Latest news with #Mank
Express Tribune
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Charlize Theron calls Furiosa 'absolutely beautiful' despite heartbreak over losing the role
Charlize Theron has finally opened up about watching Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga — the prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road in which her iconic role was recast. Despite the heartbreak, Theron says the film is 'absolutely beautiful' and praised Anya Taylor-Joy's performance in the title role. 'There's nothing around [the recasting] that felt malicious,' Theron told The Hollywood Reporter. 'It was something that dragged out for too long, and I totally understand it. It still doesn't make it feel any better.' She added that she 'probably lived in [Furiosa's] body the longest out of any of my characters.' Theron's experience filming Fury Road was famously grueling, and her deep connection to the role made the recast particularly painful. Nevertheless, she supports the final product and remains a fan of director George Miller's vision. In a conversation about the trend of 'making-of' films such as The Disaster Artist or Mank, Theron said she's never considered a behind-the-scenes feature about Fury Road, but laughed at the idea of Tully co-star Mackenzie Davis portraying her: 'She's got the arms.' Theron also confirmed her upcoming role as Circe in Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey, though she will only be on set for two weeks. 'I feel like I'm going to be the new kid on the block,' she joked. Despite past disappointments, Theron continues to take on demanding roles in action films, pushing physical limits and producing her own projects, including The Old Guard 2 and the recently wrapped survival-action film Apex.
Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Brad Pitt and Tarantino are making the best film of 2026. So why is it on Netflix?
It's fair to say that most direct-to-Netflix pictures these days are not greeted with huge anticipation. Although there have been some winners in the past, such as The Irishman and All Quiet on the Western Front, the sheer amount of mediocrity that slithers onto the service means that even the most dedicated cineaste would struggle to find much to engage them. Thank God, then, for David Fincher, who signed a lucrative deal with Netflix several years ago that has not only resulted in the excellent serial killer series Manhunter but two of his most interesting – if low-key – films in the form of the Hollywood biopic Mank and the Fassbender-plays-an-assassin black comedy The Killer. Even so, his latest picture for the company sounds like a too-good-to-be-true enterprise, combining the talents of Fincher, Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt. The Adventures of Cliff Booth – as it is called, for now – was initially announced on April 1, leading many film fans to assume it was an April Fool's joke. But no; the picture is the mega-budgeted follow-up to Tarantino's 2019 picture Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: his last film to date. Yet it will be directed by Fincher, working from a script by Tarantino. Given the opinionated writer-director's great love of cinema, it seemed incongruous that he would ever be involved in making a picture for a streaming service, which will receive the most perfunctory of theatrical releases, just as Fincher's two previous pictures did. However, since the writer has been paid a rumoured $20 million by Netflix for his original screenplay (which would be a Hollywood record), it is unlikely that Hollywood's favourite foot fetishist will be too unhappy, especially given that he chose not to direct the film. Instead, he has willingly handed over the reins to Fincher. Not since Fincher and Aaron Sorkin collaborated on The Social Network, to Oscar-winning effect, has there been such an auspicious match of auteur director and screenwriter. If all goes well, the result will be another masterpiece. If it does not, then it should at least be a fascinating failure, given the level of talent involved and, naturally, money spent on it. Notably, it will be the first project since the mid-Nineties that Tarantino originated that another director ended up making. In the case of Tony Scott's True Romance, this worked out exceptionally well (possibly better than it would have done with an inexperienced Tarantino himself directing). However, after Oliver Stone's messy, confused Natural Born Killers – which Tarantino has loudly and consistently disowned – it seemed that this film-maker has always been the most confident, if sometimes wearily self-indulgent, interpreter of his own work. Until now, that is. Indeed, the decision to let Fincher direct The Adventures of Cliff Booth might stem from a rash decision that he made decades ago. Tarantino famously announced at the beginning of his career that he would make 10 films and then retire. Given that he has made nine to date, he is taking his own sweet time about what his swansong will be. It was expected for some time that it would be The Movie Critic, a drama about a writer working on a Playboy-esque magazine in the Seventies. Brad Pitt, who had played the amicable, possibly wife-murdering stuntman Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, was expected to play the lead, with Tom Cruise courted for what was rumoured to be either a co-lead or Magnolia-esque supporting role. Initially, at least, The Movie Critic's protagonist was not intended to be Booth, despite being played by Pitt. Tarantino described the character as 'based on a guy who really lived but was never really famous, and he used to write movie reviews for a porno rag.' Yet the writer-director had developed something of a fascination with the Booth character, for which Pitt won his first Oscar. He was inspired by a mixture of real-life people, including stuntman Gary Kent and professional wrestler Gene LeBell, as well as the fictitious character of Billy Jack from Tom Laughlin's eponymous counter-cultural western, who manages to be a Vietnam veteran, mixed-race Native American and, naturally, a martial arts expert. Tarantino is so deeply invested in Booth that he gave him an enhanced role in his first novel, a loose novelisation of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It took him five years to write, and it was completed before he decided to revisit the story as a film, indicating an unusual degree of attachment to the characters. The book was published in 2021 and, in its creator's words, was a 'complete rethinking of the entire story'. Much of the novel was devoted to exploring Booth's backstory, with chapters focusing on everything from how he escaped from a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in the Philippines to his relationship with his beloved pit bull, Brandy. In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio's character, a washed-up actor named Rick Dalton, is the protagonist, with Booth as his sidekick. In the novel, however, Booth is the central figure, with Tarantino clearly more interested in exploring his chaotic life and innermost thoughts. The film's notorious scene in which Booth fights Bruce Lee, for instance, is not only present in the novel, but Tarantino gives Booth a near-psychotic desire to murder Lee, rather than simply best him in an (unlikely) show of martial arts prowess. It was also confirmed, once and for all, that Booth had indeed murdered his wife, giving him added darkness and depth. There was clearly unfinished business after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was released in both cinematic and literary forms, and so it came as little surprise that Tarantino said that Booth would return as the protagonist of The Movie Critic, thus making it a sequel of sorts to the earlier film. The director also suggested that the Seventies setting would allow him to bring back some of the characters from his earlier work, either as themselves or as meta-versions, played by the same actors. Sony Pictures, who financed Once Upon a Time, came on board and it sounded like the swansong that Tarantino had always longed for. All sounded good, until the project fell apart last year, to general surprise. No specific reason was given for the film's cancellation; one agent told The Hollywood Reporter that '[Tarantino] has a lot of scripts that he's thrown away', and there were rumours that he had simply tired of characters who he had been exploring for the best part of a decade. It also may have been that a relatively low-key character drama may have been an anti-climatic farewell for a director who has often talked about 'going out on top', and treating his final picture as a career-defining mic-drop. He has often expressed ambivalence towards many of his unmade projects, too. As he said in 2016: 'Not every film needs to be made. Not every movie should be made.' What is uncertain is to what extent The Adventures of Cliff Booth is a resurrection of The Movie Critic, using Tarantino's original screenplay, and how far it's a spiritual sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There are various exciting-sounding production details that have been disclosed already: a six-month shooting schedule, beginning in late July this year and finishing in mid-Jan 2026 (Fincher does like doing umpteen takes of each scene), a vast cast that will encompass 128 actors, a large crew of 428 and up to 4,000 extras. It has been given a $20 million tax credit to film in California (making it one of the relatively few Hollywood-set films actually to be shot there, rather than the cheaper alternatives of Europe or Canada) and is expected to have a budget well into nine figures: a considerable sum for a straight-to-streaming picture aimed at adults, specifically fans of Pitt, Fincher and Tarantino, who are all now well into their 60s, rather than the young Turks of their Nineties heyday. At this point, the cast that has been announced, save Pitt, consists of reputable character actors rather than stars. It includes the likes of Elizabeth Debicki – apparently playing Roberta, the manager of a mud-wrestling bar – Scott Caan, Carla Gugino and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is said to have been cast as a fictionalised version of Jim Brown, the NFL player-turned-Dirty Dozen actor. It has been suggested that DiCaprio has been approached once again for a cameo, for which he would be paid millions of dollars, although that seems doubtful; DiCaprio has operated an informal 'no sequels, no superheroes' policy in his career. When Pitt was asked about The Adventures of Cliff Booth at the London premiere of his latest picture F1, he was enthusiastic but guarded. 'It's an episode, not really a sequel, of the character from Once Upon a Time [in Hollywood],' he said. '[Tarantino] didn't want to direct it at this point, so our mutual friend David Fincher stepped in and we're going to start filming in July.' He concluded that it 'should be really good fun.' It remains to be seen whether his enthusiasm is warranted. On the one hand, a Fincher-Tarantino team-up is undeniably exciting, and it's likely that the icily exacting Fincher will pare away the Tarantino tendency to self-indulgence. Pitt, meanwhile, is one of the last bona fide movie stars still going, and the chance to see him reprise one of his most enjoyably iconic roles is one that many audiences will welcome. Yet there may also be a slight sense that everyone involved with this film is overestimating the enthusiasm that viewers felt for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Tarantino's subsequent novelisation. By the time The Adventures of Cliff Booth is released, it will have been more than seven years since Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was released in cinemas, and half a decade since its novelisation was published. This may seem like no time at all to Tarantino, but in the post-Covid world of cinema, it is practically an eternity. Also, if the film is to be largely based on a combination of The Movie Critic and the apocrypha from the book, there is a severe risk that it could turn into a slapdash vanity project with A-list stars: exactly the kind of thing Netflix has been criticised for putting out of late. And there is something vaguely depressing about the idea that this project, which sounds like a Major Motion Picture in every sense, is destined to be just a part of Netflix's algorithm; something to appear on the service alongside every other imprisoned film. For a picture that is presumably about Hollywood, and the joys of the film industry, there is a bleak irony in the fact that it will be bankrolled by the streamer's co-CEO Ted Sarandos, a man who has declared that most people cannot be bothered to go to the cinema and would rather watch movies (not films) at home. Tarantino, of course, is such a cineaste that he owns his own cinemas in Hollywood, the Vista and the New Beverly. According to a recent report, half of theatrical exhibitioners believe that the entire concept of seeing a film on the big screen in a packed audience has less than 20 years to run. So the idea that a film made by Hollywood's greatest auteurs and starring one of Hollywood's last movie stars will be caged on Netflix is deeply depressing. But perhaps we should be grateful that it's being made at all.
Metro
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Oscar-nominated actress reveals she was cruelly rejected by Wicked after 6 audit
A Hollywood star has spoken about working her 'ass off for years and years' auditioning for Wicked but failing to be cast. In 2012 it was announced that the stage musical would be adapted for screen, however it wasn't until 2021 when Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were cast as Elphaba and Glinda. However, in recent years Amanda Seyfried, who had previously starred in the movie musicals Les Misérables and the Mamma Mia! franchise, revealed she was desperate to be cast in Wicked too. The 39-year-old, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in 2020's Mank, had previously said she had dreamed of playing Glinda since she was a child. This week she went on to detail the intense schedule she put herself through in her efforts to secure the role. 'I'm in that privileged spot where I just don't have to [audition],' she said on the latest episode of the Backstage's In the Envelope podcast. 'But I like, of course, I talked about this a lot. I auditioned like six times for Wicked.' She went on: 'Because that had to be really just right. And I like, I loved it. 'I was busy. I barely had time to do it, but I made it work. I worked my ass off for years and years and years on that music.' 'I'm just competitive with myself in a really healthy way.' Earlier this year Amanda also spoke on the Happy Sad Confused podcast about singing with Cynthia, 38, while trying out for Glinda. 'I was able to really prepare, and I'm telling you, I've never felt that solid in my voice than I did at the auditions. And that's kind of what I got out of it,' she told host Josh Horowitz. 'I do, again, think everything happens for a reason. 'I also got to sing with Cynthia, and that was a moment in itself.' She had also once said she 'bent over backwards' to audition for the franchise, also working with a vocal coach and acting coach. However, in November last year, Cynthia appeared to throw shade on Amanda when praising Ariana. Speaking to The New York Times, Cynthia said it was 'no surprise whatsoever' to her when she learned Ariana had secured the role of Glinda. 'Thank goodness, because it was not the two ladies that I was auditioning with.' Renee Rapp and Dove Cameron had also been in the running to play Glinda. More Trending For their starring roles in Wicked, Cynthia and Ariana, 32, were nominated for best actress and best supporting actress at the Oscars. Its sequel Wicked: For Good out in November this year. Despite missing out on the role, Amanda later called the Wicked movie 'fantastic'. 'It's an extravaganza, which is what she [Grande] does really well. And [my kids] have been playing the soundtrack nonstop. And everything is as it's meant to be for sure,' she said. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Orlando Bloom hints at relationship status with Katy Perry in Instagram post MORE: Denis Villeneuve dares to step into 'sacred territory' as new James Bond director MORE: Daisy Edgar-Jones to star in remake of classic Jane Austen period drama
Irish Daily Star
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
I'm a TV writer and these are Netflix's biggest hidden gems that deserve more attention
With a constant influx of new shows and films added to Netflix's extensive library each day, it can be challenging for anyone to stay updated. Every week, dozens of new films and series from around the globe are added, creating a fresh buzz. Consequently, some titles may not receive as much attention as they deserve, even though they might eventually become hidden gems. As a TV writer, my job essentially involves watching television. Therefore, I need to stay on top of current trends, monitor what's climbing the Netflix charts, and understand what audiences are focusing on. However, there are a few titles that I believe warrant more attention. Here are my top three recommendations for overlooked Netflix hidden gems. Mindhunter is one of the best Netflix original series (Image: Netflix) Mindhunter You've likely heard quite a few people discuss this one. This crime thriller ranks 16th on IMDB's top 100 list of Netflix originals. The show was created by writer Joe Penhall, with renowned filmmaker David Fincher serving as the showrunner and director of several episodes. The series narrates the story of FBI Agents who are investigating and profiling serial killers for the first time, drawing inspiration from real-life events. With an almost perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, it is undoubtedly one of the best Netflix originals ever produced. Regrettably, since the release of its second season in 2019, the future of the show appears uncertain. Initially, Netflix indicated that a third season was doubtful as Fincher was engaged with other projects, which turned out to be Netflix films Mank and The Killer. By 2023, the company essentially confirmed the show would not be returning. However, cast members like Holt McCallany have expressed their hopes for a potential revival of the series. Therefore, it merits inclusion on this list because the more Netflix fans discuss and rediscover the series, the greater the likelihood it receives the finale it deserves. Mindhunter is currently available for streaming on Netflix. I Think You Should Leave needs to be seen to know what it's really all about (Image: Netflix) I Think You Should Lea ve with Tim Robinson This is an easy recommendation for anyone seeking something fresh to watch on Netflix, particularly if they're weary of true crime documentaries and thriller series. Even if someone has only sampled it, seen a clip, or tried part of the first episode and wasn't quite sure... give it another shot. This is likely my most frequently revisited Netflix series ever. The fact that episodes are relatively short, around 15 minutes each, certainly helps. The challenge lies in preparing viewers for what awaits them. In simple terms, it's a sketch show from comedian Tim Robinson, a former writer and performer on Saturday Night Live, and produced by The Lonely Island. When I Think You Should Leave debuted on Netflix, it felt as though Robinson had almost singlehandedly revived the sketch series format. Netflix describes the show as a humorous take on life's most peculiar and everyday situations. Robinson, along with some of his celebrity pals, tackle awkward office politics, stage an intervention in a Garfield-themed house, and even talk their way out of a fabricated hit-and-run by a babysitter - and that's just one season. The show has since produced three seasons, and while Robinson is slated to star in a comedy film alongside Paul Rudd, fans are hopeful he'll return for more episodes. If you're currently enjoying Tom Segura's Bad Thoughts, I Think You Should Leave is definitely worth a watch. It can be equally dark, but it's smarter and relies less on pure innuendo for its punchlines. I won't claim that the humor in the show will appeal to everyone - it won't. But it's surprising that more people aren't adopting phrases like 'shirt brother', complaining about not being able to skip lunch, or admitting they're just there for the zipline (if you know, you know). I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is available for streaming on Netflix. Lilyhammer is like The Sopranos meets a Nordic drama (Image: Netflix) Lilyhammer There's been some debate over whether Lilyhammer was actually Netflix's first original series. A quick Google search might suggest House of Cards holds that title, but this crime-comedy-drama actually predates the political thriller. Its release close to House of Cards means that most people probably only heard chatter about the latter and not Lilyhammer. The latter premiered in 2012 and was touted as the first time Netflix offered exclusive content. Lilyhammer is a unique blend of The Sopranos and Nordic crime drama. Steven Van Zandt, known for his role as Silvio Dante in the HBO sensation, stars as Frank Tagliano, a former New York mobster attempting to start afresh in a secluded Norwegian town after ratting out his mafia boss back home. Despite many fans likening the show to a mashup of Goodfellas and Norsemen, it's surprising that it isn't more frequently hailed as a Netflix classic. Those who have watched it often express a higher regard for the series than its 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes might imply. Lilyhammer is streaming on Netflix.
Geek Tyrant
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Amanda Seyfried and Scoot McNairy Cast in Tim Blake Nelson-Directed Prison Break Thriller THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF WILSON SHEDD — GeekTyrant
Oscar nominee Amanda Seyfried ( Mank , Les Misérables , The Crowded Room ) and Scoot McNairy ( Argo , 12 Years a Slave , A Complete Unknown ) are set to star in The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd , a new prison break thriller written and directed by O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Captain America: Brave New World actor Tim Blake Nelson, who previously helmed Leaves of Grass and Anesthesia , as well as Amazon's Z: The Beginning of Everything starring Christina Ricci. Currently in production in Georgia, the film follows a teacher in an abusive marriage who takes a job at a maximum security prison, where she falls for a charismatic inmate. The disastrous consequences call into question not only the nature of punishment and retribution, but the very limits of our humanity. Nelson said of the project, 'I feel deeply fortunate to be able to tell this story with such an extraordinary lead cast. I have always admired Amanda, and getting to work with her on Mona Fastvold's film ANN LEE last summer confirmed for me what an extraordinary person she is aside from her talent. 'As for Scoot, it's great to be able to offer him such a demanding part. No one has seen him do what he's about to accomplish in this role. It will be magnificent to be on set with these two performers.' Noting that The Life and Death marks his third film set in his home state of Oklahoma, 'a place I love,' Nelson added, 'It's a difficult story, but also one meant to grab its audience and not let go. We've assembled a cast and crew of people dedicated to making something not only compelling but unforgettable.' Oscar-nominated for her work in David Fincher's Mank , Seyfried can currently be seen leading Peacock's acclaimed Philadelphia cop series Long Bright River , based on the book by Liz Moore. Upcoming, she has Lionsgate thriller The Housemaid opposite Sydney Sweeney, Sony comedy My Ex-Friend's Wedding , musical Ann Lee from the team behind The Brutalist , and an animated sequel series to Ted for Peacock. Recently seen portraying Woody Guthrie in James Mangold's A Complete Unknown , McNairy's last year also included the films Nightbitch and Speak No Evil . Recently seen in Kate Beecroft's Sundance 2025 drama East of Wall , his slate also includes survival thriller Die by Night and Netflix's Man on Fire TV series. Stay tuned for updates on this film as it moves into production. via: Deadline
