
Luke Grimes Says ‘Eddington' Director Ari Aster Was On His Bucket List
"Ari Aster was on my bucket list ever since I'd seen Hereditary ," enthuses Eddington actor Luke Grimes as we discuss the neo-Western over Zoom. "Then I saw Midsommar , and I liked that even more. When I saw Beau Is Afraid , I had a panic attack. I don't know what that was. He's one of the most special filmmakers we have right now."
Something he loves about the director, who also wrote and produced the satirical black comedy, is that "he's not picking a destination and getting himself there."
"Ari is finding everything as organically as the movies feel, and for that reason, they stay in your head. Eddington is one of those films," he explains. "Just like with his other films, you watch it once, and then you go, 'I think I need to watch that again.'"
Graves loved watching Aster work and found his process fascinating.
"As far as the technical aspect of making a movie, Ari has the whole thing mapped out in his head. He has every shot, and he will storyboard everything. It's very old school," he muses. "It's like he knows what's going to be in the frame, how long each of these pieces of the film are going to be, and where he's cutting. He knows all of that beforehand. When it comes to character, allowing actors to act and even the words, sometimes it's more like, 'We're finding it as we go.' Usually, there's a script, and it serves as the blueprint that you can rely on. It was sort of the other way around, but you feel like you're in really good hands."
"My actor friends were like, 'What was it like?' and all I could say was, 'Honestly, I had no clue what I was doing and I wasn't supposed to.' When you see the film, you're like, 'Wow, we got somewhere. That's a well-rounded character.'"
Set during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, Eddington stars Joaquin Phoenix as Joe Cross, a small-town sheriff who is locked in a standoff with the mayor, played by Pedro Pascal. That sparks a powder keg as neighbors are pitted against each other in this New Mexico pueblo. Grimes plays Guy Tooley, one of Cross' two police officers. Eddington is exclusively in theaters now. Forbes Expect More 'Final Destination' Movies After 'Bloodlines' Success By Simon Thompson
Exploring the cop was a unique experience for Grimes.
"I'd never had a director allow themselves to be so unsure of a character that they wrote," he recalls. "Him going, 'Look, we don't have to figure this guy out right away. We can figure this out over the process of making this movie,' made the character a lot more interesting than just pigeon-holing him and saying, 'Well, this is a bad guy.' You can feel that with every character in the movie. There are no villains, but there are also no heroes."
"Everyone is trying to figure everything out at all times, and that's how it felt making the movie, and that's how it felt approaching Guy and these aspects of his personality that are a little unsavory. We were questioning it the whole time. I remember the first meeting we had, Ari said, 'Let's not reduce him too much. In every line and every scene, why don't we try to feel like we don't know what that is or where that comes from?' It was really interesting and something I'd never done before."
(Left to right) Micheal Ward, Ari Aster, Joaquin Phoenix, Luke Grimes at the 'Eddington' Los Angeles ... More Premiere held at the DGA Theater on in Los Angeles, California. Variety via Getty Images 'Eddington' Examines The Pandemic But It Doesn't Judge
Although Eddington is set during the pandemic, it neither takes a side nor makes a political statement. If anything, it pokes fun at both groups.
"That was important to Ari when we were making the movie," Grimes explains. "He did not step into the realm of preaching or trying to give a lot of answers. The point of the movie is to raise a lot of questions. The point of this movie wasn't to go like, 'Ha! Look at them over there. We're in the right,' and that's what I liked about it. You don't see that very much. Everybody has an opinion, and I don't think this movie necessarily has one. It's just showing you the reality of what everybody was doing, what they were using, and the manipulation from every single side to try to get what they wanted, and trying to tell everyone else that they're wrong."
He continues, "A lot of the characters in this film are using the situation at hand, which is this big scary thing, this virus, and this crazy time, to manipulate people and use that fear to get what they want. Guy is the only person in the movie who's not quite intelligent enough to know how to use anything to get what he wants. I don't even think he knows what he wants. I think he wants to impress Joe. I think he wants to be good at his job, and I don't think he necessarily knows how to do that."
(Left to right) Micheal Ward, Joaquin Phoenix, and Luke Grimes in a scene from 'Eddington.' Richard Foreman/A24
Shot on location in New Mexico, the state where the fictional town of Eddington is located, the production created hundreds of local jobs, many appearing as extras. The places where they filmed, which included the town of Truths and Consequences, felt very familiar to Graves.
"I'm very used to small-town America. I'm very comfortable there. I live in a town of 700 people in Montana. So for me, I get the mentality," the Fifty Shades actor reveals. "The only problem arose when we were doing these scenes where there's a bunch of people picketing, and they're starting to get what the movie is, and they're starting to wonder, 'Which side are these people on?' That was funny, because you could tell that they're starting to be a little bit afraid of what this movie is preaching."
"Again, I think they'll realize now that it wasn't preaching. It's a satire on a very scary time for all of us. The town was amazing. They were happy that we were there and they couldn't have been kinder and more welcoming." Forbes 'Puppet Up!' Builds A New Future Away From The Jim Henson Company Lot By Simon Thompson
Grimes, also known for Yellowstone and The Magnificent Seven , is more than aware that while this is a neo-western, he's no stranger to the broader genre. He's okay with that, but it was never intentional.
"It's weird. I always make this joke that the cowboy hat found me," he laughs. "When I showed up in LA wanting to be in films and television, I wasn't thinking, 'I'm going to be the guy that's going to try to do all the Western stuff.' My father was a huge Western fan, so Westerns were always in our house growing up, and I watched a lot of the classic ones as a kid. Maybe just because of where I grew up and how I grew up, I had the sensibility for it."
"There's a reason why you keep getting cast as a similar type of person, and maybe it's because that's closer to who I am than a lot of other things. I found that I enjoy it as well. There's something about shooting in the mountains versus shooting on a soundstage that I find much more enjoyable. I'm not complaining about it at all. I certainly love the genre and love doing it."
(Left to right) Luke Grimes and Joaquin Phoenix attend the Los Angeles premiere of A24's 'Eddington' ... More at DGA Theater Complex on in Los Angeles, California. WireImage Luke Grimes Says 'No One Works Harder Than Joaquin Phoenix'
Something else Grimes loves is having the opportunity to work with Eddington 's lead, the Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix. He was impressed by how he performed on set and how he remained laser-focused on the work at hand without slipping into the cliché of "going method."
"The term' method acting' has become bastardized, and people don't know what that means," he says. "It has become code for actors who are difficult and acting like actors and being like, 'I'm just going to stay in this character all day,' so that you know how hard they're working. I've actually never seen someone work harder than Joaquin."
The Eddington actor concludes, "He gives everything he has got, and he'll do anything he needs to do to get himself somewhere. When you're around Joaquin, the whole set knows that the only reason he's doing anything is to make a good product and to be good in the film. It never feels contrived or like he's being difficult. If he's being difficult to anyone, it's to himself. Beyond that, he's a generous, beautiful human being, and one of the kindest people I've ever met."
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Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
David Geffen accused of abusing ex in suit alleging paid sex and superyacht drug parties
David Geffen has been sued by his estranged husband, Donovan Michaels, who says that the billionaire film producer preyed on his vulnerabilities as a young gay Black man from the foster system and trapped him in a manipulative and abusive relationship. Geffen, 82, and Michaels, 32, met in 2016 on a dating site where affluent individuals often seek relations with younger singles in return for some form of compensation, according to the complaint. On the night they met, the media mogul allegedly paid Michaels $10,000 to have sex with him. The pair continued their relationship and married in 2023, minus a prenup, according to the complaint. In May of this year, Geffen filed for divorce. Now Michaels, whose legal name is David Armstrong, is suing Geffen for breach of contract, saying that the billionaire promised to take care of him financially but left him near broke and homeless. The lawsuit compares their relationship to the plot of the movie 'Trading Places,' saying Geffen used Michaels as a trophy to show off to his rich and famous friends. 'It was a sick game,' the complaint states. 'Michaels became a prop in Geffen's theater of virtue, paraded around as evidence of Geffen's supposed altruism, while privately used as a sexual commodity.' Geffen's attorney Patty Glaser pushed back on Michaels' allegations. 'There was no contract — express, written, oral, or implied — that has ever existed,' she said in a statement to The Times. 'We will be vigorously and righteously defending against this false, pathetic lawsuit.' The 33-page complaint is packed with explosive claims about the exploits of the richest man in the entertainment industry. Geffen has an estimated net worth of $8.8 billion, according to Forbes. He amassed his wealth as a music and movie producer, signing major artists including the Eagles and Joni Mitchell and co-founding Dreamworks Pictures, which has produced iconic movies such as 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Shrek.' Michaels entered the Michigan foster-care system at 18 months old and grew up in various foster and group homes where he regularly experienced physical and emotional abuse, according to the complaint. He moved to Florida at 19 and relied on exotic dancing and X-rated videos to get by financially. The lawsuit claims that Geffen expected Michaels to use drugs such as cocaine and molly alongside Geffen's friends on the billionaire's 450-foot superyacht the Rising Sun. The complaint alleges that Geffen enjoyed physically dominating his sexual partners and causing them pain. This type of sexual behavior triggered Michaels' childhood trauma and caused him digestive issues, headaches and the need to isolate, according to the complaint. The suit further alleges that the billionaire 'critiqued every aspect of Michaels' appearance,' and that the mere existence of an ingrown hair would raise Geffen's ire. The media mogul allegedly told Michaels 'where to go, what to wear, what to read, what to watch, and what to say' and required him to submit to extensive painful cosmetic treatments. In addition, Geffen allegedly prevented Michaels from continuing to pursue his modeling career, saying he needed to be constantly available. Michaels says he began reevaluating his life and relationship after entering addiction treatment earlier this year. He then approached his husband and said he 'wanted a new beginning wherein he could stand shoulder to shoulder with Geffen as an equal free from power dynamics that existed.' According to the complaint, Geffen then cut Michaels off, demanded a divorce and denied Michaels financial support 'commensurate with his lifestyle' and his share of assets acquired during their cohabitation. While the media mogul was attending fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding in Italy last month, he ordered Michaels to vacate his New York residence, the complaint alleges. Michaels is seeking compensatory damages and a judicial determination of his rights under an alleged oral agreement made with Geffen. His attorneys argue that this should entitle him to having his living expenses covered for the rest of his life and an equal division of all properties subject to the agreement. 'While Geffen holds himself out to the public as an extraordinarily charitable man whose foundation gives millions and millions of dollars to advocacy and support groups for the homeless and disadvantaged populations,' the complaint states, 'he is simultaneously endeavoring to render Michaels impoverished and homeless.'


Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Jason Momoa's "Chief of War" Is a Polynesian Cultural Moment
It's not every day that Hollywood hands the keys to an epic, large-scale historical drama over to an Indigenous creative team, but with Apple TV+'s Chief of War, Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett seized their opportunity and built a breathtaking cultural monument. The sweeping nine-episode saga, premiering August 1, centers on the unification of the Hawaiian islands at the turn of the 18th century, an era fraught with tribal warfare, political upheaval and the looming threat of Western colonization. At its heart, Chief of War is more than a story about battles won or lost. It's a reclamation of cultural identity, told through the eyes of Polynesian people by Polynesian people, in their language. "It's mind-blowing to be able to tell this incredible story of my ancestors and to do it with an amazing cast and brilliant team behind the camera," Momoa says in the show's production notes. "Ka'iana knew what was coming from the outside world. He was fearless, devoted, a visionary. His journey is full of action, drama, and romance—but it's ultimately about love for his people." Ka'iana (Momoa) is a complex figure in Hawaiian history who has been both celebrated and condemned by historians for his shifting allegiances in the tumultuous years before unification. In Chief of War, Ka'iana is portrayed as a man struggling between tradition, ambition and survival in the face of rapid change. A former war chief returning home after years abroad, he finds himself caught between competing chiefs, colonial powers and his own internal battles with loyalty and legacy. Jason Momoa as Ka'iana in new series "Chief of War," which he co-created. Jason Momoa as Ka'iana in new series "Chief of War," which he co-created. Nicola Dove/AppleTV Cultural Deep Dive While Ka'iana's personal journey drives much of the drama, the larger narrative belongs to King Kamehameha, played by Kaina Makua. The series traces Kamehameha's mission to unify the islands of Hawai'i, Maui, O'ahu and Kaua'i under one rule—an unprecedented political and spiritual undertaking that would forever alter the destiny of the Pacific. Kamehameha's campaign is not depicted as a straightforward military conquest; it's complicated by fractured alliances, internal betrayals and the weight of prophecy. Through this lens, Chief of War offers a rare glimpse into a chapter of history often overlooked by Western media. It dives deep into the customs, hierarchies and belief systems that shaped precolonial Hawai'i, with a particular emphasis on the role of women, spiritual leaders and the sacred ties to the land and sea. For Temuera Morrison, who plays cunning King Kahekili of Maui, bringing this story to life required tapping into something deeper than craft. "I had to draw on thunder and lightning for my performance," he says. 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"We filmed a large segment in Aotearoa [New Zealand], and it was important to honor the tribes of those lands. I was proud to help lead that process—acknowledging the many tribal boundaries where we worked, engaging with about 25 different tribes." That reverence extended far beyond location agreements. Morrison shares how the production functioned on multiple cultural levels. "We'd stamp our feet to connect to Mother Earth. We'd say prayers to connect us to the heavens above. We're just manifestations of that energy," he says. "So when it came time to work, we brought that energy with us." For Makua, a cultural practitioner and taro farmer from Kaua'i, stepping into the role of King Kamehameha required some persuasion. "I wasn't looking to be an actor," he says. "My purpose is with our youth, grounding them in farming, in culture, every day." Initially, Makua gave Momoa's offer a polite brush-off. "But after prayer, talking to our elders, I came to the decision. I was told, 'If not you, then who?' So I tried my best to fill the shoes of Kamehameha." On set in Aotearoa, he made a point of speaking only 'Ōlelo Hawai'i—the Hawaiian language—whenever possible. "It helped the other actors get comfortable, get accustomed to the language. It made it easier for them to do them, on set." 'Part of Something Special' Language is a central pillar of Chief of War. Much of the series is performed entirely in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i, a remarkable choice in a global television landscape often driven by English-first storytelling. "One of the privileges we had was, I didn't speak one word of English in the whole series," Curtis says. "It made me feel like I was part of something special. We're connected to our ancestors and our descendants, and this is for them—to give future generations a remnant of their culture to look upon and celebrate their own language in the way we've tried to portray them." Authenticity ripples through Chief of War, from handcrafted kapa garments and feathered capes to the precise recreation of 18th-century Hawaiian villages. The commitment to accuracy extended to collaboration with Hawaiian cultural practitioners and language supervisors on set. As Morrison says, "It all goes back to the script. It's written with care, and it's our job to interpret it with as much integrity as possible." Moses Goods, who portrays Moku—Kamehameha's adviser and father to Ka'ahumanu—says that the depth of cultural nuance in the storytelling only enriched his performance. "That's what an actor wants, right? Roles that are complex and layered, full of conflicting emotions," he says. "Moku is navigating the new world coming to them while trying to balance that with their gods and traditions. At the same time, he's marrying off his daughter. It's all of these things kind of jumbled up inside of me. That just makes for a much more interesting and complex character to watch and portray." That dynamic plays out powerfully in one of Ka'ahumanu's most pivotal moments: her encounter with the prophetess who reveals a heavy destiny. For Luciane Buchanan, who plays the future queen, this doesn't just shape her path—it deepens her connection to her father. "It creates a secret between them that carries through the series," Buchanan says. "How they're going to make it work, they don't know, but they know they'll face it together." Te Ao o Hinepehinga, who plays Kupuohi, described the cultural advisers on the production as the voices of the characters. Te Ao o Hinepehinga, who plays Kupuohi, described the cultural advisers on the production as the voices of the characters. Nicola Dove/AppleTV Buchanan's portrayal captures the weight of inherited responsibility and the quiet resilience of women navigating a world of powerful men. The shared sense of Pacific connection was palpable across the production, particularly among the women. Buchanan and Te Ao o Hinepehinga, who portrays Kupuohi, both spoke of the strength they drew from the women guiding them, both on set and in spirit. "We're very privileged in Polynesia to be raised by strong women," Hinepehinga says. "My greatest inspiration was my language coach. She and the other cultural advisors weren't just teaching us the language—they were the voices of these characters. We were just the mouthpieces." Buchanan agrees. "They really helped, but they didn't override our performances. They would ask, 'How do you want to do it?' It felt collaborative, empowering." Her connection to Ka'ahumanu deepened with a pilgrimage to the queen's birthplace in Maui before filming. "It was a very beautiful moment. It kind of set me up to bring that intention, to physically see a place where she had been. Those moments are rare in this industry." Both actresses emphasized the unique challenge and reward of portraying women whose power isn't always wielded through physical strength, but through strategy, influence and quiet resilience. "These women aren't just strong; they're the silent leaders, the unsung heroes," says Hinepehinga. "The show shines a light on that. I hope women watching feel empowered to continue that work." Deep Connections That spirit of unity extends beyond the screen. Goods reflects on how Chief of War subtly reframes our understanding of Polynesia itself. "We call it the blue continent. The water isn't a barrier—it's a highway that connected us. There was a time when we traveled freely between islands and our languages, our customs, our stories were shared. This show reminds us of that connection." It's a connection Momoa felt deeply. "When people come from far and wide to Hawai'i, they fall in love with it because there's something special—it's an umbilical cord to the center of the Earth," he says. "But many people have no idea of our history." With Chief of War, that history has been given the platform it deserves: one paddled forward not just by its creators, but by generations who came before and those still to come.


Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
‘Donkey Kong Bananza' Review: Have A Banana
This is easily one of the best platformers of recent years. The latest entry in the Donkey Kong series is a banana-fuelled blast, and may be one of the best platforming games in recent years. The main setup of the game has you control the titular Donkey Kong as he tackles the evil Void Company while venturing to the core of the planet to make things right. Developed by the team behind Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza has a lot of functional and structural carry-overs from that game. Each new level, as you venture deeper into the planet, has distinct biomes and is effectively a mini-open-world layout. Now, in Super Mario Odyssey, you collected coins and moons to progress, whereas in Donkey Kong Bananza, it's more open-ended with additional currencies to choose from. The skill upgrades are as numerous as they are helpful. The currencies are also more functional here and are spread out over different areas of gameplay. The gold you mine goes into buying items, whereas fossils give you different clothes (which also afford differing attributes). The 'moons' in this instance are massive Banandium Gems, and these are used to upgrade a large and varied skill tree. This is because this game is as much about exploration as it is about destruction. The last game that nailed this kind of setup was the original Dragon Quest Builders, which still holds a fond place in my heart to this day. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Anyway, destroying an area in a fit of monkey rage is deeply satisfying and also gives you the currency for all the aforementioned upgrades. You also have fun challenges dotted around each area and tasks you have to complete in order to thwart the evil Void Company. Even as you tunnel underground, the camera keeps up fine. Boss fights are also ingenious and again help you satiate your banana-induced monkey rage. The game is also entirely massive and has a huge amount of replay value, as you go back and search for items and more Banandium Gems, so you definitely get your money's worth on this one. There's also a great musical component to the game, as Donkey Kong and Pauline sing songs, which makes for a lovely and characterful experience. As this is a new Switch 2 game, it does look lovely and runs very smoothly considering all the deformable terrain at work here. Controls are also very fluid, and the camera handles all the crazy bespoke tunnelling you do pretty well. Overall, Donkey Kong Bananza does what Super Mario Odyssey did before it: offer one of the best platforming games available on a new system. The fact that the bulk of the game is about wanton joyous destruction is also another big bonus. So, if you want to tunnel to the center of the planet and destroy most of it along the way, Donkey Kong Bananza is your kind of platformer. Donkey Kong Bananza Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 Developer: Nintendo EPD Publisher: Nintendo Released: 17th July 2025 Price: $69.99 Score: 9/10 Disclosure: Nintendo sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.