Latest news with #Variety
Gizmodo
31 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Amazon to Adapt Video Game Explicitly About Beating the Crap Out of Some Nazis
In what's quickly become an arms race among streamers, Amazon MGM Studios announced it's developing a TV series for Wolfenstein to add to its growing catalogue of video game adaptations. The announcement came from Variety, which reports that Patrick Sommerville of Maniac fame will serve as its creator, writer, and showrunner. Alongside Sommerville, James Altman and Jerk Gustafsson of Keyframe Films and game developer MachineGames, respectively, will also serve as executive producers. While Variety goes on to state that plot details are being kept hush-hush, the publication did note that Wolfenstein's 'incredible' official logline summarizes its premise succinctly, writing, 'The story of killing Nazis is evergreen.' Luckily, we have a reasonably detailed history from its source material to glean more about the series beyond its prescient premise. Wolfenstein is a first-person shooter legend dating back to the 1980s, primarily depicting the exploits of a soldier named William 'B.J.' Blazkowicz as he infiltrates Nazi bases and riddles their grunts, mechanical automatons, and more with a righteous hail of bullets. The series began with 1981's Castle Wolfenstein and originally largely dealt with Nazi experiments into the occult but was rebooted in 2014 by Machine Games, part of Fallout and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle publisher Bethesda Softworks, with The New Order. While Blazkowicz remains the series' protagonist, the revived Wolfenstein follows an alternate history where Nazi Germany won World War II through the use of advanced scientific technology, going on to invade the world. Its most recent title, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, was released in 2019. As mentioned earlier, should the Wolfenstein series materialize, it'll see Prime Video and producer Kilter Films double-dipping into Bethesda's catalog. The last of which is the Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell-led Fallout series. Fallout season two is slated to premiere in December, and it's already been renewed for a third season. Outside of the Bethesda universe, Prime Video has three other gaming adaptations in development. These series include adaptations of BioWare's sci-fi series Mass Effect, Santa Monica Studio's God of War, and from the tabletop side of gaming, Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000, starring former Superman and Witcher actor Henry Cavill. In the context of Prime Video's slate of video game adaptations and in comparison to Netflix's upcoming projects, including Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed, the trend of video game adaptations appears to be showing no signs of slowing. Our only hope is that Prime Video takes a page out of Netflix's playbook with its casting, choosing Alan Ritchson of Reacher fame as BJ. If you have a large man on retainer, it's only right to give him the role of one of gaming's leading men. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Pink Villa
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Peter Dinklage Debuts Gruesome Mop-Wielding Superhero in The Toxic Avenger Unrated Comic-Con Preview
Peter Dinklage stepped into Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday and unleashed a mop-wielding monster. The Game of Thrones alum stars in The Toxic Avenger Unrated, a bold reboot of the cult 1984 gorefest, and fans were treated to an exclusive first look at the film's unrated carnage. Dinklage plays Winston Gooze, a down-on-his-luck janitor who becomes the disfigured antihero Toxie after a run-in with toxic waste. The panel featured co-stars Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, and director Macon Blair, who joined producer Lloyd Kaufman (creator of the original film) to preview what Blair called a 'goopy' yet 'sweet' reimagining. From toxic waste to mutant hero According to People, Dinklage described his decision to take the role as 'an easy yes,' citing Kaufman as a longtime influence. The actor recalled watching the original on Betamax in New Jersey and being captivated by its crude humor and environmental satire. In the reboot, Winston's transformation into Toxie comes via a gruesome chemical accident—a scene partially shown during the panel, with censored violence and bleeped profanity. Though Dinklage lends his voice and mannerisms, he revealed that stunt performer Luisa Guerreiro physically embodied the mutated Toxie in full prosthetics. 'Over 70% of my performance is not me,' Dinklage admitted. 'She studied all my movements like a hawk and does a better me than I do.' Sincerity beneath the slime While the film promises outrageous violence—director Blair teased a practical effect involving a head lodged in a car engine—the panel took a surprisingly earnest turn. Elijah Wood, who plays villain Fritz Garbinger, praised the film's creativity and the emotional thread between Winston and his son Wade, portrayed by Tremblay. The younger actor admitted he had to 'pretend [he] didn't to absolutely love' Dinklage while filming. For Blair, capturing the chaos and charm of the original without copying its plot was key, per Variety. The Toxic Avenger Unrated opens in theaters August 29.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Micheal Ward on Finally Having His Cannes Moment With ‘Eddington,' What He Learned From ‘Cool Cat' Joaquin Phoenix and Why His Next Film Should Excite ‘Top Boy' Fans
Micheal Ward's big 'Cannes moment,' as he describes it, should have come five years ago. 'Lovers Rock,' the reggae-infused romance in which he played a charming singleton at a London house party and arguably the most critically adored film from Steve McQueen's 'Small Axe' anthology series, had been selected for the 2020 festival. Then, COVID-19 hit and the event was canceled for the first time since WWII. More from Variety Gia Coppola, Mark Ruffalo, Ari Aster Help Drive Audiences to Rome's Cinema in Piazza Screenings A24 Partners With Legendary Photographer Gregory Crewdson on Image for Ari Aster's 'Eddington' (EXCLUSIVE) Emma Stone on Working With Joaquin Phoenix in 'Eddington' and That Viral Bee Incident With Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler at Cannes Ironically, Ward's first trip to the Cannes Film Festival wound up coming earlier this year courtesy of a feature set during the pandemic — Ari Aster's wild, all-star modern-day Western satire 'Eddington,' landing in cinemas via A24 on Friday. But the 27-year-old Brit wasn't merely feted on the red carpet of the Palais alongside his co-stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone. Just a day after the premiere, he was given a special breakthrough artist award from Variety and the Golden Globes (presented to him by Aster). Perhaps it was good to have been made to wait a little longer. 'Everything happens at the right time,' Ward tells Variety. 'I feel like this experience of going to Cannes with these amazing people, while it was definitely surreal for me, was a moment that you should never forget. It was a really special feeling and a really special moment for myself.' And the Ward that came to Cannes in 2025 was very different to the actor who would have attended in 2020. In the five years since his festival near-miss, he's been slowly building an impressive — and impressively varied — career for himself. Having already won the BAFTA Rising Star award in 2019 (largely for his breakout roles in London gangland drama feature 'Blue Story' and London gangland drama series 'Top Boy'), 'Lovers Rock' brought him a BAFTA TV nomination in 2021. Two years later, he earned a BAFTA film nomination for his acclaimed performance alongside Olivia Colman in Sam Mendes' tribute to cinema 'Empire of Light.' Further roles would include Jeymes Samuel's wild biblical comedy 'The Book of Clarence' (as Judas), a small part in 'Bob Marley: One Love' and Netflix's warm-hearted soccer drama 'The Beautiful Game.' 'Eddington' — being produced by A24, directed by Aster and packed out with stars (Austin Butler and Luke Grimes are also among the cast) — marks another rung up the ladder. As it turns out, 'Eddington' may not have happened without 'Lovers Rock.' Ward auditioned over Zoom for the role of Michael Cook, a newly-minted and dedicated police officer in small town New Mexico under the leadership of Phoenix's increasingly reactionary sheriff — a lawmaker who goes to war with Pascal's progressive mayor. But it was only after he got the part that he learned he already had a McQueen-aided leg up. 'I found out later on that Ari had watched 'Lovers Rock' and had loved me in that,' he explains. 'Eddington' has proven to be a difficult film to explain. It's part broad satire, part caper comedy and part scathing analogy on the divided state of the U.S. today that takes aim at conspiracy theories, white privilege, gun culture and much more. 'If I'm being completely honest, I feel like even Ari didn't know how to describe it,' recalls Ward. 'He kind of just let us be decisive and divisive with how we felt about it. So we had loads of conversations about the character. And for me, what I try to bring to every role is authenticity.' With that in mind, he dove into the world of Michael Cook to understand what it was like to be a 'Black guy living in small-town America where there aren't many Black guys.' For help, he turned to an ex-police officer friend in New York, the author and civil rights activist Edwin Raymond, who had worked on 'Monsters and Men' with another of Ward's friends, Reinaldo Marcus Green. 'Edwin told me lots of stuff about how it was for a Black officer when people were protesting in New York,' he says. Raymond also linked Ward up with local Black police officers in small towns such as the fictitious Eddington, which he acknowledges have a 'very different vibe' to NYC. His biggest takeaway from these chats was that it was essential to 'wear the badge with honor,' and, in cases where right and wrong were yet to be established, they 'always had to take the police's side.' As a Brit with little knowledge of the U.S. police system, he also got to know the various ranks of officers and got his head around the concept that to become a sheriff you don't necessarily need to have any police experience — 'it's just a popularity contest!' For Ward, who also did extensive research for his roles in 'Lovers Rock' and 'Empire of Light' — both set in 1980 (he was born in 1997) — 'Eddington' was the first contemporary film he needed to take some time to work on. 'That was a special journey with this character,' he says. It was a film that also saw Ward go toe-to-toe across numerous scenes with Phoenix, who eventually turns on his young recruit. While he claims to be rarely intimidated when meeting A-list stars, he's glad the first time he was introduced to the Oscar winner 'was not on camera.' But they soon got to know each other. 'He's just cool… a cool cat. He cracks jokes and it was great to see that even someone at his level doesn't take himself too seriously.' Watching Phoenix on and off set proved to be an education. First up, his work ethic — even on supposed days off. 'He just always wanted to work. There was one weekend where he was like, 'Well, nobody's got anything to do so we can just rehearse,'' he says. 'And if he wants to work, now I want to work.' While shooting, the main inspiration for Ward was watching Phoenix's ability to 'come with something fresh and new with every take, so it never feels the same,' he says. 'I feel like it's so powerful to do that and it was the biggest thing that I took away, because he very seldom did the same thing twice.' Ward says he's taken that acting lesson directly to his next project. Now shooting in Wales (he's been speaking from a hotel in Cardiff), 'Uncle' is something altogether different — a revenge thriller from writer-director Joe Marcantonio in which a teenage girl and her uncle (Ward) embark on a violent quest for retribution after their family is murdered. It's a much smaller film compared to anything he's been in recently, but one that gives him a great lead role to truly sink his teeth into and showcase his abilities. It's also his most action-heavy role to date. The scene shot on the day of our interview involved an elaborate scene in which his character ('Who's mad!,' he says) has to pull a guy out of a car and jump in while revving the engine. 'I felt like a stuntman!' 'Uncle' is also a film Ward says should cater to those who were fans of his early breakout roles in 'Blue Story' and 'Top Boy,' fans he admits may have been less interested in what he's done since. 'It's exciting for me, because I feel like the movies that I've made recently have not really been for them, they were for my career,' he says. 'But when I read the script for this I just thought, this is something that people who know me from 'Top Boy' and 'Blue Story' and that kind of world are going to love. I think it'll be really sick.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ari Aster on Gruesome ‘Eddington' Ending, Full-Frontal Joaquin Phoenix and Soothing His Notorious Anxiety
SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers for, including the ending of, 'Eddington,' now playing in theaters. Does anything relax Ari Aster? More from Variety Box Office: 'Superman' Still on Top as 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Hooks $5.8 Million Opening Day Ahead of 'Eddington' and 'Smurfs' Box Office: 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Scares Up $2.2 Million in Thursday Previews, A24's 'Eddington' Earns $625K Micheal Ward on Finally Having His Cannes Moment With 'Eddington,' What He Learned From 'Cool Cat' Joaquin Phoenix and Why His Next Film Should Excite 'Top Boy' Fans The ramp-up to the celebrated indie filmmaker's latest release, 'Eddington,' reminds us just how much crushing anxiety informs his work and daily life. Take last week's exhaustive New York Times profile, in which Aster threatened to walk into traffic at the thought of answering routine publicity questions. But his demons aren't without benefits, having produced disruptive and culture-consuming movies like 'Hereditary,' 'Midsommar' and 'Beau Is Afraid.' On a recent Zoom with Variety, Aster sat in the office of his distributor A24 and considered the things that bring him joy and calm. 'I like to read. I like watching movies. Making films provides a healthy level of distraction. Being idle isn't my thing,' he said. The director also confessed to enjoying junk food (calling himself an 'over-orderer' on apps like Uber Eats) and low-brow comedy (he couldn't name any recent favorites off the cuff). He meditates. Sadly, he does not partake in any of Bravo's 'Real Housewives' installments, as the Times hinted he might. Escapes from his prison of anxiety are minimal, but perhaps that's why we have 'Eddington.' The Cannes selection follows antihero Joaquin Phoenix as Joe Cross, a New Mexico law enforcer whose personal life explodes in scandal and violence at the exact time COVID rattles the world and undoes his small town. The film was divisive from the jump, with some critics saying Aster's film is incendiary on purpose – meant to rile conspiracy theorists, incite liberal outrage and foreshadow the inevitability of a second Trump term. Variety's Owen Gleiberman, in his positive review, said some viewers might wonder if Aster had 'turned into some right-wing hipster auteur tossing cherry bombs attached to Fox News talking points.' Political and social indictments aside, Aster crafts the kind of bleak ending he's become famous for. [Last chance to avoid spoilers] Much of the film's action centers on a haphazard mayoral campaign Cross is running while trying to keep the peace in his town. After smiting his opposition (Pedro Pascal) and quite a few others, Cross claims victory at a high price. A climactic action piece just before the film's final scenes brings Antifa to town – puppets of the elite paid to stage havoc in service of darker goals, the theory goes. Phoenix's Cross confronts them head on through air assaults, multi-car explosions and a town square shoot-out that feels like Paul Verhoeven guest directed 'Grand Theft Auto.' In the end, Cross takes a knife to the skull. Since this is an Aster movie, death is nowhere near the worst thing that can happen to his protagonist. 'I wanted it to feel as desolate as possible,' Aster said of the ending. Cross survives but is left paraplegic by the stabbing. He holds the mayor's office but can't enjoy its power and privilege, instead a symbol now cared for by his unhinged mother-in-law (the underrated Deirdre O'Connell). Cross spends his days reflecting on his sins and getting abused by caretakers. In a montage looking at Cross' new daily routine, Phoenix offers some rare full-frontal nudity from a male movie star ('If you got it, you might as well [flaunt it],' the director said of his lead). One of the final glimpses we see of Cross is at the grand opening of a data center, built right next to the paltry town of Eddington. Many theorize that the data center, the construction of which is opposed by some locals and indigenous people, was the real evil in the story. 'What you'll see in the film is that I have some frustration towards one side of this ideological battle, but I'm terrified of the other side. And part of my frustration with that first side is that it's failing to meet the threat of the other side,' he said. 'This film is about a bunch of people who are in the same situation, and they're all boring, and they're all going at each other. But they're all subject to the same forces and the same big power that is working on them.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joaquin Phoenix Says a Director ‘F—ing Pissed Me Off' by Calling Me a ‘Character Actor': It Was Code for ‘You're Never Going to Get There' as a Star
Don't tell Joaquin Phoenix he's not a star. The Oscar winner recently appeared on Theo Von's 'This Past Weekend' podcast (via Entertainment Weekly) during his 'Eddington' press tour and remembered a director telling him on set early in his career that all he would ever be is simply a 'character actor.' Phoenix's co-star at the time compared him to a higher-profile actor, to which the director butted in and shot down the comparison. 'It's kind of code for like, 'You can't really, like, you're never going to really get there, but you'll work,'' Phoenix said of the director's 'character actor' dig at him. 'And that fucking pissed me off.'But Phoenix added, 'I ultimately appreciate it because it made me go like, 'Well, how do I find that way? Like, how do I find more?'' More from Variety Ari Aster on Gruesome 'Eddington' Ending, Full-Frontal Joaquin Phoenix and Soothing His Notorious Anxiety Box Office: 'Superman' Still on Top as 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Hooks $5.8 Million Opening Day Ahead of 'Eddington' and 'Smurfs' Micheal Ward on Finally Having His Cannes Moment With 'Eddington,' What He Learned From 'Cool Cat' Joaquin Phoenix and Why His Next Film Should Excite 'Top Boy' Fans The actor would go on to be nominated for four Academy Awards, winning the best actor trophy for 'Joker.' He's also been awarded the best actor prize at Cannes for his leading turn in Lynne Ramsay's 'You Were Never Really Here.' Phoenix has fronted major studio films like 'Walk the Line' and 'Signs' while also headlining acclaimed indies like 'Her' and 'The Master.' Phoenix's latest is 'Eddington,' a COVID-era Western from his 'Beau Is Afraid' writer-director Ari Aster. Similar to their last collaboration, 'Eddington' is proving divisive among film critics and moviegoers. The film struggled in its box office opening but is sure to gain a cult following. 'The movie is about the center not holding, and you feel that refracted through every pleading stammer of Phoenix's alienated, sad-sack performance,' Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote in his review. 'It's not one of Phoenix's mumbly showboat performances. There's a bitter poignance to Joe, who's in way over his mussy-haired head. When he finally takes matters into his own hands, you keep rooting for him even as he does something indefensible.' 'Eddington' is now playing in theaters nationwide. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Solve the daily Crossword
