Latest news with #Dinklage
Geek Tyrant
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Bonkers Teaser Trailer For THE TOXIC AVENGER Sees Toxie Crash a "Killer Nutz" Concert in Gruesome Fashion — GeekTyrant
Here's another bonkers teaser trailer for the remake of Troma's The Toxic Avenger , and it introduces us to a monstercore rock band named 'Killer Nutz', which is managed by Elijah Wood's character. Then it sees Toxie crashing their concert in gruesome and brutal fashion! The film is directed by Macon Blair who previously teased, 'It's practical effects. You can see all the goopy little boils and stuff like that. And we definitely stayed true to some of the really iconic elements: the tutu that's melted onto his body, the janitor's mop as his super weapon.' The film follows Winston Gooze (Dinklage), a struggling janitor who falls into a vat of toxic waste and emerges as a monstrous yet powerful defender against corporate greed. This 'timely reimagining' leans heavily into environmental themes while still packing in the absurd, over-the-top violence fans expect. Blair describes the film's gore as ' Itchy & Scratchy -type violence,' referencing The Simpsons ' over-the-top cartoon brutality. He reveals, 'We've got a guy that gets his head stuffed in a car engine and it kind of grinds his head up. That was a gag I was fond of.' Blair admits he was surprised by how far the studio let him push the insanity: 'I kept expecting Legendary to say, 'This is not what we want,' but they kept agreeing to the things I pitched.' His goal is to 'Embrace the silliness and trashiness, while wanting it to be an enjoyable, crowd-pleasing, rock'n'roll fun time.' Despite earlier reports that the film was deemed 'unreleasable,' it was a hit at Fantastic Fest, and now fans will finally get to see it in all its unrated, gory glory. While Dinklage stars as the toxic hero, it's actor and movement artist Luisa Guerreiro who actually brings the mutated character to life under layers of practical effects. Dinklage himself is eager for audiences to experience it, saying, 'I do want it to get out there into the world because it was a really big hit at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and Macon Blair, the writer/director who is also in The Thicket ... He's incredible. He's one of my favorite people and favorite artists. So hopefully it will have its day in the toxic sun.' Alongside Dinklage, the film boasts an impressive cast, including Elijah Wood, Julia Davis, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, and Jacob Tremblay. The movie is set to hit theaters on August 29.
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Thicket review – Peter Dinklage is a bounty hunter in harsh western with unusual chill
Here is a western starring Peter Dinklage, but forget hot sun-baked gullies and leather-skinned cowboys riding sweatily through rattlesnake country. The Thicket takes place in a hard, snowbound wilderness interspersed with equally hard, snowbound little townships consisting mainly of bars and brothels. You can see the breath in the air and the blood on the snow. The plot is staple horse opera: a kidnapped maiden must be rescued by a motley group of good-ish guys with mixed motives, headed up by Dinklage playing a bounty hunter character offering a similar vein of dry, world-weary cynicism as his breakthrough role as Tyrion in Game of Thrones, only much less aristocratic. He is joined by Gbenga Akinnagbe as his right hand man, with whom Dinklage has nice chemistry, and Levon Hawke, as a naive young Christian whose sister has been kidnapped by ruffians. The ruffians are where the film really does something unusual, via a simple but intriguing gambit. In the book on which The Thicket is based, the main villain, a man, is called Cut Throat Bill. Here, Cut Throat Bill is played by Juliette Lewis. It isn't exactly a case of trendy, gender-blind casting; while the character is still called Cut Throat Bill, and assumed by those who haven't met him to be a man, as soon as Lewis encounters anyone, it is very clear that the character is perceived as female. 'He's a she,' and so on. Cut Throat Bill doesn't correct them, but continues to go by that name. You might read the character as genderfluid or trans, but existing in a world that didn't have any vocabulary for this, and the film makes no attempt to retrofit modern ideas on to a historical setting. Cut Throat Bill is Cut Throat Bill. Be warned though, if you're looking for a joy-filled queer-friendly narrative, this isn't it. This is a western in the mode of The Proposition: grim characters dying grim deaths with a reasonable amount of downtime between kills. Indeed, for those seeking the thrills and spills of an action-packed shoot 'em up, it's probably somewhat too stately. But it is an odd, mostly compelling yarn, and acted with gusto and shot with real physical commitment to the wide open spaces and raw chill of the elements. The Thicket is on digital platforms in the UK from 21 April, and on DVD from 28 April. It is streaming on Prime in Australia.
Express Tribune
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'Snow White' mired in controversy
Snow White, the latest Disney live-action remake of one of its classics, cost the entertainment company a reported $270 million (€247 million) to make and promote, according to Forbes magazine. As per DW, masses of reporters usually interview the film stars on the red carpet at the opening of such big budget films. However, journalists were generally barred from the Hollywood premiere on March 15 and the European debut, three days earlier at a remote castle in northern Spain. It is widely assumed that the media's restricted access to the stars and creative team is linked to a storm of online comments and more substantial political debates throughout the film's production. Racist reaction The racist comments started in June 2021, when Rachel Zegler was first revealed as the film's star. Zegler, who made her film debut in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of West Side Story, is of Colombian and Polish descent. Racist commentators were outraged by the choice of a Latina to portray the title character. They had similarly decried the casting of Halle Bailey, who is Black, to star in The Little Mermaid in 2023. Instead of being named for her "skin as white as snow," Zegler said in a 2024 interview with Variety, the backstory for Snow White's name in the new film refers to another version of the fairy tale, in which the girl survives a snowstorm as a baby. "And so the king and queen decided to name her Snow White to remind her of her resilience," said Zegler. Removing the 'stalker' Another update to the story is that it no longer focuses on the outdated view that a girl can only be saved by getting married - and hopefully to a prince. Zegler discussed this aspect by describing the prince as a "stalker." "The original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her," Zegler said in 2022. Zegler said the new film centered on "an inner journey that she goes on to find her true self and she meets a lot of people along the way that makes the journey really incredible." Those comments also reinforced the views of online commenters already convinced that it would be a "woke" film. The seven dwarfs Peter Dinklage, the award-winning actor from Game of Thrones, launched another debate surrounding Snow White through an interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast in 2022. Though Dinklage praised Disney for casting a Latina as Snow White, he felt it didn't make sense to be "progressive in one way," but then to still be making a "backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together." Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism, is one of the most prominent figures in disability representation. The actor has made a point of avoiding stereotypical roles commonly reserved for actors from little people communities. A day after the interview, Disney announced that it would change Snow White's co-stars to "magical creatures" created with CGI. However, many actors from little people communities said this represented a loss of potential roles in a major production. "There really is nothing wrong casting someone with dwarfism as a dwarf in any given opportunity. As long as we are treated equally and with respect, we're usually more than happy to take on any acting roles that are suitable for us," said performer Choon Tan, known as the "UK's smallest bodybuilder." He described the movie's reliance on CGI for the characters as "absolutely absurd and discriminating in a sense." "I think Disney is trying too hard to be politically correct, but in doing so it's damaging our careers and opportunities," he said. Boycotting Gal Gadot When Disney released the first Snow White teaser in 2024, there were calls from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions activists to boycott the film because of the casting of Israeli actress Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) in the role of the Evil Queen. Gadot has shown continued support for Israel. Meanwhile, Zegler has added #freePalestine hashtags in her social media promotion of the film. Gadot's and Zegler's opposing political views have fuelled rumors of a feud between the stars. An evolving story People who insist that Snow White's skin should be white as snow or that her only path to happiness is to become a married princess should note that Disney had already taken various liberties in its 1937 adaptation of the original German Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The Brothers Grimm collected oral folk tales from different sources and compiled them in their Children's and Household Tales, which was first published in 1812. They also made changes and additions until they reached their seventh edition in 1857, which contained 200 tales. A major difference, for example, is that the brothers' Snow White does not wake up from the prince's kiss, as portrayed in Disney's 1937 version. Instead, the poisoned apple comes out of her throat when one of the prince's servants trips and loses his balance while transporting the glass coffin. In another version, a servant of the prince is so annoyed that he has to carry the glass coffin everywhere for the prince that he hits the seemingly dead girl on the back, causing the piece of apple to come out of her throat. At the end of the Grimm fairy tale, the Evil Queen is given red-hot iron slippers in which she is to dance to death at Snow White's wedding. Disney's 1937 version does not conclude with such a torture scene. Instead, the Evil Queen — still dressed as the old lady — is about to roll a boulder onto the dwarfs when lightning strikes on the edge of the cliff where she is standing. She then falls to her death.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Five controversies that rocked Disney's 'Snow White' remake before its release
Disney's live-action remake of its 1937 animated classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" endured a rocky production period in the lead-up to its theatrical premiere this weekend. Since it began production in 2022, the film has made headlines for multiple controversies, including a year-long delay, a debate over whether its depictions of title characters are politically correct, and an outspoken lead actress who prompted backlash with her public derision of the original Disney film and Trump-voting Americans. Here are five major controversies that plagued Disney's live-action "Snow White" before its release on Friday, when it opened to middling reviews – one New York Times critic said, "its mediocrity is among its biggest bummers." Children Deserve Better Than Cartoonish Culture War More than three years prior to the film's release, one A-list actor with dwarfism prompted Walt Disney Studios to commit to reworking its depiction of the classic "seven dwarfs" character. "Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage called out the studio for even considering taking a stab at portraying magical dwarfs in the modern era. Read On The Fox News App Speaking on comedian Marc Maron's podcast in 2022, Dinklage stated, "You're progressive in one way, but then you're still making that f-----g backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together. What the f--- are you doing, man?" Following Dinklage's complaint, Disney announced that it would take a "different approach" in its depiction of the seven dwarfs. A statement put out by the studio in January 2022 said, "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community." Disney would ultimately use CGI dwarfs to portray Snow White's seven friends in the final product. 'Snow White' Reboot Star, Who Knocked 1937 Film, Is 'Thankful' For Critics: 'Makes Me Feel Like Teflon' Lead actress Rachel Zegler has courted social media backlash on a variety of occasions since the start of the film's production, first taking heat for her comments deriding the themes of the classic 1937 version of "Snow White." During Disney's D23 expo in 2022, the actress told the media, "I mean, you know, the original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird. So we didn't do that this time." Since then, Zegler has dismissed her online critics, suggesting that their response is an over-the-top reaction to her "outspokenness" and being "fearless" with her opinions. Relatedly, the 2025 film does not feature Snow White singing dreamily about her true love, but she does belt out lyrics about becoming the leader she knows she can be. And while there is not a prince featured in the live action release, her male love interest does save her life on two separate occasions. Following Disney's controversy over its dwarf depiction, as well as backlash over Zegler deriding the original, the studio announced in late 2023 it would be delaying the release date for "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs" by a full year. The film was originally set to release in March 2024. In light of the film's rocky production up until that point, Disney's critics on social media speculated that the studio needed a year's delay to sanitize the film's supposed progressive themes and to change the final look of the dwarfs after their alleged diverse depiction was mocked online. Industry outlet "The Hollywood Reporter" provided an alternative theory, suggesting the delay happened due to the SAG-AFTRA strike happening that year. It noted, "Get ready for the dominoes to start falling in earnest as studios race to rearrange their 2024 theatrical release calendars amid the ongoing actors' strike." Parents To Disney: We're Breaking Up – It's Not Us, It's You In addition to causing controversy with her opinions on the old "Snow White" and how it should be updated for the modern era, Zegler stepped into more backlash by sharing her thoughts on the Middle East while promoting her new film. In an August 2024 X post touting the official trailer for "Snow White," the actress wrote, "And always remember, free Palestine." Some wondered if the political message was a subtle dig at film co-star Gal Gadot, who has defended her home country of Israel's military response to the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Zegler generated even more anger when, in her frustration over the results of the 2024 presidential election, she lashed out at people who voted for Donald Trump. "May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace," the progressive actress posted to Instagram after Trump's victory, adding, "F--- Donald Trump." After being met with swift pushback, Zegler apologized. "I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week. I let my emotions get the best of me. Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse," she wrote in a subsequent post. Peter Dinklage Criticizes 'Snow White' Remake's Push For Diversity: 'It Makes No Sense To Me' In a move that prompted onlookers to wonder if Disney was tacitly admitting concerns over how its film would be received, the studio scaled back the Hollywood premiere event for "Snow White" last weekend. Variety reported last week that Disney would be scaling down the film's red carpet premiere on March 15, making it a smaller event than Disney's typical big-budget premieres. The smaller red carpet event would reportedly not be attended by media outlets that usually attend premieres to speak to the film's cast and crew. Though film stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot were set to attend a pre-party and screening at L.A.'s El Capitan Theatre on March 15, Variety reported that media coverage would only include photographers and a house crew. Responding to the reports, actor Martin Klebba, who voices the character of "Grumpy" the dwarf, expressed disappointment about the scaled-down premiere. "I'm not disappointed in Disney. I'm disappointed in the world," he said. "We've come to this place in society where people work really hard on this movie, where Marc [Webb], the director, is probably four years into putting this together, [along with] the producers and Disney, and just because a couple of people have views that not everybody feels the same way, now we're having to alter the fun part of making a movie, which is premieres." Conservative film critic Christian Toto, host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast, summed up the controversy-plagued development of the Disney film, telling Fox News Digital that it's a "perfect storm of media mismanagement." The journalist, who runs his own website, "Hollywood In Toto," added that due to the numerous controversies, "the film's box office hopes have been blunted dramatically." Toto said it's not all doom and gloom in terms of "Snow White's" box office earnings. "It may still make some cash," he said, adding, "The Disney brand remains vital in some quarters, and children's movies often linger in theaters for weeks. That allows appreciative parents to snag a few hours to themselves." "Disney stepped on more than a few rakes along the way, though, hurting its overall box office potential," he concluded. Fox News Digital reached out to Disney for article source: Five controversies that rocked Disney's 'Snow White' remake before its release
Fox News
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Five controversies that rocked Disney's 'Snow White' remake before its release
Disney's live-action remake of its 1937 animated classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" endured a rocky production period in the lead-up to its theatrical premiere this weekend. Since it began production in 2022, the film has made headlines for multiple controversies, including a year-long delay, a debate over whether its depictions of title characters are politically correct, and an outspoken lead actress who prompted backlash with her public derision of the original Disney film and Trump-voting Americans. Here are five major controversies that plagued Disney's live-action "Snow White" before its release on Friday, when it opened to middling reviews – one New York Times critic said, "its mediocrity is among its biggest bummers." More than three years prior to the film's release, one A-list actor with dwarfism prompted Walt Disney Studios to commit to reworking its depiction of the classic "seven dwarfs" character. "Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage called out the studio for even considering taking a stab at portraying magical dwarfs in the modern era. Speaking on comedian Marc Maron's podcast in 2022, Dinklage stated, "You're progressive in one way, but then you're still making that f-----g backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together. What the f--- are you doing, man?" Following Dinklage's complaint, Disney announced that it would take a "different approach" in its depiction of the seven dwarfs. A statement put out by the studio in January 2022 said, "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community." Disney would ultimately use CGI dwarfs to portray Snow White's seven friends in the final product. Lead actress Rachel Zegler has courted social media backlash on a variety of occasions since the start of the film's production, first taking heat for her comments deriding the themes of the classic 1937 version of "Snow White." During Disney's D23 expo in 2022, the actress told the media, "I mean, you know, the original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird. So we didn't do that this time." Since then, Zegler has dismissed her online critics, suggesting that their response is an over-the-top reaction to her "outspokenness" and being "fearless" with her opinions. Relatedly, the 2025 film does not feature Snow White singing dreamily about her true love, but she does belt out lyrics about becoming the leader she knows she can be. And while there is not a prince featured in the live action release, her male love interest does save her life on two separate occasions. Following Disney's controversy over its dwarf depiction, as well as backlash over Zegler deriding the original, the studio announced in late 2023 it would be delaying the release date for "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs" by a full year. The film was originally set to release in March 2024. In light of the film's rocky production up until that point, Disney's critics on social media speculated that the studio needed a year's delay to sanitize the film's supposed progressive themes and to change the final look of the dwarfs after their alleged diverse depiction was mocked online. Industry outlet "The Hollywood Reporter" provided an alternative theory, suggesting the delay happened due to the SAG-AFTRA strike happening that year. It noted, "Get ready for the dominoes to start falling in earnest as studios race to rearrange their 2024 theatrical release calendars amid the ongoing actors' strike." In addition to causing controversy with her opinions on the old "Snow White" and how it should be updated for the modern era, Zegler stepped into more backlash by sharing her thoughts on the Middle East while promoting her new film. In an August 2024 X post touting the official trailer for "Snow White," the actress wrote, "And always remember, free Palestine." Some wondered if the political message was a subtle dig at film co-star Gal Gadot, who has defended her home country of Israel's military response to the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Zegler generated even more anger when, in her frustration over the results of the 2024 presidential election, she lashed out at people who voted for Donald Trump. "May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace," the progressive actress posted to Instagram after Trump's victory, adding, "F--- Donald Trump." After being met with swift pushback, Zegler apologized. "I would like to sincerely apologize for the election post I shared on my Instagram last week. I let my emotions get the best of me. Hatred and anger have caused us to move further and further away from peace and understanding, and I am sorry I contributed to the negative discourse," she wrote in a subsequent post. In a move that prompted onlookers to wonder if Disney was tacitly admitting concerns over how its film would be received, the studio scaled back the Hollywood premiere event for "Snow White" last weekend. Variety reported last week that Disney would be scaling down the film's red carpet premiere on March 15, making it a smaller event than Disney's typical big-budget premieres. The smaller red carpet event would reportedly not be attended by media outlets that usually attend premieres to speak to the film's cast and crew. Though film stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot were set to attend a pre-party and screening at L.A.'s El Capitan Theatre on March 15, Variety reported that media coverage would only include photographers and a house crew. Responding to the reports, actor Martin Klebba, who voices the character of "Grumpy" the dwarf, expressed disappointment about the scaled-down premiere. "I'm not disappointed in Disney. I'm disappointed in the world," he said. "We've come to this place in society where people work really hard on this movie, where Marc [Webb], the director, is probably four years into putting this together, [along with] the producers and Disney, and just because a couple of people have views that not everybody feels the same way, now we're having to alter the fun part of making a movie, which is premieres." Conservative film critic Christian Toto, host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast, summed up the controversy-plagued development of the Disney film, telling Fox News Digital that it's a "perfect storm of media mismanagement." The journalist, who runs his own website, "Hollywood In Toto," added that due to the numerous controversies, "the film's box office hopes have been blunted dramatically." Toto said it's not all doom and gloom in terms of "Snow White's" box office earnings. "It may still make some cash," he said, adding, "The Disney brand remains vital in some quarters, and children's movies often linger in theaters for weeks. That allows appreciative parents to snag a few hours to themselves." "Disney stepped on more than a few rakes along the way, though, hurting its overall box office potential," he concluded. Fox News Digital reached out to Disney for comment.
