Spirited: Octavia Spencer in talks to Jjoin Ferrell & Reynolds in Apple’s musical film

According to Collider, Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water) has entered negotiations to star opposite Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in Apple Studios’ upcoming musical reimagining titled Spirited based on the classic tale A Christmas Carol. Should the deal pushes through, this project would mark Spencer’s latest collaboration with Apple TV+, which is currently working on the second season of Truth Be Told.

Spencer is reportedly set to portray the role of a good-natured colleague to Reynolds’ Scrooge-like character. Her unnamed character will help Ferrell’s Present teach the man kindness during the holiday season.

RELATED: Apple Wins Global Rights to CODA in Record-Breaking Sundance Deal

Spirited, a reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic, will reunite Ferrell with Daddy’s Home team Sean Anders and John Morris who will write and produce the film. Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum will produce under their Gloria Sanchez banner with Reynolds and George Dewey producing via their Maximum Effort label. Anders and Morris will produce under their company Two Grown Men.

A Christmas Carol is the famous tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. There have been many feature adaptations of the story, including Bill Murray’s Scrooged, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Jim Carrey’s 2009 animated take from Robert Zemeckis, and the 1984 film starring Oscar winner George C. Scott.

Charles Dickens’ immortal classic was first published in 1843 and has seen nearly two dozen film adaptations since the advent of the medium, starting in 1901 all the way through the Jim Carrey/Robert Zemeckis performance-capture version in 2009, with just as many done for television.

RELATED: WeCrashed: Jared Leto & Anne Hathaway to Lead Apple TV+ Limited Series

Ferrell and Reynolds both previously appeared in the Richard Nixon/White House comedy Dick in 1999 but shared no scenes and haven’t properly collaborated ever. Reynolds will next be seen in a number of high-profile projects such as Free Guy, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Red Notice, The Adam Project, and the untitled third Deadpool film, which will introduce the anti-hero to the MCU. While Ferrell is also set to lead Apple TV+’s series adaptation of The Shrink Next Door along with Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Check out the Raya and the Last Dragon Big Game spot!

Walt Disney Animation Studios has released the Big Game spot for their highly-anticipated animated fantasy film Raya and the Last Dragon, with tickets now on sale through Fandango for its upcoming theatrical release in select theaters on March 5. In addition, eager fans can now also be able to pre-order the film’s Premier Access on Disney+ for an additional one-time fee of $29.99. Check out the spot below!

Contactless Tickets – Advance ticket purchase and Mobile ticket entry on Fandango! – Going back to movie theaters!

RELATED: Full Schedule for Disney 2021 Movies and TV Shows Released!

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well.

Raya and the Last Dragon will be led by Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), who will be the first Southeast Asian to lead a Disney animated film. The titular role was originally set to be voiced by Cassie Steele (Rick and Morty), but the filmmakers and studio have chosen to adjust their vision and bring Tran in as the lead star, joining the previously cast Awkwafina (The Farewell), who is starring as a dragon in human form named Sisu.

In addition to Tran and Awkwafina, the cast for the film includes Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel) as Raya’s nemesis, Namaari; Daniel Dae Kim (Hellboy) as Raya’s visionary father, Benja; Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) as Namaari’s powerful mother, Virana; Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) as Tong, a formidable giant; Izaac Wang as Boun, a 10-year-old entrepreneur; Thalia Tran as the mischievous toddler Little Noi; Alan Tudyk (Harley Quinn) as Tuk Tuk, Raya’s best friend and trusty steed; Lucille Soong (Fresh Off the Boat) as Dang Hu, the leader of the land of Talon; Patti Harrison (Shrill) as the chief of the Tail land; and Ross Butler (To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You) as chief of the Spine land.

RELATED: Sneak Peek For Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back Documentary Revealed!

Raya and the Last Dragon is co-directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6), Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), Paul Briggs (Zootopia) and John Ripa from a script written by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen.

The film will arrive in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on March 5.

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Nobody Big Game spot puts Bob Odenkirk in the action!

Universal Pictures has released a Nobody Big Game spot for Ilya Naishuller’s upcoming action-thriller film, featuring Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk as a seemingly normal suburban husband and dad, who turns out to be a retired mercenary killer. Written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad, the film is scheduled to make its debut in theaters only on April 2. Check out the Nobody spot below!

RELATED: Nobody Trailer: Bob Odenkirk Gives John Wick a Run for His Money

Bob Odenkirk stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake , is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca, seems to pull only further away.

The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary —and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.

Nobody stars Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), Gage Munroe(The Shack), and Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov (Amazon’s McMafia). It will also feature Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd and multi-hyphenate musician-actor RZA.

RELATED: Ballerina: Chad Stahelski Reveals New Details on Len Wiseman’s John Wick Spinoff

Nobody is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ilya Naishuller (Hardcore Henry), from a script by Derek Kolstad, the narrative architect of the John Wick franchise. The film is produced by Kelly McCormick and David Leitch, the filmmakers of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde, for their company 87North, by Braden Aftergood (Hell or High Water, Wind River) for his Eighty Two Films, and by Bob Odenkirk and Marc Provissiero (Hulu’s PEN15) for Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment. The film is executive produced by Derek Kolstad, Marc S. Fischer, and Tobey Maguire.

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Dom returns in the new F9 Big Game spot!

Universal Pictures has released a Big Game spot for F9: The Fast Saga featuring new footage from the sequel. Check out the F9 Big Game spot in the player below!

RELATED: No Time to Die Release Pushed Back to Easter 2021

In F9, Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena).

F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tbilisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.

The film stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang, with Oscar winner Helen Mirren and Oscar winner Charlize Theron. F9 also features Grammy-winning superstar Cardi B as a new franchise character Leysa, a woman with a connection to Dom’s past, and a cameo by Reggaeton sensation Ozuna.

RELATED: Borat Sequel Teaser Trailer Released Ahead of Amazon October Premiere

F9 is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, Justin Lin, Clayton Townsend, and Samantha Vincent and is currently expected to hit theaters on May 28, 2021.

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Zack Snyder Drops New Justice League Clip Ahead of Next Week’s Trailer

Zack Snyder just dropped a new teaser for his final trailer to Zack Snyder’s Justice League that shows off more of Victor Stone’s (aka Cyborg’s) amazing football skills. The clip also revealed the official launch time of the final trailer, which arrives on 02/14/21 at 9:14 a.m. PST. Check out the clip below!

On the goal line. Trailer drop 2/14/21 9:14am PST #SnyderCut #ZackSnydersJusticeLeague pic.twitter.com/KiMpeYdvGh

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) February 7, 2021

RELATED: Zack Snyder Unveils Teaser of Jared Leto’s Joker in Justice League

Justice League will be hitting HBO Max solely as a four-hour movie on March 18. 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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Rating: 

9/10

Cast:

Viggo Mortensen as John Peterson

William Healy as 15-year-old John Peterson

Etienne Kellici as 10-year-old John Peterson

Grady McKenzie as 5-year-old John Peterson

Lance Henriksen as Willis Peterson

Sverrir Gudnason as Young Willis Peterson

Laura Linney as Sarah Peterson

Ava Kozelj as 10-year-old Sarah Peterson

Carina Battrick as 5-year-old Sarah Peterson

Hannah Gross as Gwen Peterson

Terry Chen as Eric Peterson

Piers Bijvoet as Will

Ella Jonas Farlinger as Paula

Written & Directed by Viggo Mortensen

Click here to rent or purchase Falling!

Falling Review:

The subject of dementia is one so fraught with sadness and unknowingness that it’s often tackled on screen in one of two ways: Humor or Tragedy. While the former path is certainly a feasible one, as humor is a coping mechanism for sadness, it often leads to unfair or disingenuous portrayals of the very real mental issue many face as they get older, whereas the latter approach generally bashes a viewer over the head with the message to sympathize with those suffering from it. While Viggo Mortensen’s Falling, might not find the right balance of both worlds, it does offer a far more honest and raw portrayal of the disease that sees its debuting writer/director/star and co-star Lance Henriksen delivering career-best performances.

John (Viggo Mortensen) lives with his partner, Eric (Terry Chen), and their daughter, Mónica (Gabby Velis), in California, far from the traditional rural life he left behind years ago. John’s father, Willis (Lance Henriksen), a headstrong man from a bygone era, lives alone on the isolated farm where John grew up. Willis is in the early stages of dementia, making running the farm on his own increasingly difficult, so John brings him to stay at his California home so that he and his sister Sarah (Laura Linney) might help him find a place near them to relocate to. Unfortunately, their best intentions ultimately run up against Willis’s adamant refusal to change his way of life in the slightest.

Unlike most films centered around characters suffering from dementia, the film takes an interesting narrative path by illustrating how Willis was during John’s childhood and up to the present day, but instead of a kind-hearted father whose struggle against the disease sees him devolve into a despicable character, we’re shown that he’s always been problematic and it presents a more compelling question for the viewer. How far does unconditional love for a parent go when they give you no avenue to connect with?

Drawing from his own experiences, Mortensen certainly doesn’t hold back in crafting the character of Willis, delivering a thoroughly conservative, wildly racist and homophobic misogynist whose time has long past. At times, it greatly works to create some gripping and emotionally heated moments between John and his father, as well as Eric, Sarah and the rest of the extended family, but admittedly there are times it becomes hard to watch. It’s undeniably an honest portrayal of those who exhibited these behaviors prior to succumbing to dementia, which only exacerbates and brings forth these negative traits more frequently and without filter, but at times the writing does draw dangerously near depicting Willis as a caricature more so than a genuinely complex or flawed person.

This is frequently saved, however, by Mortensen’s direction and the incredible performance from Henriksen in the role. The 80-year-old actor holds nothing back bringing Willis to life, delivering every harsh criticism, horrible slur and occasional expression of love and heartbreak with such a truthful abandon it’s hard to completely hate or feel unsympathetic in watching his spiral. Be it John’s endless attempts to help his ailing father or the rare moments indicating he’s really hurting deep down from a life of abandonment, the way the story keeps characters from endlessly turning their backs on him helps create a similar connection in audiences to Willis and keeping a sliver of hope alive that maybe he will come around.

While it might feel a little familiar or predictable in moments and Willis occasionally strays into caricature territory, Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut nonetheless proves to be a powerful, beautifully shot and incredibly performed honest portrayal of dementia that establishes the three-time Oscar nominee as a directorial talent certainly worth waiting for.

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Watchmen’s Stacy Osei-Kuffour tapped to pen Marvel’s Blade!

After confirming during the Disney Investor Day that the Mahershala Ali-led project would be a film, Marvel Studios has found the writer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Blade in the form of Watchmen story editor Stacy Osei-Kuffour, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: Mahershala Ali-Starring Blade Officially Confirmed as Movie!

Sources report that the blockbuster studio has spent the last six months meeting with various writers in a diligent search to find the right scribe for the project, with the Emmy and Oscar-winning star also being directly involved with the search. The studio also were reportedly only looking at Black writers to take on the project in an effort to continue their focus on diversity and making representation a key factor in their work, especially after the original three films were written and one directed by David S. Goyer.

Not only does Osei-Kuffour’s hiring continue this effort from the studio, it also establishes her as the first Black female writer to pen a Marvel movie, a landmark that comes a few months after Candyman helmer Nia DaCosta became the first Black woman director at Marvel by signing on to helm Captain Marvel 2. In addition to Watchmen, on which she wrote an episode, Osei-Kuffour served as story editor on Amazon’s Hunters and executive story editor on HBO’s Run and wrote an episode of Hulu’s PEN15, for which she earned an Emmy nomination.

Wesley Snipes played the martial artist Daywalker three times, in 1998’s Blade (the first successful Marvel Comics film), 2002’s Blade II and 2004’s Blade Trinity. He was replaced by rapper Sticky Fingaz for Spike’s Blade TV series, which only lasted one season in 2006.

RELATED: Black Panther 2 Will Not Recast T’Challa

The Blade Trilogy from New Line Cinema helped shepherd comic books and superheroes to the big screen. Combined, the three films brought in over $400 million at the global box office. Blade was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan as a supporting character in the comic book “The Tomb of Dracula” #10 in July of 1973.

(Photo Credit: Leon Bennett/WireImage)

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Oscar-winning actor Christopher Plummer dies at age 91

It is with great sadness that ComingSoon.net must report (via CNN) that legendary Canadian stage and screen actor Christopher Plummer has passed away at age 91.

RELATED: Young Frankenstein Star Cloris Leachman Dies at 94

Plummer’s career in theater and on television kicked off in 1953 with a road show production of André Roussin’s “Nina” and an episode of the anthology series Broadway Television Theatre, respectively. Thus began a career that spanned over five decades, capped by perhaps his most enduring film performance as Captain Georg von Trapp in Robert Wise’s Best Picture-winning 1965 musical The Sound of Music as well as his Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winning turn as a father coming out to his son in 2010’s Beginners.

Other major roles included appearing opposite Rod Steiger in the 1970 Napoleon biopic Waterloo, opposite Peter Sellers in 1975’s The Return of the Pink Panther, as author Rudyard Kipling in The Man Who Would Be King (also 1975), as a sadistic bank robber in 1978’s highly underrated The Silent Partner, as Sherlock Holmes in Murder by Decree (1979), as the voice of Henri le Pigeon in the animated An American Tail (1986), opposite Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks as the baddie in Dragnet (1987), twice with director Spike Lee for 1992’s Malcom X and 2006’s Inside Man, opposite Kathy Bates in the Stephen King adaptation Dolores Claiborne (1995), opposite Russell Crowe in the Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind (2001), opposite Nicolas Cage in National Treasure (2004), as Captain Christopher Newport in Terence Malick’s The New World (2005), opposite George Clooney in Syriana (also 2005), as the voice of Charles Muntz in Pixar’s Up (2009), in David Fincher’s 2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo remake, and most recently as the murdered patriarch in Rian Johnson’s smash hit Knives Out (2019). He also famously replaced Kevin Spacey as J. Paul Getty in director Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World (2017), with all of Spacey’s scenes reshot a mere month away from the film’s release.

In addition, Plummer had a good run in both horror and sci-fi genre films, including The Pyx (1973), the 1975 remake of The Spiral Staircase, the cheesy Italian Star Wars ripoff Starcrash (1978), the Dennis Quaid-led/Inception-esque sci-fi horror flick Dreamscape (1984), 1986’s Vampire in Venice, as the Klingon villan General Chang in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), opposite Jack Nicholson in Mike Nichols’ Wolf (1994), twice with Terry Gilliam for 1995’s time travel classic 12 Monkeys and as the lead in 2009’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Heath Ledger’s final role), 1998’s Canadian slasher The Clown at Midnight, As Van Helsing opposite Gerard Butler’s title vampire in Dracula 2000, reuniting with Dennis Quaid for 2003’s Cold Creek Manor, and opposite Paul Bettany in the comic book adaptation Priest (2011).

RIP to Christopher Plummer, a living legend who loved his craft, and was an absolute gentleman. So lucky to have shared a set with him. pic.twitter.com/hNPbTM6Gxw

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) February 5, 2021

This is truly heartbreaking. What an unbelievable loss. Few careers have such longevity and impact. One of my favorite memories from Knives Out was playing piano together in the Thrombey house between set ups. He was a lovely man and a legendary talent. https://t.co/eFwNVe762w

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) February 5, 2021

Pixar remembers Christopher Plummer, who as Charles Muntz in Up, taught us that “adventure is out there.” Rest in peace, good friend. pic.twitter.com/FzvjPeVraf

— Pixar (@Pixar) February 5, 2021

Such an early childhood memory.

Such and important one.

RIP Christopher Plummer. pic.twitter.com/ISU5Oz10bk

— Leia (@TheSWPrincess) February 5, 2021

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

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Barack & Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground unveils new slate of Netflix projects

After signing a first-look deal with the streamer in 2018 and partnering for three acclaimed projects since, Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions has unveiled a slate of six new projects in development at Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: Passing: Netflix Nabs Global Rights to Rebecca Hall’s Directorial Debut

“We created Higher Ground to tell great stories,” the Obamas said in a statement. “This group of projects builds upon that goal and the incredible path forged by films like Crip Camp, Becoming, and the Oscar-winning American Factory. From science fiction to the beauty of our natural world to the relationships that define us, Higher Ground continues to strive for fresh perspectives, compelling characters, and a healthy dose of inspiration. We couldn’t be more proud to team up with the brilliant artists behind each of these stories. Each of them has something important to say.”

The full list of projects in various states of development are as follows:

• Firekeeper’s Daughter: Based on the forthcoming debut novel from Angeline Boulley, the YA series will follow an 18-year-old Native girl who hesitantly goes undercover in a police investigation on her Ojibwe reservation. Mars and Reverie‘s Mickey Fisher will act as showrunner on the series and co-write with Wenonah Wilms, who shares Ojibwe heritage akin to Boulley. Fisher and Wilms are also set to executive produce.
• Exit West: A film adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s acclaimed novel, first announced in March 2020, with Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) set to star and Yann Demange (White Boy Rick) attached to helm.
• Great National Parks: A natural history series from Wild Space Productions and Blue Planet II vet James Honeyborne that explores some of the most awe-inducing national parks and wild spaces around the world.
• Tenzing: Based on the life of Tenzing Norgay, the man who alongside Sir Edmund Hillary became the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, with documentary filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, an expert on living on Everest, will make her feature directorial debut on a script from Luke Davies (Lion, Catch-22).
• Satellite: Plot details are currently unknown on the project, but the film is described as a sci-fi feature with Ola Shokunbi writig and Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman’s T Street attached, with Kiri Hart and Stephan Feder producing for the banner.
• The Young Wife: Written and directed by Selah and the Spades‘ Tayarisha Poe, the story centers on 29-year-old Celestina on the day of her first wedding — or not exactly a wedding but a party where she feels out of sync.

RELATED: Pieces of Her: Jessica Barden, Omari Hardwick & More Join Netflix Series

“It has been thrilling to watch President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and the Higher Ground team dive into original programming and produce incredible stories,” Netflix Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement. “American Factory, Crip Camp and Becoming have captivated audiences all around the world, and their new slate highlights the variety and depth of programming on the horizon as well as new and exciting storytellers.”

(Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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CS Interview: Frank Stallone talks documentary Stallone: Frank, That Is

ComingSoon.net had the opportunity to speak with Golden Globe nominee Frank Stallone about the new documentary Stallone: Frank, That Is, which gives an inside look into the fascinating life, career, and survivor of the most unknown famous entertainer in Hollywood. You can check out the interview with Stallone below and pick up your copy of the movie by clicking here!

RELATED: Exclusive Stallone: Frank, That Is Trailer From Branded Studios’ New Documentary

Frank Stallone has remained one of the most versatile talents in Hollywood for over four decades. His music career has earned him three Platinum Albums, ten Gold Albums, five Gold Singles and seen him top the charts worldwide. His movie soundtracks have audiences across the globe gripped by some of the most iconic movies, including The Expendables 2, Rocky I, II and III, Rambo II, Paradise Alley, Over the Top, and the Saturday Night Fever sequel Staying Alive, which earned him Golden Globe and Grammy nominations. All the while Frank’s on-screen career has seen him act in over 60 films and TV shows, including Tombstone and the cult hit Barfly. So why does Frank remain one of the least known famous faces in Hollywood? Find out as we go behind the scenes of Hollywood’s elite, in this fascinating documentary, told by Frank himself and those that know him best.

Written and directed by Derek Wayne Johnson, the film features special appearances by Frank Stallone, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Dee Williams, Billy Zane, Joe Mantegna, Talia Shire, Geraldo Rivera, Danny Aiello, Burt Young, Frankie Avalon, Richie Sambora, and John Oates.

RELATED: CS Video: Falling Interview with Writer/Director & Stars Mortensen & Henriksen

Stallone: Frank, That Is was produced by Emmett James, Chris May, David Polemeni, Frank Stallone, and Johnson, and executive produced by Ronald Zamber. Charlotte Fantelli and Simon Dolan serve as co-executive producers. The project is a Cinema 83 Documentary Films production in association with Visionary Media Group.

Frank Stallone: So Max, what did you think of the documentary? Did you like it?

ComingSoon.net: Yeah, it was really cool. I thought it was a lot of fun, there was a lot of candor, which I appreciate. There was a lot of good footage, a lot of stuff I’d never seen.

Stallone: Yeah.

CS: I’d have to say the biggest thing I was surprised about was, I had no idea that you had worked with [Harry] Nilsson.

Stallone: Oh, oh he’s one of my dear, dear friends and my next door neighbor, yeah. I was into Harry since 1967. Yeah, I mean, and I first met him on – my band flew out here. We were on RCA Records. And that’s where I met him. The office in California was our first trip out as Valentine. And I couldn’t believe it because we all idolized Harry. I mean, I still listen to his music constantly. And then all of a sudden a few years later, I moved to California and my brother tells me, you know who lives next door? I go, who’s that? He said, Harry Nilsson. I go, oh come on. I go, are you serious? So from that point on we became like buddy buddies. I was like, the first guy he ever – I was the only guy he ever produced.

CS: That’s amazing.

Stallone: Yeah, he was really a wonderful man. Gone too soon, for sure. A great songwriter and Ringo’s been trying to get him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And I have no idea why he’s not in and people like, Joan Baez are. I don’t get it.

CS: That’s mind-blowing that he’s not even being considered for that.

Stallone: Nina Simone. Yeah, she’s in but Harry’s not? Okay.

CS: Yeah, “Nilsson Schmilsson” and “Son of Schmilsson” those two are some of the best.

Stallone: Oh it’s great. Yeah, he was a dear, dear friend. And like I said, we’re next door neighbors and spent a lot of time together.

CS: Yeah. I know that he kind of had issues where his manager took all his money and all this stuff.

Stallone: Yes.

CS: Were you guys buddies like all through that sort of rough period towards the end?

Stallone: What happened was, it wasn’t his manager, it was kind of like his assistant secretary who’s like, godmother to his kids. Her and her husband absconded with all the money. And one day he got a call from Lee Blackman, who was his attorney. And he said, Harry, I have bad news. What happened? He goes, you’re broke. He goes, what? You’re broke. And Harry had thought he had like, $9-$10 million dollars. So he was extremely generous, but on the other hand, he was also very frugal because he came from a very poor background. And that blew his mind. You know, he had seven kids. And he had this house in Bel Air. And then, he finds out he’s broke and betrayed, totally ripped off. And so, he had to move to another house. And then from there he just got sick. And he was dead at like, well, he was 53 going on 54.

CS: Yeah, it was around the mid-90s.

Stallone: Yeah.

CS: But it’s interesting because I was reminded when you were talking about your Staying Alive experience, you kind of got fleeced out of your publishing rights there, too. You had a similar –

Stallone: Oh yeah. And I’m not the only one. Those guys get fleeced out of publishing – yeah. It was something I never quite understood, Max. Who takes 100 percent of anything? I mean, no one goes into business and goes, okay, listen, this is how it’s going to be. You’re going to work your butt off, we’re taking 100 percent. I mean, yeah, sure, that sounds like a good deal to me. Yeah, I mean, but that’s what was going on then. And I’m not the only one. We all got ripped off.

CS: Yeah, you hear horror stories, like Badfinger. That was a horror story.

Stallone: Oh that was – I mean, they hung themselves. I mean, that’s pretty bad management when you hang yourself from the barn, you know?

CS: Yeah.

Stallone: I don’t know. Like in my documentary, I think what it kind of talks about is perseverance. It’s almost like a baseball movie, the love of the game. In other words, all the bad stuff, you’re in it because you love it and because, listen, there’s a lot of people, most people in this business that you know don’t really make a living. I mean, it’s very hard to make a living in this business. So it’s interesting, when you see that happen, you know? And listen, I’m very flattered and very blessed to have had a movie made about myself and getting all this wonderful reaction. We’re having like, a really good reaction. And it’s like, to me, it makes me feel really good.

CS: Yeah. Well, I mean, and it’s also, it’s a testament to the fact that you’ve had ups and downs and stuff.

Stallone: Oh my god.

CS: But you’ve stuck it out, and just by the sheer act of sticking it out, like now you can do this kind of retrospective and look back and people can be like, oh, well, like, this is actually pretty incredible.

Stallone: Well, you know what it is? I think it also is a thing where anything that you go through in life, whether it’s what I went through in my periods of mental stress, I think the worst feeling to feel is that you’re alone, that no one else feels with you, because everyone does think their problems are the worst. And so, sometimes people will go to group therapy or something like that and they find out that there’s tons and tons of other people who have the same issues they do. So you’ll feel like, isolated. So I kind of felt isolated because no one talked about, you know, anxiety and panic attacks. No one addressed those things in those days, so that was the different world. But I came through it. I mean, thank god I had music. I came through. If I didn’t have music, I don’t know what would have gone on.

CS: Right.

Stallone: But I came through it and I mean, if you told me in 1970, which is ’69 to ’74 were pretty bad for me, so that one day they’d be making a film, a documentary about me, I would say you’ve got to be out of your mind. I mean, it’s crazy. But they did and I think that they did a great job directing it. You know, with what’s going on now, I mean, I’ve got a great publicity team of Lee Meltzer and Rogers & Cowan and PMK and Emily and everyone that works, Rachel, that are working on the team. I mean, it’s really great. It’s almost like when I had hit records. Like when you had a real team out there pushing for you, a real top-notch operation. It’s a really good feeling to have. Most of the time, you’re not getting any of that.

CS: Right, exactly.

Stallone: What did you get out of the movie for yourself?

CS: It was just cool to see that –

Stallone: The inner workings.

CS: Yeah, it’s like, I love all the backstage stuff, obviously you’ve been kind of like a Forrest Gump in the way you’ve been around all these amazing people and you’ve had all these crazy experiences. And actually, what’s interesting to me is you’ve been in Terror in Beverly Hills, but you’ve also been at the top of the machinery. You’ve done Tombstone and Rocky and all this stuff. So my last question I wanted to just ask you, is there one film project that kind of got away that you’re always like, ah, I was so close, I could’ve really done something with that?

Stallone: Well, I had a movie I was doing called The Good Life, and that went into a horrible tailspin with court cases and people suing. And I had a great cast. I had my brother. I had Dennis Hopper. I had all these people in it and the people I was working with were just I’d say less than stellar, the producers. And they put me in court, my brother in court for no reason and basically almost destroyed my life. As far as emotionally and financially, it took me almost 15 years to kind of get myself back.

And that’s what happens when you deal with certain unsavory people and that’s why I’m going to write a book, which I had started to write. I copyrighted it. And it’s about all is not perfect in Hollywood. I mean, there’s people that killed themselves out here, because they didn’t get a movie part or something and they go home and they jump off the Hollywood sign or something like that because they take it to heart. You know, and I love mentoring people. I love to go on tour talking to young people. Then the bottom line is you better expect to probably get rejected 97 percent of the time.

CS: No, no, exactly.

Stallone: This is a vicious town. I mean, you read Otto Friedrich’s book called City of Nets, you realize how many fatalities have been in this town since Hollywood – how many people that were big stars that ended up working at a hot dog stand killed themselves. I mean, there’s tons of them. You know, Karl Dane. I mean, going back to the silent era. There were a lot of tragedies that were now coming out, but they were covered up in those days because the studios owned all the rag sheets and –

CS: Yeah, they had the fixers and stuff.

Stallone: Oh of course they had fixers. If someone was gay, you’d lose your career overnight. But even though the studios knew this person that was of this persuasion, they would cover it up because that was their investment. And then, when unfortunately something would come out about that, like William Haines, that career is done. And the studio would just abandon him, oh, we never knew that. So I mean, it’s a pretty cruel business, you know?

CS: Yeah.

Stallone: As great as it is, it’s as bad as it can be as well.

Stallone: Frank, That Is is available now on VOD and Digital.

(Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

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