Fox Searchlight Pictures’ THE DROP is a new crime drama from Michaël R. Roskam, the Academy Award nominated director of BULLHEAD.
James Gandolfini plays “Cousin Marv” as Tom Hardy takes on the role of “Bob” in the brand new international trailer.
Based on a screenplay from Dennis Lehane (MYSTIC RIVER, GONE BABY GONE), THE DROP follows lonely bartender Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) through a covert scheme of funneling cash to local gangsters – “money drops” – in the underworld of Brooklyn bars.
Under the heavy hand of his employer and cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), Bob finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood’s past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living – no matter the cost.
The film also features Noomi Rapace.
THE DROP opens in UK cinemas on November 14, with a US theatrical release on September 19.
Michael Roskam, Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini on the set
James Gandolfini and Michael Roskam on the set
Tom Hardy as “Bob” and Noomi Rapace as “Nadia”
Photos By: Barry Wetcher / Fox Searchlight Pictures
Paramount Pictures and Pathé today announced that the feature film SELMA will have a limited release in the U.S. on Christmas Day and will open wide on January 9, 2015.
The date puts director Ava DuVernay’s (MIDDLE OF NOWHERE) film in a prime spot during awards season. Definitely add this one to your calendar.
SELMA is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic struggle to secure voting rights for all people – a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with the epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and led to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The film’s release will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the landmark legislation.
It was also announced that Academy Award nominee Oprah Winfrey has joined the cast as Annie Lee Cooper, an elderly woman and visible leader amongst the civil rights protesters in Selma who tried to register to vote and was unfairly denied by the sheriff.
The film is currently shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery and Selma, Alabama.
SELMA is being produced by Oprah Winfrey, Plan B, the producers of the Academy Award-winning TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, and Cloud Eight Films’ Academy Award-winning Christian Colson (127 HOURS, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE).
Here’s how the huge, A-list cast breaks down:
David Oyelowo (INTERSTELLAR, LEE DANIEL’S THE BUTLER) as Martin Luther King Jr.
Tom Wilkinson (THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, MICHAEL CLAYTON) as Lyndon Baines Johnson
Carmen Ejogo (ALEX CROSS, PRIDE AND GLORY) as Coretta Scott King
Tim Roth (Lie to Me, THE INCREDIBLE HULK) as George Wallace
Oprah Winfrey (LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, THE COLOR PURPLE”) as Annie Lee Cooper
Andre Holland (42, 1600 Penn) as Andrew Young
Omar J. Dorsey (DJANGO UNCHAINED, THE BLIND SIDE) as James Orange
Alessandro Nivola (A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, AMERICAN HUSTLE) as John Doar
Dylan Baker (The Good Wife, Damages) as J. Edgar Hoover
Giovanni Ribisi (My Name is Earl, AVATAR) as Lee White
Cuba Gooding Jr. (JERRY MAGUIRE) as Fred Gray
Tessa Thompson (Heroes, Veronica Mars) as Diane Nash
Colman Domingo (LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, 42) as Ralph Abernathy
Stephen Root (“Justified,” “Boardwalk Empire”) as Al Lingo
Jeremy Strong (“The Good Wife,” “ZERO DARK THIRTY”) as James Reeb
Common (NOW YOU SEE ME) as James Bevel
Paramount is handling the film’s domestic distribution, Pathé is distributing in the UK and France and Pathé International will handle sales to the rest of the world.
Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson prove that it takes more than just heavy dialogue to make a powerful movie in David Michôd’s latest film, THE ROVER.
Ten years after the fall of Australia, Eric (Guy Pearce) sets out to hunt down three gun-toting men after they steal his car. Shortly into his mission he finds Rey (Robert Pattinson), the half-witted brother of one of the car thieves. Pearce forces Ray to come with him, and the two soon realize that they have the same end goal… revenge.
David Michôd takes viewers into a dark, post-apocalyptic world where everyone seems to be out for themselves, struggling to live. We aren’t sure what caused the fall of their civilization, only that most people were there to work in the mines. Michôd doesn’t give a ton of backstory, and the film is paced for a slow reveal, so patience is key. Rather than relying on heavy dialogue, he lets the scenery, and raw emotion of the characters tell a story of two lost individuals trying to survive.
Guy Pearce is always a treat to watch onscreen. This is the second film he has done with Michôd, but this time he takes the lead and shows audiences just how talented he is by bringing his anti-hero character to life without a tremendous amount of dialogue. Pearce is probably one of the most underrated actors of this generation, and if this film doesn’t convince you of his talent, then I don’t know what will!
This film is a big departure from most of Pattinson’s previous films. It seems that he is choosing more artistic, independent films over blockbusters. I’m not sure if this is to break away from his TWILIGHT reputation, but it’s working. Twi-Hards expecting the sparkly, handsome man that they fell in love with as Edward will be sadly disappointed. Instead, they will be greeted by a slow talking, dirty kid who is severely lacking in the IQ department. Having said that, he is phenomenal! Pattinson’s performance surprised me, and left me impressed. He’s making smart film choices, and it shows!
Pearce and Pattinson have an amazing chemistry together, and carry this film in a way that most actors wouldn’t be able to. While neither character is very likable, they somehow manage to make the audience invest in their journey through the incredible Australian landscape. Michôd paints a tonally somber, yet eerily beautiful background for Eric and Rey to exist in.
THE ROVER is both depressing and rewarding. This film is one of the more impressive indie films that i’ve seen this year, and worth the trip to the theater just to watch the chemistry and talent of its leading men.
The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 , which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
Opening in theaters on November 21, 2014, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence(Katniss Everdeen), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy), Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket), Julianne Moore (President Coin), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee), Jeffrey Wright (Beetee), Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair), Jena Malone (Johanna Mason), with Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman), and Donald Sutherland (President Snow).
(Photos by Jessica Hromas/Getty Images for Paramount)
Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, had its world premiere in Hong Kong at the Cultural Centre on Thursday, June 19th. The event marked the biggest and first-ever global premiere of a Hollywood blockbuster staged in Hong Kong.
Fans watched as Bay and his cast, including Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Li Bingbing, Han Geng and the band IMAGINE DRAGONS walked the red carpet bordering the magnificent Victoria Harbour.
The filmmakers, cast and crew celebrated the film’s first ever showing anywhere in the world and this latest installment in the TRANSFORMERS franchise has set yet another bar for cinematic innovation. The premiere in Hong Kong also featured a 21-foot tall Optimus Prime robot.
“We are very excited to be hosting the film’s world premiere in Hong Kong where we were welcomed with great enthusiasm during production,” said director Michael Bay. “It’s the perfect location to unveil the film ahead of its worldwide opening later this month. I hope the people of Hong Kong and China enjoy how we’ve showcased much of the region’s unique and iconic scenery in the movie.”
Celebrating this movie milestone, the Grammy Award-winning band IMAGINE DRAGONS, who wrote the original song “BATTLE CRY” for TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, performed live on the rooftop of Harbour City following the film’s screening.
The red carpet session and the IMAGINE DRAGONS live performance were streamed in 24 markets, allowing fans across the globe to share in these first-ever moments held in Hong Kong.
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION is produced by Paramount Pictures, with production assistance in mainland China by 1905 (Beijing) Network Technology Co., Ltd., China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises.
The film will release on Thursday, June 26th, 2014 in Hong Kong and on Friday, June 27th, 2014 in the U.S.
The NEW song “Battle Cry” by Imagine Dragons now available via iTunes on KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records.
Produced By Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce, the film is based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures.
The fourth film in director Michael Bay’s global blockbuster franchise stars Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing, Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Titus Welliver star.
The film begins after an epic battle that left a great city torn, but with the world saved. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs.
With help from a new cast of humans, Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet. In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.
In T4, John Goodman will play Autobot Hound, Ken Watanabe will play Drift, while Peter Cullen reprises his role as the voice of Optimus Prime, and Frank Welker takes on another new character, Galvatron.
Rounding out the voice-over cast are actors John DiMaggio, Mark Ryan, Robert Foxworth and Reno Wilson. DiMaggio and Ryan will take on the new characters Crosshairs and Lockdown respectively, while Foxworth reprises the role of Ratchet and Wilson returns as Brains.
Pixar Animation Studios has a lot in store for movie goers and animation enthusiasts during the summer of 2015. The studio has released the official title treatment and synopsis for the upcoming animated feature INSIDE OUT as well as the first poster for the new animated short film LAVA.
Disney/Pixar gave LA journalists an early sneak preview tonight and by all accounts, the footage shown was stunning.
Inspired by the isolated beauty of tropical islands and the explosive allure of ocean volcanoes, LAVA is a musical love story that takes place over millions of years.
From director James Ford Murphy and producer Andrea Warren, LAVA opens in theaters in front of INSIDE OUT.
From an adventurous balloon ride above the clouds to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award-winning director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Up”) has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places.
In Disney•Pixar’s original movie INSIDE OUT, he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all – inside the mind. Co-Directed by Ronnie del Carmen, the Producer is Jonas Rivera.
Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith).
The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.
Director Pete Docter made his directorial debut with Disney•Pixar‘s smash hit “Monsters, Inc.,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature film. Along with John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton, Docter developed the story and characters for “Toy Story,” Pixar‘s first full-length feature film, for which he also served as supervising animator. He served as a storyboard artist on “A Bug’s Life” and wrote the initial story treatment for “Toy Story 2.” As one of Pixar Animation Studios’ key creative contributors, Docter garnered an Academy Award nomination for his original story credit on Disney•Pixar’s Golden Globe- and Oscar-winning “WALL•E.”
Jonas Rivera produced the Academy Award-winning “Up,” for which he was nominated for best picture. Prior to “Up,” he had worked on nearly every Pixar film since joining Pixar Animation Studios in 1994, beginning with “Toy Story” for which he served as production office assistant. His subsequent credits include “A Bug’s Life” (as art department coordinator), “Toy Story 2” (as a marketing and creative resources coordinator), “Monsters, Inc.” (as art department manager) and the Golden Globe-winning “Cars” (as production manager).
With INSIDE OUT opening in theatres June 19, 2015, followed by THE GOOD DINOSAUR on November 25, 2015, that leaves Pixar out of the upcoming awards season race. However, Walt Disney Pictures animated entries for 2014 include PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE and BIG HERO 6.
Kevin Hart is playing best man Cedric in this weekend’s comedy THINK LIKE A MAN TOO.
The comedian takes on the role of best man again opposite Josh Gad in this first teaser to THE WEDDING RINGER.
In THE WEDDING RINGER, Jimmy (Hart) provides best man services for socially challenged guys, who – for whatever reason – have no one close enough to agree to stand by them on the day of their wedding.
Doug (Gad) a groom-to-be, has found himself in just such a situation, but, to make matters worse, he fabricates the names of not only a best man but nine groomsmen as well. When all else fails, Doug seeks out Jimmy’s services to carry out a charade designed to make Doug look his best, but threatens to destroy everything if it fails.
Jeremy Garelick (writer of “The Break-Up”) is directing THE WEDDING RINGER from a screenplay he wrote with Jay Lavender (“The Break-Up”).
THE WEDDING RINGER also features Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting,Jenifer Lewis, Ken Howard, Cloris Leachman, Mimi Rogers and Olivia Thirlby.
The score is from THINK LIKE A MAN TOO composer Christopher Lennertz. Read our interview with him HERE.
JERSEY BOYS opens with a shot of Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) casually walking across a mean street in Jersey to address us – the audience. His cool confidence and smug demeanor is our first indication that these boys that we’ll meet are from the wrong side of the tracks. Watching Tommy and his tag-along buddy in crime Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) attempt to rise out of the immoral Jersey shadow to a life of fame and fortune thanks to some catchy tunes isn’t necessarily the feel-good, entertaining story that you would expect from a film based on an uplifting, fun-loving pop quartet. As Valli and the gang later learn, you can’t always escape your past. Which is quite fitting since its director seems stuck in his tired and traditional ways as well.
Clint Eastwood’s resume shows that the director is quite comfortable in more dramatic territory. It’s no wonder than that JERSEY BOYS feels much heavier than it should be. Though the songs feel lighthearted and fun, the film almost completely resists the light much like cinematographer’s drab almost black and white photography. Right from the onset, a lack of energy is instantly felt and is a mood that is maintained through the entire film. Static camerawork, overlong scenes, and muddled editing emphasize the fact that Eastwood was the wrong man to lead this ambitious project. His attempt at creating an engaging drama with memorable songs sprinkled in feels more like a melodramatic tv movie with the memorable songs feeling more like an afterthought. Although the stage production might be popular across many age groups, I doubt that the film will attract the standing ovations that the live performances have garnered since the Broadway musical premiered in 2005. Well… aside from a completely out of place musical number during the credits that tries to desperately leave the audience with a toe-tapping finale.
What fans will gravitate towards is the inclusion of many veteran Broadway actors in starring roles. Their presence and singing ability is the one redeeming element of the film. John Lloyd Young delivers an uncanny Valli impression. The fact that his singing was performed in-camera is doubly applause-worthy. However it’s Vincent Piazza who steals many of the scenes as the real leader pulling the strings behind The Four Seasons. His intensity and gravitas on and off the stage lights up the screen even if he is forced to share the spotlight with many, many characters as more gangsters, producers, and fast talking gals gather along their road to fame. As the film trudges along, its missteps seem all the more apparent during the long journey out of Jersey. The overall weight of all of the characters and their respected storylines seem too much for the film to handle. Early on we’re introduced to Valli’s wife in a dynamic scene where the two of them go to a pizza parlor – “You know it’s a good place since they don’t sell it by the slice,” as she comically muses – but the character is left to be just a cardboard character later on as the script kicks her to the curb in favor of the drama between The Four Seasons. Later on, a death that should carry far more weight barely leaves an emotional weight on the audience due to a lack of care that was put into their storyline. JERSEY BOYS – both the film and the characters – feels rather insular in that they seem to ignore many of the characters and the political climate that vie for attention around them.
The film begins with a title on the screen that tells us the location and that the film is set in 1951. From then on the audience is left guessing how much time has passed between recordings, fights, and affairs. It’s not that we aren’t given some context clues, mainly thanks to the costume departments and Erich Bergen’s facial hair. But often it’s hard to decipher if four months have passed, four seasons, or four years. In a jarring sequence of events a little after the halfway mark, the film flashes forward quite a few years into the future right before it flashes back 2 years (for the first and only time in the 2 hr and 15 min. film mind you) showing the events that led back to the Ed Sullivan show. . . which we were just introduced to. Why this technique is used other than to create some form of drama that had previously been missing is beyond me. Poor lapses in time such as this may have been ignored if it weren’t for the film making its lengthy stay so apparent.
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons had many hits over the years and their importance within the music industry is without question. Eastwood may have had good intentions in attempting to translate the hit musical that tells their story for the big-screen. However, without any spark, emotion, or genuine drama, the film never lives up to the potential that the project had even before a film was even announced. Biopics are a-dime-a-dozen these days and it takes more than an iconic character to get the audience to sing a film’s tune. As Valli might so angelically sing of the way his story is told… “Ain’t That a Shame.”
THE JUDGE brings two-time Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. (CHAPLIN, TROPIC THUNDER) and Oscar winner Robert Duvall (CRAZY HEART) together for the first time on the big screen.
In THE JUDGE, Downey stars as big city lawyer Hank Palmer, who returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town’s judge (Duvall), is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.
Catch the first trailer below for the film that bows during the upcoming awards season.
The film also stars Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (THE CONJURING) and Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton (SLING BLADE), and is directed by David Dobkin (WEDDING CRASHERS).
The film also features Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Sarah Lancaster, Grace Zabriskie and Denis O’Hare.
RDJ’s wife, Susan Downey (the SHERLOCK HOLMES films) serves as a producer on the film.
Dobkin’s behind the scenes creative team includes Oscar-winning director of photography Janusz Kaminski (LINCOLN), production designer Mark Ricker (THE HELP), editor Mark Livolsi (THE BLIND SIDE) and costume designer Marlene Stewart (TROPIC THUNDER). The music is by 12-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman (SAVING MR. BANKS).
From Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures,THE JUDGE is scheduled for release on October 10, 2014.
2012’s THINK LIKE A MAN was an adaptation of comedian Steve Harvey’s New York Times best-selling book Act Like A Lady, Think Like a Man, where audiences met a group of close friends whose romantic entanglements with the women they pursued made for plenty of sharp comedy and heartfelt reflection once Harvey’s generous relationship advice was added to the mix.
In the end, the non-committer proposed, the dreamer won the heart of the independent woman, the player settled down with the 90-day-rule stickler, the mama’s boy broke free of his mother’s grip and vowed to put the cute single mom first, and the happily divorced guy went back to his wife.
In THINK LIKE A MAN TOO, the couples are back, along with new stories and funny storylines.
Directed by Tim Story (RIDE ALONG), the sequel takes all the characters to Sin City and drops them in the middle of everything that it’s known for – the lights, the gambling and the glitz.
Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara) and Kristen (Gabrielle Union) are trying to have a baby. Businesswoman Lauren (Taraji P. Henson) is offered a promotion in NYC from her boss (Kelsey Grammer) while budding chef Dominic (Michael Ealy) is considering a job in Vegas. Both are trying to make their relationship work, but their successful careers could potentially take them in different directions. Mya (Meagan Good) loves Zeke (Romany Malco), but in Vegas he’s known as Zeke the Freak by some.
The bride and groom, Michael (Terrence J) and Candace (Regina Hall) are getting married, but the happy couple’s dynamic is further complicated by the fact that Michael’s mother, Loretta (Jenifer Lewis), continues to be an intrusive element in their relationship
Then there is best man Cedric (Kevin Hart). He sets out to be “the best best man in the history of best men.” With a goal he’s obsessed with, he spends way more money than he has for the weekend on a lavish suite at Caesars Palace. He thinks that it is $4,000 a night, when it’s really $40,000 a night and winds up with a $80,000 bill. His efforts to try to win the money, along with everyone’s misadventures, threatens to derail Candace and Michael’s wedding.
Can these relationships have a “happily ever after” against the backdrop of Vegas? It’s a funny rom-com, so the answer is, of course.
Being in Sin City, dueling bachelor and bachelorette parties go full throttle.
The women rule this movie and get more screen time in the sequel. They “borrow” the guys’ party bus and head off for their own shenanigans at Planet Hollywood’s Gallery Nightclub. A scene recreating BBD’s ‘Poison,’ combined with karaoke and dancing, turns into a music video that’s really fun. It is one of the film’s most memorable moments. That is until the girls decide to continue the night by heading over to The Hustler Club for the Best Male Dancer contest.
Meanwhile, the guys try to help Cedric and his hotel bill by entering The Hustler Club’s contest and lo and behold the two parties come together.
As the ladies are cheering on Candace up on the stage for a lap dance, a raucous brawl in the club goes down, and everyone is hauled down to the local jail on the eve of the wedding.
Along the way in THINK LIKE A MAN TOO come a few new characters. Isaac (Adam Brody), Michael’s fraternity brother from college, is hell-bent on his friend having a great time in Vegas, while Terrell (David Walton), Michael’s other fraternity brother, is a surprise to all of Michael’s friends, and turns out to be the life of the party.
In addition to the return of Cedric’s wife Gail (Wendy Williams), actor Dennis Haysbert joins the cast as his character (Candace’s Uncle Eddie) comes in to save the day when he preoccupies Loretta from the bachelorette party. With the real onscreen chemistry between Lewis and Haysbert, someone needs to give these fine actors a film of their own.
Look for some funny cameos from Floyd Mayweather, TV reality star Coco and Drake.
Kudos to the film’s behind the scenes team. The score is by Christopher Lennertz, costume design by Salvador Perez, Chris Cornwell was the movie’s production designer, director of photography is Chris Duskin and editing by Peter S. Elliot (IRON MAN 3). The film’s R&B soundtrack is filled with wonderful songs from Mary J. Blige.
In the end, the craziness of the weekend brings everybody closer together and the film comes complete with flowers, romance and fireworks.
Grab your girlfriends this weekend and go see the hilarious THINK LIKE A MAN TOO.
![Drop B_R2[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/Drop-B_R21-560x233.jpg?resize=560%2C233&ssl=1)
![TF4_Unrated_Payoff_1-Sht_v2[1] (1)](https://i0.wp.com/www.wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/TF4_Unrated_Payoff_1-Sht_v21-11-560x874.jpg?resize=560%2C874&ssl=1)
