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Acclaimed cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema can now add a viral short film to his résumé.

The “Oppenheimer” Oscar winner, who is known for his Christopher Nolan collaborations with additional features “Interstellar,” “Tenet,” and “Dunkirk,” has shot a Volvo commercial for the brand with director Marcus Ibanez. Van Hoytema has also previously collaborated with Spike Jonze, James Gray, and Jordan Peele.

In the ad titled “Meet the new Volvo EX90,” the Dutch-Swedish cinematographer captures a woman whose life flashes before her eyes as she’s crossing the street and a Volvo driver narrowly misses running her over.

The tagline reads, “Sometimes the moments that never happen matter the most.”

Van Hoytema previously told IndieWire that he constantly is trying to reinvigorate the language of cinema.

“To a certain extent, I am always trying to come up with something new in my own eyes, but work methods are like tics,” Van Hoytema said.

Did Christian Bale Almost Lose Out Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins? (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Christian Bale’s commitment to his roles? Next-level. The acclaimed actor is known for undergoing dramatic transformations for his characters. However, when he was gunning for the role of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, his dedication almost backfired. After losing 60 pounds for The Machinist, he bulked up a ridiculous 100 pounds of muscle to get into Batman shape. But here’s the catch: he got too big. Nolan, being a perfectionist, freaked out and told Bale to lose 30 pounds—or no Batsuit. Talk about a major oops moment.

Bale had already shredded his body for The Machinist, surviving on just an apple, coffee, and water—plus a little whisky and cigarettes to speed up the process. So when the Batman producers saw him after filming, they got worried. If he wanted to play Batman, Bale needed to get back into form.

Amy Adams has earned two Golden Globe Awards (from eight nominations), won a Screen Actors Guild Award (also from nine nominations) and has been nominated for six Academy Awards. Those nominations have been for “Junebug” (2005), “Doubt” (2008), “The Fighter” (2010), “The Master” (2012), “American Hustle” (2013) and “Vice” (2018). She’s also competed at the Emmys for “Sharp Objects.”

Her news awards player is the 2024 film “Nightbitch,” which has her completely playing against type as a woman turning into a dog.

Let’s take a tour in our photo gallery of her 17 greatest movie performances, ranked from worst to best.

Playing a boxer seems to be a prerequisite for an actor in their journey to become an action star. Will Smith played Muhammed Ali in Ali while Mark Wahlberg played Micky Ward in The Fighter. Though Sylvester Stallone had his breakthrough with the Rocky franchise, the greatest boxer in Hollywood reportedly even bested him.

Stallone recounted the filming process of Rocky IV where the legendary actor Dolph Lundgren played Ivan Drago. While Drago was one of the most dangerous opponents that Rocky Balboa ever faced, Lundgren himself was reportedly no less, punching Stallone in the chest on his insistence, which reportedly led him to be hospitalized.

Will Smith And Mark Wahlberg Have Nothing On Dolph Lundgren Will Smith in Ali | Credits: Sony Pictures

There is just something about boxing movies that makes them an iconic sub-genre in the sports drama category. Films like Million Dollar Baby, Rocky, Cinderella Man, Ali,...

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.

Naoto Kawashima is a film director, writer, and actor from Japan, born in 1990. He graduated from Nihon University College of Art, and is affiliated with the production company GunsRock. His debut, “Takasaki Graffiti”, premiered in Japan in 2018, and “Welcome Back” was nominated for the Competition 1-2 Award at the 40th Warsaw International Film Festival.

On the occasion of the world premiere of his second full-length film, “Welcome Back”, at the Warsaw International Film Festival, he talks about his career, the film industry in Japan and other topics.

Can you tell me why and how you became a filmmaker?

Everything began thanks to my mother. She loves movies, and we used to go together to a video rental shop. That’s how I started watching various films, and from that time it was kind of obvious to me to choose this career. Although at the start I was thinking of becoming a producer,...

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...

Exclusive: Veteran producer Tucker Tooley is partnering with Big3, the 3-on-3 basketball league founded by show biz multi-hyphenate Ice Cube and longtime entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, for a docuseries chronicling its rise to prominence over the last seven years.

Not yet titled, the series will tell the unflinchingly truthful story of the first new sports league to succeed since the UFC. Each episode will delve into the challenges and controversies of the past seven seasons, as well as the eclectic personalities, pinnacles, and heartbreaks on the court as teams vie for the 2025 championship title. Additionally, the series will examine the ongoing off-the-court entrepreneurial challenges of bringing a new sport and league to market.

News of the Big3 series comes following the recent conclusion of the league’s seventh season — its most-viewed season on record. Fully financed, the project will be produced by Tooley under his Tooley Entertainment banner. No word...

Sebastian Stan is crediting Christian Bale for inspiring his unconventional roles.

Stan told GQ UK that fellow MCU star Bale was a guiding light early in his career.

“Watching Christian Bale do ‘The Fighter’ and watching him do ‘Batman’ and ‘Vice’ and ‘The Machinist’… He was a guy that, to me, could have made very conventional choices because he’s very good at any of it,” Stan said. “But then he’s trying these things.”

Stan has appeared in TV series such as “Gossip Girl” before making his indie debut with films like “I, Tonya,” “Fresh,” and “A Different Man.” The actor has also had a decade-long role in Marvel films with the “Captain America” franchise.

Stan also credited the versatility of Robert Downey Jr., who will return to the MCU as Doctor Doom after playing Iron Man, for carving out yet another aspirational career path.

“After ‘Tropic Thunder,’ is...

Christian Bale is considered to be one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. The actor has been in the industry for over three decades, cementing his reputation through his credible acting.

However, the credit for his stellar exposure in the industry lies with iconic director Steven Spielberg. It was his 1987 war film, Empire of the Sun which gave a 13-year-old Bale his big break. Most fans don’t know that this opportunity came purely due to luck being with Spielberg at the time of the making of the film.

The turn of events which led to the onset of Hollywood’s most iconic actor

Christian Bale has been in the entertainment industry since he was a minor, the actor worked in several projects as minor characters. Finally in the 1987 epic war film Empire of the Sun, the then-young actor got his deserved recognition.

Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun...

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...

It’s been announced that Carrie Underwood will make her long-awaited American Idol return, and one fellow country music icon is already rooting for her.

Keith Urban Shows His Support

Nearly 20 seasons after Carrie took home her win on American Idol, she will return to the series for Season 24.

She will be graduating from a former contestant to now being a judge, reviewing and encouraging a new generation of music artists. Underwood is the replacement of Katy Perry, who recently stepped down.

Carrie Underwood/Credit: YouTube

Before she makes her judge debut next year, none other than Keith Urban decided to publicly back her new role.

“She’s gonna be great,” he said. “She’s a great call for that position, she’s gonna do excellent.”

It’s no surprise that Keith would show his support for her. The two have been friends for years and collaborated on their 2016 debut...

Matt Damon maybe could’ve added another Oscar under his belt if the circumstances turned out differently. He was initially tapped to star in this highly praised drama, but his longtime friend Casey Affleck ended up with the role instead.

Matt Damon once shared how he lost ‘Manchester by the Sea’ to Casey Affleck Casey Affleck and Matt Damon | Randall Michelson/Getty Images

Affleck hit a career high after starring in the 2016 feature Manchester by the Sea. The film, which was about a grieving blue collar worker and his teenage nephew, garnered a lot of attention from the Academy. It even earned Affleck his first Oscar for Best Actor in 2017.

But initially, the film was a small nugget of an idea that Damon and The Office star John Krasinski came up with. They took their idea to screenwriter Kenny Lonergan, who Damon had already worked with before. The original plan...

As someone who has never punched somebody in this lifetime, I do love to watch movies about boxing. Yes, it’s a pretty nonsensical sport, but when every punch, jab, and hook is injected with complex emotions and whatnot, it does make for an enjoyable viewing experience. I grew up watching the Rocky movies, and the sequel franchise, Creed, is pretty damn good. Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull is a masterpiece, and there’s no doubt about that. Cinderella Man, The Fighter, and Southpaw are some other amazing examples. Veering away from the traditional “hero’s journey” format, there’s The Harder They Fall, The Hurricane, Million Dollar Baby, and, dare I say, Real Steel. Indian movies have fared quite well in this subgenre with Mukkabaaz, Sarpatta Parambarai, and Irudhi Suttru by talking about politics in sports, casteism, and sexism. Boxer, the Polish Netflix film, aims to show yet another...

"Someone's watching us..." What would you do to keep this much money? Republic Pictures via Paramount Movies has debuted an official trailer for Depravity, a survival horror thriller film from screenwriter Paul Tamasy. Known as the creator of Air Bud and the writer of The Finest Hours, The Fighter, Patriots Day, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, he's trying his hand at directing horror next. A group of neighbors in a apartment tower suspect their reclusive neighbor is a serial killer so, they break into his apartment only to uncover a hidden fortune in stolen art inside. But they end up in a game of cat-and-mouse - embarking on a perilous journey of deception and cover-up. The film features Taylor John Smith, Victoria Justice, Devon Ross, Alex Roe, Adam Lazarre-White, with Sasha Luss & Dermot Mulroney. Yep it seems like more direct-to-video junk, but you can watch the footage and decide...

A middlebrow triumph-against-the-odds sports crowd-pleaser can be a beautiful thing — that is, if it doesn’t pander and lose itself in clichés, and if it has as much respect for reality as it does for getting an inspirational rise out of you. “Unstoppable,” a wrestling drama based on the life of the college champion Anthony Robles, is an honest and stirring entry in the genre, with genuine commercial potential. It has plenty of familiar tropes, but in its no-frills way it touches a nerve of authenticity. The true story it tells is nothing short of extraordinary, and that may be why the filmmakers didn’t feel the need to overhype it.

In the opening scene, we’re at the High School Nationals in Philadelphia in 2006. Anthony, a senior from Mesa, Ariz., played by the superb Jharrel Jerome (who was Chiron’s love interest in the second segment of “Moonlight” and...

Back in 2007, Christian Bale had only one "Batman" movie on his resumé, and Russell Crowe hadn't yet tortured audiences with his vocal performance in the film version of Les Misérables. They also appeared in a Western movie together, and years after its release, people are going wild for the movie on Netflix.

"3:10 to Yuma" — which was written by Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt, and Derek Haas and helmed by future "Logan" director James Mangold — tells the story of a rancher who's down on his luck and ends up taking a risky assignment to bring down a famous outlaw, with Bale as rancher Dan Evans and Crowe as outlaw Ben Wade. The film, which is both an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's short story and a remake of a 1957 take on the story, boasts a pretty stacked cast and includes Logan Lerman, Ben Foster, Gretchen Mol, Alan Tudyk, and even the late legend Peter Fonda.

Matt Damon is one of the most priceless talents in the industry, renowned for securing some of the best and truly star-studded roles throughout his multi-faceted career. But while he has made a name for embodying characters like Jason Bourne among others, the 53-year-old actor has also lost out on some major parts, like the Oscar-winning role of Dickie Eklund in The Fighter.

Matt Damon in Jason Bourne. | Credits: Universal Pictures.

And yet, when it comes to this particular character from the 2010 movie, which instead went on to the legendary Christian Bale, Damon seemingly doesn’t quite hold any regrets. If anything, from the words of director David O. Russell, it seems like the actor felt it was only for the best that Bale bagged the role, considering how The Batman star even lost 30 pounds for the role.

Matt Damon Was Seemingly Glad Christian Bale Bagged The Fighter

For one rated 91% on the Tomatometer,...

Amy Adams believes she is slowly turning into a canine in Nightbitch, and here’s the trailer for the incoming movie.

Amy Adams has been nominated for an Academy Award six times – for Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter, The Master, Vice and American Hustle. It’s something of an oversight that none of them were for her pitch perfect performance as Disney princess Giselle in 2007’s Enchanted, a role she reprises in 2022 sequel Disenchanted.

Her next role in the dark comedy horror Nightbitch has exactly the kind of one line elevator pitch premise that could attract attention come awards season – a stressed mother begins to turn into a dog.

The synopsis reads as follows:

Nightbitch tells the story of a woman (Adams) thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the...

Matt Damon was once tapped to star in the movie The Fighter alongside Mark Wahlberg. He’d later drop out of the project, and Christian Bale would pick up the role. In hindsight, Damon Bale might’ve been better for the movie.

How Matt Damon felt about Christian Bale replacing him in ‘The Fighter’ Christian Bale and Matt Damon | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Bale portrayed Mark Wahlberg’s brother in the sports movie The Fighter, which earned The Dark Knight star his first Oscar. He teamed up with David O. Russell for the feature, who he already had history working with. Before the movie ended up in Russell’s hands, however, Damon was supposed to play Bale’s critically praised role. Damon would later be phased out of the project during the script’s development. After seeing Bale’s performance, however, Damon believed everything worked out for the best.

“Matt...

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 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 shared the screen with George Clooney in the 2000 action-adventure film The Perfect Storm. In a recent interview, the actor recalled an unexpected and humorous story about the time when his mother visited him on the set of the film.

Mark Wahlberg | Eva Rinaldi/Cca By-sa 2.0/Wikimedia Commons

The actor recalled how his late mother was quite taken with the charming Oscar winner and even believed that they had a genuine connection, admitting that he would not have minded Clooney becoming his stepfather.

Mark Wahlberg Recalled George Clooney And His Mother’s Charming Encounter

During a recent interview with Variety, Mark Wahlberg recounted a humorous encounter between his mother, and co-star George Clooney from the set of his 2000 film The Perfect Storm.

Mark Wahlberg and George Clooney | Credit: Warner Bros.

The actor shared that his mother, Alma Wahlberg, was thrilled to meet George Clooney and got a picture with him.

Writer and producer Keith Dorrington has teamed with multicultural ad agency Iw Group to produce the China-set adoption drama “Hou Yi.”

Inspired by Dorrington’s experience working in China during the 1990s, the story chronicles an American businessman’s unlikely adoption of a three-year-old orphan girl named Hou Yi.

“Hou Yi” marks Iw Group’s first venture into film development. Dorrington is best known for his work on the “The Fighter” starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, and directed by David O. Russell. Dorrington was an executive producer on the Academy Award-winning film and received a story by credit.

“Bringing ‘Hou Yi’ to the screen has been a deeply personal mission of mine for over two decades. I’m thrilled to take this important step in making that happen,” said Dorrington, who will executive produce the film based on his original screenplay. “This story means the world to me because...

The 2007 Western film “3:10 to Yuma” will become available to stream on Netflix starting September 1st. Directed by James Mangold, the movie stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in a intense story of an outlaw being transported by train. Though it received praise from critics, “3:10 to Yuma” struggled at the box office. Now on Netflix, new audiences can discover this complex morality tale.

The movie is a remake of the 1957 film based on a short story. It follows rancher Dan Evans, played by Bale, who reluctantly agrees to help place the notorious criminal Ben Wade, played by Crowe, on a train to go to trial. However, Wade’s gang is chasing them in hopes of setting their leader free. Throughout the dangerous journey, Evans and Wade develop a complicated relationship as one guards the other.

Both Bale and Crowe delivered praised performances, with Crowe winning an Oscar previously for his role in “Gladiator.

Mark Wahlberg is a veteran actor (and an all-time legend) who has a plethora of movies and projects to his name. From movies that failed to movies that succeeded expectations, Wahlberg has done it all.

Mark Wahlberg and Jeff Goldblum in Jimmy Kimmel Live | Credits: ABC

Although the actor had a rickety start in Hollywood, Wahlberg never backed down from a challenge. The actor is also a gym freak and was covered in tattoos at a certain point in life.

Mark Wahlberg Had To Do One of the Toughest Things For Hollywood

As mentioned earlier, Wahlberg’s back, front, and, arms were covered in various tattoos that the actor had gotten over the years. This meant that whenever there was a shirtless scene, Wahlberg’s tattoos had to be covered with makeup.

Mark Wahlberg in a still from The Fighter | Credits: Relativity Media

That process took quite an extra amount...

Netflix is back with a new star-studded action movie — this time led by Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry — with “The Union.” Wahlberg stars as Mike, a Jersey construction worker who finds his average life turned upside down when his high school sweetheart Roxanne (Berry) shows up and he gets tangled up in a continent-skipping international intelligence adventure.

But Berry and Wahlberg aren’t the only familiar faces in the Netflix romp. Here’s a handy guide to “The Union” cast and the characters they play.

Halle Berry in “The Union” (Laura Radford/Netflix)

Halle Berry as Roxanne Hall — Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry stars as The Union operative Roxanne Hall, an ass-kicking, world-traveling adventurer who never misses her shot. Berry is best known for her superhero roles, playing Storm in the “X-Men” films and Catwoman in “Catwoman,” as well as her Best Actress-winning performance in “Monster’s Ball.” Her well-known titles also include “John Wick 3,...

Throughout his many career ups-and-downs, five-time Oscar-nominated director David O. Russell has carved out a place for himself with a series of singularly eccentric, screwy films. Let’s take a look back at all eight of his films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1958, Russell made his filmmaking debut with the incest comedy “Spanking the Monkey” (1994), which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and brought his Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay victories at the Independent Spirit Awards. The screwball farce “Flirting with Disaster” (1996) quickly followed, which earned him additional writing and directing bids at the Indie Spirits. He achieved a huge critical and commercial success with the Gulf War satire “Three Kings” (1999), for which he competed at the Writers Guild of America in Best Original Screenplay.

He received a more muted response with “I Heart Huckabees” (2004), an existential ensemble comedy that became infamous for leaked...

Nicolas Cage will play the title role of John Madden in David O Russell’s Madden, and here are the details.

Writer and director David O Russell began his career directing dark comedies like Spanking the Monkey, Flirting With Disaster, Three Kings, and I Heart Huckabees, before gaining critical acclaim for biographical sports drama The Fighter. He then directed several award winning dramas, including Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. Despite reports of animosity between O Russell and his actors, he continues to make high profile films, most recently Amsterdam.

His next film will be Madden, a biopic of NFL player John Madden. The film will chart his rise from the head coach of the Oakland Raiders to becoming one of the greatest football reporters in America.

According to Deadline, Nicolas Cage has been cast as Madden. It is the latest in a string of eclectic films for Cage, which...

Here's a curveball for your Friday morning. Fresh off of a run of galvanising star turns in the likes of psychological horror Longlegs, indie drama Pig, and madcap meta comedy The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage is gearing up to play NFL icon John Madden in a new biopic for Amazon MGM Studios. Per Deadline's reporting, Cage has landed the lead role in writer-director David O. Russell's Madden, which will chart the American football commentator and coach's remarkable journey from winning the Super Bowl as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders to his extraordinary emergence as the face and name of video game mega-franchise Madden NFL.

Whilst O. Russell is no stranger to a biopic or two, having helmed the likes of Mark Wahlberg-starrer The Fighter and the Jennifer Lawrence led Joy, Madden will mark a rare foray into the field for Cage, whose most...

Lange hat David O. Russell nach einem Hauptdarsteller für seinen nächsten Film „Madden“ gesucht. Jetzt steht fest, dass Nicoalas Cage die Rolle von John Madden, Footballspieler und -trainer sowie Namensgeber der Football-Videospielreihe Madden NFL, übernehmen wird.

Nicolas Cage übernimmt die Hauptrolle in „Madden“ (Credit: Imago / Avalon.red)

Mit der Verpflichtung von Nicolas Cage konnte David O. Russell jetzt die monatelange Suche nach einem Hauptdarsteller für seinen nächsten Film „Madden“ beenden, während der u.a. auch Hugh Jackman für die Rolle im Gespräch war. Das berichten US-Branchenmedien.

Cage wird in „Madden“ John Madden spielen, Footballspieler und erfolgreicher -trainer, der die Oakland Raiders 1977 zum Gewinn des Super Bowl führte, sowie Namensgeber der Football-Videospielreihe Madden NFL.

„Madden“ zu dem Russell auf Basis eines früheren Entwurfs von Cambron Clark auch das Drehbuch geschrieben hat, soll den Berichten zufolge weniger ein Biopic im typischen Sinne oder ein Sportdrama, wie es Russell mit „The Fighter“ abgeliefert hat,...

Nicolas Cage will portray John Madden, the legendary American football coach and sports commentator, in director David O. Russell’s upcoming biographical drama “Madden.”

“Nicolas Cage, one of our greatest and most original actors, will portray the best of the American spirit of originality, fun, and determination in which anything is possible as beloved national legend John Madden,” Russell said in a statement. “Together with the ferocious style, focus, and inspired individualism of Al Davis, owner of the underdog Oakland Raiders, the feature will be about the joy, humanity and genius that was John Madden in a wildly inventive, cool world of the 1970s.”

Madden, who died in 2021 at the age of 85, was the burly, garrulous head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, leading the team to many championship games and its first Super Bowl victory. He became a mainstay of television football coverage, spending three decades as...

After months, if not years of development, David O. Russell’s Madden looks to be nearing the end zone.

Nicolas Cage is set to portray John Madden, the storied football coach and sports commentator in a drama from Amazon MGM Studios to be directed by Russell, the filmmaker behind Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle.

But this is not a biopic of the man in the typical way, nor a sports drama, a genre Russell took on with boxing movie The Fighter. Rather, Madden is in part, according to sources, a video game movie. It’s the origin story of Madden NFL, one of the biggest video game franchises of all time.

The feature hails from Prime Sports Original feature film produced by Todd Black. Also producing are Escape Artists’ Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, and Jonathan Shukat alongside Russell and Matthew Budman. Escape Artist is currently in prep on a...

Is there anything as heartwarming as a story about a jerk in Hollywood getting their comeuppance? Perhaps a jerk in Hollywood getting his comeuppance courtesy of one of the biggest movie stars in the world. This is exactly what happened to David O. Russell when the notorious (yet somehow still regularly employed) director worked with George Clooney on the film "Three Kings" back in the late '90s.

A dark military comedy set in the aftermath of the Gulf War, "Three Kings" was the third feature film by Russell. The filmmaker also got script credit on the film's screenplay, though outlets including Entertainment Weekly reported at the time that John Ridley actually wrote it. "Three Kings" starred Clooney, Ice Cube, Mark Wahlberg, and Spike Jonze, and it received near-universal acclaim upon release. It was nominated for a Critics Choice Award and a WGA Award, and it no doubt opened doors for Russell,...

While David O. Russell is one of the most famous names in the industry for his star-studded critically-acclaimed pieces like American Hustle (2013), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and The Fighter (2010), he is also rather infamous for his controversial stints. To say the least, he is one to have picked beef with and become the arch-nemesis of A-lister George Clooney.

David O. Russell. | Credits: David Shankbone/Cca-3.0/Wikimedia Commons.

Adding to this list was even the actress cum comedian Lily Tomlin who, despite being a senior to Russell, had to face his wrath while working with him on I Heart Huckabees in 2004. However, this time, it all came back to bite the filmmaker right where it hurt when his infamous clip of mistreating the actress resurfaced to humiliate him years later in 2012.

David O. Russell Brutally Berated Lily Tomlin in 2004

Around two decades ago, Tomlin joined forces with filmmaker David O. Russell to...

Just in time for the highly anticipated sequel Strangers Chapter 1, we’re giving you the chance to own the original bone-chilling home invasion thriller that started it all – The Strangers (2008). Mark your calendars because this cult classic, directed by Bryan Bertino, is making its way to Blu-ray in a Standard Edition on August 19, 2024.

Win a Copy of The Strangers on Blu-ray!

Starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, The Strangers tells the terrifying story of a couple’s weekend getaway that spirals into a nightmarish battle for survival. After a failed marriage proposal, what should have been a peaceful retreat for Kristen (Tyler) and James (Speedman) is shattered by a knock on the door at 4 a.m. Three masked assailants—Man in the Mask (Kip Weeks), Dollface (Gemma Ward), and Pin-up Girl (Laura Margolis)—invade their home with sinister intent, leaving the couple to face unimaginable horrors. But who are these masked intruders,...

Hugh Jackman returned to his storied role as Logan Aka Wolverine for Deadpool’s debut in the MCU, the massive hit “Deadpool and Wolverine.”

Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool has been a team-up fans have anticipated for well over a year now since the project was announced. And, it’s safe to say, the end result has not disappointed. “Deadpool and Wolverine” is a wildly fun ride with mind-blowing cameos (no spoilers here), a healthy dose of the wonderful Matthew Macfadyen, and a killer soundtrack. But the draw is obviously Deadpool and Wolvy on screen together. Reynolds delivers the laugh-out comedy with his off-kilter Deadpool-isms while Jackman plays Wolverine pretty straight-faced, gruffing and growling his way through a redemption arc that actually packs a punch full of emotion.

As a result, Reynolds and Jackman are a match made in heaven while Jackman is the heart and soul of the movie.

From premieres to existing classics, there’s something for everyone to enjoy on Paramount+ this month.

The legendary RuPaul Charles is upping the stakes with all-new franchise of the Emmy-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” with the premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars.” In this new show, 12 queens from all around the globe will compete for a grand prize and a place in the international pavilion at the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

And that’s not the only beloved property giving something new. The final season of the Paramount+ original series “Seal Team” is also set to hit the streamer this month.

Along with the new content, there are loads of existing films and shows coming to the platform, including family favorites like “We Bought a Zoo” and “Hotel for Dogs.” Staple movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “The Big Short” will also be available to watch.

See the full...

Paramount’s free streaming service Pluto TV has revealed its August highlights. Pluto TV is boldly going where no streamer has gone before, becoming the first service to offer the entire Star Trek film series for free!

Pluto TV has long been home to a galaxy of science fiction entertainment, and now all of the cinematic adventures of the Star Trek Prime Universe (William Shatner and Patrick Stewart) and the Kelvin Universe (Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto) are beaming up to your favorite device. Also joining Pluto TV in August are Alien Nation by Dust and three new channels from Fox.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

Pluto TV offers various genres, languages, and categories featuring movies,...

This August, Paramount+ is bringing you a lot of entertainment with the highly anticipated streaming release of the biographical film Bob Marley: One Love and a very weird but humorous and heartfelt film Sasquatch Sunset, which follows the daily lives of a Sasquatch family. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 10 best films that are coming to Paramount+ in August 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Airplane! (August 1)

Airplane! is a disaster absurdist comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David, and Jerry Zucker. Based on the 1957 drama film Zero Hour! by Arthur Hailey, Hall Bartlett, and John Champion, the 1980 film follows Ted Striker, a former pilot with a fear of flying as he finds himself in the impossible situation of landing a...

Peacock has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the streaming service in August. The Peacock August 2024 schedule includes Mr. Throwback, the Love Island USA Season 6 reunion, Bel-Air Season 3, and the new film The Killer.

For the crime junkies, all seven seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street make their streaming debut on August 19. The fast-paced police drama portrays the brutal detective work of a homicide department in Baltimore.

Additionally, mark your calendar for the action-packed streaming debuts of The Fall Guy and The Fall Guy: The Extended Cut on August 30. The Bikeriders also cruises onto Peacock for its exclusive streaming premiere on August 9, and the magic of the Harry Potter franchise returns to Peacock exclusively all month long.

August Highlights

August 8: Mr. Throwback (Peacock Original)*

August 9: The Bikeriders (Peacock Exclusive)*

August 15: Bel-Air Season 3 – Premiere (Peacock Original)*

August 19:...

Craftspeople rarely get the spotlight that actors and directors get. However, Donald Mowat is not like most craftspeople. Over the past ten years, Mowat’s career put him at the center of some of Hollywood’s very best movies. After working on Dune, Blade Runner 2049, and Nightcrawler, Mowat kept his options open.

A long-time collaboration with Jake Gyllenhaal led to Presumed Innocent, allowing Mowat to dive into unique makeup effects with an all-star cast. The resulting series highlights much of what Mowat has to offer, and the Oscar-nominated makeup designer takes full advantage over the series. With the finale this week, Mowat sat down with FandomWire to discuss his work. This interview was completed prior to the announcement that Presumed Innocent will have a second season. Check out our review of the season here.

SUGGESTEDPresumed Innocent Review — A Brilliantly Constructed and Thrilling Series How Donald Mowat and Jake Gyllenhaal...

Before David Simon debuted his groundbreaking socio-political tapestry “The Wire” to audiences and helped garner the prestige HBO now only reserves for “Game of Thrones” and superhero spinoffs, he wrote the book on the world of crime and law enforcement in Baltimore. Published in 1991, his non-fiction book “Homicide: A Year of Killing Streets” pools two years of research from Simon’s time spent observing the Baltimore Police Department, which itself followed four years spent on the police beat for The Baltimore Sun newspaper.

Wishing to adapt the book into a feature film, Simon got a copy to filmmaker and Baltimore native Barry Levinson, who felt the material was better suited to a TV series. Levinson shared with Paul Attansio, a former Washington Post film critic whose would go on to write the Oscar-nominated “Quiz Show,” as well as “Donnie Brasco,” and together the team brought the project to NBC, where...

If Brendan Schaub could write a joke as funny as any of those on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, maybe he’d finally headline at Joe Rogan’s club.

Rogan, the undisputed king of all podcasting and the self-professed defender of comedy integrity, has made many controversial moves in his position as the nucleus of the Manosphere, but for all the divisive figures ever booked on The Joe Rogan Experience, only one perennial guest has ever equally upset both sides of the culture wars — Brendan Schaub.

The former Mma fighter and current comedy attempter was able to carve a corner for himself in the dudebro podcasting racket in the early 2010s due to his close relationship with Rogan, and though the relationship between the two has been rumored to be rocky in recent years, Rogan gifting Schaub the opportunity to cut to the front of the line in the stand-up...

Amy Adams has worked with a lot of very successful and respected directors throughout her career. She has been a part of superhero franchises, book adaptations, and bone-chilling crime thrillers; understanding the ins and outs of the film industry. Having nothing but a positive image, it is safe to say that it would take her a lot to dislike a director.

Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams in American Hustle I Sony Pictures

However, one director managed to get under her skin to such a great extent, that Adams refused to work with him moving forward. What makes the situation all the more interesting is that he frequently collaborates with actors like Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper; despite having an infamous reputation.

Amy Adams Does Not Get Along with David O. Russell

Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale all famously starred in the blockbuster film, American Hustle.

“Inside Out 2” roared into cinema in June, becoming Pixar’s highest-grossing film in a debut weekend of all time, while its current worldwide haul at this time of writing stands at just over one billion.

The first movie — one of the most ingenious films of this century — took audiences inside the head of young Riley as she navigated a move to a new city while her emotions tried to guide her through the move in her head. This second film brings back those emotions as Riley goes through her teenage years. But Joy and Sadness and the gang have to deal with several new emotions in headquarters, including Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui.

But while the film marches towards $1 billion at the box office, could it also be marching towards awards glory? Well, animated flicks don’t get the justice they deserve when it comes to the Academy Awards. So often,...

Lionsgate has just released the first official trailer for Flight Risk, an upcoming action-thriller from 2x Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson (Braveheart; Apocalypto; Hacksaw Ridge) that stars 2x Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter; The Departed; Ted) in the lead role as a pilot that may not be who he seems...

The synopsis reads, "In this high-stakes suspense thriller, Mark Wahlberg plays a pilot transporting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem."

While the plot is fairly straightforward, it promises a wealth of thrills this coming October, which is shaping up to be quite a busy month on the release calendar with the debuts of Joker: Folie à Deux (October 4), White Bird (October 4), Terrifier 3 (October 11), Piece by Piece (October 11), We Live in Time (October...

The first official trailer for The Union has dropped online, offering a first look at an upcoming spy action comedy-thriller starring 2x Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg and Academy Award-winner Halle Berry (X-Men: Days of Future Past; John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum; Monster's Ball) in the lead roles as a pair of high school sweethearts that reconnect decades later when the world is at threat.

As per the synopsis, "Mike (Wahlberg) is happy living a simple life as a construction worker in his native New Jersey – until his long-lost high school sweetheart, Roxanne (Berry), shows up with more on her mind than romance. Knowing he’s the right man for the job, she recruits Mike on a dangerous intelligence mission in Europe that thrusts them back together into a world of spies and high-speed car chases, with sparks flying along the way."

In addition to Wahlberg and Berry, the supporting cast features Mike Colter,...