Latest news with #OmarSy
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Shadow Force' Review: Two Spies Get Dragged From the Cold in Middling Action Opus
When a now-defunct celebrity couple attempted to make like Nick and Nora Charles meets 'Mission: Impossible' in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' two decades ago, the high-concept, high-budget results were a mixed bag — which didn't stop them from being imitated ever since. The latest duo to step into similar matching marital bulletproof vests is Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, playing globetrotting 'elite special operators' now hiding from their former colleagues in 'Shadow Force.' It takes a certain esprit to pull off this kind of bombastic yet larky star vehicle. Joe Carnahan's film provides passable diversion for a couple hours, but the fun to be had is limited by uninspired action staging, less-than-sparkling dialogue and a maudlin streak of the 'It's about family!!' type. Lionsgate's theatrical release looks likelier to find its primary audience once it reaches home formats. More from Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Desperate Housewives' Reboot From Kerry Washington, Natalie Chaidez in Development at Onyx Collective 'Extraction' TV Series Starring Omar Sy Ordered at Netflix From Glen Mazzara With Russo Brothers Producing Kyrah (Washington) and Isaac (Sy) are a couple who met on the job. They were both part of the titular top-secret assassin unit assembled by then-CIA chief Jack Cinder (Mark Strong) to take out bad guys around the world. But falling in love was against the rules, going AWOL even more so. Some time later, they've gone underground, trying to keep themselves and 5-year-old son Ky (Jahleel Kamara) safe from the vengeance of their ex-boss, who is now General Secretary for G7. Cinder's international career ascent has only made him more anxious to snuff his runaway agents, who 'know too many things.' Plus there's his lingering pique over being dumped for Isaac by Kyrah, with whom he once had a different sort of 'thing.' She has actually spent the last few years away from her husband and child, trying to kill off remaining Shadow Force recruits before they can do the same to her loved ones. However, when Isaac is forced to demonstrate his violent skillset during a bank robbery in which father and son find themselves caught, the resulting heroic surveillance camera footage blows everyone's cover. Dad and son scram to a hiding place in the Colombian jungle, soon joined by an irate mom. (It is typical of the script's weak logic that she blames Isaac for attracting attention, ignoring the minor detail that he was forced to save their child from armed goons.) Once these parents have yelled at and pummeled each other a bit, the family reunion goes on the run, soon crossing paths with old CIA allies: another couple, known as Auntie (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) and Unc (Method Man). Less luckily, they're also tracked down by members of the Force, who drag all the good guys to Cinder's man-made-island lair. The shootout that takes place there is decent enough. Still, 'Shadow Force' aspires to 'John Wick'-ish levels of hyperbolic action without having the elevated fight choreography or visual panache to pull that off. Shot almost entirely in Colombia, the film's locations and P. Erik Carlson's production design are plusses that Juan Miguel Azpiroz's widescreen cinematography doesn't fully exploit, providing neither grittiness nor high style to material that could use one or the other. A chase on mountain roads, then another between speed boats, ought to provide more visceral thrills than is managed here. In character terms, too, the movie keeps falling short. The five reassembled 'Force' killers (Yoson An, Sala Baker, Marvin Jones III, Natalia Reyes, Jenel Stevens-Thompson) are each given a distinguishing look, but practically nothing to say or do. By default, more interest is stirred by Cinder's ill-treated bodyguards-slash-assistants (Marshall Cook, Ed Quinn), who at least hint at some droll camaraderie. It's gratifying when late in the game, they turn out to have more going on than we'd thought. But Strong, who's played many villains, finds so little of interest in this one that he might as well have 'Generic Baddie' (or perhaps 'If I can't have you no one will') tattooed across his forehead. While Sy and Washington are certainly accomplished, personable and attractive performers, these ostensibly showy roles don't do a lot for them, either. He (in a part originally intended for producer Sterling K. Brown) at least imbues his with some humor and warmth. She waxes too earnest for the fairly preposterous premise to bear, hard-selling Kyrah's tough side one minute, belaboring maternal devotion the next; her prickliness around Isaac makes whatever mutual chemistry brought them together hard to detect. It might've been entertaining to let her character's alpha air be the secret sauce in their marriage, but neither script nor star are willing to make that leap. The dynamic between Randolph and Method Man actually does go there, after a fashion — yet again, Leon Chills and Carnahan's screenplay never quite gives these actors the opportunity to shine as we keep expecting them to. A bullet-riddled scenario this simplistic and improbable can't afford to be as sentimental as 'Shadow Force' often gets. There's too much screentime handed over to child thespian Kamara being precociously adorable — which he is. But charm is dampened by the rote calculation of having a tyke curse for laughs, or hammily sing along to old R&B hits. A running gag here is that wee Ky is a superfan for 80s slow-jam king Lionel Ritchie. Like so much else here, that plays out as an obvious gimmick deployed minus the wit or surprise that might've made it fly. If only Sy and Washington had been given some latterday equivalent to the banter William Powell and Myrna Loy got in those 'Thin Man' movies. Instead, the best the filmmakers can manage is saddling them with the same exact fadeout that ended 'After the Thin Man' on a note of shameless schmaltz almost 90 years ago. Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Flawless' Netflix crime thriller binge-watched by 100 million people has viewers 'hooked just five minutes into first episode'
A 'flawless' Netflix crime thriller binge-watched by 100 million people has viewers 'hooked just five minutes into the first episode'. French crime drama Lupin first aired in 2021 and stars Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier and Clotilde Hesme. The series sees Assane Diop (Sy) take inspiration from the tale of fictional Arsène Lupin and becomes a thief. He 'sets out to avenge his father for an injustice inflicted by a wealthy family,' according to the synopsis. Created by George Kay and François Uzan, Lupin has reportedly been streamed a huge 99,500,000 times since it first hit Netflix and fans have raved about it over the years. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. So far, there has been three seasons of the drama and it was nominated for the Golden Globes in 2022, as well as an Emmy. There is a fourth season on the way and filming has already commenced in Paris, according to Tudum. Some viewers have complimented the show over the years on X and said: 'Lupin on Netflix - A solid 10/10. Watch it.'; 'I just finished Lupin a series on Netflix! It was good and kept your mind in the series.'; 'Y'all need to see the series LUPIN on Netflix. My kind of movie.' According to Unilad, one fan penned: 'I binged watch first part last night, hooked from the very first 5 minutes. This series is going to be better than Ocean's 12, 13 and 8 combined.' While another reportedly said: 'Loved this Series. Binged watched the entire series one. Can't wait for series two. Dubbed in English and still was flawless.' Despite Lupin's whopping 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, not everyone has been impressed with the show. One viewer wrote on the review site: 'Omar Sy as Lupin is charming, but the plot twists are so unrealistic... and sometimes just plain stupid. 'It felt like it had potential because the production values are so good. But the storylines are ridiculous.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Lupin' Returning for Season 4
We don't have to say au revoir to Lupin, merci. Part four of the hit series is already in production in Paris, Netflix said on Monday; it will consist of eight 45-minute episodes. Omar Sy is back as Assane Diop, 'the gentleman thief who has captured the hearts of viewers in France and around the world,' as Netflix likes to tell us. More from The Hollywood Reporter Prime Video Now Reaches 130 Million U.S. Ad-Supported Customers, Amazon Says Peacock's 'Office' Follow-Up Gets First Look and Title: 'The Paper' NBC Hires Michael Jordan to Contribute to NBA Coverage Lupin was created by George Kay in collaboration with François Uzan; Marie Roussin, Florent Meyer and Tigran Rosine also participated in the formation of the series, which is inspired by Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin character. Rosine, Meyer, Mathilde Arnaud, Jean-Yves Arnaud and Pennda Ba are the series' writers; Sy and Louis Leterrier are showrunners. 'I often say that Lupin is an extraordinary plaything. I find great joy in it every time,' Sy said in a statement. 'Together with Netflix, Carrousel, and Gaumont, we've invested the time needed to raise our ambitions and deliver even more surprises and enjoyment, both for us and the audience. The fresh energy from Carrousel Studios aligns perfectly with this vision. I'm eager to share the new episodes with as many people as possible.' Lupin episodes are directed by Edouard Salier, Everardo Gout and Hugo Gelin. In addition to Sy, the Lupin part four cast includes Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy, Soufiane Guerrab, Shirine Boutella, Théo Christine and Laïka Blanc-Francard. Just how popular is Lupin? The first two seasons parts currently occupy the third and sixth spots, respectively, on Netflix's own all-time rankings for non-English-language TV series. Lupin part one racked up 99.5 million views over the course of its first 91 days of availability; that's more than The Night Agent's first season (98.2 million views), Fool Me Once (also 98.2 million) and Stranger Things 3 (94.8 million), the number eight, nine and 10 shows on Netflix's English-language TV chart (all-time). Gaumont produces Lupin in collaboration with Carroussel Studios. Sy and the Lupin gang shared Monday's news in an announcement video below. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lupin Renewed for Part 4 at Netflix
Lupin is coming back: Eighteen months after the release of Part 3, Netflix has confirmed that the Omar Sy thriller has been renewed for Part 4, which will consist of eight episodes. 'I often say that Lupin is an extraordinary plaything. I find great joy in it every time,' Sy said in a statement Monday. 'Together with Netflix, Carrousel and Gaumont, we've invested the time needed to raise our ambitions and deliver even more surprises and enjoyment, both for us and the audience. The fresh energy from Carrousel Studios aligns perfectly with this vision. I'm eager to share the new episodes with as many people as possible.' More from TVLine Netflix Orders New Series Set in Extraction Film Universe, Starring Omar Sy — What Does This Mean for Lupin? What to Watch in May: Your Guide to 130+ Premieres Across Broadcast, Cable and Streaming Fallout Renewed for Season 3 at Prime Video - Plus, Find Out When Season 2 Arrives Sy, who serves as co-showrunner, continues to lead the ensemble as Assane Diop. The Part 4 cast also includes returning stars Ludivine Sagnier (Claire), Antoine Gouy (Benjamin), Soufiane Guerrab (Guedira) and Shirine Boutella (Belkacem), and new additions Théo Christine (BRI) and Laïka Blanc-Francard (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon). Check out a first-look photo, which marks the start of production: In addition to Lupin, Sy is set to headline a new series set in Netflix's Extraction film universe; the project received an eight-episode order in February. Neither Extraction Season 1 nor Lupin Part 4 have received release dates as of press time. TVLine will keep you posted as we learn more. Are you looking forward to the return of ? Watch a behind-the-scenes video, then drop your thoughts in a comment below. Best of TVLine Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More 'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Severance, Holey Moley, Poker Face, YOU, Primo, Transplant and 25+ Others
Geek Vibes Nation
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
GVN Interview With 'Shadow Force' Co-Writer Leon Chills
With credits spanning television, comics, and now a high-octane action film starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, Leon Chills is one of the most exciting multi-medium storytellers working today. Geek Vibes Nation spoke with Chills about his love of storytelling, the origins of the movie, and upcoming projects. GVN: Hey Leon! Thanks for taking the time to speak to Geek Vibes Nation. How did you get your start as a screenwriter? Have you always been a storyteller? Leon Chills: I didn't really have the lightbulb moment until I was working for J.P. Morgan in New York. I had a bit of a quarter-life crisis. I had a good job, but I wasn't happy, and I wasn't feeling fulfilled. I thought back to moments from my childhood, and I vividly remembered watching the live-action Hercules TV show, then running to the computer to write my own episodes. In high school, I would get out of writing papers by making short films instead. I thought I was cutting corners, but I'm sure people thought I was doing the most. It was looking back on moments like that that made me think that maybe I was a storyteller. I've also loved movies and TV my whole life. From there, I started reading [screenwriting] books, reading film scripts, and tapping into my network [to assist me with my goal]. I attempted to go to film school, but after that didn't work out, I decided to go without it. GVN: What was the inspiration for Shadow Force ? How did the story evolve as it went from original idea to a finished product? Leon Chills: Initially, I just wanted to write the type of movie I wanted to see. I've always loved action, and when my parents divorced when I was a kid, I would go watch action movies with my dad on the weekends. So, I have an emotional connection to the genre because it reminds me of spending time with him. So, a lot of times when I sit down to write a movie, it has some action involved. I'm also a hopeless romantic, so I added a love story too. From there, it was about following the unique perspective of a Black father and son, which you don't see a lot. A lot of times, [Black fathers] are absent in the media. In Shadow Force , it's the extreme opposite. Not only is the father there, but he's willing to do anything it takes to protect his son. Initially, [the main characters] were like the Romeo and Juliet of the assassin world. They both came from rival assassin organizations. The mythology of John Wick films was a huge influence initially. After Black Panther came out, I just felt like I could finally write something with my full imagination unleashed and that it had a chance of selling and getting made. GVN: How did you get comfortable with rewriting and making changes? It sounds like there were a lot of drafts along the way. Leon Chills: We hit a wall [with an early draft] where people liked it, but they didn't think it would sell because there was too much mythology. So I had to strip all of that out and make them ex-special forces. That in turn made the entire script more grounded and changed the tone a little bit. When it comes to revisions, I think it's just up to [the writer] to maintain their own artistic integrity. That note about the mythology didn't mean the story couldn't be about a Black father and son and a Black family and Black love and all of that. Those were the most important parts of the script. It was really just a concession in being a collaborator and realizing the changes could be for the better of the project because it didn't change any of the core values of the film. GVN: The movie's tagline is 'Family Over Everything.' How did your relationship with your own family inform the story? Leon Chills: My relationship with my dad, and him being the reason I love movies, informed the relationship between the father and son. My mom inspired Kyra, the character Kerry Washington plays. [My mom] has always been a fierce protector of me and my siblings and a working mom who does whatever it takes to look out for us. She's been a fighter for all kids, really, because she's worked in higher education her entire career. What's interesting is that I didn't have kids when I sold the script, and I think subconsciously part of [writing it] was processing my fear of having kids. How do you bring kids into this world when there's so much danger all around? So, this movie of parents having to do everything they can to protect their kid came out of me. The process of writing Shadow Force helped me deal with that because, as of the release of this film, I have three kids. GVN: Thank you for sharing that. Also, you based the character on your mom? Talk about the ultimate Mother's Day present. Leon Chills: At the premiere, I told Kerry [Washington] on the red carpet that my mom inspired her character and that we should get her to meet my mom. Later, as Kerry was introducing the film before it played, she mentioned that I told her that story. It was the ultimate pleasant surprise. My mom started crying. Photo Credit: Hallo Smith Photography GVN: Were you able to visit the set while filming? Leon Chills: No, I wasn't, unfortunately. Originally, they were going to shoot in Atlanta, which would have been easy to travel to. But once it switched to Colombia, I didn't end up getting a chance to go. I wanted to, and it was a lesson in that as a writer, if I want to see the entire thing through, I'll need to become a writer-director. So that's on my list of things to do. GVN: Awesome! I was going to ask if you had any interest in directing or if you were more comfortable sticking to writing. Leon Chills: I've directed a pilot presentation [in which] the goal was to shoot a small project for YouTube and eventually try to sell it as a TV show. It did well, and although they say don't read the comments, all the comments were really positive. But COVID happened and derailed the whole thing. That project was my first time directing, and I think I'll do it again. GVN: What surprised you the most about seeing your script brought to life? Were there any moments that landed differently on screen? Leon Chills: This is a bit of a spoiler for those who haven't seen the film, but it was the moment when Isaac and Kyra were fighting each other and Kyra reconnects with Ky, her son, after not having seen him in a while. That part was pretty much exactly how I'd written it on the page and exactly the way I'd also envisioned it in my head. It was definitely my favorite moment to see come to life for sure. GVN: How has your perspective as a Black writer shaped the kinds of stories you're drawn to tell? Leon Chills: For me personally, I didn't realize it in the beginning, but the mission has become clear to me: center Black characters in genres they're normally pushed to the side in. That's why you have this big-budget movie like Shadow Force , which usually goes to white leads, and the characters [were] specified as Black in the script because I want [Hollywood] to know that I wanted the characters to be Black. I also wanted Black actors and actresses to get the opportunity to read something that is specifically written for them in new genres. That also extends to the Black superheroes and comics that I write. I feel like part of what I'm in Hollywood to do is to give more representation to [African Americans]. GVN: Sinners doing so well, and Shadow Force coming out on the heels of its success, has me hopeful that we'll get to see more genre films with Black actors and actresses at the forefront. Leon Chills: Like I mentioned, Black Panther empowered me to write the Shadow Force script, and now the movie is coming out after Sinners , which has brought people back to the theaters. I've got to give a shoutout to Ryan Coogler for sure. GVN: What do you hope audiences walk away with after watching Shadow Force ? Leon Chills: Yeah, first and foremost, I hope they walk away feeling like they had a good time. I've seen people [at advanced screenings] laugh, cry, and yell at the screen while watching it. So, I hope they're able to do all of that. Also, again, I hope Black audiences feel seen and feel excited to see Black characters in ways that we typically don't get to. I hope they feel like they were entertained. That's the main goal. GVN: You've written for shows like The Wilds and Spinning Out — how does the writers' room experience differ from solo screenwriting for film? Leon Chills: Movies are always, and still are, my favorite thing to write. It was writing for TV that made me a professional writer. It was during a peak time for TV, so there were a lot of opportunities. The big difference between the two is that when you're working on a TV show that someone else created, you're there to service their vision and their voice. You make sure you adopt their writing style as much as possible so that they don't have to do a massive rewrite on your script to match the creator's voice. You're there to help solve problems and be an expert in any way you can. You're there to help [the creator] get their vision across, versus when I write a movie, it's my vision completely. GVN: How does writing for comics compare to writing for screen? Leon Chills: Comics are some of my favorite things to write because I get to see [my ideas] realized a lot quicker. Movie scripts are my favorite, but it just takes so long — if ever — to see them come to life. With comics, I can write it, then two or three weeks later the artist is sending back the panels they've drawn. That's just such an amazing feeling. [Comics] are very different in that they're completely visual, so you get a lot less dialogue [than you would in a film script] and you're being more visual because you have to create panels. I think something I've adopted from [writing comics] is the kind of cliffhanger style of storytelling. Comics, from issue to issue, come out weeks apart, so you want to leave the reader on edge so that they come back to read the next issue. So, yeah, I really enjoy [writing comics] a lot. GVN: I know you've written quite a bit for DC/Milestone, but do you ever see yourself writing creator-owned comics? Leon Chills: Absolutely! I have a movie idea now that I may have to create as IP first because it's such a big idea. So I may have to reverse-engineer it into a comic created by me. As a movie, it's live-action and anime hybrid. There are no comps. I haven't seen it done before. It's an uphill battle, but one way to make it easier is to create my own comic and hopefully it sells well and builds an audience. [From there] I could bring in all of that along with the movie script [to a studio]. GVN: I'm hearing a lot about screenwriters branching out to other fields to create IP with the hopes that it'll get their film projects made. Do you think that will become the norm? Leon Chills: I don't know if it'll ever become the norm, but I think for [screenwriters] who are hustlers, it just feels like something we have to do for those ideas that we're very passionate about. GVN: What projects are you excited to explore in the film and TV side of things? Leon Chills: Yes, the project I just mentioned. I have a dream [of making] a live-action and anime hybrid movie. I grew up on anime. It's another story with a family at the center of it, and when the son falls into a coma, the family is trying to do anything and everything to help bring him back. Ultimately, there's this technology that allows them to go inside his mind and help him fight against the nightmares he's up against. Those nightmares are based on his favorite shonen anime. The idea is that when they're in the real world, it's live action, but when they're in his mind, it's animated. GVN: What is your advice to aspiring writers trying to break into these fields post-COVID and post-writers' strike? Leon Chills: This is the toughest time that it has been to break in since I started this journey, honestly. Even when I was broke in 2014, I felt better about the industry than I do now. People [in power] are just spending less money, so there are fewer jobs, and it's rough. All you can do is all you can do. So, control the things you can, which is [improving] at the craft itself. Make sure you're very passionate about it. Make sure you're reading the [screenwriting] books and reading film scripts. I think that's the best education. From a mental health perspective, make sure you have things in your life that make you happy outside of this dream coming true. If all your happiness is tied to a script selling, [this industry] is going to be rough. Give yourself some time and runway to get to the point where that happens. You must have other things in your life that bring you joy while you're waiting to get to that point. Shadow Force is now in theaters. Check out Leon's TV pilot presentation, Party Chat, over on YouTube.
