director Matthew Rankin of “Universal Language,” who was there with fellow Canadians Myers and Foley.

Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.

Grup Mediapro, the Barcelona-based global holding, including The Mediapro Studio, is launching and will manage a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) sports rights brokering fund, targeting established and emerging sports.

The new fund was announced Tuesday in Madrid at a Mediapro 30th anniversary celebration, which catches the company in expansive mode, coming less than a week from the unveil at Cannes Mipcom trade fair of The Mediapro Studio US & Canada’s first English-language slate of series and films.

In the mix are projects from John Turturro, Melissa Leo, “24” showrunner Evan Katz, Oscar winner Juan José Campanella (“The Secret in Their Eyes”) “Mafia Spies’” Tom Donahue, “The Floor” showrunner Anthony Carbone and Matt Hastings.

At the 30th anniversary, Grup Mediapro also announced that its 10,200 sq. meter Mediapro Yonkers Studios will open its doors in April 2025, its three sound stages occupying a total of 4,600 sq. meters of floor space.

Mediapro also lifted the lid on Tuesday on Mediapro Xperiences,...

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Teacup is a sci-fi mystery horror thriller drama series created by Ian McCulloch. Based on the 1988 book Stinger by author Robert R. McCammon, the Peacock series is set on an isolated ranch in rural Georgia and it follows the Chenoweth family and their neighbors who are trapped in an invisible barrier while they fight against a mysterious threat that wants to kill them. Teacup stars Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman, Chaske Spencer, Kathy Baker, Boris McGiver, Diany Rodriguez, Caleb Dolden, Émilie Bierre, Bill Heck, and Rob Morgan. So, if you loved the thrilling mystery, sci-fi horror elements, and compelling characters in Teacup here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Mist (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Netflix

The Mist is a sci-fi horror thriller drama series created by Christian Torpe. Based on the 1980 horror novel of...

There is nothing quite like the exciting expectation of a well-made thriller, whether we’re in a dark theater or the comfort of our own homes. This type of fiction is great at keeping people on the edge of their seats, with their hearts racing and minds desperately trying to figure out what’s going on. These must-see thrillers aren’t just chase scenes and shadowy figures; they’ve grown into complex psychological puzzles that play with our darkest fears and make us think about what we think we know.

The best thriller movies have always pushed the limits of storytelling, from Hitchcock’s superb use of anxiety to current psychological warfare on screen. I don’t know how much movies should entertain, said David Fincher, a director. It always interests me when movies make you feel bad. What makes great movies different from just fun is that they leave...

Spain’s The Mediapro Studio brought out the big guns at this year’s Mipcom to promote its first-ever English-language slate, which includes projects featuring John Turturro, Melissa Leo, “24” showrunner Evan Katz and Oscar winner Juan José Campanella, among others.

Though the ambitious pipeline was The Mediapro Studio’s big Mipcom head-turner, the company also closed noteworthy deals for a handful of its highest-profile shows of the last several years.

Disney+ Spain has acquired The Mediapro Studio and 3Cat’s thriller series “Quiet” (“El mal invisible”), which recently screened at Catalonia’s prestigious genre-focused Sitges International Film Festival. The show will debut on Catalan public television channel TV3 and the 3Cat platform soon, although a specific date hasn’t been announced.

Set in lock-down era Barcelona, “Quite” follows a police investigation to track down a serial killer who targets the homeless. David Verdaguer (“Saben Aquell”), Ángela Cervantes (“La Maternal”), and...

Spanish studio Mediapro has unveiled its slate of English-language content in the U.S. and Canada at MIPCOM Cannes on Wednesday, including a new film written and directed by and starring John Turturro.

Head of Mediapro Studio in the U.S. and Canada J.C. Acosta spoke with 24 producer Evan Katz, head of unscripted at Mediapro Pam Healey, CEO Laura Fernandez Espeso, TV producer Ran Tellem and Oscar-winning writer-director Juan-José Campanella.

Espeso began: “Our strategic approach in the U.S. aligns perfectly with our initiatives in other key territories, emphasizing the creativity of the talent, but also relevance and reach and, of course, diversity, which is a priority in our company.” It was over to Acosta, who spoke optimistically and passionately about “writing a new chapter in the U.S. and Canada, doubling down on English language content,” after Mediapro North America was unveiled six months ago.

Their fully-fledged English-language content...

Mediapro’s fledgling North American studio unveiled a raft of new movies, series, docs and formats in a news-packed MIPCOM keynote this morning. John Turturro delivered a video address and spoke about his adaptation of Is There No Place on Earth for Me? as the Spanish media giant made a series of statement announcements.

Having unveiled Mediapro North America six months ago, CEO Laura Espeso introduced the session. Jc Acosta, Head of the Mediapro Studio U.S. & Canada, proceeded to unveil the LA, New York and Miami-based North American division of the Spanish company.

For Espeso, the move is more than just a push into another market. “It has the potential to resonate globally, influencing cultures and trends worldwide,” she told Deadline’s Stewart Clarke on stage at MIPCOM. “There is no way we will miss this opportunity. We have been working on this for the past 10 years.”

Acosta said...

Updated: John Turturro, Melissa Leo, “24” showrunner Evan Katz and Oscar winner Juan José Campanella will be joined by Tom Donahue, director of “Mafia Spies,” “The Floor” showrunner Anthony Carbone and Matt and Tina Hastings on the first English-language slate of The Mediapro Studio US & Canada.

Presented at Mipcom at a Media Mastermind session on Wednesday by The Mediapro Studio’s CEO Laura Fernández Espeso, Juan “Jc” Acosta, head of the Los Angeles-based The Mediapro Studio US & Canada, the slate represents a long-standing major gameplan announced by Fernández Espeso in 2021.

One highlight of the presentation was video message relayed on the big screen of Cannes’ Palais des Festival’s Grand Auditorium where Tuturro relayed his thoughts on his upcoming film, with The Mediapro Studio, turning on a brilliant woman who suffers schizophrenia and underscored its emotional relevance to him.

“I’ve always resisted doing one of these kind of films, because...

Jon Keeyes’ The Clean Up Crew introduces an unusual bunch of characters finding themselves in a sticky situation. The movie follows a crime scene cleaning crew as they arrive at their latest job only to discover a briefcase full of cash left behind at the scene. Unbeknownst to them, this briefcase belongs to a notorious crime boss who will stop at nothing to get it back.

With a plot that feels ripped from the headlines, The Clean Up Crew aims for the stylized crime caper flair of Guy Ritchie films. At the helm is director Jon Keeyes, no stranger to action films, though typically working with more modest budgets. He assembles an impressive cast including Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Melissa Leo, and Antonio Banderas to bring this story of crooks and colliding criminals to life.

Despite ambitious intentions and committed performances from the stars, fundamental flaws in the script and direction undermine the movie.

It’s the perfect time to look back at some of the most memorable mean moms of the movies. Not those lovable mothers who sang to their kiddos or who heroically sacrificed something great for their kiddos, but those moms who made us shudder at the not-so-great things they were willing to do for their offspring, made us despair that any parent could treat a child in such a way or just made us laugh at their absolute ineptness at parenting. Some might not exactly be mean in the traditional sense but are certainly overly permissive or vastly selfish.

Of course, “Mommie Dearest” herself makes the list. But Joan Crawford (played by Faye Dunaway) isn’t the only real-life mom to make the list. The notorious Tonya Harding has a doozy of a stage mother in Lavona Golden (Oscar winner Allison Janney), as does boxer Micky Ward (Oscar winner Melissa Leo...

Exclusive: After Homicide: Life on the Street landed on Peacock several weeks back, Fremantle has struck its first major deals for the remastered version of NBC’s iconic police series, while senior international exec Bob McCourt has teased a potential remake.

Israel’s Yes and Canada’s Bell Media have picked up Homicide, with more deals close, we understand. Starring Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto and Melissa Leo, the show based on David Simon’s book ran for more than 100 episodes and seven seasons in the 1990s and is considered by many to be a precursor to Simon’s The Wire. The HD remastered version launched on Peacock over the summer, and Fremantle, which holds non-u.S. rights, is prioritizing at MIPCOM Cannes, according to Fremantle Commercial and International COO McCourt, who said Homicide “revolutionized the crime genre.”

“We’ve known for a year that this is coming and have been...

Reuniting with director John Swab for his fifth collaboration, the grizzled muscular badass (both on and off screen) returns for a well-made video-on-demand action fare, “Long Gone Heroes,” which works as a throwback to 80s action movies. In some instances, the film also works as a self-reflective measure for some characters, especially Grillo’s Gunner.

Long Gone Heroes (2024) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis: Who is Julia Peterson?

As the movie opens, we see political journalist Julia Peterson questioning a man named Fede Torres, who has extensive knowledge regarding the collapse of Venezuela, leading to the Venezuelan Crisis under the leadership of Hugo Chavez and then his successor Nicolas Maduro. Hyperinflation leading to the erosion of the country’s currency would lead to its collapse, and according to Torres, one of the primary reasons would be the discovery of crude oil. In 2017, after the US sanctions theoretically would stop the overexploitation...

“Long Gone Heroes” is a new live-action thriller, directed by John Swab, starring Frank Grillo (“Captain America: Civil War”), Josh Hutcherson, Eden Brolin, Mekhi Phifer, Melissa Leo and Andy Garcia, now playing in theaters:

“…’Gunner’, a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat….

“…is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America.

“As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits too close to home…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Exclusive: The Fighter Oscar winner Melissa Leo has inked with Gersh for representation.

Leo recently starred in Long Gone Heroes with John Hutcherson and King Ivory, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September.

The New York City-born native who grew up in Putney and Bellows Falls, Vt, won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for David O. Russell’s The Fighter as Alice Ward, the matriarch to boxer Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his drug-addled brother portrayed by Christian Bale (who also an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the role). Leo also won a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and SAG awards for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Alice Ward.

Previously, in 2009, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars for Frozen River. The Courtney Hunt directed and written movie also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay, and it won the Grand Jury...

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Frank Grillo is a soldier with a troubled past who must fight to rebuild his family in Long Gone Heroes. Following his breakout roles in Warrior, The Grey and Kingdom, Grillo has become one of the most recognizable faces in the action genre over the past decade, having starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, the time-looping action-comedy Boss Level and indie thriller Copshop. Grillo's talents have also extended to a variety of other genres, including the more horror-driven Purge franchise and the crime drama Body Brokers.

Grillo stars in Long Gone Heroes as Gunner, the leader of a special operations team who has been grappling with the death of his brother over the past 10 years, especially as his sister-in-law has kept him from seeing his niece. When she comes to him to ask for help with saving his niece,...

Dark Matter's renewal is exciting, but it also means season 2 of the multiverse show could follow a similar trajectory that doomed another adaption of a book by the same writer. Blake Crouch is a renowned sci-fi author, and while only two shows have been created from his literary works so far, there is far more potential to come from his impressive back catalog. Although changes were made to 2016's Dark Matter book for season 1, the overall story remained the same in Apple TV+'s version. However, Dark Matter season 2's confirmation calls for a very different production process.

Joel Edgerton led the cast of Dark Matter season 1 as Jason Dessen. Although the inaugural run of episodes ends with the possibility of Edgerton's return in season 2, the story's continuation would also largely make sense without his presence. Dark Matter season 1's ending implies the focus will shift to other characters.

Frank Grillo has had quite an interesting film career. Appearing in various roles since the 90s, 2011 saw him breaking out in both Warrior and The Grey. Following an appearance in the MCU as Crossbones, Grillo started to find his niche in the action genre. Now, he’s prepping to join the DC film world as Rick Flagg Sr in Creature Commandos as well as Season 2 of Peacemaker. His latest film, Long Gone Heroes, sees Grillo rescuing his niece from a hostage situation in Venezuela. Given the insanity going on in that country, it’s a very modern story, and you can check out my glowing review.

There are times in life when you just kind of have to pinch yourself and make sure you’re not dreaming. I was lucky enough to have one such moment with actor Frank Grillo during a recent interview. The director had sent him my...

Stars: Frank Grillo, Eden Brolin, Melissa Leo, Andy Garcia, Mekhi Phifer, Beau Knapp, George Carroll, Josh Hutcherson, Juan Pablo Raba | Written by John Swab, Santiago Manes Moreno | Directed by John Swab

Long Gone Heroes marks the fifth collaboration between director John Swab and actor Frank Grillo beginning with Body Brokers and most recently One Day as a Lion. They might not be great cinema, but they’ve been well enough received, and more importantly, they’ve proven popular enough that they keep getting money to make more of them.

This time out, Grillo plays Gunner, ex-special forces, ex-husband, and all the other usual exes. His niece Julia is a journalist working on a story about a group violating US sanctions and bringing Venezuelan oil into the country. This gets her grabbed by some very dangerous people.

Complicating matters further is that her mother Olivia is not only a US senator,...

Plot: A special forces soldier who has given up country, religion, and even hope, must return to the field of battle to track down his niece, a reporter, caught in the middle of an illegal private contracting operation that went dead wrong.

Review: The political turmoil of Venezuela makes it the perfect setting for a political action thriller. The country has had such issues that the US government warns citizens not to travel there. So it allows a backdrop of corruption and violence while still keeping a grounded reality. Long Gone Heroes takes advantage of this and is able to provide a relevant story while not stepping on anyone’s toes, politically. This is a simple story about a group of “good guys” entering a war-torn country and saving a hostage. And it’s surprisingly good.

When it comes to these lower-budget action films, I never really know what I’m in for.

The team behind opioid crime thriller “King Ivory” had a somewhat unorthodox journey to the Venice Film Festival this year.

When a delayed flight from New York meant they missed their connection by a matter of minutes, the group of six — including stars Ben Foster and Melissa Leo, plus producer Jeremy Rosen and writer/director John Swab — found themselves in Munich on a long waitlist for the only other plane going to Venice that day.

Thinking that the chances of them all getting seats were fairly slim, Rosen made what he describes as an “executive decision,” hiring a Mercedes Sprinter van for a seven-hour drive that took them from Germany into Italy through the Austrian Alps.

“It was truly like a camp trip… a camp trip for privileged children,” he notes. There was also a hint of danger — Swab claims that about halfway into the ride, he spotted Rosen “falling asleep at the wheel.

“Long Gone Heroes” is a new live-action thriller, directed by John Swab, starring Frank Grillo (“Captain America: Civil War”), Josh Hutcherson, Eden Brolin, Mekhi Phifer, Melissa Leo and Andy Garcia, releasing September 20, 2024 in theaters:

“…’Gunner’, a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat….

“…is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America.

“As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits too close to home…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

A spinoff series to Gerard Butler's 2013 action thriller Olympus Has Fallen will expand the film franchise into television. Pairs Has Fallen will feature a brand new cast of characters but will begin a new chapter of the Has Fallen action franchise that began with Butler's now-classic film. Olympus Has Fallen also starred Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett, Cole Hauser, Melissa Leo, Dylan McDermott, and Morgan Freeman. The film received mixed reviews from critics and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 50%.

There are currently four movies in the Has Fallen franchise: Olympus (2013), London (2016), Angel (2019), and the upcoming Night Has Fallen, which has not been given a release date at the time of writing. While Paris Has Fallen is a part of the larger franchise, it will be the first Has Fallen installment that will not star Gerard Butler. Butler still plans to star in two additional Has Fallen films after Night...

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The Prisoners ending adds to the highly complex and dark nature of the detective-thriller from Denis Villeneuve. The film tells the gut-wrenching story of a family Thanksgiving dinner that ends with two young girls disappearing. The central two characters, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) and Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), are then taken on a complex ride as both try to figure out the mystery through their own means, leading to the film's unforgettable climax.

Distraught father Keller goes to a dark place in Prisoners, even kidnapping and torturing suspected kidnapper Alex Jones (Paul Dano) in his search for answers about his missing daughter, making it a gripping movie about moral dilemmas. Eventually, Dover finds out that Alex is Barry Milland and was kidnapped by his "mother" Holly Jones (Melissa Leo), who has taken Keller's daughter and her friend Joy. Prisoners' ending sees Keller...

It was Adolf Hitler’s name that became synonymous with evil, but his Italian counterpart — Benito Mussolini, named for a Mexican revolutionary leader by his staunchly Socialist father — was arguably the more enduring brand. Any populist politician today owes a good deal to the Mussolini playbook, brought to explosive life in an extraordinary Italian-language series by British director Joe Wright.

M. Son of the Century sticks to the facts of the great dictator’s life, which are extraordinary enough, but stretches those facts into surreal shapes until we feel we’re in some parallel historical universe. Wright’s brassy style — unlike anything he has done before — owes something to Fellini, but a whole lot more to its subject. Because Benito Mussolini, apart from anything else, definitely knew how to put on a show.

Related: Director Of ‘Russians At War’ Doc Bats Back Suggestions Of Whitewashing: “We Have To Humanize Everyone.

It’s Joker: Folie à Deux day here on the Lido, with director Todd Phillips and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in town for the world premiere of Warner Bros/DC’s crime drama with musical flourishes. Before that, Philipps, Joker Best Actor Oscar winner Phoenix, and Gaga fielded questions from the press who had attended a packed show this morning.

The trio were in a playful mood, particularly Phoenix, who repeatedly turned down the invitation to answer questions. Joker: Folie À Deux is Phillips’ return to the Lido after clinching the festival Golden Lion with the first film in 2019.

Related: Daniel Craig On Intimacy, Fulfillment & Accessibility Of Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’ – Venice Film Festival

Phillips said this morning that it feels “right and correct” to be in Venice with the sequel.

“It felt like the logical launching point for this second film. We have a very strong feeling...

James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli was one of the guests at a gala dinner hosted by the Doha Film Institute (Dfi) and the Media City Qatar (McQ) on the fringes of the Venice Film Festival on Monday evening.

The veteran producer’s presence added fuel to recent reports that she is attempting to secure Qatari finance for ex-James Bond actor Daniel Craig’s big screen passion project Othello, with well-placed sources hinting on Monday night that talks were ongoing.

Related: ‘Russians At War’ Teaser: Anastasia Trofimova’s Doc Gives Rare Insight Into Life Of Russian Soldiers On The Frontline In Ukraine – Venice

Broccoli — who is co-head of James Bond producer Eon Productions with Michael G. Wilson — has reportedly been working with Craig for some time on the project, billed as a modern adaptation of the Shakespearean classic set in American army barracks in Iraq.

Related: ‘King Ivory’: Melissa Leo,...

Indie filmmaker John Swab’s action thriller King Ivory, a multi-faceted dive into the U.S. fentanyl crisis that weaves together storylines from various angles of the war on drugs, had its world premiere in the Horizons Extra strand at the Venice Film Festival this week. Much of the main cast was on hand to reunite on the Lido after having shot the movie under an interim agreement last year in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The story follows Tulsa drug cop, Layne West (James Badge Dale), who is battling the local criminal element, which hits too close to home when his son gets hooked on fentanyl. West makes it his mission to take down those responsible, including the Mexican cartel’s local shot-caller, Ramón Garza (Michael Mando), Indian Brotherhood War Chief, Holt Lightfeather (Graham Greene), who controls state-wide trafficking while serving life inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester and the local Irish Mob family outfit,...

The shadow of Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 drug war epic, Traffic, hangs heavily over all the narcs, cartel members, native gangsters and fentanyl addicts populating director John Swab’s hard-nosed thriller, King Ivory. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Taking cues from a modern classic that depicted the battle to stop crack-cocaine from destroying America, Swab repeats the same structure over two decades later to tackle the opioid epidemic, and generally achieves strong results. Less dramatic and poetic than the Soderbergh film, King Ivory nonetheless boasts some harrowingly real action sequences, tough-as-nails characters and an overall level of grittiness that demands attention. Its uncompromisingly bleak view of fentanyl’s damaging hold on the U.S. is not necessarily a crowd-pleaser, but it well deserves a look.

Swab cut his chops directing genre flicks like Ida Red and Candy Land, putting out a whopping seven features since 2019. (He’s already releasing another movie,...

Yellowjackets is the latest mystery must-watch series that is driving fans wild with all of its exciting revelations. Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the Showtime series is a mix of horror and drama and it follows a group of highly talented girls high-school soccer team, whose plane crashes deep into the Ontario wilderness, and it quickly becomes a question of life and death for them. Yellowjackets stars Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Ella Purnell, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Steven Krueger, Warren Kole, Christina Ricci, and Juliette Lewis. So, if you loved the survival thriller, horror drama, and mystery aspects of Yellowjackets here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Lost Credit – ABC

Lost is a sci-fi mystery adventure and survival thriller drama series created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelöf. The ABC series revolves around a group of survivors of...

“The Piano Lesson” is a showcase for Samuel L. Jackson and Danielle Deadwyler. This upcoming Netflix flick is adapted from August Wilson’s 1987 Pulitzer Prize winner. The story is centered on the Charles family, who have to decide what to do with a great family heirloom — a piano. Jackson plays the patriarch, Doaker Charle, who acts as a storyteller in the play and recounts detailed stories about the piano’s history. And Deadwyler plays his niece Berniece, who is a strong advocate for keeping the piano.

Jackson has a long history with this piece. He originated the role of Boy Willie at the Yale Repertory Theater in 1987 and reaped a Tony bid for his performance as Doaker in the acclaimed 2022 Broadway revival directed by his wife, Latanya Richardson Jackson. John David Washington, who played Boy Willie in that production, reprises his role here, with his brother Malcolm Washington handling helming.

Sometimes it’s hard to revisit a favorite TV series you haven’t seen in decades. Will the show hold up or be hopelessly dated? Happily, NBC’s groundbreaking 1993-98 police series “Homicide: Life on the Street” is just as brilliant as it was three decades Peacock recently dropped all seven seasons as well as 2000’s “Homicide: The Movie.”.

As NPR noted: “It was a cop show without gun battles or car chases, with a bracing shot of street-level realism; film mostly in Baltimore. ‘Homicide’ presented stuff you just didn’t see on network television back then: shaky, kinetic camera work, working stiff police detectives cracking jokes at gruesome murder scenes…serialized stories that arced over several episodes, heart-rending killings that never get solved.”

The series, which was set in the fictional Baltimore Police Department Unit, was based on David Simon’s (“The Wire”) 1991 book “Homicide: A Year in the Life of the Killing Streets.

Mark Wahlberg's intense training for The Fighter spanned five years, helping him authentically portray a boxer on screen. Despite setbacks in casting and directing, Wahlberg's dedication to the role made his performance stand out. Supporting performances by Christian Bale and Melissa Leo in The Fighter earned Oscars, cementing the film's legacy in cinematic history.

Mark Wahlberg reflects on his extensive training and filming difficulties for The Fighter. Directed by David O' Russell, The Fighter follows the true story of Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, the former a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older brother and get his own shot at greatness. Wahlberg leads the film's cast as Micky Ward alongside Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo.

Appearing on Variety's series in which actors are quizzed on lines from their most famous movies and TV shows, Wahlberg...

Stars: Melissa Leo, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ekaterina Baker, Swen Temmel, Antonio Banderas, Matthew Tompkins | Written by Matthew Rogers | Directed by Jon Keeyes

If you were part of the clean-up crew taking care of a murder scene, and you found a suitcase full of cash, what would you do? If you have an Iq that’s at least in the double digits or have seen more than a couple of action films, you probably know taking it won’t end well.

But that doesn’t stop Siobhan, the owner of Good Life Cleaners and her crew, Alex, his girlfriend Megan and Chuck from doing just that when they find a few million in cash stashed in the chimney of the house they’re cleaning up.

That money belongs to Gabriel and was meant to pay off some crooked cops until somebody else’s attempt to steal it resulted in a pile...

“Long Gone Heroes” is a new live-action thriller , directed by John Swab, starring Frank Grillo (“Captain America: Civil War”), Josh Hutcherson, Eden Brolin, Mekhi Phifer, Melissa Leo and Andy Garcia, releasing September 20, 2024 in theaters:

“…’Gunner’, a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat….

“…is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America.

“As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits too close to home…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Lionsgate has launched a new trailer for the upcoming action-thriller ‘Long Gone Heroes.’

Gunner, a special forces soldier who has witnessed the darkest side of country and combat, is forced back into the field of battle to save his niece, who is being held in South America. As the fight intensifies, Gunner and his team discover that her disappearance is part of a corrupt private operation that hits way too close to home. Acclaimed actors Andy Garcia, Melissa Leo, Josh Hutcherson and Frank Grillo star in a non-stop action thriller that will leave you breathless.

Directed by John Swab, the movie stars Frank Grillo, Josh Hutcherson, Eden Brolin, Mekhi Phifer, Melissa Leo, and Andy Garcia.

Also in trailers – “We have to think big…”Full trailer lands for season 2 of ‘Tulsa King’

The movie hits U.S. cinemas, digital and on-demand September 20th.

The post Frank Grillo stars in trailer for...