CS Interview: Michael K. Williams on Body Brokers, F is for Family & more

Just in time for the true crime drama’s digital debut, ComingSoon.net got the opportunity to chat with four-time Emmy nominee Michael K. Williams to discuss Body Brokers as well as his possible return to the final season of Netflix’s F is for Family and hopes for a second season of HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

RELATED: CS Video: Land Interviews With Director & Stars Robin Wright & Demián Bichir

ComingSoon.net: Body Brokers is a really interesting concept and it’s a field I feel is not really explored too often on film. What about the project really drew you to it?

Michael K. Williams: I was pretty taken back that this is actually based on real events. This is, in my opinion the story and the poster child of capitalism taking advantage of vulnerable people. The same mentality that we reveal in Body Brokers, to me, is the same mentality with for-profit prisons, like these institutions are meant to rehabilitate and help to correct people’s wrongs and they get exploited. It becomes more about filling the bed than actually helping people that are in those beds, it’s just kind of disheartening, in my opinion. Then there was Wood. Wood was a huge draw for me. In a lot of the films or the stories that we’ve told or that I’ve seen that deal with addicts or recovery, it’s implied that just because a person puts down the drug or alcohol that all their problems go away and that couldn’t be further from the truth. The drug is not the problem, the drug is a symptom of the problem and there’s all sorts of character defects that still exist there when the drugs are gone. To me, Wood was a perfect example of that.

CS: So what kind of research did you find yourself conducting prior to starting filming, to really get in tune with the story?

MKW: There wasn’t really much research that was needed. John Swab, in my opinion, he did all the groundwork for us. You know, for me at least, I just needed to lock in and look for the truth that was already on the page. But Wood and the capitalists, it was kind of black and white until it came time when we had to make a decision that involved Utah toward the end. Other than that, he’s pretty much black and white, man. He’s a poster child for capitalists and as far as the world was concerned, everything you see on that and every frame of that movie, John Swab had already put it on the page.

CS: What did you find were some of the biggest creative challenges for you then, getting to the heart of Wood?

MKW: I don’t know if it was anything that was hard, but I will tell you one of the more liberating scenes when he stomps that doctor out to death, when he kills that guy. That felt really liberating in that moment, I understood where that rage is coming from of being looked down upon. It felt familiar and there was also the moment when he realized that he cared. He genuinely cared about Utah, when they had that conversation in the car, you know? That’s a really beautiful moment between Wood and Utah and Jack Kilmer, man, he just brought such a vulnerability and an honesty and a strength to Utah, it was just all right there in his eyes, man. Those two moments were very liberating for me.

Click here to rent or purchase Body Brokers!

CS: Since you mention Jack, so much of the film really rides on the evolving chemistry that you two have with one another. What was it like for you sort of building that chemistry with Jack prior to filming?

MKW: It was effortless, he and I, I think we met on set. If you ever get to talk to him, he is effortless to, you know, I can’t really explain it, but like we say in Brooklyn, real recognize real. He’s a real young man. You know, we met on set and we actually ended up, once we worked together, then we began to hang out. It was a flow, like we hung out a little bit in Tulsa and I got to know him off the set. That happened again, like I said, after we started working, so he brings this energy to the set that you look him in his eyes and there’s nothing that needs to be said. You know where you need to go to connect because he’s all the way in it and truly, I really enjoy working with him, really enjoy it.

CS: That’s fantastic. What was it also like then building the chemistry with Frank Grillo? You two don’t have too many scenes together, but the chemistry you do have in those few scenes is really intriguing to watch.

MKW: I love the connection between — I forget Frank’s character’s name right now, but I love the dynamic because after we see Wood lose his temper and refer to his old ways, we see when he’s talking to Frank Grillo’s character, all of a sudden now the man becomes the child. You know, there was this moment when they’re talking in the parking lot and Wood is asking him what to do with the body and you could see the change in Wood’s energy, like Frank’s character became the fixer and Wood became the bright-eyed, the wide-eyed kid who needed to be told what to do. Frank brings this thing, he’s got this sinister-ness to him, but he gives you this assurance that everything’s going to be all right. He brought that vernacular, again effortless, he gave me what I needed to shift. Because we need to see a shift in Wood at that point. We didn’t have many scenes together, we really had like, I think really that one, but yeah, I needed that. What he brought to the table, I needed that for my shift, and it was a great exchange of energy, great.

CS: A lot of the shooting locations, too, in the film really interested me, it seemed like some of it was here in LA, but then some of it seemed really sort of ambiguous as to where it was. Could you tell me what shooting on some of the locations was like?

MKW: Most of the film, I think, I remember was shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I believe that’s where John Swab is from, and that’s a really forgotten city for a multitude of reasons. The opioid epidemic ran rapid there, if you remember when one of those pharma companies had to pay off all those millions of dollars or trillions of dollars or billions, whatever, but I think Johnson & Johnson made the payout for the opioid, the epidemic, when they caught them coming and going. That money went to the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma. So you know, to see the city coming out of that and there are a lot of people hurting themselves in that city, and you can see the city trying to come back from that when we were filming. That was really humbling to see. What blew my mind, what really dropped me to my knees was actually standing on the corner of Greenwood, Archer and Pine which is where Black Wall Street was, and knowing what happened there. I don’t know if you know this, but we were filming — I filmed Body Brokers while I was on break from filming Lovecraft Country, So to have that experience of going to Tulsa to tell a story like this, like Body Brokers, in a city like Tulsa, to have the opportunity to see where the ancestors used to live and what it looks like now, I can’t really put it into words, electrifying, maybe. A lot of emotion. I want to be clear, they’re coming back. The spirit of the people is alive and you see that. They may be down, but they ain’t out. The people, the spirit of the people in Tulsa, Blacks and whites, you can see the fight in their eyes, man. That city is on the mend and I just want to make that clear. I saw that, it was very humbling to see the fight that was still in that city.

CS: That’s incredible. Since you do mention it, Lovecraft Country ended not too long ago with its first season and there’s been a lot of — personally, I’m hopeful for a second season, but we just heard word that the writers are still looking for a possible path for the future. Can you see yourself coming back for more, if they found a path for Montrose?

MKW: Yeah, you know, it’s a lot of we’ll have to wait and see. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in Hollywood, is they say to never say never. [Laughs] But yeah, you know, I could see me going back if things aligned and the paths were still aligned. You know, that show took three years to write, so I’m not expecting anything anytime soon. By the time they were ready to start casting actors, those writers have already given two and a half years of their life in the writers’ room. I could be wrong, but I think it would be very ambitious of us as an audience to expect another season right away. I could be wrong, I don’t know.

CS: Sure. I can appreciate that. For my final question, we also heard back in October that F is for Family would be coming back for one more season and I’m curious if Bill Burr has reached out to you to have you come back as Smokey for any more episodes in the final season?

MKW: [In Smokey’s Voice] Damn, they want to hear that Smokey might be coming back? I don’t know, motherfucker, I hear he might be coming back. He might, he might, he might be coming back. One mo’ time, one mo’ time. [Laughs] I heard rumors that there’s going to be another season and I do hear that.

CS: That would be awesome to see you come back in that role because that is one of my favorite side characters on that show.

MKW: I think you stand alone because that’d be one of the funniest things I’ve ever worked on that no one knows about, so I mean, that really made my day that you even know what that is because like, nobody in my house knows. [Laughs]

RELATED: Lovecraft Country Writers Plotting Out Season 2 With Hopes of Renewal

Written and directed by John Swab, Body Brokers is based on a true story and centers on a drug addict who is brought to Los Angeles for treatment, but soon learns the treatment center is not meant to help people but instead acts as a coverup for a fraud operation enlisting addicts to recruit other addicts.

The ensemble cast for the film includes Jack Kilmer (The Nice Guys), Williams, Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Alice Englert (Them That Follow), Peter Greene (The Mask), Frank Grillo (Boss Level), Melissa Leo (I Know This Much is True) and Thomas Dekker (Miss Bala)

Body Brokers is now available on digital platforms and VOD, the first season of Lovecraft Country is available to stream on HBO Max and the first four seasons of F is for Family are available to stream on Netflix now!

The post CS Interview: Michael K. Williams on Body Brokers, F is for Family & More appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Paramount taps Guy Ritchie for Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

While currently at work on his latest Jason Statham-led spy thriller Five Eyes, Guy Ritchie has already found his next project in the form of a film adaptation of Damien Lewis’ World War II history novel Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare for Paramount Pictures, according to Deadline.

RELATED: Five Eyes: Behind-the-Scenes Look at Guy Ritchie’s Jason Statham-Led Spy Film

The novel, published in 2016 by Quercus, explores the era of 1939 WWII when Britain was being beaten down by Germany in mainland Europe and saw Winston Churchill respond by electing to stop fighting under accepted rules of engagement and build a band of warriors who became the first secret operatives to strike behind enemy lines. Essentially Britain’s first black ops unit, members were recruited knowing they would likely not make it out alive but formed a close bond with the rest of their group and won numerous key victories against the Nazis.

Click here to purchase Lewis’ Sunday Times bestselling novel!

Paramount acquired the rights to the novel since 2015, ahead of its publishing and outbidding a number of other studios, and have landed the Aladdin and Sherlock Holmes filmmaker to write and direct the project, with previous writers attached to the project including Arash Amel (A Private War), Paul Tamasy (The Outpost) and Eric Johnson (The Finest Hours).

RELATED: Paramount Taps Edgar Wright to Develop/Direct New Running Man Adaptation

Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is set to be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman via the former’s Jerry Bruckheimer Films banner while Ivan Atkinson is set to executive produce and Paramount’s Senior VP of Production Vanessa Joyce overseeing the project for the studio.

(Photo Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

The post Paramount Taps Guy Ritchie for Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Day, Slate, Rodriguez & more to lead Amazon’s ensemble I Want You Back

As production on the romantic comedy is about to get underway, Amazon Studios has unveiled the cast for I Want You Back which features an ensemble roster of stars including Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jenny Slate (Big Mouth), Gina Rodriguez (Kajillionaire) and more.

RELATED: Lost and Found: Zachary Levi & Gina Rodriguez to Star in Amazon’s New Comedy Adventure

Emma (Slate) and Peter (Day) thought they were on the precipice of life’s biggest moments – marriage, kids, and houses in the suburbs – until their respective partners dumped them. In their thirties and terrified that they have missed their shot at happily ever after, Emma and Peter are horrified to learn that their partners have already moved on. With no prospects on the horizon and the threat of dying alone hanging over their heads, they hatch a desperate plan to put an end to their exes’ new relationships and win them back.

“It’s a dream to be able to bring Isaac and Elizabeth’s brilliantly authentic vision to the world! It will surely capture the hearts of our Prime Video customers,” Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to see this amazing ensemble come aboard this fun and witty story that audiences will fall in love with.”

Alongside Day, Slate and Rodriguez, the ensemble cast for the film is set to include Scott Eastwood (Pacific Rim: Uprising), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Clark Backo (Letterkenny), Jami Gertz (Difficult People), Jordan Carlos (The First Wives Club), Midori Francis (Dash and Lily), Mason Gooding (Love, Victor), Isabel May (Alexa & Katie) and Luke David Blumm (The King of Staten Island).

The film is being penned by Love, Simon writers and This Is Us co-showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger and helmed by Jason Orley (Big Time Adolescence), with Peter Safran and John Rickard producing for The Safran Company alongside The Walk-Up Company’s Aptaker and Berger.

“I immediately fell in love with Isaac and Elizabeth’s funny, heartfelt script, and I am so honored that they, along with the amazing team at Amazon are allowing me to bring their timeless love story to life, and that I get to do it with such an incredible group of actors,” Orley said in a statement.

RELATED: Donald Glover Inks Eight-Figure Overall Deal With Amazon

Production on I Want You Back is set to begin in early March in Atlanta.

(Photo Credits: Getty Images)

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Exclusive The Croods: A New Age deleted scene with Ryan Reynolds!

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have provided ComingSoon.net with an exclusive The Croods: A New Age deleted scene from the animated hit’s upcoming Blu-ray and digital release. The film is now available on digital platforms, and on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD on February 23. In the clip the hilarious Ryan Reynolds gives us a top notch depiction of a teenage boy in love and in distress. Check out the animatic clip in the player below!

Pre-order your copy of The Croods: A New Age now by clicking here!

RELATED: Universal Pictures’ Dear Evan Hansen Sets Release for September 2021

It’s bonus features will include: two exclusive animated shorts, a gag reel, deleted scenes and activities the whole family can enjoy together, this fun and entertaining adventure is the must-own family movie of the new year! The full art for the Blu-ray copy can be seen in the gallery below!

Bonus Materials on digital, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD:

>DEAR DIARY: WORLD’S FIRST PRANKS – In this exclusive original short film, Eep reveals how a comical accident led her and Dawn to discover the joys of tricking their families and set about performing “the world’s first pranks”

>FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: LITTLE RED BRONANA BREAD – In another exclusive original short, join the Croods as they settle down for a very prehistoric family movie night experience. With shadowy figures around every corner, Eep must keep Gran and her delicious Bronana Bread safe from punch monkeys.

>GAG REEL

>TO: GERARD – In this original DreamWorks animated short, an elderly man brightens the day of a little girl through magic.

>DELETED SCENES 

>THE CROODS’ FAMILY ALBUM – Meet the actors who portray the Croods and their new cast members, the Bettermans. What makes them tick, how do they resemble their characters and what lessons have they learned from making the film.

>THE EVOLUTION OF… – In this fun making of, we hear from the filmmakers and stars of THE CROODS: A NEW AGE about the evolution of the Croods franchise.

>HOW TO DRAW: CAVEMAN STYLE – Join one of DreamWorks talented illustrators inside the cave as they demonstrate how to draw our favorite characters.

>FAMILEAF ALBUM – Inspired by the prehistoric family album given to guy by the Betterman’s, we create a fun video showing you how to make your own using real leaves or green construction paper for pages and string (or even dental floss!) to hold it all together.

>STONE AGE ATTACK – A three-part featurette highlighting fun, easy to make recipes that kids and parents can make together.

>FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JOEL CRAWFORD, PRODUCER MARK SWIFT, HEAD OF STORY JANUEL MERCADO AND EDITOR JIM RYAN 

RELATED: The Mitchells vs. The Machines: Netflix Nabs Global Rights to Lord-Miller’s New Animated Film

The Croods have survived their fair share of dangers and disasters, from fanged prehistoric beasts to surviving the end of the world, but now they will face their biggest challenge of all: another family. The Croods need a new place to live. So, the first prehistoric family sets off into the world in search of a safer place to call home. When they discover an idyllic walled-in paradise that meets all their needs, they think their problems are solved … except for one thing. Another family already lives there: the Bettermans. The Bettermans (emphasis on the “better”)—with their elaborate tree house, amazing inventions and irrigated acres of fresh produce—are a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. When they take the Croods in as the world’s first houseguests, it isn’t long before tensions escalate between the cave family and the modern family. Just when all seems lost, a new threat will propel both families on an epic adventure outside the safety of the wall, one that will force them to embrace their differences, draw strength from each other and forge a future together. 

DreamWorks Animation invites you on an all-new adventure back in time with The Croods: A New Age. The sequel sees the return of the first film’s voice cast consists of Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Emma Stone (Maniac), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool 2), Catherine Keener (Kidding), Cloris Leachman (American Gods) and Clark Duke (I’m Dying Up Here) as The Croods face their biggest threat since leaving the cave: another family.

New voice cast members include Star Wars alum Kelly Marie Tran as the only child of the Bettermans named Dawn with Leslie Mann (Blockers) and four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as Dawn’s parents. The sequel is directed by Joel Crawford with Mark Swift set to produce.

The post Exclusive The Croods: A New Age Deleted Scene With Ryan Reynolds! appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Exclusive The Vigil clip from Keith Thomas’ horror-thriller debut

As the film gears up for its select theatrical and digital debut, IFC Midnight has shared an exclusive clip from debuting writer/director Keith Thomas’ horror-thriller The Vigil teasing the supernatural chiller steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology. The clip can be viewed in the player below!

RELATED: Exclusive The Sinners Clip From Courtney Paige’s Debut Thriller Feature

The Vigil is a supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn’s Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante to take on the responsibility of an overnight “shomer,” fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member. Shortly after arriving at the recently departed’s dilapidated house to sit the vigil, Yakov begins to realize that something is very, very wrong.

The cast for the film includes Dave Davis (The Big Short, The Walking Dead), Malky Goldman (Unorthodox, God of Vengeance), Menashe Lustig (Menashe) and Lynn Cohen (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Affair).

“This sequence comes at a pivotal moment in the film, the sort of horror movie “turning point” when our main character, Yakov, realizes that the house is no longer safe to be inside,” Thomas wrote in a statement to ComingSoon.net. “And while he’s desperate to get Mrs. Litvak to join him in leaving this doomed place, she has lived there long enough to know there is no easy escape…Both Lynn Cohen and Dave Davis turn in great, tense performances in this scene, and I especially love the way Lynn breaks into that sinister and yet empathetic smile.”

RELATED: Exclusive The Arbors Trailer Promises a Creepy Crawly Nightmare

The Vigil, which is produced by Adam and Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz and executive produced by Daniel Finkelman, is set to hit select theaters, digital platforms and VOD on Friday, February 26.

The post Exclusive The Vigil Clip From Keith Thomas’ Horror-Thriller Debut appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Mila Kunis to lead Netflix’s film adaptation of Luckiest Girl Alive

Coming on the heels of co-starring in the Allison Janney-led dark crime comedy Breaking News in Yuba County, Golden Globe nominee Mila Kunis has found her next feature project in the form of an adaptation of Jessica Knoll’s Luckiest Girl Alive at Netflix.

RELATED: Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil Adds Kerry Washington & Charlize Theron

First published in 2016 by Simon & Schuster, the story centers on Ani FaNelli, a sharp-tongued New Yorker who appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe, and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life.

Click here to purchase Knoll’s New York Times bestselling novel!

The script for the film is being developed by Knoll herself with Mike Barker (Black Match, The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo) attached to direct the mystery drama-thriller. Barker, whose previous film credits include Best Laid Plans, To Kill a King and A Good Woman, most recently partnered with the streaming platform to helm the pilot for the highly-anticipated series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman and four episodes of the drama series Hit and Run.

RELATED: Family Leave: Jennifer Garner to Star in Netflix’s Body Switch Comedy Adaptation

Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Jeanne Snow will produce the project alongside Erik Feig and Lucy Kitada for PICTURESTART and Mila Kunis via her Orchard Farm Productions banner, with Knoll, Orchard Farms’ Lisa Sterbakov, PICTURESTART’s Shayne Fiske Goldner and Made Up Stories’ Steve Hutensky all set to executive produce.

(Photo Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Acura)

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Army of the Dead release date & poster revealed by Netflix!

Netflix has revealed the Army of the Dead release date and poster for the upcoming Zack Snyder action horror flick. The movie is set to drop on the streamer May 21, a little over two months after the director’s hotly anticipated Zack Snyder’s Justice League lands on HBO Max on March 18. Army of the Dead will also be competing on that May date with the Ryan Reynolds vehicle Free Guy and the Saw reboot Spiral starring Chris Rock, both of which are currently expected to be released theatrically. Check out the poster in the gallery below along with stills!

RELATED: Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas Anime Series Adds Joe Manganiello, Christian Slater & More

Army of the Dead will follow the story of a man who recruits a group of mercenaries to pull off the ultimate heist amidst a zombie apocalypse. It is consists of an ensemble cast, including Dave Bautista (Stuber), Omari Hardwick (Kick-Ass), Tig Notaro (Instant Family), Hiroyuki Sanada (Westworld), Raul Castillo (Vida), Nora Arnezeder (Origin), Matthias Schweighöfer (The Manny), Samantha Win (Wonder Woman), Rich Cetrone (Thor) and Garrett Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead).

Snyder has been working on the main movie since 2007, originally having it in development at Warner Bros. Now, the project is in development at Netflix. Word is the streaming service is sparing no expense with a budget reportedly in the $70 million to $90 million range. The Justice League director will produce alongside his wife Deborah Snyder for The Stone Quarry with Wesley Collar. Ori Marmu and Andrew Norman will oversee for Netflix.

RELATED: Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead Prequel Wraps Filming

Army of the Dead: The Prequel is directed by and stars Grimme Award winner Matthias Schweighöfer and will follow his Army of the Dead character “Ludwig Dieter”. Also starring Game of Thrones alum Nathalie Emmanuel, the multi-language movie was produced out of Germany by Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder and Wesley Coller of The Stone Quarry and Matthias Schweighöfer and Dan Maag of PANTALEON Films.

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Stump the Editor Episode 6: David Koechner!

Welcome to the latest episode of ComingSoon.net’s podcast, Stump the Editor! This week actor and comedian David Koechner (Anchorman, Krampus) drops by to duel with CS editor Max Evry for movie trivia domination! Koechner’s latest comedy film The Right One is now available on VOD, Digital and Blu-ray!

Join host Kristy Puchko (Pajiba, The /Filmcast) as she pits ComingSoon.net’s Managing Editor Max Evry against a string of celebrity guests in a grueling round of movie trivia. Then, in the second round, the guests get to turn the tables on Max by asking him trivia questions about their own career! Listen or download the podcast via the player below!

Click here to rent or purchase The Right One!

Starring Nick Thune, Cleopatra Coleman, Iliza Shlesinger and David Koechner, The Right One is a heartfelt and hilarious rom-com following Sara, a novelist struggling with writer’s block who needs inspiration—and finds it when she serendipitously meets Godfrey, a down-on-his-luck oddball who constantly changes personas in order to cope with a traumatic past and avoid reality. Just as Godfrey begins to open up to Sara, he discovers that she’s been using him as inspiration for her next novel, and he vanishes from her life. Did Sara just lose the man of her dreams, or will she be able to find him and make things right?

Previous Episodes:

Stump the Editor Episode 1: Jonah Ray!

Stump the Editor Episode 2: Scott Adkins & Jesse V. Johnson!

Stump the Editor Episode 3: Baron Vaughn!

Stump the Editor Episode 4: Brea Grant!

Stump the Editor Episode 5: Alex Winter!

What guests would you like to hear on future episodes of ComingSoon.net’s Stump the Editor? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Stump the Editor Episode 6: David Koechner! appeared first on ComingSoon.net.