Latest news with #AmyMadigan
Geek Tyrant
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
WEAPONS Director Reveals The Wild Alternate Ending That Never Made The Cut — GeekTyrant
Director Zach Cregger's latest horror film Weapons has been getting rave reviews, but it turns out audiences almost saw a very different, and much more brutal, finale. In a recent interview, Cregger opened up about an alternate ending he had planned before deciding it just didn't fit. While talking to CBR, Cregger explained that he once envisioned a climactic showdown between Julia Garner's Justine Gandy and Amy Madigan's Gladys Lilly that would have turned the movie's final act into an all-out brawl. 'Yeah, I mean, I had an idea – this is kind of spoiler territory – but that Mrs. Gandy and the kid were gonna go and they were gonna get their ideas… they were gonna use the tree,' Cregger revealed, referencing the creepy flora that Gladys uses for her witchcraft. He went on to describe the scrapped finale, saying, 'And they were gonna go collect people to be their little army, and then they were gonna showdown with Gladys and her little army. So we would have a kind of a gang war at the end and I really thought that's where I was going to go.' Instead, the theatrical version of Weapons plays out very differently. The ending audiences saw had Cary Christopher's Alex sneaking into Gladys' room and performing the ritual he'd seen his great-aunt do countless times. This breaks her control over the children, leading to a vicious turn as they rise up and kill her. Cregger ultimately realized the alternate ending might have been overkill, and a lot longer than the movie needed. 'I realized like that movie would be so long and also not as cool,' he admitted. Given how well Weapons has been received since release, it seems his instincts were spot on. It's interesting to imagine what could have been with a witchcraft-fueled gang war between Garner and Madigan sounds like pure horror chaos, but the final cut was great and clearly struck the right chord with fans and critics alike.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Amy Madigan's life before Weapons including forgotten Grey's Anatomy role
She plays Aunt Gladys in the hit new horror Amy Madigan's film career spans decades, but her role in a breakout new horror film is bringing her star power to the attention of a whole new generation. The 74-year-old portrays the terrifying and mysterious Aunt Gladys in Weapons, the latest release from Barbarian director Zach Cregger. The film follows a community grappling with the mysterious disappearance of an entire classroom of children who run out of their homes at the exact same time in the middle of the night. Only one child from the class turns up for school the next day, with teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) quickly being ostracised by parents who suspect she is somehow involved. Madigan's role in the film isn't revealed until much later in the story (and we don't spoil anything here), but her turn as Gladys Lilly will likely earn her a legion of new fans. So what more is there to know about the award-winning actress? What else has Amy Madigan been in? Madigan rose to fame in the eighties, appearing in a string of big hits. One of her biggest roles was as Annie Kinsella in 1989 fantasy drama, Field of Dreams, in which she starred opposite Kevin Costner. Since then she has built up a hefty CV across the world of film and TV and spanning a range of genres. She won a Golden Globe award in 1990 for her role in 1989's Roe vs. Wade, and she was even nominated for an Oscar for her role in 1985's Twice in a Lifetime. Her more recent credits include 2020's The Hunt, 2021's Antlers and 2013 comedy The Lifeguard. Viewers may also know her from her stint on Grey's Anatomy, where she played Dr Katharine Wyatt across three seasons. How did she land the Weapons role? Weapons director Cregger cast Madigan as Aunt Gladys on their very first meeting. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the filmmaker said he was looking for someone "who is naturally sparky and hilarious and also ruthless and laser focused and intimidating." He found that in Madigan, explaining: "Amy can do anything. She has that Chicago Midwestern spark that just oozes off of her in a wonderful way, but at her core, there's something reptilian that she can access." Is Amy Madigan married? She is married to Westworld star Ed Harris in a union that has spanned more than 40 years. They have one child together, Lily Harris, who has also followed her parents into the world of acting. The pair first crossed paths in 1980 when Harris was performing in a play in Los Angeles. Describing the moment she first laid eyes on her now-husband, Madigan recalled: "I just thought 'Well there he is'. It was obvious to me that I'd see him again." They married in 1983 at the same time they were starring together in the film Places in the Heart. They regularly work together and have starred opposite each other in plays on Broadway and in multiple films.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who Plays Aunt Gladys in ‘Weapons'? Where You've Seen Amy Madigan Before
In addition to the hit horror film, the actress has had roles in several popular TV series 'Weapons' is getting plenty of attention after hitting theaters Friday, and the movie is on track to earn $40 million this weekend. Part of the film's success can be chalked up to the secrecy that surrounded its plot ahead of time — and perhaps no one character is more mysterious than Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys. Madigan's role in the movie has been kept a secret on purpose, and the bulk of this article contains spoilers about the film's plot. In other words: stop reading now if you don't want to know anything about what Madigan gets up to as Aunt Gladys. More from TheWrap The 7 Best Crime Movies on Netflix Right Now Marvel Spins Up 'Spider-Man 4' Sneak Peek From Tom Holland's First Day on Set | Video 'Weapons' Ending Explained: What Happened to the Kids? Is the MCU Really Adapting Doctor Doom? 'Fantastic Four' Leaves Room for Doubt Is Amy Madigan in 'Weapons'? Though there wasn't a lot of information available about Madigan's role in 'Weapons' before the movie's release (she even attended the premiere but skipped the red carpet) she definitely plays a key part in the film's story. Again: anything you read past this point will spoil key parts of the movie for you, so proceed with caution. Who does Amy Madigan play in 'Weapons'? At the beginning of the film, the audience finds out 17 of 18 children in Ms. Gandy's (Garner) Maybrook Elementary School class woke up in the middle of the night and left their homes — and they haven't come back. Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher) is the only child who remains behind, and Madigan stars as his great-aunt. Her character, Aunt Gladys, came to town ostensibly to take care of Alex and his family after his mother gets sick. But pretty soon, it becomes clear she's completely in charge — and that she has the ability to control everyone around her as long as she has access to a personal item of theirs. Aunt Gladys begins by siphoning energy from Alex's parents, but once that runs out, his classmates become a viable option. She enlists her great-nephew's help and then uses magic to bring the children to their home. What else has Amy Madigan been in? If Madigan seems familiar, that's probably because her resume is vast and varied — but she's never quite had a breakaway hit. She played Annie Kinsella in 'Field of Dreams,' played Iris Crowe in 24 episodes of 'Carnivale,' and appeared as Dr. Katharine Wyatt in nine episodes of 'Grey's Anatomy. Her additional credits also include episodes of 'ER' and 'How to Get Away with Murder.' 'Weapons' is now playing in theaters. The post Who Plays Aunt Gladys in 'Weapons'? Where You've Seen Amy Madigan Before appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Emma Thompson Jokes She Could Have ‘Changed the Course of American History' by Accepting Trump's Date Offer
"Well, that's very sweet. Thank you so much. I'll get back to you," the "Primary Colors" actress recalls telling the now-president in 1998 Emma Thompson has shared the story of the time Donald Trump asked her out the same day her divorce from ex-husband Kenneth Branagh was made official on multiple occasions. However, while speaking at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland this weekend, she added onto the anecdote, joking that she could have 'changed the course of American history' had she accepted. Thompson recalled being in her trailer on the set of 1998's 'Primary Colors' when she received an unexpected phone call. The caller identified himself as Trump. More from TheWrap Who Plays Aunt Gladys in 'Weapons'? Where You've Seen Amy Madigan Before Emma Thompson Jokes She Could Have 'Changed the Course of American History' by Accepting Trump's Date Offer Jamie Lee Curtis Pokes Back at Ultra-Negative 'Freakier Friday' Review: 'Seems a Tad Harsh' The Problem With 'Weapons' | Spoiler Review 'I thought it was a joke and asked, 'How can I help you?' Maybe he needed directions from someone,' Thompson explained. 'Then he said: 'I'd love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner.'' The Oscar winner wasn't exactly enthused. She replied, 'Well, that's very sweet. Thank you so much. I'll get back to you.' The 'Love Actually' star wasn't the only person who was recently divorced at the time — Trump and his second wife Marla Maples had recently called their own marriage off. 'I realized that on that day, my divorce decree had come through. And I bet he's got people looking for suitable people he could take out on his arm. You know, a nice divorcée, that's what he was looking for,' Thompson noted. The story is indeed one that Thompson has shared in the past. In 2017, she told Graham Norton of the exchange that she 'only associated Trump with tasteless architecture at that point.' Her film 'The Dead of Winter' premiered Friday at Locarno and is set to hit theaters on Sept. post Emma Thompson Jokes She Could Have 'Changed the Course of American History' by Accepting Trump's Date Offer appeared first on TheWrap. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amy Madigan landed top-secret 'Weapons' role on first meeting: 'This part is yours. You can have it!'
This article contains spoilers from . Aside from stars like Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and Benedict Wong, there's one name on the Weapons cast list that shouldn't be overlooked. Although she's been purposefully kept out of the conversation so far, Amy Madigan is the secret weapon of Weapons, the new horror movie from Barbarian writer/director Zach Cregger. However, merely mentioning her presence feels like some kind of security breach. The actress, 74, attended the Weapons premiere at the United Theater in Los Angeles at the end of July, but she skipped all red-carpet interviews. She also politely turned down any kind of pre-release interview request from press outlets, including Entertainment Weekly. It seems related to a concerted effort to preserve the movie's secrets for theaters. The opening sequence gives us the premise: a child narrator explains how one morning, on a seemingly random Wednesday, 17 out of 18 children in Ms. Gandy's (Garner) Maybrook Elementary School classroom woke up in the middle of the night at exactly 2:17 a.m. and ran out of their homes, never to return. The only one who didn't vanish was the young Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher), and the reasons continue to confound everyone in town. All the twists and turns lead us to Madigan, whom Cregger cast on the spot at their first meeting. "It's such a narrow bullseye, right? You need somebody who is naturally sparky and hilarious and also ruthless and laser focused and intimidating," the filmmaker tells EW in a non-spoiler-focused interview ahead of the movie's release. "And Amy can do anything. She has that Chicago Midwestern spark that just oozes off of her in a wonderful way, but at her core, there's something reptilian that she can access." Recalling their meeting over lunch, he says, "When I was driving to lunch, I was like, Don't offer her the role. No matter what you do, don't offer her the role at lunch. Between the breadsticks and the main meal, I was like, 'This part is yours. You can have it!' I just could tell, I could just smell it on her that this was the right way to go." (If by some chance you made it all the way to this portion of the story without seeing the above spoiler warnings, now's your last chance.) Madigan, who previously dabbled in horror with Antlers and The Dark Half, plays Gladys, Alex's supposed great-aunt on his mother's side, who comes to live with the Lillys when she gets sick. By the very next day, she's taken over the entire family. It's never so explicitly explained, but Aunt Gladys, with her smeared lipstick and wild red-haired wig, uses some kind of voodoo-like Satanic ritual to control the actions of anyone she pleases, as long as she has some kind of personal item of theirs. The ritual leaves the victims in a comatose, puppet-like state, responding immediately to her every command. It also seems to revitalize her health, as if she's syphoning off their life force. When she's done with Alex's parents, she pressures the young boy to find her new victims to maintain her health. So he turns to his classmates. He steals items from their cubbies at school and gives them to Gladys to bewitch. She works her evil magic to summon them from their slumber, compelling them to leave their houses and run into their basement. Brolin and Ehrenreich tell EW how they both knew Madigan ahead of this movie; the former outside of work and the latter from the movie Rules Don't Apply (2016). Seeing her around set was "absolutely freaking me out," says Brolin, who plays Archer Graff, a father of one of the missing Maybrook children."First of all, she's the sweetest woman, but it was terrifying seeing her getting out of the makeup trailer, getting a coffee or something, and going to crafty [craft services]," Garner recalls. "She's just so lovely and she's so brilliant in this." Abrams, who plays James, a homeless Maybrook drug addict, agrees, "The makeup is just really frightening." "I remember being on set when I wasn't working and watching her film a scene at a dinner table with Cary, who plays the young boy, and just being like, 'Oh my God! I'm really thankful that I get to watch this performance right now,'" Abrams adds. "This woman is just amazing." Weapons is now playing in theaters. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
