Happiest Season Trailer For Clea DuVall’s Holiday Rom-Com Starring Kristen Stewart

Hulu has released the official trailer for Clea DuVall’s (Veep) holiday romance comedy Happiest Season, starring Kristen Stewart (Underwater) and premiering on November 25. You can check out the trailer now in the player below!

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Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time can be tough. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner — until you realize that they don’t even know she’s gay — is even harder. When Abby (Kristen Stewart) learns that Harper (Mackenzie Davis) has kept their relationship a secret from her family, she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew. Happiest Season is a holiday romantic comedy that hilariously captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas.

Happiest Season features an ensemble cast led by Stewart that also includes Mackenzie Davis (Irresistible), Mary Steenburgen (Zooey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Alison Brie (The Rental), Victor Garber (Legends of Tomorrow), Aubrey Plaza (Black Bear), and Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek).

The story is written by Clea DuVall and Mary Holland (Animals.) and directed by DuVall in her feature directorial debut.

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The project is produced by Marty Bowen (The Hate U Give), Isaac Klausner (Love, Simon) Jaclyn Huntling (The Maze Runner) for Temple Hill, with Hannah Minghella (The Talented Mr. Ripley) and Shary Shirazi (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed) having overseen the project for TriStar Pictures.

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Loving’s Jeff Nichols tapped to write/direct third Quiet Place film!

The global pandemic may have pushed back the highly-anticipated second installment of the burgeoning hit horror franchise, but Paramount Pictures is looking to keep the ball rolling on the Quiet Place universe as Loving writer/director Jeff Nichols has been tapped to write and direct a third film in the series, according to Deadline.

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Though the third outing won’t see original co-writer/director/star John Krasinski return to helm, Nichols’ script will be based on an original story idea by the Jack Ryan star, and Paramount clearly has a lot of faith in the project as they have already set a 2022 release date for the film.

After seeing his multi-film revival of the cult classic sci-fi franchise Alien Nation cancelled due to Disney’s acquisition of Fox, Nichols moved on to another adaptation in the form of Yankee Commandante, David Grann’s New Yorker article focused on Che Guevara and William Alexander Morgan, which will reunite the writer/director with Adam Driver (Marriage Story), who previously starred in Nichols’ acclaimed sci-fi mystery pic Midnight Special alongside frequent Nichols collaborator Michael Shannon (Knives Out).

In A Quiet Place: Part II, following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.

Emily Blunt is returning for A Quiet Place Part II alongside cast members Noah Jupe (Suburbicon, Wonder) and Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck), with John Krasinski set to write, and direct again. It was recently revealed in the film’s Super Bowl spot that Krasinski will reprise his role as Lee in the flashback scenes. Golden Globe nominee Cillian Murphy (Breakfast on Pluto) and Djimon Hounsou will also star in the sequel.

A Quiet Place spawned from a spec script by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck which was rewritten by Krasinski. It opened in theaters in April of 2018 and grossed over $334 million worldwide on a $17 million dollar budget.

RELATED: A Quiet Place Part II Early Reactions Praise ‘Masterclass’ Suspense in ‘Creative’ Sequel

A Quiet Place: Part II is produced by Krasinski and Michael Bay (Transformers) along with Bay’s Platinum Dunes partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller (Ouija, The Purge, Texas Chainsaw Massacre). The sequel is executive produced by Allyson Seeger, Joann Perritano, Aaron Janus and is currently set to hit theaters on April 23. 

(Photo Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/FilmMagic)

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Fantastic Beasts 3: Warner Bros. Sets New Release Date for July 2022

Following the news that Warner Bros. asked Johnny Depp to resign from the movie franchise, the studio has set a new release date for Fantastic Beasts 3 for July 15, 2022, according to Variety. The movie was initially scheduled for a November 12, 2021 release. The film will now open a week following Marvel/Disney’s Captain Marvel 2.

RELATED: Johnny Depp Exits Fantastic Beasts Franchise, Will No Longer Play Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts 3 will again feature the return of Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Ezra Miller as Credence, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, and Jessica Williams as Professor Eulalie Hicks. Warner Bros. is currently recasting the role of Gellert Grindelwald following Depp’s exit.

The third installment will again be directed by David Yates from a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. The third movie in the franchise is currently filming in the UK.

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The previous film in the Harry Potter prequel franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, earned $653 million at the worldwide box office. The first two Fantastic Beasts movies were directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling, and produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram.

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Night Has Fallen: Millennium Sets Up New Gerard Butler-Led Action Sequel

According to Deadline, action star Gerard Butler has officially signed on to reprise his role as Mike Banning for Millennium Media’s upcoming fourth installment to their blockbuster Has Fallen film franchise titled Night Has Fallen. In addition, Angel Has Fallen director Ric Roman Waugh will also be returning to helm the action sequel. Before Night Has Fallen will go into production in Bulgaria, Waugh, and Butler’s latest project Greenland will be available for streaming on VOD this coming December.

RELATED: Gerard Butler’s Disaster Film Greenland Heads Straight to PVOD

Further details about the film’s plot and other cast members are currently being kept under wraps. Night Has Fallen will be written by Robert Kamen with Butler and Alan Siegel set as producers through their G-Base banner.

Click here to purchase the latest sequel!

It will also be produced by Eclectic Picture’s Heidi Jo Markel and Les Weldon along with Millennium Media’s Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, and Yariv Lerner. The fourth installment will be executive produced by Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, and Boaz Davidson for Millennium.

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The original film, 2013’s Olympus Has Fallen, saw the White House (codenamed “Olympus”) captured by a terrorist mastermind. The second film, 2016’s London Has Fallen, had Mike Banning get caught up in a plot to assassinate all the attending world leaders at the Prime Minister’s funeral. Meanwhile, the third and latest installment, 2019’s Angel Has Fallen saw Mike Banning get wrongfully accused of attempting to assassinate the U.S. president. The three Has Fallen films have earned a combined worldwide gross of more than $500 million.

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Ruth Wilson & Andrew Scott to star in HBO’s Oslo film

HBO has announced that production on its original film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning play Oslo has begun and has revealed the cast for the espionage thriller, which will be led by Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials) and Golden Globe nominee Andrew Scott (Fleabag).

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The film is based on a true story of negotiations between implacable enemies — the secret back-channel talks, unlikely friendships and quiet heroics of a small but committed group of Israelis, Palestinians and one Norwegian couple that led to the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords.

The script for the adaptation is penned by Tony Award winner J.T. Rogers, who also wrote the stage play, and the film will be directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) and executive produced by Emmy winning and Academy Award nominated Marc Platt (La La Land, Bridge of Spies) of Marc Platt Productions, Academy Award nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Post, Bridge of Spies), Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan) of DreamWorks Pictures and David Litvak of Bold Films.

“In collaboration with Steven, Kristie, Marc, and Bold Films, we’re delighted to work with J.T. and Bartlett to adapt their inspiring Tony Award-winning story for the screen,” Tara Grace, Senior Vice President of HBO Programming and Films, said in a statement. “Recounting the remarkable feat of two diametrically opposed sides coming together to find common ground, Oslo‘s themes are especially pertinent, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have so many revered artisans on both sides of the camera working together to bring this to life.”

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Oslo stars Wilson as Mona Juul, a Norwegian foreign minister; Scott as Terje Rød-Larsen, a Norwegian sociologist and Mona’s husband; Salim Dau (Fauda) as Ahmed Qurie, Finance Minister of the PLO; Waleed Zuaiter (Ramy) as Hassan Asfour, Qurie’s associate & PLO liaison; Jeff Wilbusch (Unorthodox) as Uri Savir, Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry; Igal Naor (Fauda) as Joel Singer, Legal adviser to the Israeli Foreign Ministry; Dov Glickman (Stockholm) as Yair Hirschfield, Israeli Professor of Economics; Rotem Keinan (Fauda) as Ron Pundak, Hirschfield’s associate and fellow Israeli professor; Itzik Cohen (Fauda) as Yossi Beilin, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister; Tobias Zilliacus (Thicker Than Water) as Jan Egeland, Norwegian State Secretary; and Sasson Gabai (Sirens) as Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister of the State of Israel.

“My memory of seeing Oslo on the stage for the first time is still so vivid,” Krieger said in a statement. “I felt then what I feel now – this is a powerful and necessary story for our times. I’m excited to be working with Steven, Marc, HBO and Bold Films, along with our incredible cast and creatives, to bring this story to an expanded global audience.”

Filming is currently taking place in Prague, Czech Republic and the film is scheduled to air on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max next year.

(Photo Credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

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Happily: Saban Films Acquires BenDavid Grabinski’s Comedy Thriller Starring Joel McHale & Kerry Bishé

Saban Films has acquired US, Canada, UK, and Ireland rights to BenDavid Grabinski’s Happily, which was set to make its World Premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival before the pandemic shutdown.

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Happily follows Tom (McHale) and Janet (Bishé) who have been happily married for years. But a visit from a mysterious stranger (Root) leads to a dead body, a lot of questions, and a tense couples’ trip with friends who may not actually be friends at all.

Saban Films’ Bill Bromiley said, “Happily is a twisted dark comedy told through fresh voices with a fantastic ensemble cast. BenDavid truly keeps you guessing throughout the film and we can’t wait to bring it to our audiences.”

The film stars Emmy Award Nominee Joel McHale (Community, Deliver Us from Evil), Kerry Bishé (Red State, Halt and Catch Fire, Argo), and Emmy Award Nominee Stephen Root (Barry, King of the Hill).

The ensemble’s supporting cast includes Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation), Paul Scheer (The League), Natalie Zea (Justified), Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up), Breckin Meyer (Designated Survivor), Shannon Woodward (Westworld), Jon Daly (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Barry), and Al Madrigal (I’m Dying Up Here).

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This riveting dark comedy was financed by Chuckie Duff’s Common Wall Media and produced by Electric Dynamite’s Jack Black and Spencer Berman, Indy Entertainment’s Nancy Leopardi and Ross Kohn and executive produced by Chuckie Duff, as well as filmmakers Dave Green and Kyle Newman.

The post Happily: Saban Films Acquires BenDavid Grabinski’s Comedy Thriller Starring Joel McHale & Kerry Bishé appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Rating: 

9/10

Cast:

Mel Gibson as Chris Cringle/Santa Claus

Walton Goggins as Skinny Man

Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Ruth Cringle/Mrs. Claus

Chance Hurstfield as Billy Wenan

Written and Directed by Ian and Eshom Nelms

Fatman Review:

After years of joyful depictions of the Christmas-present-delivering icon, Hollywood began offering darker and occasionally twisted takes on Santa Claus in the later years of the 20th century, ranging from the psychotic killer of the Silent Night, Deadly Night series to Billy Bob Thornton’s depressingly hilarious turn in Bad Santa and now the Nelms Brothers of Small Town Crime acclaim are here to deliver their darkly humorous update with Fatman. While it may occasionally suffer from some jarring tonal shifts and a few unanswered questions, the film largely succeeds thanks to its unique approach to the character as well as the performances and offbeat atmosphere throughout.

To save his declining business, Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson), also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly skilled assassin (Walton Goggins), hired by a precocious 12-year-old after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. ‘Tis the season for Fatman to get even, in the action-dark comedy that keeps on giving.

Right from the start of the film, it becomes apparent that the tone of the film is certainly aiming for a darker, quirkier angle, namely in its central antagonists, spoiled brat Billy and the cold, mysterious hitman Skinny Man. The sheer fact that Skinny Man never once questions whether he should be taking money from a 12-year-old child or his jobs, including intimidating a classmate into admitting cheating for a science fair so Billy can keep his Top Prize streak alive, is such an odd but hilarious dynamic that breeds some quietly humorous dialogue from Skinny Man as he occasionally expresses a distaste for his employer.

When the film isn’t following Skinny Man and Billy’s efforts to track down its titular character, we get to watch as Mel Gibson steps into arguably the most exciting and interesting character in nearly a decade for the two-time Oscar winner. Though he offered fun turns in 2012’s Get the Gringo and 2016’s Blood Father, many of his recent performances have lacked an air of warmth from the star akin to 2011’s The Beaver, but as Chris Cringle the 64-year-old performer truly shines. From his clear regrets of watching children led astray and having to partner with the US Military to the love he has for bringing joy to the world and for his wife, Gibson skillfully taps into every emotion that makes him compelling to watch from start to finish.

In addition to the solid performances from Gibson, Goggins and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, the film’s evolution of the lore of Santa Claus proves to be a thoroughly original and interesting take on the jolly character. The lack of addressing that Mrs. Claus is Black instead of the typical white woman seen in various past depictions feels very natural and like a nice change of pace, the fact that people do see Santa Claus whilst flying his sled and occasionally take shots at him is a fairly realistic concern to raise and the revelation that he has some form of regeneration when injured turns him into a Wolverine-like hero that we never knew we wanted from the jolly red fatman.

The film’s only real issues lie in some of its tonal imbalances and disappointing or unanswered plot points. For nearly half the film, Chris expresses concern over the possible partnership with the military to keep his gift-giving business alive, but never once addresses what he or the elves would have to do for the government, the answer only coming when he finally relinquishes and partners with them. Early in the film, we’re offered teases that Goggins’ Skinny Man has some beef or obsession with Santa Claus and while an attempt at leaving it a mystery to the audience is a fine thought, it’s pretty obvious the reasoning why and when the moment arrives for a bit of exposition, it falls fairly flat and I was left not really caring or siding with either character.

Minor flaws aside, the Nelms Brothers’ Fatman is a truly exciting, unique and intriguing new entry into the Santa Claus subgenre that may not connect with all but is sure to garner a cult following with those who like their eggnog with a little extra punch.

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CS Interview: Director Max Winkler Discusses Drama Film Jungleland

Max Winkler’s Jungleland is set to make its debut on streaming platforms on November 10. To celebrate, we reached out to the director who was gracious enough to shed a little more insight into the emotionally charged film. You can check out the interview below and pre-order your copy of the movie here!

RELATED: CS Interviews: Jack O’Connell Talks Jungleland

Stan (Charlie Hunnam) and Lion (Jack O’Connell) are two brothers struggling to stay relevant in the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing. When Stan fails to pay back a dangerous crime boss (Jonathon Majors), they’re forced to deliver an unexpected traveler as they journey across the country for a high-stakes fighting tournament. While Stan trains Lion for the fight of his life, a series of events threaten to tear the brothers apart but their love for one another and belief in a better life keep them going in this gripping drama that proves family pulls no punches.

The movie also stars Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country, Da 5 Bloods), Jessica Barden (Hanna), and Emmy nominee John Cullum (Northern Exposure). Jungleland is directed by Max Winkler (Flower) who co-wrote the script along with Theodore Bressman (Future Man) and David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West).

Jungleland is produced by Jules Daly, Kevin J. Walsh, Ryan Stowell, Brad Feinstein. Ridley Scott executive produces.

RELATED: Jungleland Trailer Starring Charlie Hunnam & Jack O’Connell

ComingSoon.net: What drew you to this project?

Max Winkler: I think I always wanted [to tell a] male melodrama movie about two guys trying to figure out how to tell the other one that they loved them. And it just felt like the right story for us to tell. I love Of Mice and Men so much. I love Michael Mann movies, the way men express their love for each other in Michael Mann movies. It just felt like this would be a good opportunity for us to do it.

CS: I didn’t even think about the Of Mice and Men comparison. Did the novel help shape Jungleland?

Winkler: Very much, yeah. It was a companion piece for me, for the writing of it, and something I thought about with everything.

CS: How difficult is it to go from working on a TV series to a motion picture?

Winkler: I actually started in — I made Ceremony first and then I did some TV and then I made Flower and then I moved to Jungleland. So it’s, I think, always kind of worked hand-in-hand. So there’s never a jump for me. It was a jump making my first movie, which was really difficult; and you know, the only thing harder than making your first movie is making your second movie. And once I made Flower I knew I wanted to get right back to work and I’d been writing Jungleland for years and years and years, figuring out where it was going to end up. And I was just so lucky we met Jules Daly and then Scott Free and Ridley Scott, and they got behind the script to Jungleland and it came together really quickly.

CS: Okay. So I had spoken with Jack O’Connell just this last week. And he felt the movie shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as Rocky. Would you agree with that take?

Winkler: Yeah, I don’t think of it as a boxing movie. I think boxing is a device in this movie and I think the poetry of watching people box and how they end up there, you know, especially in the way Joyce Carol Oates writes about it was extremely fundamental in the writing and making of the movie, but none of us ever saw it as a boxing movie. I see it as a drama, the melodrama between two brothers learning how to say they love you to each other. But we never thought about Rocky or sports movies when we were making it. I think in talking about this, something that Bruce Springsteen talks about writing music is that it should be blues in the verse and gospel in the chorus. Blues is the personal part that, you know, “Dancing in the Dark” is talking about depression and anxiety and hating the way you look in a mirror, and the gospel is the part that everyone can relate to — the big, universal truth. And that’s the way it goes in our movie, I think the character stuff is the blues between the brothers and the boxing is the gospel.

CS: When you look at the brotherly dynamic between the two characters, do you think, Stanley is ultimately bad for Lion? Because they function well as a team, even if they’re the worst thing for each other.

Winkler: Exactly. It’s kind of like all relationships, where they both need each other and they also know the best thing for each other is to walk the other way. And we always saw Charlie’s character as more of a single mother than an older brother, you know? All he does in his life is try to give his younger brother the best chance possible to succeed. Charlie’s one of those guys, Stanley — the guy’s on borrowed time, you know what I mean? He’s not long for this world, I don’t think. And he’s always narrowly getting by, but I think by the end of the movie, you know, without giving anything away, he knows that the only thing he can do is sort of allow Jack to finally become what he’s supposed to become, but without pushing him, he’ll never have done it.

CS: I would say this movie is about broken people striving to survive in a world that is almost too powerful to fight against in a lot of ways, because they have just so many elements working against them. How relevant do you think a story like this is to our modern society, where a lot of people are kind of stuck in the same rut?

Winkler: I think the way you phrased it is better than what I’ve heard anyone else do. I mean, when you say it like that, it’s really apropos, you know, when you film in a city like Fall River, Massachusetts, the themes become even more clear. And you know, it’s like this idea of like, does the American dream exist? You know what I mean? Is everybody entitled to it? You have to look at it a certain way to get that piece of the pie. And Charlie’s character is an optimist, and you know, it’s his hope and it’s the brother’s love for each other that I think really gives the movie the glimmer of hope. But you know, I think those questions are really important to have.

CS: You talked about filming in Massachusetts — how difficult was that for you guys during the production? And, as you mentioned, did that help inform some of the scenes that you had to do? 

Winkler: I mean, the locations were the secret weapon of the movie, the cities which you know, Raynham, Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, and Alex Berard, our locations scout and I drove all over the northeast. We were in the car together for almost longer than anything else in the prep process. And we knew he could find the right location, but so much of our storytelling would be done for us if the right work drove it and the right actors. And to shoot in that part of America was just stunning for us. I loved it. I loved being around the people. I loved being around the location, the history. There was a period where Fall River, Massachusetts was the wealthiest city in all of the world. And if you were there now, you wouldn’t believe it. The people are incredible and the people worked hard and they still have hope. And just the way they rallied around our movie, I’ll never forget.

CS: Yeah, the backdrop definitely plays a separate character in the film. And I liked the way you framed a lot of your scenes, specifically that scene where Lion has to fight the car mechanics just to get their car back. But you shoot it from a distance, so it’s not shot like a hero moment. It’s shot from a distance and seen in a depressing light. 

Winkler: Exactly. Exactly. He doesn’t want to fight and he’s being pressured into it and it’s not a heroic moment. It’s devastating. And we’re watching it from someone else’s perspective because these two people leave their own world, their own life, kind of like their own version of “Swiss Family Robinson” or “The Boxcar Children”. And once we see it from Sky’s perspective, we realize that it’s not necessarily fair, what Lion has to put himself through, but also at the same time, it’s the only way he’s getting out. And when Stanley can finally get that through his head that like, you’re the only one of us that has the skills, none of us are good at anything else. You’re the one with the talent. It’s a crime to me and/or history if you don’t use it, you know, at the end of the movie, it kind of makes sense, hopefully.

CS: How did you land on Charlie, Jack, and Jessica? What did they bring to those characters that made you want to cast them in these roles?

Winkler: They’re just incredible actors. I mean, I’ve just been fans of all three of them for as long as I’ve been watching this film. And they’re just incredibly authentic actors who really have to say very little to get the emotionality across because of how internalized all of their performances are. And you can see their faces and know what we’re supposed to be feeling. They’re three actors from working-class parts of England that really related to the characters. You know, Charlie kept saying, you know, these are people from my town. These are people from New Castle. And you know, with the exception of changing their accents around, I don’t think it was a long stretch for them to have to act like these types of people.

CS: Was there any specific type of direction that you were giving them or did you just let them run free, because the chemistry feels genuine and real?

Winkler: I really wanted it to feel tactile. So just when in doubt, hug each other, kiss each other, tell each other you love each other. We filmed the opening credits first, and so, a lot of the stretching in the morning routine and the jogging through the town was filmed on our test date with just me and a couple of crew members and a cinematographer and the two actors. And so, they really got to fall into the kind of love affair between the two of them in those early days. And the two of them working the focus meant hanging at the boxing gym all day, Jack did all of own stunts and Charlie getting to watch that he’s the one who’s not doing the stunts for a time and just gets to watch; family dinner, with just the two of them cooking, their houses were right next to each other, so they live next to each other. All of that just came, because they’re just good actors. There wasn’t a boot camp. There wasn’t a five-week rehearsal period. It was them spending their days, you know, Jack in the gym and Charlie working with a dialect coach, the late, great Wendy Overly. And things just kind of fell in line effortlessly.

CS: What do you want audiences to ultimately take away from your film?

Winkler: I never know how to answer that question. The thing I’m most proud of is the actors and their performance in the movie we made. And I want as many people as possible to see it. And if it brings people some sense of hope and distraction from the incredible stressful time that’s going on in people’s lives right now, then I would feel really happy and grateful.

CS: Do you have any projects coming up next that we can all look forward to seeing?

Winkler: Yeah, I’m going to make another movie with Charlie that’s based on a memoir of this guy named Ben Moon about a guy who lives in a van in the Pacific Northwest with his dog for five years. And we’re going to make that together in the spring.

CS: That’s awesome. Well, I look forward to that. I thought Jungleland was a fantastic movie, so congratulations.

Winkler: Thank you. I’m really grateful of your understanding of it. It may be even better than my own.

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Joyride: Olivia Colman to Star in New Feel-Good Drama Film

Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Crown) has officially signed on to star in Emer Reynolds’ forthcoming feel-good Irish drama film titled Joyride which is expected to begin its production next year in Wild Atlantic Way in West Ireland. This marks Colman’s first comedy-drama movie in a while after only starring in recent drama-heavy projects such as 2019’s Them That Follow and The Crown Season 3 as well as the upcoming drama film The Father opposite Anthony Hopkins and Netflix’s The Crown Season 4.

RELATED: Olivia Colman to Lead Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Directorial Debut The Lost Daughter

Joyride will follow the story of train-wreck Joy (Colman) on an adventure, but ready to give away her newborn baby to her best friend. What she can’t anticipate is that a cheeky street urchin is also along for the ride. Both are on the run; two diamonds in the rough, forming a riotous pair.

“We’re thrilled to have the wonderful Olivia Colman, an artist of such incredible talent, intelligence and depth — not to mention comedic brilliance,” Reynolds said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “It’s going to be a pleasure harnessing her rawness and her comedy and, vitally, the profound bravery that is visible in all her work.”

“We’re thrilled to be bringing this highly original, emotional and hilarious story into production with Emer Reynolds at the helm,” Producer Aoife O’Sullivan said. “Writer Ailbhe Keoghan is a true talent and having Olivia Colman as our lead character Joy is a dream come true.”

RELATED: Landscapers: Olivia Colman to Star in HBO’s New Crime Drama Miniseries

Joyride will be the directorial narrative feature debut of Emmy winner Emer Reynolds, who is known for his work on documentary films. It is written by Ailbhe Keoghan with Aoife O’Sullivan and Tristan Orpen Lynch set as producers through their Subotica banner. It is also a production by Embankment, who will be handling worldwide sales and are set as executive producers.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Rating: 

8.5/10

Cast:

Jack O’Connell as Lion Kaminski

Charlie Hunnam as Stanley Kaminski

Jessica Barden as Sky

Jonathan Majors as Pepper

Owen Burke as Meadows

Fran Kranz as Buck Noble

John Cullum as Colonel Yates

Co-Written & Directed by Max Winkler; Co-Written by Theodore B. Bressman and David Brannon Smith

Click here to pre-order Jungleland!

Jungleland Review:

The sports drama genre is one of the most frequently revisited and long-lasting in film that, when executed properly can retell the same stories without much ire from critics or audiences, as a heartwarming tale is sometimes all that’s desired from the genre. While Jungleland can certainly be chastised for borrowing story elements from a number of past genre outings, it should more be embraced for its heartwarming welcome of some of the genre’s major tropes and the powerful performances that carry it from start to finish.

Stan (Charlie Hunnam) and Lion (Jack O’Connell) are two brothers struggling to stay relevant in the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing. When Stan fails to pay back a dangerous crime boss (Jonathon Majors), they’re forced to deliver an unexpected traveler as they journey across the country for a high-stakes fighting tournament. While Stan trains Lion for the fight of his life, a series of events threaten to tear the brothers apart but their love for one another and belief in a better life keep them going in this gripping drama that proves family pulls no punches.

The story feels like an odd mish mash of sports movies of the past like The Fighter and Hardball, from its central sibling relationship in the ring to the gambling-addicted nature of Keanu Reeves’ coach looking to get out from under his debts. Utilizing the formulas of these films, the plot of the film doesn’t take very many unexpected twists or turns, from risky run-ins with locals driven by rifts of frustration between the brothers to the only female character turning into a love interest instead of a person with agency and a desire to change their life. But, you know what, it’s honestly the film’s only major flaw.

How many times have we sat down in front of our screens for an underdog sports biopic expecting anything other than a heartwarming tale and been upset when it happens? The answer is never. In fact, it’s the rare instances in which a film delivers a tragic ending that we find ourselves wondering whether to love or hate the tale unfurled beforehand, and even in those that deliver a “loser” finale, they still find a way to leave audiences with something to soothe the heartbreak, be it Rocky and Adrian’s professions of love for one another or Doug “The Thug” Glatt expressing his feeling that he thinks he nailed Ross “The Boss” Rhea in their fight while also suffering some major, potentially career-ending injuries (until the so-so sequel).

What the film truly gets right is the fact that for us to tolerate the familiarity of its story, we as an audience have to have an emotional connection to its central characters and Stan and Lion are truly easy to root for. Clearly struggling with how to get out from under his debts without burying himself further or making it all about himself, Stan is a flawed human that many people can relate to, and thanks to the powerful performance from Charlie Hunnam, it’s a character you want to see grow and improve. Hunnam graces the screen alongside fantastic turns from The End of the F***ing World breakout Jessica Barden, who brings a quiet warmth and subtle snark to her indebted escort wanting to break free, while O’Connell nicely taps into the angst of younger brother Lion looking to bet out from his brother’s shadow, but not in the sport he’s already dedicated much of his life to.

In the end, the familiarity of its story may prove to be too distracting for some viewers, but for those looking for a funny, emotional and heartwarming tale led by Oscar-worthy performances from its three leads, then step into the ring and enjoy Jungleland.

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