HBO Max launches “Black History Is Our History” spotlight page

On February 1, HBO Max will launch its Black History Is Our History spotlight page, highlighting its diverse and expansive slate of content in honor of Black History Month. Continuing our rich history of amplifying Black stories and talent, this HBO Max collection celebrates the visionaries amongst us, and collectively promotes and supports the telling of stories from the Black perspective. Black History Is Our History will offer hours of curated programming, featuring compelling films, documentaries, biopics, original programming, and animation that focus on the Black experience.

The spotlight page will showcase a collection of thought-provoking documentaries and biopics that highlight civil rights icons including one of the next Warner Bros. Same Day Premieres, Judas and the Black Messiah, (available in theatres and on HBO Max. Streaming on HBO Max for 31-days from theatrical release), Black Art: In The Absence of Light, Between The World And Me, John Lewis: Good Trouble, Say Her Name: The Life And Death of Sandra Bland, and King of the Wilderness to original programming from black leads and content creators paving the way in Hollywood such as the HBO Max Original Charm City Kings, Lovecraft Country, Watchmen, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and Euphoria. Family-friendly titles such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Teen Titans and animated series such as The Boondocks and Black Dynamite will also be featured.

The spotlight page will also include the 2020 finalists of HBO’s Short Film Competition in partnership with the American Black Film Festival (ABFF): Dolapo Is Fine, A Storybook Ending, Black Boy Joy, A Rodeo Film, and The Cypher.

RELATED: Zack Snyder Shares New Images From Director’s Cut, Teases Martian Manhunter

Below is a list of programming available on HBO Max in February. As a reminder, HBO subscribers in the U.S. have free access to the HBO Max app as part of their HBO subscription through participating providers. For those who still need to sign-up, HBO Max is offering a limited-time savings of 20% when prepaying for 6 months, now available through March 1. Terms and conditions apply. Visit HBOMax.com for more details.

OUR PAST (Documentaries, Biopics, and Original Films)

4 Little Girls, 1997 (HBO)

40 Years a Prisoner, 2020 (HBO)

1968, 2018

Amistad, 1997 (HBO)

Being Serena (HBO)

Bessie, 2015 (HBO)

Between the World and Me, 2020 (HBO)

Black Art: In The Absence of Light, 2021 (HBO) (premieres 2/9)

Boycott, 2001 (HBO)

Confirmation, 2016 (HBO)

Ebony: The Last Years of the Atlantic Slave Trade, 2016

Equal, 2020

Fists of Freedom: The Story of the ’68 Summer Games, 1999 (HBO)

Harriet, 2019 (HBO)

John Lewis: Good Trouble, 2020

Just Mercy, 2019 (HBO)

Kareem: Minority of One, 2015 (HBO)

King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis, 1970

King in the Wilderness, 2018 (HBO)

Malcolm X, 1992

Mavis!, 2015 (HBO)

Miss Evers’ Boys, 1997 (HBO)

Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist, 1979

Ray, 2004 (HBO)

Red Tails, 2012 (HBO)

Roots, 1997

Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland, 2018 (HBO)

Sugar Ray Robinson: The Bright Lights & Dark Shadows of a Champion, 1998 (HBO)

The Apollo, 2019 (HBO)

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, 1974 (HBO)

The Hurricane, 1999 (HBO)

The Loving Story, 2011 (HBO)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, 2017 (HBO)

The Shop: Uninterrupted S3, E2 (HBO)

The Soul of America, 2020 (HBO)

The Tuskegee Airmen, 1995 (HBO)

TIGER, Parts 1 & 2 2021 (HBO)

True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality, 2019 (HBO)

Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story, 2020 (HBO)

We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, 2020 (HBO)

We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World, 2016

What’s My Name | Muhammad Ali Parts 1 & 2, 2019 (HBO)

Women of Troy, 2020 (HBO)

OUR JOY (Classic Comedy Series, Films, and Stand-Up Specials)

Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin’, 2019 (HBO)

A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)

A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, 1996

Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker, 1999 (HBO)

Dave Chappelle: Killing Them Softly, 2000 (HBO)

Eve

Fifty Shades of Black, 2016 (HBO)

How to Be a Player, 1997 (HBO)

Insecure (HBO)

Key & Peele

Legendary

Life, 1999 (HBO)

Lil Rel Howery: Live in Crenshaw, 2019 (HBO)

Loiter Squad

Love and Basketball, 2000

Love Jones, 1997

Purple Rain, 1984

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (HBO)

The Photograph, 2020 (HBO)

The Wayans Bros

Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It!, 2020 (HBO)

OUR FUTURE (Groundbreaking Series and Films)

2 Dope Queens (HBO)

Above the Rim, 1994 (HBO)

Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2012 (HBO)

Betty (HBO)

Charm City Kings, 2020

Chewing Gum

David Makes Man

Euphoria (HBO)

Flight, 2012 (HBO)

Go Tell It on the Mountain, 1985 (HBO)

He Got Game, 1998 (HBO)

Home Videos (HBO)

Industry (HBO)

Insecure (HBO)

I May Destroy You (HBO)

Lean On Me, 1989

Lovecraft Country (HBO)

Malcolm X, 1992

Native Son, 2019 (HBO)

New Jack City, 1991

Nightingale, 2014 (HBO)

O.G., 2018 (HBO)

Queen and Slim, 2019 (HBO)

Random Acts of Flyness (HBO)

Rosewood, 1997

Sermon on the Mount (HBO)

Something the Lord Made, 2004 (HBO)

The Color Purple, 1985

The Last King of Scotland, 2006 (HBO)

The Little Things, 2021(Streaming for a limited time)

True Detective (HBO)

Us, 2019 (expires 2/22) (HBO)

Watchmen (HBO)

We Are Who We Are (HBO)

Yuli, 2018 (HBO)

OUR IMAGINATION (Animation)

Black Dynamite

Codename: Kids Next Door

Craig of the Creek

gen:LOCK

Laser Wolf

Static Shock

Steven Universe

Steven Universe Future

Teen Titans

The Boondocks

The Jellies

Todd McFarlane’s Spawn (HBO)

Vixen

Young Justice

RELATED: The Batman’s Jay Lycurgo Joins Titans Season 3 as Tim Drake

Additionally, the select titles below will be available for free on HBO.com and HBOMax.com.

Titles available on HBO.com:

40 Years a Prisoner (HBO)

Being Serena (Season 1 Episode 1) (HBO)

Between the World and Me (HBO)

Bessie (HBO)

Black Art: In the Absence of Light (premieres 2/9) (HBO)

I May Destroy You (Season 1 Episode 1) (HBO)

Insecure (Season 1 Episode 1) (HBO)

King in the Wilderness (HBO)

Lovecraft Country (Episode 1) (HBO)

Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland (HBO)

The Apollo (HBO)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (HBO)

The Loving Story (HBO)

The Shop: Uninterrupted (Season 3 Episode 2) (HBO)

We Are the Dream (HBO)

What’s My Name | Muhammad Ali (HBO)

Women of Troy (HBO)

Titles available on HBOMax.com

A Black Lady Sketch Show (Season 1 Episode 1)

Being Serena (Season 1 Episode 1)

Between the World and Me

Black Boy Joy (premieres 2/2)

Insecure (Season 1 Episode 1)

I May Destroy You (Season 1 Episode 1)

Lovecraft Country (Episode 1)

Watchmen (Episode 1)

The post HBO Max Launches “Black History Is Our History” Spotlight Page appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution to rerelease the Sundance classic Ruby in Paradise

ComingSoon.net can exclusively reveal that Quiver Distribution will be rereleasing writer and director Victor Nunez’s 1993 award-winning film Ruby in Paradise in a new HD master that was fully restored from the original camera rolls and audio tracks and looks and sounds better than ever before. Ashley Judd leads in her first starring role, along with Todd Field, Bentley Mitchum, Allison Dean, and Dorothy Lyman. Ruby in Paradise will be available via Virtual Cinemas as well as to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms through Quiver on February 16, 2021.

RELATED: Crisis Trailer: Gary Oldman Takes on the Opioid Crisis

Ruby Lee Gissing (Ashley Judd) is on the run, determined to find something better than the closed rough life in the mountains of East Tennessee. She flees to a place once visited as a child, the “Redneck Riviera” of Panama City Beach. Arriving during the off-season, Ruby finds work in a gift shop owned by Mildred Chambers (Dorothy Lyman). Always on an emotional and economic edge, Ruby begins to keep a journal, “trying to figure out the whys of running off, of coming here.” Ruby’s desire to find her own way, to make her own choices, to explore her appetites in her own good time, gets her in and out of trouble as she moves through Winter into the frantic madness of Spring Break and beyond. The resolution of Ruby’s journey is both unexpected and hopeful as Ruby indeed finds her own way in “paradise.”

“We are ecstatic to be working with Victor Nunez in bringing this modern classic to new audiences,” said Larry Greenberg at Quiver Distribution. “Ruby in Paradise is exactly the type of classic that Quiver is looking to give a new life.”

Written and directed by Victor Nunez, Ruby in Paradise was produced by Sam Gowan and Keith Crofford. The film won the 1993 Grand Jury Prize for Drama at the Sundance Film Festival. Ashley Judd received the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.

RELATED: Falling Trailer & Poster Released for Viggo Mortensen’s Directorial Debut

Larry Greenberg negotiated the deal on behalf of Quiver Distribution. Paul Cohen of FSU’s Torchlight Cinematheque represented the filmmakers.

The post Exclusive: Quiver Distribution to Rerelease the Sundance Classic Ruby in Paradise appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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The Adam Project photos preview Reynolds & Ruffalo as a father and son duo

Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds took to Instagram to share new behind-the-scenes photos from the set of Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi comedy film The Adam Project, featuring Reynolds and MCU star Mark Ruffalo who plays a father and son duo in the star-studded film. Check out the full photos below along with Reynolds’ witty Hulk-references in the caption!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds)

RELATED: Marvel Enlists Bob’s Burgers’ The Molyneux Sisters to Pen Deadpool 3 

In The Adam Project, Reynolds stars as a man who travels back in time to get help from his 13-year-old self (Walker Scobell). Together, they have to find their late father, who is now the same age as Reynolds, and set things right in order to save the future.

The film will also star MCU stars Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight, Avengers: Endgame) and Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy) along with Jennifer Garner (13 Going 30, Alias) and Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich, An American Crime).

RELATED: Ryan Reynolds Becomes an Unlikely Hero in New Free Guy Trailer

The project the second collaboration between Reynolds and Levy, who previously worked together on the upcoming action-comedy Free Guy. The film will be directed by Levy (Stranger Things) from a screenplay written by Jonathan Tropper and David Ellison. Reynolds and Levi will both produce the action-adventure film through their respective production banners Maximum Effort and 21 Laps Entertainment. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger are producing for Skydance.

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Sam Neill teases Thor: Love and Thunder appearance

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sam Neill revealed that he believes he will have a role in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Fans will recall the actor appeared alongside Matt Damon in Thor: Ragnarok where he portrayed Odin in a cheesy reenactment of the previous Thor films; and considering Damon is set to appear in Love and Thunder, it makes sense that Neill would pop up in some way shape or form as well.

“I think the odds are reasonably high,” Neill said. “I think Taika’s got something up his sleeve. We will see what happens. Travel between [New Zealand] and Australia is problematic at the moment, but we will see if something can be worked out.”

RELATED: Jon Watts to Helm New Fantastic Four at Marvel Studios!

It was previously reported that Chris Pratt has signed on to join Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Love and Thunder, with Vin Diesel also confirmed to appear in Taika Waititi’s upcoming MCU film. Their official casting shouldn’t actually come as a shock with Diesel previously teasing earlier this year that “Thor will incorporate some of the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Thor: Love and Thunder will be directed by Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) on a script co-written by him and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great), which will be the follow-up to Waititi’s wildly successful 2017 sequel Thor: Ragnarok. Oscar-winner Natalie Portman is set to return as Jane and will now be wielding the mighty Mjolnir. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson will also return as Thor and Valkyrie, respectively. Academy Award winner Christian Bale (The Dark Knight trilogy) will portray Gorr the God Butcher, the main antagonist in the film. The female Thor storyline is based on Jason Aaron’s run on “The Mighty Thor” in which a cancer-stricken Jane Foster takes up the mantle and powers of Thor.

Thor and Valkyrie were last seen in the highest-grossing film of all time Avengers: Endgame, with the god of thunder entrusting his responsibilities as the King of Asgard to Valkyrie as he joins the Guardians of the Galaxy on their next mission.

RELATED: Chris Hemsworth Confirms Thor: Love and Thunder Won’t Be His Last MCU Appearance

Thor: Love and Thunder will now be arriving in theaters on May 06, 2022.

The post Sam Neill Teases Thor: Love and Thunder Appearance appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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Zack Snyder shares new images from director’s cut, teases Martian Manhunter

How we feeling, Snyder fans? This weekend saw three new posters for Zack Snyder’s Justice League along with an official release date, March 18. Now, just to tease fans a little more, the man himself revealed a few shots from the completed film. The first is from the beginning of the movie during which Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) searches for Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) — and also teases a much different opening credits as you can see by the post below — while the other features a shot of Ray Fisher’s Cyborg with the quote, “There’s a war coming,” a line that is apparently said by Martian Manhunter in the film. Finally, the third and final image sees Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman in all of her glory on a massive theater screen. Is Snyder hinting something here? Check out the images below!

pic.twitter.com/FMmtBduK6g

— DynestiGTI (@ItsDhanushka) January 30, 2021

#ZackSnydersJusticeLeague pic.twitter.com/VBWXYVu9uX

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) January 31, 2021

#SnyderCut @hbomax pic.twitter.com/4FjctPKncw

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) January 31, 2021

RELATED: Zack Snyder on Which Marvel Character Would Get Him to Join the MCU

Justice League will be hitting HBO Max solely as a four-hour movie. It was originally revealed at DC FanDome that the movie will release on HBO Max in 2021 by being broken up into four one-hour parts that will also be released as one four-hour film, but Snyder’s new comments seem to indicate it will solely be released as the one-off film instead of the four-part series. In an informal Q&A with the director via the comments, Snyder also revealed that there will be no after-credits scenes, the release date is still set for March even as potential competition Godzilla vs. Kong just moved to the same month and its runtime is four hours prior to the credits.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League has reportedly cost around $70 million in order to properly finish the editing and visual effects of the director’s original vision, as well as the additional photography. The original post-production crew is also expected to return along with the cast members to record additional dialogue for the cut. 

Fueled by the hero’s restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Justice League sees Bruce Wayne enlist the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League, which features a screenplay from Chris Terrio from a story by Snyder and Terrio, stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, with J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

RELATED: Harry Lennix Reveals He is Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Released in November 2017, the film earned mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, praising the action and performances from Gadot and Miller while criticizing every other aspect of the film, namely the inconsistent tone that many fault Joss Whedon (The Avengers) for after taking over directorial duties from Snyder. With a large budget of $300 million and a break-even point of $750 million, the film is considered a box office bomb having grossed only $658 million.

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CS Interview: Writer/Director Sean Ellis on werewolf thriller Eight for Silver [Sundance]

Ahead of the horror-thriller’s debut at the Sundance Film Festival, ComingSoon.net got the opportunity to chat with writer/director Sean Ellis (Anthropoid) to discuss his return to the genre with the exciting werewolf chiller Eight for Silver.

RELATED: Sundance 2021 Reviews: Judas and the Black Messiah, Passing & More!

ComingSoon.net: Eight for Silver is an absolute treat, it’s dark, it’s chilling, but it’s also your first time back in the horror genre in about 13 years, what was it that got you to come back to the genre? 

Sean Ellis: I don’t make decisions on genre, per se, normally it’s something other than that, although having said that when I did Anthropoid, after that I was offered a lot of World War II scripts and at that point the last thing I wanted to do was to make another WWII script. I think that normally I’m drawn towards the story and if it happens to be a certain genre that I’ve done before, like The Broken, then I guess you go, “Yeah, why not?” I mean, with The Broken, I got raked over the coals a bit with that one, but then again I learned a lot, you learn a lot more from your mistakes as a filmmaker than you do your successes. I’ve been very wary of making those same kinds of mistakes in the same way with every film that I’ve made since, especially with a horror film, and I think that was definitely one of the minefields I walked into which was to come up with something really original. So that was definitely the bridge of if you’re doing to do a horror film, make sure it’s something that people haven’t seen before.

CS: So how did you come up with the concept and the story for this film? I love it’s blend of a typical werewolf movie with Lovecraftian elements. 

SE: I think it was too big for me to say, “Oh I’m gonna reinvent the werewolf legend,” I didn’t know how to do that, I mean I could’ve said it but I wouldn’t have known how I would have done it. Even if I’m going to reinvent the werewolf legend, how do you do that? So what I did was I started to research the original Wolf Man and the fact that it was written by a Jewish writer and that the wolf was a metaphor for his experience as a Jewish person in Europe in the late ’30s and I started to think about how that metaphor for being persecuted for your religion at the time was very interesting. I thought what, in modern society, are we being persecuted for? I think we probably would prosecute ourselves in some respect, because I think we have major problems with addiction these days, whether it be drugs, or phones or a bad relationship or whatever and I like to think of the wolf as a metaphor for addition. When I started to think like that, I started to think that you become a slave to your addiction and they will mostly rule your life. When I started to think in those terms, I started to almost think about the design of what was happening, because that meant instead of changing into a wolf, you were becoming a prisoner to the wolf. I think once that element came into my mind, I started to get excited about the possibilities of where I could take this, so step by step, the concept and the sort of design of the story went forward and basically ended up where it is. It plays with some of the original mythology, but also I had fun spending time playing with that mythology in fact and fiction, I mean there’s biblical references, which are fact, and then there’s the silver bullet, which is fiction and mythological, so it was fun to sort of mix that stuff up, to sort of give the silver bullet some kind of history because we all know it’s harmful to the werewolf but not many of us know why, so that was fun to play with.

CS: You have a phenomenal roster with mostly European stars, but then you have Boyd playing British and he does very well with it, so what was it like building up your roster for the film? 

SE: Yeah, I mean, we started to speak to a few actors in the beginning just to sort of get feelers out there and I think at that point, Boyd had got hold of the script through his agent and he got a message to me saying that he loved the script. He’d seen Anthropoid and was wondering if we could have a call about the project, and so I did and I was impressed with Boyd’s work, because I’ve seen him in Narcos and I’ve seen him in Logan and felt he was a very interesting actor  and that he’s very chameleon like, where people don’t necessarily know his name, but they know his work and I think that’s a really interesting thing. Because like, when you say Boyd Holbrook, some people will say, “Uhhh?” and you say the blonde guy in Narcos and they go “Oh, yeah, he’s great!” You know, I think that’s really interesting and I’m a little bit like that, I feel that the people don’t necessarily know my name, but my films are more well known. So we thought about that and basically said, “Yeah, I guess the elephant in the room is the English accent.” He said, “Let me do taping for you and send it to you, but just know whatever you hear I’m going to be working on it for three months, so please make allowances.” But what he sent me was really good and I thought this is actually quite interesting. He had a calmness in his voice I felt was really right for the piece. He continued to work with a dialogue coach right up to shooting and even through shooting he would never drop the accent, even during lunch and stuff. He would just constantly be practicing it, whatever he was doing. Then right behind Boyd’s casting with the film, we had Alistair and Kelly, they slid straight in and they were both my first choices, so we were lucky to get that.

CS: This also marks the first time in a while that you also act as cinematographer alongside writer, director and producer, what was it like returning to that position alongside the other three? 

SE: I mean, it’s one job for me as a filmmaker, I’m lucky because I know about cameras and I know about lenses and I know that, like, because my background is photography and I was a photographer for many years before I became a director, it’s all second nature, achieving an image that you have in your mind by using a tool, whether it’s a brush or a camera, though my training is with a camera. So if I imagine something in my mind, I’m pretty clear how I got about making that a reality by using light and cameras and lenses, so yeah, for me it’s just one job. I mean, it’s obviously extra work in the sense that because I operate as well, there are days when I’ve got a 23 kilogram camera on my should for 9-10 hours a day and it’s physically demanding. On top of that, you’ve got to be completely focused not only on your actors, but also on if the light has changed and whether you need to open up your exposure a little bit because something’s just happened or you’re losing the lights. It is a little bit extra, but I think because I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s sort of quite second nature, but having said that I think I would have loved to work with a DP [laughs]. There are so many great DPs out there that I admire and I’d love to get them in and give them the space and time to create something beautiful. I think on this one it was also there was budgetary constraints, so it was just easier for us to have two less crew.

CS: So how do you feeling gearing up for the premiere at Sundance? 

SE: Because of the lockdown, we’ve never shown the film, so I’ve had a little bit of culture shock in the last few days where these phoners have actually been the first time I’ve really talked to people that haven’t worked on the film and who have seen it. It definitely feels like there’s a lot of positivity around what people are seeing and people seem excited about it. So I hope the audience and the buyers find the same thing, they see the same thing as you, as you sound excited about it, so I hope that sort of continues.

RELATED: CS Video: Bloody Hell Interview With Writer Robert Benjamin

In the late nineteenth century, brutal land baron Seamus Laurent slaughters a Roma clan, unleashing a curse on his family and village. In the days that follow, the townspeople are plagued by nightmares, Seamus’s son Edward goes missing, and a boy is found murdered. The locals suspect a wild animal, but visiting pathologist John McBride warns of a more sinister presence lurking in the woods.

Written and directed by Ellis, the cast for the film includes Alistair Petrie (Hellboy, Sex Education), Max Mackintosh (The Quiet Ones), Boyd Holbrook (Logan, The Fugitive), Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes, Yellowstone) and Roxane Duran (Mary Queen of Scots).

The post CS Interview: Writer/Director Sean Ellis on Werewolf Thriller Eight for Silver [Sundance] appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Sundance 2021 reviews: Judas and the Black Messiah, Passing & more!

The 2021 Sundance Film Festival has finally arrived and ComingSoon.net got the exciting opportunity to take part in the virtual iteration of the classic festival and watch some of the incredible films in its catalogue, from Robin Wright and Rebecca Hall’s directorial debuts Land and Passing to the biographical drama Judas and the Black Messiah. Check out our reviews for the films below!

RELATED: Nightstream Reviews: Dinner in America, Bloody Hell & More!

Knocking

• Directed by: Frieda Kempff; Written by: Emma Broström
• Starring: Cecilia Milocco, Krister Kern, Albin Grenholm, Ville Virtanen, Alexander Salzberger
• Rating: 5/10

Often times a psychological thriller with little-to-no explanations for the events of the story depicted is a smarter move as some ambiguity for the film breeds intriguing debates and compelling character work, but there’s still the occasional efforts in which this lack of exposition leaves a viewer underwhelmed and disinterested, such was the case for me with Knocking. Centered on a woman slowly losing her mind after moving into a new apartment and hearing a mysterious knocking sound from the walls, which no other tenant hears or is willing to believe her about, the film’s attempts at taking a pointed look at gaslighting and many countries’ incapacity to properly help those with a mental illness are certainly admirable, but by locking them in the psychological thriller genre they’re not really explored effectively or obvious enough for audiences to understand that’s part of the point of the film. Instead what we’re given is a mildly-tense-yet-ambling story that features a strong performance from Milocco and stylish direction from Kempff, but not much else in the way of a well-paced narrative or satisfying conclusion.

Luzzu

• Written & Directed by: Alex Camilleri
• Starring: Jesmark Scicluna, Michela Farrugia, David Scicluna
• Rating: 8.5/10

The story of a young family struggling as both must come to terms with their pride regarding their extended families, jobs rooted in tradition and temptations of a turn to crime is certainly a well-worn genre here in the States, but it’s one not often explored so richly and so uniquely as with Alex Camilleri’s Malta-set Luzzu. Centered on fisherman Jesmark as he seeks to find a way to provide for his wife and newborn baby while dealing with a leak in his boat and an increasingly problematic industry in the region, the film might follow the general formula of a slow turn to crime but rather than see him revel in it or suddenly become in the favor of all those around him, Camilleri keeps hammering Js down with realistic problems and moral hurdles and provides a nice slow burn to its story. In addition to its nice subversions of genre formula, the story does a fascinating job of exploring some very real-world issues of the European Union hurting local fishing industries rooted in family generations as well as the toll global warming is taking on the ecosystems of the region and local jobs, and with a proper minimal usage of Jon Natchez’ powerful score, it all culminates in a moving, gripping and often-heartbreakingly real tale.

RELATED: PG: Psycho Goreman Review: A Bloody, Clever & Hilarious ’90s Throwback

John and the Hole

• Directed by: Pascual Sisto; Written by: Nicolás Giacobone
• Starring: Charlie Shotwell, Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Ehle, Taissa Farmiga
• Rating: 3/10

Evil children is a trope in the horror and thriller genre that has been explored in every aspect, from spawns of Satan to influenced by evil entities to just downright maniacal souls, but few have been quite as haunting to watch as the titular teen in John and the Hole, but whether that works in its favor or against it really lies in the preferences of the viewer. After drugging his family and dragging them into the bottom of an unfinished bunker, John casually goes about enjoying some freedom, including stealing money from an ATM using his parents’ debit card, telling lies to various adults regarding the whereabouts of everyone and inviting a friend over, all while bringing his family food scraps, bottles of water and garbage bags full of clothes. The tension and sense of dread permeating from this film is certainly handled expertly and Sisto’s directorial eye is quite artful, but the writing and the story really feels so bland and purposefully controversial that it doesn’t feel more than a poor attempt at trying to start a conversation regarding John’s actions. Is he a monster? Is he just odd? Is this part of some adolescent angst? No matter what the answer is, the way the film progresses and presents the character doesn’t feel like an intelligent or meaningful exploration of him, but rather a slow-burning experiment designed to torture the viewer and make them question what the point of any of John’s actions actually were, or if there even was one.

The post Sundance 2021 Reviews: Judas and the Black Messiah, Passing & More! appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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POLL RESULTS: Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong?

It’s been nearly a week since fans were gifted the epic Godzilla vs. Kong trailer and after asking our readers which titan they’d like to see in the latest installment of Legendary’s MonsterVerse, the results are in and with nearly 3000 votes tallied, fans definitely have shown their preference between the two. Check out the results below!

RELATED: CS Soapbox: Where Does the MonsterVerse Go After Godzilla vs Kong?

POLL: Who Should Win in Godzilla vs. Kong?

1. Godzilla (38%, 1122 votes)
2. They Team Up To Take Down a Bigger Bad (35%, 1054 votes)
3. Kong (21%, 638 votes)
4. Draw (3%, 91 votes)
5. They Both Die (2%, 61 votes)

With two wins for humanity under his belt and a longer-running overall franchise, it doesn’t come as much surprise that Godzilla is fans’ go-to for the fight between the titans, especially given the trailer is hinting that his seeming heel turn is not of his own volition but may be someone controlling the monster. What does come as a surprise is that the King of Skull Island does not come in second place but rather in third and that more fans would rather see him team up with Godzilla against a common enemy instead of outright defeating the King of the Monsters.

The epic action-adventure Godzilla vs. Kong will pit two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another — the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong — with humanity caught in the balance.

The film stars Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies, The Little Drummer Girl), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Rebecca Hall (Christine, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Widows), Shun Oguri (Gintama), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2). Also starring in the highly-anticipated movie are Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall Street, Manchester by the Sea) and Demián Bichir (The Nun, The Hateful Eight).

The fourth installment in Warner Bros.’ Pictures and Legendary’s Monsterverse is directed by Adam Wingard from a script written by Oscar nominee Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean, Deja Vu, Shrek). The film is being produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, and Brian Rogers, with Kenji Okuhira, Yoshimitsu Banno, Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy and Tamara Kent are co-producers.

The most recent film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, hit theaters in summer 2019. It ended with Godzilla taking his rightful place as the ruler of all Titans. Unfortunately, the movie was a financial disappointment, grossing only $385.9 million against a budget estimated to be as high as $200 million.

RELATED: An Exclusive Talk With Adam Wingard On Godzilla vs. Kong

Godzilla vs. Kong is set to arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on March 26, 2021.

What do you think of the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer? Let us know in the comments below!

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MGM in talks to acquire Blumhouse & Darren Aronofsky’s Adrift

Just 24 hours after it was announced that Requiem for a Dream co-writer/director Darren Aronofsky and star Jared Leto were set to partner with Blumhouse for the horror pic, it’s been revealed that MGM is in exclusive negotiations to acquire Adrift, though sources confirm no deal has closed just yet and details are currently unknown until it does, according to Deadline.

RELATED: Adrift: Leto & Aronofsky Reuniting on Jason Blum-Produced Project

Adrift is based on a short story by the same name written by Koji Suzuki, author of Ring, and published in the short story collection Dark Water. The story is set in the dead calm of the open sea, where a fishing boat discovers an abandoned yacht with a strange distress call. A deckhand agrees to take lone control of it while it’s towed into port, but he soon discovers why the rest of his more experienced crew members call it a “Ghost Ship.”

Pick up your copy of Dark Water here!

Aronofsky will co-write the script along with Luke Dawson. According to the outlet, Leto and producer Emma Ludbrook pursued the rights to the story for 10 years before bringing it to Blum and Aronofsky. The Golden Globe-nominated writer/director and the Oscar and Globe-winning star previously worked together on Aronofsky’s 2000 psychological drama Requiem for a Dream, which was a critical hit upon release and is credited with helping launch the filmmaker into the spotlight and is considered as one of Leto’s breakout roles alongside American Psycho and Fight Club.

RELATED: The Little Things Trailer: Denzel Washington Stars in New Crime Thriller

Blum will produce the project via his Blumhouse Productions banner along with Leto and Emma Ludbrook through Leto’s production company Paradox along with Carla Hacken.

The post MGM in Talks to Acquire Blumhouse & Darren Aronofsky’s Adrift appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Gotham PD’s Joe Barton developing Cloverfield sequel at Paramount

It’s been 13 years since fans were first introduced to the world of Cloverfield from Drew Goddard (Bad Times at the El Royale), Matt Reeves (The Batman) and J.J. Abrams and after two non-direct follow-ups the franchise is going back to its roots with a proper direct sequel penned by Joe Barton, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: Joe Barton Joins Matt Reeves’ Gotham PD Series as Showrunner

Plot details for the fourth installment in the Cloverfield franchise are currently being kept close to the chest but sources report that the film, which is being written by Barton, will not utilize the found footage format from the original film. News of a proper sequel comes nearly three years after Abrams confirmed during a panel at 2018 CinemaCon that a “true, dedicated” follow-up in the works to the 2008 hit.

Click here to purchase the original three-film collection!

The Star Wars sequel trilogy head will return to produce the film via his Bad Robot banner alongside the label’s Head of Film Hannah Minghella and Paramount Pictures, while original director Reeves and writer Goddard are not currently set to return in any capacity. In addition to the new project, Barton recently signed on to be showrunner for the Gotham Police Department series spun off from Reeves’ The Batman.

The original film centered around a group of 20-something New Yorkers celebrating one’s new job in Japan but are interrupted and must make their way out of the city as it comes under attack by an unknown large creature. Shot on a $25 million budget and utilizing a mysterious viral marketing campaign akin to The Blair Witch Project, the film was a large hit, grossing over $172 million at the global box office and receiving positive reviews for its cinéma vérité narrative, quick pacing and Reeves’ direction.

RELATED: Project Power Duo Partner With Paramount & Bruckheimer for Feature

Its success would spawn a franchise that included a prequel manga series and two follow-up films with 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox, the latter of which offered some hints regarding their connections to the original film. The Damien Chazelle-co-written Lane was a box office hit and critical success, garnering higher reviews than its predecessor, but Paradox proved to be a disappointment in reviews, which Paramount seemed to predict after quietly selling it to Netflix and surprise dropping it following the 2018 Super Bowl.

The post Gotham PD’s Joe Barton Developing Cloverfield Sequel at Paramount appeared first on ComingSoon.net.