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37 minutes ago
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‘The Old Guard 2' Review: Charlize Theron Leads Her Team of Immortals in Another, Lesser Battle
'The Old Guard 2' opens with one of those 'extravagant' violent preludes — in this case, the lit-like-a-Swiffer-commercial Netflix version — that's trying to be like something out of an old James Bond movie: a sequence in which the over-the-top quality is linked to how little we're told about what's actually going on. Andy (Charlize Theron), in sunglasses and dark hair, is leading her team — I call them the I-Team, because they're immortal and kick ass — as they infiltrate a villa swarming with guards, who they dispatch in one-on-one confrontations, mostly by stabbing them to death. They're trying to get to some Mr. Big, who turns out to be an anonymous dude in red silk pajamas who gets destroyed like everyone else. This showy yet meaningless appetizer of a sequence is Bondian in theory, but as soon as Andy and her team return to their headquarters, plotting whatever comes next, the mood starts to veer closer to that of a 'Fast and Furious' movie. Except that 'The Old Guard 2' doesn't have that 'Fast and the Furious' energy. It's more like 'The Languid and the Bothered.' Five years ago this week, 'The Old Guard' was released on Netflix, and I confess that it's not exactly a movie that has stayed with me. Yet as directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, it had more get-up-and-go than this logy, morose, overly self-important and solemnly 'meditative' second chapter. Prince-Bythewood didn't return for the sequel. The new director is Victoria Mahoney, who doesn't quite seem to realize that she's making 'The Expendables Pt. 9' with self-healing limbs. More from Variety Charlize Theron Fears 'Millions of Going to Die' Because of Foreign Aid Cuts Charlize Theron Says Uma Thurman Should've Won an Oscar for 'Kill Bill': 'Men Get a Lot of Credit for These Movies' but 'What She Did Was Unbelievable' 'The Old Guard 2' Trailer: Charlize Theron Revives Her Netflix Action Franchise and Battles a Lost-Long Immortal 'The Old Guard 2,' now that it's officially holding down the center of a franchise, takes the 'Old Guard' mythology inordinately seriously. It wouldn't be the first movie based on a graphic novel to do so. Greg Rucka, the writer of the 'Old Guard' graphic novel series, co-wrote the script of 'The Old Guard 2' (with Sarah L. Walker) and is one of the film's executive producers, and he obviously wants us to feel immersed in the high drama of these immortals, the drama being that they live forever…until they don't. They can wake up on any given day and learn that their immortality is gone. That's what happened to Andy midway through the first film, and now, as she copes with her vulnerable new status, she's besieged by figures from her past — like Quynh (Veronica Van), the fierce warrior she fought alongside for 1,500 years, until Quynh was found guilty of witchcraft and locked in an iron maiden and dropped to the bottom of the sea. (That kind of chilled the friendship.) Quynh is now seeking vengeance on Andy and the world, a quest that has allied her with a new character named Discord, who also comes from the past but is played by Uma Thurman with a corporate hauteur that doesn't exactly make her seem like someone who came up through the Middle Ages. There's a good extended shot where Andy strolls through a passageway in Rome, walking by people from her past as the place slowly turns back in time. We're supposed to be seeing her memories, and there should have been more of that. But for all the talk of centuries gone by, 'The Old Guard 2' feels like a time-tripping action fantasy made on the cheap. The issue of who's immortal or not, and how you can turn immortal (or have that ability taken away), starts to seem part of some arbitrary movie game, like 'Who's got the detonator?' And the actors, trapped in what is too often an empty somber talkfest, seem stranded in a way that they weren't in the first film. Theron is physically commanding, and when Andy and Quynh face off in an alleyway the movie briefly comes alive. But the comic-book soap opera of their ruptured bond is too abstract to take hold. KiKi Layne's Nile still has her cleansing fierceness, Henry Golding plays a new immortal, Tuah, who isn't given enough to do, while Matthias Schoenaerts, as the beleaguered Booker (who sold the group out and now wants back in), gets a little too hangdoggy. Chiwetel Ejiofor, as Copley the CIA agent turned I-Team ally, lends his crisp panache to lines like 'It would be ill-advised to discharge any firearm in the vicinity of the core.' The core, in this case, refers to a Chinese nuclear reactor, hidden in Indonesia, that Discord has threatened to blow up. It's all part of her stab at immortality, but by the end of 'The Old Guard 2' it's mostly the clichés that seem to be living forever. Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
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2026 Oscars Best Picture Predictions
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday. More from Variety 'Sinners' Producer Says Costumes Were Purchased From Marvel's 'Blade' Reboot That 'Ended Up Not Shooting': They Had a 'Warehouse Full of Period-Appropriate Clothes' Brad Pitt Says His 'Ford v Ferrari' Movie With Tom Cruise Got Axed After Cruise Found Out He 'Would Not Be Driving Much in the Movie' Brad Pitt Says Young Actors 'Get Caught Up' in the Pressure to 'Have a Superhero' or 'Have a Franchise' and Tells Them: 'Don't! Don't! They'll Die' Oscars Best Picture Commentary (Updated June 30, 2025): It's always debatable when the official starting gun of Oscar season truly goes off. Is it Cannes when the first half of the year wraps up? Or does it begin with the fall trifecta of Venice, Telluride and Toronto, where world-class cinematic endeavors often make their debut? Regardless, it's time to take the first look at what promises to be a year filled with promising projects from Oscar-winning auteurs, rising visionaries, and, undoubtedly, a few surprise contenders along the way. While we're still more than six months away from nominations, and most of the year's buzziest films haven't released so much as a teaser trailer, Variety's first best picture predictions offer a snapshot of what could define the season — and what may prove to be red herrings. Ask anyone in the know what they've heard is 'the one,' and you'll likely get the same response from every studio: 'It's one of the best movies I've ever seen,' or 'I'd be shocked if it doesn't win. It's that good.' Studios are not known for hyperbole, right? Nonetheless, leading these very early predictions is 'Hamnet' from Focus Features and Oscar-winning 'Nomadland' director Chloé Zhao. A prestige drama produced by Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg, it headlines Focus' robust slate. The studio also features another top-tier contender with 'Bugonia,' the highly anticipated project from Yorgos Lanthimos. For those keeping score: If Emma Stone is producing, and/or Lanthimos didn't write it, that's usually a sign it's a major awards contender (see: 'Poor Things' and 'The Favourite'). Then there's 'Sentimental Value,' Neon's high-profile acquisition that won the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Joachim Trier and produced by Maria Ekerhovd and Andrew Berentsen Ottmar, the film puts Neon back in the conversation following last year's dominant run with 'Anora.' Neon CEO Tom Quinn appeared to be on a buying spree in the south of France, picking up multiple contenders, including Palme d'Or winner 'It Was Just an Accident' from Jafar Panahi, Jury Prize winner 'Sirāt' from Oliver Laxe and 'The Secret Agent' from Best Director winner Kleber Mendonça Filho. It's safe to say that Neon is gearing up for a multi-title campaign, joined by Netflix and Focus Features, which boast the most formidable slates of any studio this season. Ironically, neither Netflix nor Focus has ever won best picture — despite numerous nominations — and both will be pushing hard to change that narrative. Netflix's lineup includes 'Jay Kelly' from Noah Baumbach and Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' both of which rank in the early top 10. If either film lands with critics and voters — or better yet, both — the streamer could find a pathway to clinch the elusive top prize. Additional titles include Kathryn Bigelow's long-awaited 'A House of Dynamite' and Richard Linklater's 'Nouvelle Vague,' which Netflix acquired out of Cannes and hopes will be France's submission for best international feature. Universal Pictures is putting its chips on 'Wicked: For Good,' the second installment of Jon M. Chu's musical adaptation, produced by Marc Platt. It hopes to achieve what few recent musicals have managed — not just awards attention, but a real shot at best picture, something that hasn't happened since 'Chicago' (2002). 20th Century Studios has 'Deliver Me From Nowhere,' featuring buzzy performances from Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong, as well as a compelling narrative that industry voters may gravitate toward. Meanwhile, A24 returns with Dwayne Johnson and Benny Safdie's 'The Smashing Machine,' a gritty, character-driven sports drama. Also on deck: Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme,' starring Timothée Chalamet; David Lowery's long-awaited 'Mother Mary,' with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel; and David Freyne's 'Eternity,' featuring Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen, a possible under-the-radar breakout. While most frontrunners remain unseen, two early-year releases have already staked a claim: Ryan Coogler's genre-bending 'Sinners' and Joseph Kosinski's sleek racing drama 'F1.' Both films delivered strong box office results and critical acclaim. It's important to remember that this is just the beginning. With more than 100 titles still to be unveiled — including many marked 'U.S. Acquisition TBD' — and the fall festival gauntlet still to come, anything can happen. For now, the field is taking shape, contenders are stirring, and the summer heat is reaching record highs. Let the season begin. NOTE: All titles, release dates, studios and listed and credited producers are subject to change. Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars !function(){'use strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch Emmy Predictions: Supporting Actress (Comedy) — Liza Colón-Zayas, Janelle James, Catherine O'Hara and Kathryn Hahn Front 141 Fierce Contenders Emmy Predictions: Supporting Actor (Limited/TV Movie) — Javier Bardem and 'Adolescence' Duo Lead 126 Candidates for Noms
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
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FORGET 250--JOHNSONVILLE WENT FULL SEND ON AMERICA'S 249TH BIRTHDAY WITH SAUSAGE, STAND-UP & A SKY-HIGH CELEBRATION
Fortune Feimster Brought the Laughs as Johnsonville Delivered the World's First Sausage Drone Show and a Coast-to-Coast, Summer-Long Birthday Bash for the Books All Assets, Including Footage and Photos of Feimster's Comedy Performance Accompanied by America's First-Ever Sausage Drone Show, HERE. SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis., July 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnsonville took center stage this Fourth of July with a celebration as unforgettable as it was unexpected—throwing one of the most delightfully unhinged birthday bashes in American history to mark the nation's 249th. Refusing to wait for the big 250, Johnsonville went all in on fun and togetherness. Comedian and national treasure Fortune Feimster lit up Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance. Bringing her signature relentlessly positive humor and infectious energy, Feimster delivered a comedic riff on the country's "fun deficit," as Johnsonville pulled out all the stops: karaoke booths, sausage cannons, a towering three-tiered cake, a Guinness World Record, coast-to-coast block parties with first responders, and the world's first-ever sausage drone show. The grand finale? A festival-wide singalong of "Happy Birthday" led by Feimster herself—capping off a celebration that proved one thing: when it comes to bringing people together, nobody throws a party like Johnsonville. The Summerfest celebration was the focal point of Johnsonville's campaign to get the party started for America's 249th birthday in a major way. The campaign was built around Johnsonville's National Temperature Check survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, that found that nine-in-ten Americans agree we make more progress when we have fun together. That same survey revealed that Americans feel disconnected, and fun is taking a hit. "I'm in the business of laughter because it's the fastest way to bring people together. And we are overdue for some togetherness," said Feimster. "Johnsonville understood the assignment: good food, big laughs and sausage drones. That's how connection happens. Let's hold on to that energy and keep the party going." In May, while the White House was launching its countdown to 250, Johnsonville announced it wasn't waiting to celebrate, launching its massive Party Starter—an 80-pound, 249-link sausage pack complete with a collapsible hand cart. Fans could nominate the ultimate "party starter" in their life to receive one just in time for July 4th. More than 20,000 people, from block party organizers and nonprofit leaders to everyday backyard hosts, entered to win, sharing stories about people who inspire them to connect with others. Johnsonville also hosted pop-up cookouts in Chicago and New York to celebrate first responders alongside national grilling experts and bestselling authors, The Grill Dads. "We couldn't wait for 250—America's running low on fun, and the data backs it up," said Jamie Schmelzer, Vice President of Marketing at Johnsonville. "So for 249, we went big, weird, and joyful. Whether it was an 80-pound box of sausage, a thousand-person sing-a-long, or a cookout with local heroes, our goal was to spark real connection across the country. Huge thanks to Fortune Feimster for helping us lead the charge—because fun isn't just nice to have right now, it's how we move forward." Johnsonville partnered with Milwaukee-based agency Hold Fast to bring the 249 vision to life, and with Sky Elements Drones, the largest drone light show provider in the US, to bring its patriotic, sausage-themed drone formations to the Summerfest sky. The brand's July 4 show is part of Sky Elements' attempt to set the Guinness World Record for "Most Drone Shows in 24 Hours Performed by Different Pilots." In total, the production company operated 25 drone shows across the country on July 4, nine of which were flown in one hour. The record attempt is awaiting review by the adjudicator. All assets for Fortune Feimster's performance at Summerfest and Johnsonville's 249 campaign are campaign content and more information on Johnsonville, follow @Johnsonville on Instagram or visit About Johnsonville, LLCWisconsin-based Johnsonville is the No. 1 national sausage brand, selling and serving more than 80 different varieties of sausage across 40+ countries and in more than 75 U.S. professional, semi-pro and college sports stadiums. Founded in 1945, Johnsonville remains a family-owned company of obsessed sausage-makers that employs and develops approximately 3,500 members globally. About Summerfest presented by American Family InsuranceSummerfest presented by American Family Insurance is one of the most iconic celebrations of music in America, hosting the industry's biggest acts for an unforgettable live music experience. Since its inception in 1968, Summerfest continues to distinguish itself as a premier independent national music festival and has developed an unrivaled reputation, consistently featuring hundreds of performances across 12 stages, throughout the permanent 75-acre festival grounds along Lake Michigan. Summerfest will take place over three weekends – June 19-21, June 26-28, July 3-5, 2025. For the latest information, visit or Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok: @Summerfest. Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., producer of Summerfest, continues to fulfill its nonprofit mission of bringing the community together and providing a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation to the public, through music and special events. 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