Film
The One and Only Ivan Isn’t Nearly as Compelling as Its One and Only True Story: Review
The Pitch: Disney’s made the shift once more with The One and Only Ivan, a family adventure drama that was originally slated for theatrical release but has since moved to Disney+. Like many of their classics, this new movie is all about a group of scrappy, heroic animals banding together to go on an epic journey, replete with an A-List cast and computer effects. But does it work on the small screen? A True Story … Kind Of: The One and Only Ivan is a halfway decent live-action/CGI fable that makes a fatal mistake at the very end. Based on the children’s novel of the same name by K.A. Applegate, this film is inspired by a true story of a silverback gorilla who rose to fame as the star attraction of a circus in a suburban American mall all while tapping into his artistic abilities as a painte...
Will Smith and Kevin Hart Team Up for Planes, Trains and Automobiles Remake
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is getting a remake. As Deadline reports, Paramount Pictures has commissioned a modern update of John Hughes’ 1987 holiday classic with stars Will Smith and Kevin Hart in the lead. Brooklyn 99 and Woke writer Aeysha Carr will pen the script and make her feature film screenwriting debut. Not surprisingly, both Smith and Hart will also serve as producers on the project via Westbrook Studios and Hartbeat Productions, respectively. The original film starred Steve Martin and the late John Candy as two unlikely bedfellows who are forced to rely on each other as they find a way home before the Thanksgiving holiday. At the center of it all is a gooey heart beating with teary drama. Whether or nor this remake will similarly bring us to tears remains to be seen. The j...
Fast Times at Ridgemont High Virtual Live Table Read Has More A-Listers Than Original Film
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is getting the A-list all-star treatment. On Friday, August 21st, Dane Cook is bringing together a who’s who lineup of blockbuster celebrities, who will all read Cameron Crowe’s script for Amy Heckerling’s iconic 1982 teen hit. As of press time — because, really, this list keeps on givin’ — the lineup includes OG star Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Morgan Freeman, Shia LaBeouf, Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, and Jimmy Kimmel. “I wanted to do something that lightens the mood, can help people, and, at the same time, I wanted to do something that felt celebratory, because we don’t have movies,” Cook told Extra on Monday afternoon. Organizers have described the event as an “unrehearsed, anything-goes table read,” which means fans o...
![LeBron James Delivers Inspiring Farewell Speech to Space Jam Cast and Crew, Shares First Look: Watch [Updated]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/lebron-james-delivers-inspiring-farewell-speech-to-space-jam-cast-and-crew-shares-first-look-watch-updated-1050x600.png)
![LeBron James Delivers Inspiring Farewell Speech to Space Jam Cast and Crew, Shares First Look: Watch [Updated]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/lebron-james-delivers-inspiring-farewell-speech-to-space-jam-cast-and-crew-shares-first-look-watch-updated-80x80.png)
LeBron James Delivers Inspiring Farewell Speech to Space Jam Cast and Crew, Shares First Look: Watch [Updated]
Throughout his historic career, LeBron James has led both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat to NBA glory. It turns out the superstar athlete is just as inspiring on a film set as he is on a basketball court. TMZ has obtained audio of a speech James gave to the cast and crew of the upcoming Space Jam sequel, and it’s equal parts uplifting and emotional. The Los Angeles Laker delivered his moving words on the final day of filming Space Jam: A New Legacy. To start his address, James talked about how starring in the sequel was a dream come true from the very start. “I’m gonna be honest completely with you guys – when I found out about the project, I was like it’s Space Jam! It’s a movie that I grew up watching,” he gushed. “People in the movie that I idolize. I was like absolutely, I gott...
HBO Shares First Trailer for Coastal Elites with Issa Rae, Dan Levy, Bette Midler: Watch
HBO has shared the first trailer for its new satirical film Coastal Elites. The socially-distanced comedy will light up your screens on September 12th with stars Issa Rae, Dan Levy, Bette Midler, Sarah Paulson, and Kaitlyn Dever. Coastal Elites solves the practical problem of filming in quarantine by borrowing an idea from the theater. It’s a cinematic approach to the monologue play, as each of the five characters take turns speaking into the camera. Here, the camera is apparently supposed to be a laptop fixture, and each of the monologues represents a remote video call. In the trailer, for example, we see Levy’s Mark Hesterman greeting an unseen therapist named Dr. Morton, before launching into a joke-filled rant about identity. It’s unclear if everyone is in therapy, but f...
Sharon Stone Begs “Don’t Vote for a Killer” as Coronavirus Overruns Her Family: Watch
In a series of emotional social media posts, Sharon Stone has opened up about her family’s experience with the novel coronavirus. She said her grandmother and godmother have both died of COVID-19, and now her sister and brother-in-law are in the hospital, with sister Kelly Stone “not doing well.” The veteran actress is begging her followers to “vote for Biden,” adding, “Please, whatever you do, don’t vote for a killer.” Stone began to vent her frustrations on Sunday with an Instagram picture of her sister’s hospital room. She explained that Kelly “already has lupus,” and “does not have an immune system.” She added, “One of you Non-Mask wearers did this.” Because of her immune-compromised condition, Kelly had apparently been extremely careful about social distancing, and only left her house...
Rose McGowan Accuses Director Alexander Payne of Sexual Misconduct
Content note: this story contains discussions of underage sexual misconduct. Actor, musician, and sexual assault activist Rose McGowan has accused film director Alexander Payne of sexual misconduct. She said she was subjected to his inappropriate behavior when she was only a teenager. “Alexander Payne,” McGowan addressed a tweet posted early Monday. “You sat me down & played a soft-core porn movie you directed for Showtime under a different name. I still remember your apartment in Silverlake [sic]. You are very well-endowed. You left me on a street corner afterwards. I was 15.” Payne would have been 28 at the time of the alleged incident. In a follow-up tweet, McGowan explained that she doesn’t “wish to destroy” the Election and Sideways director, but is seeking an “apology and acknowl...
Blumhouse to Release Four New Horror Movies on Amazon This October
Good news, ghouls and gals: Blumhouse has a few tricks and treats for this year’s Halloween season. Today, they’ve announced a new partnership with Amazon Studios that will see the release of eight new horror flicks for their Prime Video service. The first four will roll out as double features beginning this October completely free. It’s called Welcome to Blumhouse and the pseudo film festival of sorts aims to present “a distinctive vision and unique perspective on common themes centered around family and love as redemptive or destructive forces.” It all begins Tuesday, October 6th with the premiere of The Lie directed by Veena Sud (The Killing, 7 Seconds) and Black Box directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. (Born with It). The following Tuesday, October 13th, will see the re...
Weezer Share “Beginning of the End (Wyld Stallyns Edit)” from the Bill & Ted Face the Music Soundtrack: Stream
When a movie’s called Bill & Ted Face the Music, you have to imagine its soundtrack is going to have some most excellent tunes. Today brings the official announcement of the Bill & Ted 3 OST, heralded by Weezer’s contribution, “Beginning of the End (Wyld Stallyns Edit)”. With the film now due in theaters and on video-on-demand on August 28th, the companion album is set to land the same day. In addition to Weezer, the collection features new music from Mastodon (who contribute a song called “Rufus Lives”), FIDLAR, Cold War Kids, Lamb of God, Big Black Delta, and Culture Wars. There are also two tracks from Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted’s (Keanu Reeves) very non-heinous band Wyld Stallyns. They perform the title track with Animals as Leaders and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, ...
Night of the Living Dead Returning to Drive-In Theaters
One of the greatest horror films of all time is returning from the grave. As Bloody Disgusting reports, Grindhouse Releasing and Janus Films are bringing George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead back to drive-ins across America. Better yet, it’s a beautiful new restoration by Janus Films, which this writer has seen and can attest to its majesty. What’s more, each screening will feature an introduction on the legacy of the film by best-selling author Daniel Kraus, who recently co-wrote Romero’s final statement on the zombie genre with the epic novel, The Living Dead. So far, only three screenings have been announced: — August 22nd – Prides Corner Drive-In, Westbrook, Maine — August 28-29th – Riverside Drive-In, Vandergrift, PA — September 19th – Midway Drive-In, Sterling, IL Sadly, the o...
HBO Max Adds Disclaimer to Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles
HBO Max created a stir when it pulled Gone with the Wind from its platform in order to add a historical disclaimer. Still, the burgeoning service expressed commitment to contextualizing such potentially problematic films rather than completely removing them, and it looks like they’re following through. The streamer has now added another disclaimer ahead of Mel Brooks’ comedy classic Blazing Saddles. The 1974 Western satire centers on a Black man (Cleavon Little) who is made sheriff of a small town in a political ploy to sow chaos. With the help of an alcoholic but affable gunslinger (Gene Wilder), he ends up winning the townspeople’s respect and thwarting the crooked politicians’ plans. In a three-minute, 12-second introductory video, TCM host and University of Chicago cinema and medi...
Grab Ya Weaves: Justin Simien’s ‘Bad Hair’ Horror Flick Arrives This Fall
Source: Hulu / hulu The movie theatres haven’t seen a packed house in ages, but it doesn’t mean there’s a low supply in new releases for our viewing pleasures. On the way is a new horror flick about Black women, natural hair, and a possessed hair weave install that’s gone rogue. Set in 1989, Bad Hair follows a natural-haired executive assistant with ambitions making it on air as a music-video TV show host. Her dreadlocked boss suggests getting a hair weave to break into the business. Eager to succeed, she heads to a beautician for an install but later discovers the weave is horrifically possessed. This Black production of a very Black story is written and directed by Justin Simien, director of Netflix’s Dear White People. The cast lineup is just as exciting as the film, starrin...
