The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher) are back — to unite with a new generation of illusionists (Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt) for their most global, high-stakes magical adventure yet. Their mission: Expose the corruption of Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), a powerful diamond heiress with ties to arms dealers, traffickers, and warlords. Aided by the legendary Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman), the two generations of magicians must overcome their differences to try and defeat their cunning and dangerous adversary, in this magic-fueled heist filled with the franchise’s signature twists, turns, and thrilling reveals — along with some of the most thrilling illusions ever captured on film.
NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T is directed by Ruben Fleischer (Venom, Uncharted, Zombieland), from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese and Seth Grahame-Smith, story by Eric Warren Singer and Michael Lesslie, and based on characters created by Boaz Yakin & Edward Ricourt. Lionsgate presents, a Cohen Pictures production.
PG-13 for some strong language, violence and suggestive references.
Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Justice Smith as Charlie in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes
Director Ruben Fleischer’s latest film, UNCHARTED, is set to hit theaters on February 18. Based on the PlayStation video game by Naughty Dog, watch the brand new trailer.
Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother…but only if they can learn to work together.
Mark Wahlberg stars as Victor Sully Sullivan and Tom Holland is Nathan Drake in Columbia Pictures’ UNCHARTED. Photo by: Clay EnosVictor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) and Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) look to make their move in Columbia Pictures’ UNCHARTED. photo by: Clay Enos
Tom Hardy & Director Ruben Fleischer welcome you to the set of VENOM.
One of Marvel’s most enigmatic, complex and badass characters comes to the big screen, starring Academy Award® nominated actor Tom Hardy as the lethal protector Venom.
Set in a Post-WWII world, GANGSTER SQUAD kick’s off in 1949, at a time when gangsters were running riot in Chicago and New York, but failing to gain a foothold in Los Angeles. Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) intended to change that however, running drugs, guns and prostitutes and taking the City of Angels for all it was worth. In an effort to fight back, Police Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) charges Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) with the task of assembling a clandestine squad to undermine and attack Cohen’s operation at every turn. And thanks to the gangster having half of LA in his pocket, Parker gives the team the freedom to act outside the rules and regulations of the law. There are no badges, no warrants and no arrests on the Gangster Squad, only Tommy guns and a casual attitude to one’s own personal safety.
Joining O’Mara on his quest are grizzled sharp-shooter Max (Robert Patrick), downtown flatfoot Coleman (Anthony Mackie, whose character we first see throwing a knife into the hand of a drug dealer mid-transaction), tag-along Navidad (Michael Peña), tactician and surveillance expert Conway (Giovanni Ribisi) and cynical ladies’ man Jerry (Ryan Gosling), whose current lady Grace (Emma Stone) also happens to be Cohen’s girlfriend, however, Grace is a wholly fictional character, only existing to sex-up proceedings and enable screenwriter Will Beall to tie-up loose ends that bares little resemblance to what really happened.
As Cohen, the infamous boxing champ-turned-Mob kingpin, Sean Penn does all he can to give one of those knowingly over-the-top performances, think Pacino in SCARFACE or De Niro in THE UNTOUCHABLES, that turn sociopathic rage into grand opera. The waxy makeup he’s wearing makes him look a bit too much like a villain out of DICK TRACY, but Penn, narrowing his eyes to slits and crumpling his kisser into a puckered obscenity machine, plays Cohen as a boneheaded but ruthlessly articulate power addict. He’s a schnook from the streets whose insane ambition to own everything, including the police force is his way of making himself “respectable.” When Penn is on screen, GANGSTER SQUAD is far from great, but it does crackle with a certain gutter fascination.
Director Ruben Fleischer (whose previous features include the inventive ZOMBIELAND and the less accomplished 30 MINUTES OR LESS) loves his period detail, but he’s not afraid to spill gore on the shiny shoes. Round after round of ammo gets fired, the heroes of course have a much better hit rate than the villains and the unfortunate underlings get burned alive or drilled in the face or torn apart by the era’s huge cars, and there’s even one montage where the squad’s spree of violence against Cohen’s goons and his dens of vice is practically staged like a musical number,
GANGSTER SQUAD was supposed to have come out last year, as well, featuring a climactic shootout in which gangsters fire automatic weapons from behind a movie screen at Hollywood’s historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. After the July shooting at a showing of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES that left twelve people dead in Aurora, Colorado, that scene clearly had to be removed which required extensive re-shoots and a release-date change from September until now, right into the aftermath of another horrible gun massacre. It will be interesting to see how the public responds to GANGSTER SQUAD. Below was the original trailer released with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES before being immediately pulled after the Aurora incident, the scene is shown very briefly at the 1:18 mark.
Still, you shouldn’t expect a kinder, gentler film. GANGSTER SQUAD is brutal, if you don’t mind a little blood spattering your glossy post-war reveries, GANGSTER SQUAD never lets up on its momentum, often injecting surprising humor or character moments into an otherwise by-the-numbers story. And if nothing else, it’s way better than you’d expect any movie released by a major studio in January would ever be. It’s an exciting nod to the old gangster flicks that is highly enjoyable and will keep you entertained throughout.
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians he has under his thumb. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer, GANGSTER SQUAD is a stylish retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The film stars Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive”), and Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”) as Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte (“Warrior,” “Affliction”), Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Robert Patrick and Mireille Enos. GANGSTER SQUAD is in theaters Friday, January 11.
Warner Bros. Pictures and WAMG invite you to enter to win a pass (good for 2) to the advance screening of GANGSTER SQUAD on January 8th at 7 pm in St. Louis.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. How many Academy Awards has Sean Penn won? Plus name the film(s).
3. SEND YOUR NAME AND ANSWER TO: michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
“Gangster Squad” has been rated R by the MPAA for strong violence and language.
(L-r) GIOVANNI RIBISI as Officer Conwell Keeler, JOSH BROLIN as Sgt. John O’Mara, RYAN GOSLING as Sgt. Jerry Wooters, ANTHONY MACKIE as Officer Coleman Harris, MICHAEL PEÑA as Officer Navidad Ramirez and ROBERT PATRICK as Officer Max Kennard in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ drama “GANGSTER SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Wilson Webb.
SEAN PENN as Mickey Cohen in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ drama “GANGSTER SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
EMMA STONE as Grace Faraday in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ drama “GANGSTER SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Wilson Webb.
The screenplay was written by Will Beall, based on the book Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman. The film is produced by Dan Lin, Kevin McCormick and Michael Tadross. The executive producers are Ruben Fleischer, Paul Lieberman and Bruce Berman.
Fleischer was joined behind the scenes by his regular collaborators, production designer Maher Ahmad and editor Alan Baumgarten, as well as editor James Herbert, Academy Award®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) and Oscar®-nominated costume designer Mary Zophres (“True Grit”). The film’s composer is Steve Jablonsky.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Lin Pictures/Kevin McCormick Production, “Gangster Squad.” The film is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.
Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, and Nick Nolte star in this first trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ drama GANGSTER SQUAD. Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. GANGSTER SQUAD is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.
GANGSTER SQUAD features Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Blue Valentine”), Emma Stone (“The Help”) and Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”), under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”).
Shooting entirely in and around Los Angeles, including in many of the actual locations featured in the story, GANGSTER SQUAD is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The screenplay is by Will Beall (TV’s “Castle”), based on Paul Lieberman’s series of articles entitled “Tales From the Gangster Squad.” The film is being produced by Dan Lin (“Sherlock Holmes”), Kevin McCormick (“The Lucky One”) and Michael Tadross (“Arthur”).
GANGSTER SQUAD stars Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen; Brolin and Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters; and Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention.
The movie also stars Robert Patrick (“Flags of Our Fathers”) as Officer Max Kennard, a deadly cop who patrols the Olvera Street beat; Michael Peña (“Battle Los Angeles”) as Kennard’s over-eager sidekick, Navidad Ramirez; Giovanni Ribisi (“Avatar”) as the force’s Conway Keeler, an electronics expert who takes as much pleasure in fixing his son’s bike as he does tinkering with experimental, military-grade equipment; and Anthony Mackie (“The Adjustment Bureau”) as Coleman Harris, a switchblade-wielding cop who proudly patrols one of the most crime-ridden areas of the city.
Joining Fleischer behind the scenes are the director’s regular collaborators, production designer Maher Ahmad and editor Alan Baumgarten (“30 Minutes or Less,” “Zombieland”), as well as Academy Award®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) and Oscar®-nominated costume designer Mary Zophres (“True Grit”).
Shooting begins on the crime drama starring Sean Penn,
Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone
BURBANK, CA, September 6, 2011 – Principal photography began today on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “The Gangster Squad,” starring Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Blue Valentine”), Emma Stone (“The Help”) and Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”), under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”).
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and “if he has his way” every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Shooting entirely in and around Los Angeles, including in many of the actual locations featured in the story, “The Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The screenplay is by Will Beall (TV’s “Castle”), based on Paul Lieberman’s series of articles entitled “Tales From the Gangster Squad.” The film is being produced by Dan Lin (“Sherlock Holmes”), Kevin McCormick (upcoming “The Lucky One”) and Michael Tadross (“Arthur”).
“The Gangster Squad” stars Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen; Brolin and Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters; and Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention.
The movie also stars Robert Patrick (“Flags of Our Fathers”) as Officer Max Kennard, a deadly cop who patrols the Olvera Street beat; Michael Peña (“Battle Los Angeles”) as Kennard’s over-eager sidekick, Navidad Ramirez; Giovanni Ribisi (“Avatar”) as the force’s Conway Keeler, an electronics expert who takes as much pleasure in fixing his son’s bike as he does tinkering with experimental, military-grade equipment; and Anthony Mackie (“The Adjustment Bureau”) as Coleman Harris, a switchblade-wielding cop who proudly patrols one of the most crime-ridden areas of the city.
Joining Fleischer behind the scenes are the director’s regular collaborators, production designer Maher Ahmad and editor Alan Baumgarten (“30 Minutes or Less,” “Zombieland”), as well as Academy Award®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) and Oscar®-nominated costume designer Mary Zophres (“True Grit”).
“The Gangster Squad” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.
Gone are the days of our pizza deliveries being guaranteed hot and fresh within 30-minutes, unless you live in a fictional version of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The setting of 30 MINUTES OR LESS, the new comedy from director Ruben Fleischer (ZOMBIELAND) revolves around a pizza delivery boy named Nick (Jesse Eisenberg, SOCIAL NETWORK). Without any sense of ambition, Nick lives day-to-day, working for an unreasonable boss, and hanging out with his best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari, PARKS & RECREATION) while harboring mixed feelings toward Chet’s twin sister Kate (Dilshad Vadsaria).
Nothing about Nick’s life is extraordinary or exciting, except maybe for the way he drives while attempting to deliver pizzas before they get docked from his paycheck. Nick’s driving is as energetic and recklessly enjoyable as the film itself. 30 MINUTES OR LESS is a mere 83-minutes in length, a quick and dirty joy ride, but doesn’t leave you feeling cheated. The story picks up when Nick delivers to a junkyard, where he encounters Dwayne (Danny McBride, YOUR HIGHNESS) and Travis (Nick Swardson, BLADES OF GLORY).
Dwayne is a redneck loser with delusions of grandeur, the disappointment of a son to “The Major,” played by Fred Ward (TREMORS). Nick is the dimwitted, but good-hearted friend and accomplice to Dwayne’s dreams of inheriting his father’s lottery wealth. The only tip this delivery earns Nick is10-hours of adrenaline-fueled efforts to survive, as he wakes from his black out with a bomb strapped to his chest and two gorilla mask wearing idiots instructing him of his ultimatum… rob a bank, or be blown to smithereens.
From here, 30 MINUTES OR LESS is pure, fun-filled comedic action. True popcorn entertainment smothered in fresh, hot laughter is what you get from Ruben Fleischer, and it’s a refreshing change of pace. Eisenberg plays the freaked out slacker wearing the boom-vest to a point completely opposite of what we’ve seen from his other, more sharp-witted roles. Instead, Aziz Ansari nearly steals the show as the sarcastic, witty best friend who is dragged into Nick’s unbelievable situation.
Unfortunately, Danny McBride is beginning to wear a bit thin on the funny bone. While he repeatedly nails the numb-skull that thinks he’s smarter than he is role, it’s repeatedly the same role in virtually everything he does. Nick Swardson, on the other hand, is successful as Travis, the lovable and well-meaning Barney Fife to McBride’s Andy Griffith. Michael Pena (OBSERVE & REPORT) adds an absurdly flavorful spice as a hired hit man who ups the stakes for all parties involves in this small town plot that’s doomed by design.
30 MINUTES OR LESS doesn’t deliver any hidden messages or morals, doesn’t ask us to think too much or wrap our heads around any major plot twists or mysteries. The film is just fun. Period. In some ways, I equate the film the BEVERLY HILLS COP, in that Fleischer has rediscovered the satisfying formula for comedy plus action. This is the perfect summer film for a quick laugh while hiding out from the brutal summer heat.
Here’s the new red-band trailer with Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari and Nick Swardson in Columbia Pictures’ 30 MINUTES OR LESS. (via IGN Movies) Look for it in theaters August 12, 2011.
Synopsis:
In the action-comedy 30 MINUTES OR LESS, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With only a few hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer (ZOMBIELAND), the screenplay is by Michael Diliberti with the story by Michael Diliberti & Matthew Sullivan. 30 MINUTES OR LESS stars Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Michael Peña, with Fred Ward.
Visit the film’s official site HERE and “Like” it on Facebook HERE
Check out the photos of Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari and Nick Swardson in Columbia Pictures’ “30 Minutes or Less.” Look for it in theaters August 12, 2011.
Synopsis:
In the action-comedy 30 MINUTES OR LESS, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With only a few hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer (ZOMBIELAND), the screenplay is by Michael Diliberti with the story by Michael Diliberti & Matthew Sullivan. 30 MINUTES OR LESS stars Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Michael Peña, with Fred Ward.
