Check out this brilliant first trailer for MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE.
I’m sold!
In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Exclusively in theaters June 5, 2026 in U.S. theaters on June 5, 2026 by Amazon MGM Studios and internationally this June, by Sony Pictures International Releasing.
Nicholas Galitzine stars in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
What’s this? Or maybe I should say, “What’s gnu?”. We’re almost at the end of the year, and we’ve got a flick that hits the usual Summer “sweet spot” twice. Yes, this is an animated feature, and it’s a sequel, though it’s been nine (!) years since the original opened, time enough for a whole new “moviegoer generation” (back before home video, Disney would re-release their classics every seven years, as a kind of “turn-over”). And much like the return of THE BAD GUYS, we’re back in a world without humans, just cute (mostly) adorable animals. And at the heart of the story is a most unlikely, very odd couple. Oh, and now they’re both “on the force”, so it’s “buddy cop” movie, too. The “Mouse House” hopes that everyone will want to join them on their new “case” in ZOOTOPIA 2.
After a brief flashback back to the finale of the original, we’re soon return to the wild streets of “Tundra Town” in Zootopia with Det. Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) and her partner Det. Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). Somehow the bust of a smuggling ring goes, well,”bust” as the bunny and fox end up destroying the statue of the beloved creator of the “Weather Wall” (which generates vastly different climates with the city, that allows the various mammals to co-exist). Of course, they’re reprimanded by their boss, Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) and taken off patrol duty (riding a desk). But does this stop the ever-upbeat and curious Hopps? No, she spots a logo on footage of the smuggler’s van that connects it to a big fancy museum gala that will showcase the original design book of that Weather Wall with the offspring of the inventor, the wealthy and powerful Lynxley family in attendance. Hopps and Wilde don disguises and sneak in. But just as Hopps has a friendly meet up with the less-celebrated of those heirs, the bumbling shy Pawbert (Andy Samberg), someone cuts the lights and the treasured book is snatched. The police duo corner the thief, who is revealed to be a pit viper named Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan). How can this be? Reptiles were banished from Zootopia years ago. When Gary escapes, Hopps and Wilde must use all their sleuthing skills to learn the true origins of their home, before sinister forces destroy it.
Wisely the producers have assembled a stellar vocal cast mixing the usual celebrity “star” roster with a few cartoon voice vets like Maurice LaMarche (forever “The Brain”), Bob Bergen, and Debra Monk. Since he’s been so prolific “behind the mike” we could add Patrick Warburton, who is quite funny as actor turned politico Mayor Windancer ( love how he constantly whips his mane), along with Alan Tudyk (the studio’s “good luck charm”) as several supporting characters. As for the “big names”, Goodwin and Bateman are still are a terrific pairing as Hopps and Wilde with her sprite-like sunny energy and his laid-back cool. Ditto for Elba’s intimidating, “bass-heavy” Bogo. A few of the “newbies” really shine. Quan gives the slithery Gary a real sweetness as he tries to toss away his species’ “bad rep”. Samberg conveys a needy, goofy quality as Pawbert. As his father Milton Linxley, David Strathairn, is quite effective as the impossible to please tyrant of a papa. Another big addition comes from the world of stand-up as comic Fortune Feimster puts an energetic, frantic spin on the conspiracy-lovin’ podcast-hostin’ beaver, Nibbles Maplestick.
The directing team of Jared Bush (who doubles as screenwriter) and Byron Howard return to ensure the same excellent artistry of the original. This film will benefit from multiple viewings, since it’s almost impossible to consume all of the “eye candy” that fills nearly every frame with witty visual puns and bombastic sight gags. Everywhere, there’s a pun-filled sign or an interestingly garbed animal engaging in a wacky bit of business. Of course, the latter begins with the superb character design, ranging from towering elephants and rhinos to the diminutive mice and moles. The artisans really had a “field day” with Gary whose elastic coiling torso balances an almost angelic face (even with the fangs). But then all of the physical acting (such emotive gestures) are top-notch. Michael Giacchino contributes a score nearly as light and bouncy as his work on the Fantastic Four flick. Critter-loving kiddies should be in “hog heaven” as they ID the astounding variety on screen, though the too-convoluted conspiracy plot line (almost a stumper for Benoit Blanc) may leave them lost in the various twists and turns (simple’s always better, along with a slightly-shorter runtime). Otherwise, this is a superior bit of family entertainment, ZOOTOPIA 2 is a nice extra dessert (along with that pumpkin pie) for this Thanksgiving.
3 Out of 4
ZOOTOPIA 2 arrives in theatres everywhere on Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Viola Davis and director Gina Prince-Bythewood on the set of THE WOMAN KING. Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Paramount Pictures today announced the principal cast of the feature film, Children of Blood and Bone. Leading the action fantasy film are Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King) as Zelie; Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) as Amari; Damson Idris (“Snowfall”) as Inan; and Tosin Cole (“Supacell”) as Tzain.
The movie, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood (THE WOMAN KING, THE OLD GUARD), is based on the #1 New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Tomi Adeyemi.
The movie releases January 15th, 2027 in IMAX.
Also confirmed are Academy Award® winner Viola Davis (The Woman King, G20) as Mama Agba; Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) as Admiral Kaea; Idris Elba (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) as Lekan; Lashana Lynch (Bob Marley: One Love) as Jumoke; and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as King Saran.
In negotiations are Academy Award® winner Regina King (Shirley) as Queen Nehanda; Diaana Babnicova (Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot) as Folake; and Bukky Bakray (Rocks) as Binta.
Forthcoming will be additional castings from an open casting call for actors living in Nigeria.
Production is set to begin filming in South Africa in the coming weeks.
Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill Entertainment, together with Karen Rosenfelt of Sunswept Entertainment – the filmmaking team behind the Twilight series – will produce, alongside Matt Jackson of Jackson Pictures. Adeyemi and Reggie Rock Bythewood will executive produce. Adeyemi and Prince-Bythewood co-wrote the script.
Paramount Pictures President & CEO Brian Robbins, along with Motion Picture Group Presidents Daria Cercek and Mike Ireland, acquired the rights to the trilogy in a highly competitive bidding war.
Tomi Adeyemi – Credit Caroline Fiss
Said Prince-Bythewood, “I am so honored and excited to bring Tomi’s Children of Blood and Bone and the vibrant world of Orisha to life. Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies.”
In Children of Blood and Bone, in an African fantasy kingdom, a young woman goes on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people. She and her brother ally with the daughter and son of the king to fight back against his brutal rule.
The book series has become an instant classic, with the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy spending a combined 175 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, including four weeks at #1 on the Young Adult Hardcover list for Children of Blood and Bone; five weeks at #1 on the Young Adult Hardcover list for Children of Virtue and Vengeance; and one week at #1 on the Children’s & Young Adult Series list for Children of Anguish and Anarchy. In total, the series has sold almost three million copies worldwide and garnered critical acclaim, with Children of Blood and Bone being featured as a Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time; a New York Times Notable Children’s Book; and a Kirkus Prize Finalist, among other distinctions.
Photo Credits: Chwietel Ejiofor – Credit Sarah Dunn, Cynthia Erivo – Credit Mark Seliger, Idris Elba – Credit Alex Piper, Lashana Lynch – Credit Richard Phibbs, Regina King – Credit Tym Shutchai Buacharern for Criterion
Oh my, it looks like the animated critters have taken over the multiplex during this pre-holiday weekend. While Mufusa’s growls and roars are echoing through the hallways, another CGI-rendered creature is threatening to dash right off the screens. Now, they do have a few other things in common as they are both sequels, with this flick actually the third in a franchise. And it’s not based on a beloved thirty-year-old animated classic, but rather a still-adored video game dynasty (which predates THE LION KING by three years). Oh, and this one includes “real live” actors alongside the “pixel pals”. So what new kicks (and spins and dashes) are in store after two previous outings in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3?
Well for one thing we’re introduced to a new character (to the film series that started four years ago). At a Tokyo Island G.U.N (Guardian Units of Nations) prison, a creature floating inside a liquid containment chamber is stirring after being dormant for fifty years. A heavily-armed squadron leaps into action but they don’t stand a chance when this black and red hedgehog named Shadow (voice of Keanu Reeves) breaks through the glass. Using his speed and teleporting powers (think Nightcrawler of the X-Men), he escapes into the night. GUN acting director Rockwell (Krysten Ritter) has to call in back-up, namely Sonic (vo: Ben Schwartz), Tails (vo: Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (vo: Idris Elba), a trio of small super-powered alien animals. The trio bids farewell to their adoptive parents Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) and are whsked to Japan…where they’re defeated by Shadow. Before pursuing him, Sonic and his pals stop to “refuel” at a local eatery and are attacked by floating egg-shaped drones. Luckily they’re helped by a mysterious man in black. It’s none other than an old nemesis, Agent Stone (Lee Mahdoub). He informs them that that drones aren’t sent by his boss, then leads them to the floating underwater home (the “Crab”) of Sonic’s arch-enemy, the now flabby and disheveled Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Hearing of the appropriation of his tech he springs into action, theorizing that Shadow is returning to the long-scrapped GUN facility in England. The trio becomes a quintet as they discover the man behind the release of Shadow and the egg drone assault, Ivo’s long-lost grandpa Gerald (also Carrey). It’s all part of his plan to rule the world with his ultimate invention, a space arsenal satellite, the Eclipse Cannon. Can the Sonic crew shut it down despite its defender, the formidable Shadow, before it levels the planet?
Most of the cast (both live and voice) are returning after at least one previous installment of the franchise (and even a streaming series). Schwartz has that rapid vocal delivery to match Sonic’s jet-like speed as he spews wisecracks and zany retorts. Elba has a hesitant humorless stoic line-reading as Knuckles seems to take everything literally and needs to spell things out (like another Marvel staple, Drax). Shaughnessey exudes youthful enthusiasm and sweetness as Tails. This is the exact opposite of the dour, somber Shadow given the proper icy tone by newbie Reeves. The most prominent of the “live-action” actors is Carrey, who’s so frenetic they don’t try to contain him in one character. As Ivo, he’s still the superlative comic villain, full of snarky zingers and rubbery bits of physical schtick. But he’s also Grandpa Gerald the gravel-voiced manipulator who only wants to bond with Ivo to fulfill his dreams of world domination. Sumpter and Marsden are still an engaging couple though they’re on the sidelines for most of the action, only getting a chance to “step up” in the prelude to the big action finale. They’re the warm, nurturing counterpart to newbie Ritter as the tough-as-nails Rockwell. Mahdoub as Stone is still the over-accommodating doormat of a sidekick. Happily, we get a terrific cameo by Adam Pally as goofball lawman Wadw Whipple.
Also returning to the director’s chair for the third time is Jeff Fowler, who strives to keep the slapstick and verbal asides coming at us with the speed of the title character. And that works well for most of the story although the film stumbles a bit during the “ET-like’ flashbacks about Shadow’s friendship in the 70s with a pre-teen girl. It’s to establish Shadow’s arc, but it’s a tad clunky. As are a few other bits of business including a riff on Telenovelas that loses its spicy salsa satire. Ditto for an Ivo and Gerald bonding montage that stops the story in its tracks (plus I kept getting a Jim Gaffigan vibe from elder Robotnik). Other detours are non-sensical as when Tom and Maddie must pass themselves off as her aggressive sister and vain hubby. After so many sideroads the plot concludes in an outer space showdown that piles on the climaxes to the point of exhaustion (lots of action involving those golden ring portals). The youngest fans of Sonic and his various games and off-shoots will probably be amused and engaged, but for the older folks, it may feel like a big party at an unfamiliar office (which happens this time of year). Of course, we get end-credit bonus scenes, so as to hype up their fanbase for continued IP merch long after most have forgotten the few pleasures (mostly from Carrey) in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3.
2 Out of 4
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 is now playing in theatres everywhere
Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Director Jeff Fowler returns along with our all-star cast including Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, newcomers Alyla Browne and Krysten Ritter, with Keanu Reeves joining the franchise as Shadow the Hedgehog.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 is in theaters on December 20!
Shadow (Keanu Reeves) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.
Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Director Jeff Fowler returns along with our all-star cast including Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, newcomers Alyla Browne and Krysten Ritter, with Keanu Reeves joining the franchise as Shadow the Hedgehog.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 opens in theaters December 20, 2024.
And check out the projections featuring images of Sonic, Shadow and the classic Robotnik icon which appeared in Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Sydney, Tokyo leading up to the trailer debut.
Both Sonic films have been successful at the box office, demonstrating the popularity of the character and the franchise.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game film in the United States and Canada. The domestic gross was $148.9 million with a worldwide take of $319.7 million.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) surpassed its predecessor’s domestic gross and also performed well internationally. The domestic box office was $146.1 million, while the global box office was $337.2 million.
Jim Carrey as Ivo Robotnik and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.
Paramount Pictures Presents In Association with Sega Sammy Group
An Original Film / Marza Animation Planet / Blur Studio Production
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 is based on the SEGA Video Game
Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and Knuckles (Idris Elba) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.
As the seasons march toward Fall, many begin to lapse into the doldrums, since the excitement of exotic getaways is set aside. Perhaps a bit of magic will perk them up, or as with this new film, a whole lot of magic. Well, one of its two central characters is a magical creature of myth, one that’s not unfamiliar to the movie audiences though really a touchstone of the fantasy sitcom “fad” of the 1960s. Now that really began in the “stars” with Ray Walston’s “Uncle Martin” AKA “My Favorite Martian”, followed by Elizabeth Montgomery’s spellcasting Samantha Stevens in “Bewitched”. And then there was Jeannie, of “I Dream of…”, played by the still dazzling (she reached 91 only days ago) Barbara Eden, an all-powerful but sweet sorceress residing in an ornate, rather small bottle. Now these beings are now populating TV again, though now they are called by their original monikers, Djinns (mentioned but not seen in “Ms. Marvel” and a temporary resident of the house in “What We Do in the Shadows”). And this film’s character is closer to those ancient tales, not as whimsical as Eden, or Robin Williams and Will Smith, nor the intimidating Rex Ingram of the 1940 THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, with a pinch of Burl Ives in THE BRASS BOTTLE. But a new element is added as he tells us of his THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING.
We’re first introduced to the human half of the aforementioned central duo by the narration of celebrated scholar Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) as she travels on a plane bound for modern-day Istanbul. She’s a featured speaker there at a storytelling conference. At the airport, she’s taken aback when an unusual-looking driver tries to grab her bag and usher her away. Luckily her escorts spot her and the cabbie vanishes. After a stop at the plush hotel, she’s off to her first lecture. Her talk is cut short when she spots another odd person in strange garb in the audience, popping up in different seats…and glowing. She faints and is whisked away, and after a check-up returns to her room. After her rest, one of her hosts treats her to a bit of shopping, gifting her an odd-looking, somewhat battered tiny ceramic bottle. Using her electric toothbrush to loosen the cap, Alithea is knocked backward by a burst of energy and mist. Opening her eyes, she sees a large, almost gigantic man in the room’s main space. He introduces himself as a Djinn (Idris Elba), the legendary magic creature of mythology, imploring her to let him grant her three wishes in order for him to ascend into the Djinn realm. Well-knowing the devious Djinns of fables, she’s hesitant and inquires about his past. The Djinn details his love of Sheba, his imprisonment by the aides of Solomon, his release many years later during a familial power struggle in a kingdom, and his time a few hundred years ago with a woman seeking ultimate knowledge. Is Alithea convinced that the Djinn has no trickery up his sleeves of her hotel bathrobe? And just what would be the wishes of a brilliant twenty-first-century woman?
Though many characters flit in about them, either in the “now” in “long-ago tales”, much of the story centers on the two leads conversing. Happily, we’re treated to the interplay of one of the movies’ most compelling duos. As with most of her roles, Swinton brings her sharpened intelligence to the “scholar” while still throwing in a bit of the “off-kilter” wit of her Wes Anderson efforts. Alithea takes some time to get “her footing” as the strange occurrences and images she sees upon her arrival have her questioning her senses. That culminates in her shock at finding that her “stories” are rooted in history. But she quickly hones her focus, curious about what this entity has to say, while never ignoring her logic and giving in to the “gift” (she’s wary of the Djinn’s “wishing cons”). As that truly larger-than-life being, Elba is at his most compelling and enigmatic. He’s ecstatic to be released into this era’s world, but he tempers his frustration over Alithea’s hesitancy. From the sadness in his eyes, we see that he’s eager to leave this realm, though he’s more than ready to share his long, tales of love and avarice. He’s often annoyed at these mortals, but he’s tethered to their desires. It helps that there’s no CGI or elaborate prosthetic makeup (and no body paint) to obscure him, only some interesting frayed pointed ears and his dark eyes under his bald brow. I should single out one supporting cast member in the most riveting “back story”, namely Ece Yuksel as Guiten the “genius” who prefers to learn rather than escape her prison of marriage (and punish her abusive husband).
And let’s give a big “welcome back” to one of the world’s great filmmakers who has dazzled us for five decades and has been MIA since the spectacular MAD MAX: FURY ROAD over seven years ago, George Miller. His keen visual sense hasn’t dulled in the least, as he uses state-of-the-art CGI wizardry to bring several ancient civilizations back to vibrant life. He also makes the magic of Djinn’s life feel both real and dream-like with several imaginative creations (Solomon’s musical device that sprouts extra appendages is remarkable). Plus the oversize Djinn in the first scenes almost bursts through the spacious hotel suite realistically. The “flashbacks” are so full of sensory wonders that make the modern times sequences feel a bit flat as the story stumbles in the final act. Miller co-write the screenplay with his daughter Augusta Gore adapting the short story by A. S. Byatt, which loses much of its narrative power as it takes a turn toward romance and today’s political landscape, feeling a tad “heavy-handed”. Still, this doesn’t lessen the “adult fairy tale” feel of the Djinn’s wondrous history and the superb pairing of Swinton and Elba. They and the gifted Mr. Miller are the true magical ingredients of THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING.
2.5 Out of 5
THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING is now playing in select theatres
Hard to believe but Summer will soon be a distant memory, so if you can’t get outta’ town before packing the kids off to school, there’s still time for a virtual “vacay” at the ole’ multiplex. Oops, maybe the tots should skip this excursion. So, is this flick set in romantic Paris, or perhaps on an exotic island? This tale has no ocean or beach, though it has a lot in common with a couple of movie islands (namely Amity and Skull). Still, there are lots of vast open areas to explore and observe the local wildlife (er…see the aforementioned isles). Yes, the wildlife couldn’t be much wilder when a getaway turns deadly when a dad out of his element must protect his daughters from a truly savage ferocious BEAST.
The film’s opening scene sets the tone and premise. An ambush of a lion pride by a group of heavily-armed poachers doesn’t turn out as they hoped when the only surviving cat turns the tables on them. Cut to the next day as a small plane touches down on a dusty South African airstrip. On board is New York doctor Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) who has brought his teenage daughters Norah (Leah Jeffries) and Meredith (Iyana Halley) on vacation to the birthplace of their late mother. The two young women are bickering almost immediately (the heat and no wifi) until the group is met by Nate’s old pal, game preserve manager Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley). The two go way back (Martin introduced Nate to his late wife), so he opens his home to the trio. That evening’s dinner is rough as the girls (especially ‘Mer”) voice their resentment over Nate’s absence during Mom’s illness, as the two had separated earlier. Over late night drinks, Nate tells Martin of his guilt and his hope that the family can bond over the trip. But tomorrow’s a fresh start as Martin loads them up in his jeep for a tour of the sprawling preserve, After a fairly close visit with a friendly pride of lions, the quartet travels to a quaint little village. But instead of friendly faces, they discover eviscerated corpses. And Martin knows the attack is recent (campfires still smoldering), so he hustles his friends back into the jeep just as the killer lion charges them. Naturally, the spot is so remote that they can’t get a signal on their cellphones, walky-talkies, and CB radio. When the jeep fails, can these four possibly survive the jaws and killer claws of this man-killing predator?
Though he’s adept at playing the confident action hero, Elba is able to step into an entirely different heroic role, a man who knows he’s in over his head but somehow pushes himself into protector mode (papa bear, perhaps). As we first meet him, Nate is almost walking on emotional eggshells, trying to say and do the right things to connect with his kin. A few drinks reveal his tremendous remorse over failing to hold the family together. Elba later shows us, through his terrified eyes, that Nate will give his all this time in order to triumph. It helps that he’s got great chemistry with the always engaging Copley whose Martin loves being the “Dutch uncle” while still telling Nate what he needs to hear, the lovely and the ugly. He fawns over the daughters, but his quiet masks a dark secret that will make an impact during the “siege”. Halley as ‘Mer’ mixes the usual teenage rebellion with seething anger towards her dad, thwarting his every effort at re-connecting. The younger Norah played by Jefferies wants to break free of the “baby” role while still craving parental security.
Essential in the “animal attack” genre flick is the impact of the “villain from nature” , so from that aspect the movie works due to the expert CGI rendering and the motion-capture work (I’m sure there will be on the set photos of actors with those padded scuba suits with ping-pong balls and maybe a stuffed lion-head cap). The lion is quite scary and director Baltasar Kormakur knows his thriller history well enough to be frugal with the attacks in the first act. He’s also adept at putting us right “in the action” with his camera swirling about the “prey” as they try to get a ‘lock’ on the attacker’s proximity (the most effect is Nate trying to get out of a maze made of brittle brush and sticks). Ultimately the uneven script gets in his way as the daughters make far too many bad decisions and turn into screeching “bait”. There is a nice sense of panic mixed with claustrophobia in the disabled jeep, though CUJO probably did it better decades ago. And speaking of classic terror creatures, the single-mindedness of the predatory certainly owes much to the JAWS variants as each one seemed to care more about exacting revenge than “chowing down”. And like those “finned fiends”, the unstoppable lion appears to be a very distant relative of Wile E. Coyote (or the more apropos Sylvester the Cat) in that he quickly shakes off any calamity that would disable most animals, and is back in the next sequence with barely a blemish or limp. Plus there are countless “call-backs” as different wildlife trivia and cultural bits are presented early in order to connect with later scenes and the somewhat ludicrous “final showdown”. Elba and Copley do make a terrific team, so let’s hope for another pairing, one more inspired than this fairly “toothless” BEAST.
THIS SUMMER… STAY QUIET. BE STILL. PRAY TO SURVIVE. UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS IDRIS ELBA IN BEAST. RATED R. ONLY IN THEATERS AUGUST 19TH.
Sometimes the rustle in the bushes actually is a monster.
IDRIS ELBA (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad) stars in Beast, a pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters who find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator.
Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (SHARLTO COPLEY, Russian Doll series, Maleficent), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them.
From visceral, experiential filmmaker BALTASAR KORMÁKUR, the director of Universal’s Everest, 2 Guns and Contraband, Beast is produced by WILL PACKER p.g.a., the blockbuster producer of Girls Trip, the Ride Along franchise, and ten movies that have opened No. 1 at the U.S. box office—including Night School, No Good Deed and Think Like a Man—by Baltasar Kormákur p.g.a. and by JAMES LOPEZ p.g.a. (The Photograph, Little, What Men Want). The screenplay is by RYAN ENGLE (Rampage, Non-Stop) from a story by JAIME PRIMAK SULLIVAN (Breaking In, executive producer The Baxters). The film is executive produced by BERNARD BELLEW and Jaime Primak Sullivan.
The Advance Screening is on Tuesday Aug 16th 7pm at AMC Esquire 7
Winners will be selected/notified on Sunday, August 14. No purchase necessary.
Rated R
Beast
The film’s Director of Photography is Oscar® winner PHILIPPE ROUSSELOT AFC, ASC (A River Runs Through It, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), the Production Designer is JEAN-VINCENT PUZOS (The Lost City of Z, Amour) and the Costume Designer is MOIRA ANNE MEYER (Redeeming Love, The Silent Army). Beast is edited by JAY RABINOWITZ ACE (Requiem for a Dream, 8 Mile) and the music is by Academy Award®-winning composer STEVEN PRICE (Gravity, Last Night in Soho).
Beast was shot entirely in South Africa. No actual lions were used for principal photography in the film. State-of-the art advanced visual effects, unlike any used before, were used to create the film’s principal rogue lion.
Idris Elba as Dr. Nate Samuels in Beast, directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
Idris Elba stars as The Djinn and Tilda Swinton as Alithea Binnie in director George Miller’s film THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film.
Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic – content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
The film opens only in movie theaters August 26.
The screening is on Tuesday, August 23rd, 7pm at the AMC Esquire
