‘Off The Grid': Josh Duhamel as a Rambo-Oppenheimer Mash-up
Coming courtesy of Lionsgate, the new action thriller 'Off the Grid' stars 'Transformers' star Josh Duhamel as a guy who's got a combination of Oppenheimer's brains, MacGyver's ingenuity, and Rambo's survival skill set. Of course, he holds the fate of humanity in his hands. Greg Kinnear ('As Good as It Gets'), and Peter Stormare ('John Wick: Chapter 2') are the baddies.
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Newsweek
8 hours ago
- Newsweek
Greg Kinnear Was at a Career Crossroads—Then This Film Changed Everything
Actor Greg Kinnear. Actor Greg Kinnear. CJ Rivera/Apple TV+ "I usually have a terrible memory for so many things, but the experiences that I have making things is pretty visceral." Lately, Greg Kinnear is just trying to keep his head on straight due to his embarrassment of riches, from Smoke on Apple TV+ and the film Off the Grid. "You kind of have to shuffle around the bottom of your proverbial briefcase to pull up this old project. Smoke, we did it a year ago, Off the Grid, we did last year. So there's always a little bit of, 'Who the hell did I play?'" For the arson crime thriller Smoke, Kinnear teamed up with Taron Egerton and Dennis Lehane. "Very CGI light on this. It was real fire. When we were playing with it, we were playing with the real thing." And in Off the Grid, Kinnear is the bad guy chasing down Josh Duhamel through the woods. "You want to punch the bad guy in the face. And who better? When they look at my face, wanting to punch is pretty much a universal reaction." While that's not necessarily true, Kinnear is happy to be playing against type in both projects. "It's a great thing about what we do...[when] the people who create these ideas and come up when it's well done, and craft a world, and you're allowed into that world." SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARTING SHOT WITH H. ALAN SCOTT ON APPLE PODCASTS OR SPOTIFY AND WATCH ON YOUTUBE Editor's Note: This conversation has been edited and condensed for publication. You know, one of the things that I respect about your career is that you started off as a personality on TV. You really were on that talk show host track, and then it shifted to acting. It was crazy. I mean, it was unusual, particularly at that time. It was kind of weird to go from the TV to film, now I feel like people do it all the time. You don't think about it. You see people in commercials, and they do everything. But it was a very kind of weird environment in terms of separation of church and state back then, and how the hell Sydney Pollack [director of Sabrina] allowed me to climb over the wall and do Sabrina, I don't know, but credit to him. I mean, that's Sydney Pollack and Harrison Ford. That's a nosedive into the film world. Lot of people would say belly flop, yeah. But [you] got to do it whatever way you got to do. So for a show like Smoke, when you're looking at a project like this, there's your character but there's also the story. What do you respond to first? Well, in the case of this, I think I responded first and foremost to the fact that a couple years ago, I worked with Dennis Lehane and Taron on Blackbird, which we did in COVID and it was kind of a crazy time. But Dennis cast that show so well. It was a wonderful group of people and actors. The team that he had, the support team of directors and producers, were all excellent. And his writing, both as a novelist and as a showrunner, really, I think kind of blossomed. He had done some other stuff, but I think Blackbird, really, set the stage for Dennis. So listen, loved to be along for that ride. And when he was mumbling the idea of maybe another show, there wasn't a long conversation. I said yes way before he did and looked forward to the opportunity of working with [him]. And then, in this case, he got Taron, you have a lot of the same producing, directing team came over. The world of arson is not something I necessarily would [be] fascinated by, [arson] probably wouldn't have been the ticket I would have pulled. But that's true all the time. It's the great thing about being an actor. It's a great thing about what we do is, that the people who create these ideas go and dig and dive so heavily onto a subject matter and come up when it's well done, and craft a world, and you're allowed into that world. And in this case, it's a pretty exotic world. I mean, you think of crime, even serial killers, I feel they've been in front of us to a point where they kind of just wash off us. You see one serial killer, you've seen them all. Not the case with Blackbird, but I'm saying in general that subject matter is used a lot, and then you think of fire and arson, and how strange and what a distance I think there is from any typical viewer to what happens in that world, how it exists. But sure enough, you give it to a guy like Dennis and his great writing team, and they really, I think, unlocked it in a way where I was excited to be a part of it. It's kind of different sort of role for me. And again, working with just great people. Greg Kinnear in "Smoke," now streaming on Apple TV+. Greg Kinnear in "Smoke," now streaming on Apple TV+. Apple TV+. The fire itself is also kind of like a monster or the villain. Yeah, I think you're right. Fire, strangely, it should be something made easily to create as the monster, but I don't think it is. Again, there's some sort of tax on the imagination that really forces, I think, the storytellers, in the case of Smoke, to make it visceral, make it real. There's, for the most part, very CGI light on this. It was real fire. When we were playing with it, we were playing with the real thing. And I think the intimacy and the immediacy of that really bleeds through on the show. You have a palpable experience with it in the show, and you feel it, I think, in a really effective way. But yeah, we got a lot of scary monsters in this show, whether they're fire or not. Between Smoke and Off the Grid, how do you keep track of your projects when they're released so close to each other? Well, you kind of have to shuffle around the bottom of your proverbial briefcase to pull up this old project. In the case of Smoke, we did it a year ago, Off the Grid, we did last year. These projects, they take a while before they ever come to life. So there's always a little bit of a process of saying, "Now, who the hell did I play? What am I doing?" That's just kind of the name of the game. And I usually have a terrible memory for so many things, but the experiences that I have making things is pretty visceral. What about Off the Grid appealed to you? I had met Josh before briefly, but I don't really know him. And he's like a 6'5" football linebacker, and when I heard the concept, they're like, "We're making this movie called Off the Grid, and Josh is the guy." I was like, "Oh, I understand that." So sure enough, Josh is a guy who has gone off the grid with a piece of technology, and the bad guys are trying to get it back, and I am playing one of the key bad guys who must do everything to get it back and doesn't particularly like the bayou or the woods where he is residing. What I find interesting about you is that, if I saw you in the grocery store, I wouldn't be nervous to say hello, you seem nice. So when you play bad or evil, it's a bit of a plot twist. Well, I have played some bad guys. And I just did—Disney's doing kind of a reimagining of Holes and played the Sigourney Weaver role of the warden, who's just this devilishly fun character. Off the Grid was, case in point, they sent it to me, and I was like, "Oh my gosh, I never get to be the bad guy going after the guy." And I look at any of those movies that I've liked where you're the villain, and you're chasing the guy, and it just seemed like, "Okay, here we go. We're gonna put the bug repellent on and chase Josh, see where this goes." But it was fun to do. And in a weird way, it makes you want to see the bad guy get it more. Because if you wanna like him, and he gets to be as bad as he is, it just makes the justice so much more sweet. Yeah, you got it. You want to punch the bad guy in the face. And who better when they look at me, wanting to punch is pretty much a universal reaction. I don't know if that's true. Which I think is partly why it works, because we don't start off wanting to punch you, we want to like you. But then, yeah, you're bad. Yeah, I feel like, like I said, I don't get to do it very often, but when it's offered, it is fun to do. If I'm being honest, it does play against type a little bit. It's not necessarily a goal to want to kill or maim or hurt people, but you know, that's the great thing [about acting], that we get to do lots of stuff that we don't otherwise get to do. Where's the Great Western? I think Kevin Costner has that locked up. He's got the corner on that. Greg Kinnear (L), Jack Nicholson (C) and Helen Hunt (R) film As Good as it Gets. Greg Kinnear (L), Jack Nicholson (C) and Helen Hunt (R) film As Good as it Gets. Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Well, I can't spend time with you without bringing up As Good as It Gets. That film seems like it changed everything for you. From an Oscar nomination to just being able to work with that level of talent: James L. Brooks, Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt. We're coming up on nearly 30 years since it was released. Did that film change everything for you? Yeah, it's interesting. I had done Talk Soup. And I was doing a late night show. I had taken over for Bob Costas. And while I was there, I kind of went in, hat in hand, to Don Ohlmeyer, who ran the channel, and who was a pretty imposing tough guy historically in our business. And I kind of managed to ask, beg and plead to be able to do the first couple of movies that I was able to do. And I would come in and bank five shows, talk shows, in a day, and then go off and shoot a movie here or there. And As Good as It Gets came along, and Jim offered me the role. And I was really at a crossroads. I was like, "Well, it's going to be in L.A., it's a big role and a lot of time." And I was just suddenly faced with, wow, okay, so I've been on this trajectory of kind of a television host, interviewer, whatever. And the fork was there, to continue that, or I was going to really have to step over into acting. It really caused some soul searching. And I thank Jim so much because he handed me that role, which was an incredible, incredible role. And obviously the material is so amazing. It's got heart, and it's got laughs, and it's got something thoughtful to kind of meditate on and it's got Verdell the dog. So, I did have a lot of things there that allowed me to say, "Well, I'm going to give this a shot. Who knows where all of this goes." I ended up having to walk away from the talk show at NBC. That movie meant to me a great deal, because obviously it was successful, but you don't know that when you're making it. I mean, I knew I thought it was good, but I hadn't done enough movies at the time. Didn't know what we were doing was good. When I am [impersonating] Jack standing at a door going, "Don't bother me ever," and kind of just basically unloading a cannon into my face of Nicholson'isms, I was thinking, "All right, this is a life highlight." If this goes nowhere, but hopefully the audience will respond as well, and obviously they did. So it was a pivotal movie in a lot of ways, from that standpoint. Well, there's also another aspect to it that I found particularly interesting. It was part of an era of portrayals on film of gay characters who weren't tragic, who weren't dying. Simon was able to just be Simon. And that was a real shift in film from films of the '80s and '90s that, rightfully so, focused on portrayals of violence or HIV/AIDS. Did that stand out to you? It did. I read it and I thought, "Wow." I mean, first and foremost, the fact that Simon was gay was secondary to a racist, misogynist, really messed up guy [Jack Nicholson's Melvin] and his [Simon's] decency was right there in the page. And that's really, first and foremost, what I took note of and thought, "Wow, my gosh, this is so great." Because I know exactly what you mean. We had seen that role where we're going to get all sorts of yucks out of this guy. It's like a lever you can pull. The transition we're always going through in terms of big entertainment is so many things, they start as stereotypes, and then maybe they become just types, and then maybe they just become characters, and then they just become people. And I feel like, yes, that was happening at that time, but I felt, wow, what a leap forward with this script. What a lovely character that's been drawn up with Simon, and I just wanted him to find success and love and happiness like I do in every character. It really was just such a special film and performance and certainly meant a lot to me. Oh, I'm so happy to hear that. I'm so appreciative. And, gosh, I can't believe, it was Father's Day yesterday, and I showed my daughter, because it's like, the one day of the year I'm able to say, "Guys, I'm picking the movie." There's no conversation. It's not like we're gonna talk about it. I'm picking the movie. So I—and I don't know why, I guess because somebody was just telling me it's the 50-year anniversary, I didn't realize, but of [One Flew Over the] Cuckoo's Nest—and so we fired that up last night, and I hadn't seen it for years, and my kids had never seen it, and I was just like, "Oh my gosh, what a beautiful treasure of a film." I mean so much nuance and so many unspoken moments that are making people laugh in our little theater, which is our living room, but making my kids laugh that it wasn't even dialogue. Wasn't a joke. It was just so beautifully constructed. And funny enough, when I got As Good as It Gets, because my daughter asked me, "Oh, did you talk to Mr. Nicholson about that?" And I was like, "No, I refused to watch it because I was already so scared to meet this guy." The last thing I was going to do is go fawn over him, watch the movie and then show up and say, "Tell me about the scene where you and Chief were sinking baskets." I was way too over my head in that movie to begin with. But watching it now, I don't know, I'll have to hit him up with a couple new questions.
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business Wire
Hasbro Strikes New Multi-Year Casino Licensing Partnerships
PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hasbro, a leading games, IP, and toy company today announced a new slate of multi-year licensing partnerships aimed at transforming and expanding its most popular brands across the casino category. After a comprehensive review and market evaluation, Hasbro has selected Aristocrat Technologies, Evolution, Galaxy Gaming, and Bally's as its newest partners in casino licensing. The new partners join existing licensee Sciplay. The announcement underscores Hasbro's 'Playing to Win' strategy, revealed in February 2025, which focuses on innovation, partnerships, and bringing beloved brands to life across more formats than ever. 'We're all about play—and that means meeting our fans wherever they are, from the game table to the casino floor,' said Claire Hunter Gregson, Director, Gaming Relationships. 'These visionary new partners have the expertise and imagination to reimagine our brands in bold, exciting ways for adult audiences.' Hasbro has a nearly 30-year history of licensing its age-appropriate IP to the gambling sector. With this new lineup of partners, the company is expanding access to entertainment experiences that reimagine its brands for a growing base of adult fans and gamers. Following is the list of partners: Aristocrat Technologies – B2B manufacturer land-based slot machines (MONOPOLY) Evolution – B2B developer for online slots and live casino (MONOPOLY, Hasbro Games) Galaxy Gaming – B2B developer and manufacturer for casino table games (MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE, BATTLESHIP) Bally's – B2C Online casino operator (MONOPOLY) With new titles launching in January 2026, adult fans will see some of Hasbro's beloved brands integrated into new and existing casino formats, including land-based gaming slots, online gaming slots, casino table games, and online casinos. About Hasbro Hasbro is a leading games, IP and toy company whose mission is to create joy and community through the magic of play. With over 100 years of expertise, Hasbro delivers groundbreaking play experiences and reaches over 500 million kids, families and fans around the world, through physical and digital games, video games, toys, licensed consumer products, location-based entertainment, film, TV and more. Through its franchise-first approach, Hasbro unlocks value from both new and legacy IP, including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONOPOLY, HASBRO GAMES, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands. Powered by its portfolio of thousands of iconic marks and a diversified network of partners and subsidiary studios, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, a 2025 JUST Capital Industry Leader, one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50, and a Brand that Matters by Fast Company. For more information, visit or @Hasbro on LinkedIn. About Aristocrat Gaming Aristocrat Gaming is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of regulated land-based slot and electronic games across the globe. From award-winning games and hardware to unique game mechanics and leading performance, Aristocrat Gaming delivers the best seat in the house wherever and whenever the world plays. Part of Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL), Aristocrat Gaming delivers end-to-end solutions to customers in more than 300 jurisdictions across the globe. We strive to be an industry leader in responsible gameplay, as part of ensuring a vibrant and sustainable industry. For further information, visit the company's website at Follow Aristocrat Gaming on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. About Bally's Corporation Bally's Corporation (NYSE: BALY) is a global casino-entertainment company with a growing omni-channel presence. Bally's owns and operates 20 casinos internationally including 1 retail casino in Newcastle, UK, 11 states across the US, along with a golf course in New York and a horse racetrack in Colorado and holds OSB licenses in 13 jurisdictions in North America. It also owns Bally Bet, a first-in-class sports betting platform, Bally Casino, a growing iCasino platform, Bally's Interactive International division (formerly Gamesys Group), a leading global interactive gaming operator, and a significant economic stake in Intralot S.A. (ATSE: INLOT), a global lottery management and services business. With 11,500 employees, its casino operations include approximately 17,700 slot machines, 630 table games, and 3,950 hotel rooms. Bally's also has rights to developable land in Las Vegas at the site of the former Tropicana Las Vegas. About Evolution Evolution AB (publ) ('Evolution') Evolution develops, produces, markets and licenses fully integrated B2B Online Casino solutions to gaming operators. Since its inception in 2006, Evolution has developed into a leading B2B provider with 800+ operators among its customers. The group currently employs 22,200+ people in studios across Europe and in North America. The parent company is based in Sweden and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm with the ticker EVO. Visit for more information. Evolution is licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority under license MGA/B2B/187/2010. Evolution is also licensed and regulated in many other jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Romania, South Africa, and others. About Galaxy Gaming Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Galaxy Gaming ( develops and distributes innovative games, bonusing systems, and technology solutions to physical and online casinos worldwide. Galaxy Gaming offers games proven to perform developed by gaming experts and backed by the highest level of customer support. Galaxy Gaming Digital is the world's leading licensor of proprietary table games to the online gaming industry. Galaxy Gaming has 131 licenses worldwide, including licenses in 28 U.S. states. About Light & Wonder, Inc. SciPlay is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Light & Wonder. Light & Wonder, Inc. is the leading cross-platform global games company. Through our three unique, yet highly complementary businesses, we deliver unforgettable experiences by combining the exceptional talents of our 6,000+ member team, with a deep understanding of our customers and players. We create immersive content that forges lasting connections with players, wherever they choose to engage. At Light & Wonder, it's all about the games. The company is committed to the highest standards of integrity, from promoting player responsibility to implementing sustainable practices. To learn more visit
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
James Cameron blasts Christopher Nolan's ‘Oppenheimer' as ‘a moral cop out'
Director on director crime. James Cameron recently called out Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning film 'Oppenheimer' for being 'a moral cop out' in the topic of nuclear war. Cameron, 70, spoke to Deadline about his plans to direct a film based on Charles Pellegrino's upcoming book 'Ghosts of Hiroshima' and was asked if he was surprised about the success of 'Oppenheimer.' 10 James Cameron presents an award at the US-Ireland Alliance's 18th annual Oscar Wilde Awards in March 2024. Getty Images for US-Ireland Alliance 'It's interesting what he stayed away from,' Cameron said about Nolan, 54. 'I love the filmmaking, but I did feel that it was a bit of a moral cop out. Because it's not like Oppenheimer didn't know the effects.' 10 Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan on the set of 'Oppenheimer' in 2023. ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Oppenheimer' won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box office. The film follows theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) who helped develop the nuclear bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. Cameron told Deadline he took issue with the film's lack of depiction of the effects of the bombings. 10 James Cameron attends an art exhibition in Paris in April 2024. Getty Images 10 'Ghosts of Hiroshima.' 'He's got one brief scene in the film where we see — and I don't like to criticize another filmmaker's film — but there's only one brief moment where he sees some charred bodies in the audience and then the film goes on to show how it deeply moved him,' said Cameron. 'But I felt that it dodged the subject.' 10 Christopher Nolan wins an Oscar for 'Oppenheimer' in March 2024. DISNEY via Getty Images 'I don't know whether the studio or Chris felt that that was a third rail that they didn't want to touch, but I want to go straight at the third rail,' the 'Avatar' director continued. 'I'm just stupid that way.' Cameron also promised that his upcoming movie will tell the nuclear bomb victims' stories. 10 Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Christopher Nolan and James Cameron speak in the audience at the 63rd Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards in January 2011. Kevin Winter 'Okay, I'll put up my hand. I'll do it, Chris. No problem,' Cameron stated. 'You come to my premiere and say nice things.' The Post has reached out to Nolan's rep for comment. Nolan previously addressed the criticism of not showing the Hiroshoma and Nagasaki bombings in 'Oppenheimer' in a 2023 interview with Variety. 10 Christopher Nolan on the set of 'Oppenheimer.' ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection 'The film presents Oppenheimer's experience subjectively,' he explained. 'It was always my intention to rigidly stick to that. Oppenheimer heard about the bombing at the same time that the rest of the world did.' 'I wanted to show somebody who is starting to gain a clearer picture of the unintended consequences of his actions,' the 'Dark Knight' filmmaker added. 'It was as much about what I don't show as what I show.' 10 Emily Blunt, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy on the set of 'Oppenheimer.' ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection As for Cameron, he teased some of his plans for his upcoming nuclear warfare film. 10 James Cameron at Disney's D23 fan event in Aug. 2024. Getty Images for Disney 'I don't want to get into the politics of, should it have been dropped, should they have done it, and all the bad things Japan did to warrant it, or any of that kind of moralizing and politicizing,' he told Deadline. 'I just want to deal in a sense with what happened,' he added, 'almost as if you could somehow be there and survive and see it.'
