Latest news with #worldbuilding
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Ballerina' Is Not the ‘John Wick' Spinoff You're Looking For
So many of us stumbled blindly into that first John Wick movie, back in 2014 — how were we ever so young and innocent?! — and settled in for what seemed like a simple B-movie starring one half of the Point Break bromance duo/Bill and Ted team. From the moment that Keanu Reeves slapped a gold coin down on the Continental Hotel's check-in counter, however, audiences slowly realized that this kinetic revenge thriller was taking place in a unique ecosphere of its own. This was just one corner of a far larger sandbox, filled with bespoke hospitality services, crime-syndicate clans, mysterious cabals, weapons sommeliers, and networks of switchboard operators decked out in rockabilly couture. No one was necessarily asking for another cinematic universe. But the more you poked around the franchise's nooks and crannies, pored through its various customs and protocols, the deeper the series got its hooks into you. You don't world-build to this degree without a bigger world-conquering plan in your back pocket, especially once you've taken your king off the chessboard after four games. (Temporarily, but still.) Spinoffs and side missions were inevitable, as was the reality that, bereft of Reeves' deadpan charisma, these projects' returns might be diminishing; The Continental, a Peacock limited series devoted to the early years of the hotelier who caters to hit men, isn't as bad as you've heard and isn't exactly what you'd term 'good.' Further digging into the lore that's now a key part of the series, Ballerina both hopes to officially establish a new antihero to take up the reigns and double down on the mythology. At its best, this tale of a young female assassin seeking vengeance and wreaking havoc is one more chance to see expertly choreographed mayhem. At its worst, it plays like a Wick-ipedia sub-entry ambitiously pumped up to main-event status. Let's just say the balance tilts toward the latter more than you'd like. More from Rolling Stone 'Bring Her Back' Proves the 'Talk to Me' Guys Aren't One-Hit Wonders 'Karate Kid: Legends' Is a Kick for Hardcore Fans Only Keanu Reeves Is a 'Budget Guardian Angel' in Aziz Ansari-Directed Comedy Trailer So, remember that briefly glimpsed ballet academy in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum? This is where Eve will learn the fine art of killing. Having watched her father killed by a criminal known as the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), the girl is found by Winston (Ian McShane), manager of the Continental. He brings her to the Tarkovsky Theater, home of New York's Ruska Roma and where the Director (Anjelica Huston) trains both prima ballerinas and professional assassins, not necessarily in that order. Cut to 12 years later, when the now-grown Eve (Ana de Armas) is still trying master her pirouettes. In terms of hand-to-hand combat and gun fu, however, she's an ace pupil. Eve must past two tests before she can become kikimora, a legendary mythic creature who protects the innocent and guts open the guilty. One involves a former ballerina gone rogue. The other involves keeping a magnate's daughter from being kidnapped. Both are passed. Welcome to the club! Several years and one massive Ruska Roma back tattoo later, Eve is dropping bodies on the regular. The Director's faith in her has paid off — she is good at this whole murder-for-hire thing. After being attacked by a mysterious gent post-hit one night, however, Eve clocks an X scar on his hand. No, it's not a straight-edge symbol or a body-mutilating ode to Elon Musk. This mark signals that her would-be executioner is part of a cult. The same cult, in fact, that killed Eve's father. A detour to Prague, where she meets up with a fellow killer (Norman Reedus) attempting to flee the Chancellor's stranglehold, leads her to a quaint hamlet in the snowy Bavarian hills and, unsurprisingly, ghosts from her past. The powers that be, who don't want Eve's presence there to upset a decades-long truce between clans, have hired someone to exterminate her. Guess what familiar face steps off the train to find her? Given that Reeves' presence in Ballerina is a big part of the trailers, it's not exactly a spoiler to say that, after a clever first-act cameo, Mr. Baba Yaga himself ends up being a substantial part of the third act. (The events depicted in this spinoff take place somewhere during the third, yet before the fourth John Wick movies, for those of you playing along at home.) The temptation is to think that the real powers that be — i.e., the folks in board rooms trying to hold on to a successful film series by any means necessary — assigned him the gig for both continuity and reassurance purposes. At one point, Wick tells Eve she can leave any time she wants. Why haven't you left, she asks him. 'I'm working on it,' the elder statesman replies, and you half-wonder if it's the character or the actor who's speaking at that moment. (To be fair, that line was likely recorded before Reeves signed on for John Wick 5; the presence of the late, great Lance Reddick, who passed away in 2023, in one key scene attests to how long this movie has been in various states of existence.) In the meantime: See Eve run. See Eve shoot, stab, and kick. Kick, Eve, Kick! These movies lie or die by their action sequences, and to its credit, this franchise expansion pack has a few good ones up its sleeve. The now-requisite visit to an elite firearms broker turns into an explosive free-for-all; this may be the introduction of a new fighting style called 'grenade fu.' Even better is Eve's stop at a touristy hoffbrau, in which everyone from the patrons to the kitchen staff are out for blood. This sequence is so ingeniously choreographed and proceeds with such precision timing that you can forgive it for feeling like one more video-game level to get through. Others skate by on sheer imagination, such as the one in which a flamethrower meets its elemental opposite, and you find yourself staring at the action-movie equivalent of the immovable object versus the irresistible force. Also, in terms of in-jokes: Keep an eye out for a fleeting glimpse of Anne Parillaud, who you may remember as the lead in 1990's La Femme Nikita — a classic that this movie clearly owes a huge debt to. For the most part, however, Ballerina feels less like an extension of the Wickiverse than simply another dogged attempt to replicate its winning formula. It's less 'from the world of John Wick,' as the clumsy subtitle before the title strives to remind you, and more like a movie that's John Wick-flavored. Ana de Armas has already proven her onscreen ass-kicking bona fides — her brief appearance as a daffy but deadly operative in No Time to Die was the highlight of that Bond swan song — but the movie merely gives her a lot of the same rinse-repeat emotional beats in between respectively receiving and dishing out beatings. Director Len Wiseman is an old hand at franchise filmmaking, having made the first two Underworld films and Live Free or Die Hard (2007), which doesn't stop everything from somehow feeling a tad chintzy. The Wick movies were stellar examples of how make lowbrow B-movie genre thrills feel like high-rush art. This just feels like a decent effort from the B team. 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Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
These books prove worldbuilding is vital to sci-fi and fantasy
Science fiction and fantasy stories, by nature, reweave the fabric of reality in dazzling, sometimes jarring ways. Writers of fantastical tales often talk about 'worldbuilding,' which can mean crafting a familiar place with unfamiliar elements, or universes that follow entirely different rules than our own. As these new books prove, you can't tell a great speculative fiction story without a compelling world.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Variety's FYC TV Fest Gets Deep on Drama With ‘Yellowjackets,' ‘Day of the Jackal,' ‘Matlock' and More
The morning kicked off with a pair of powerful dramas from executive producers Nigel Marchant and Gareth Neame of Carnival Films, the company responsible for such hits as 'Downton Abbey' and 'The Gilded Age.' Marchant noted that if their projects had a common theme, it was world-building. 'I think that's what we're really good at — really looking at what entertains us is going to entertain an audience.'Both 'Jackal' and 'Lockerbie' are currently streaming on Peacock and feature standout lead performances from Oscar-winning actors. In 'Jackal,' Eddie Redmayne plays the titular assassin, who takes on many disguises. 'He's such a meticulous actor,' said Marchant. 'He had to learn different languages, he [worked] with movement coaches, he had to have all of the prosthetics [work] and he really embraced all of that.''Lockerbie' finds Colin Firth portraying Jim Swire, who spent decades investigating the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 after his daughter was killed in the crash. Asked how they are able to continually attract A-list talent and Neame quipped, 'We pay well.' Marchant, more seriously, added, 'I think it's always the script.'Neame went on to say that they pursue close relationships with the show's writers, such as they did with 'Downton Abbey' creator Julian Fellowes. 'The show was a concept I had wanted to make for years and years but just didn't know who could write that show until I got to know Julian. I pitched him the topline idea.' He said it was similar with 'Jackal' showrunner Ronan Bennett and 'Lockerbie' scribe David Harrower. 'We come up with the ideas, but we love to work with these brilliant writers, whether they're highly established or younger writers. And then just supporting them and their vision.' During Variety's 'Meet the Makers: Yellowjackets, actor Melanie Lynskey told the audience she likes having a conversation with showrunners and executive producers Ashley Lyle, Jonathan Lisco and Bart Nickerson about her overall character's arc. More from Variety Ellen Pompeo, Elisabeth Moss, Niecy Nash-Betts and More Female TV Standouts on Tapping Into Intense Roles and Watching Comfort Shows After Work: 'I Turn to True Crime to Relax' 'The Traitors,' 'Drag Race' and 'The Challenge' Winners Take a Victory Lap, Reflect on Reality TV at Variety's FYC TV Fest: 'It's Like a Sleepover on Steroids' Comedy Stars From 'Animal Control,' 'Going Dutch,' 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage' and More Bring the Laughs to Variety's FYC TV Fest Lynskey told Variety's senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, 'I don't hear too much about what's happening with other characters. It's more Shauna's journey, so I'm still surprised as the season goes on.' In the present-day timeline of the show, Shauna (Lynskey) finds out that Melissa (Hilary Swank) is not only alive — she had faked her death years before — but is married to Hannah's daughter, who has no idea who she really is. When their characters begin fighting, Shauna ultimately bites Melissa's arm before force-feeding her a piece of it. Lyle says that was something that came up early in the writer's room, and the shorthand was 'Shauna eats her hand.' Lyle went on to say they eventually got to the point where they couldn't make the character eat an entire hand. 'We knew that we wanted to have a really brutal, vicious moment for Shauna that is the unlocking of everything that she's been holding back for three seasons.' Lyle also talked about killing off major characters this season and the decision-making process. 'These are characters who've been living in our brains for years, and then they are actors who are our friends and colleagues,' Lyle explained. She went on to say, 'If we've done our jobs right, it should hurt. If it doesn't hurt, then we have failed.' Lisco added, 'Unfortunately, because the show is about trauma, that must have consequences. And if it didn't, I think the audience would rebel because it would start feeling like melodrama and artificial. But because we wanted to keep it as real and as poignant as possible, unfortunately, the characters that you come to love may have to slough off this mortal coil.' 'Matlock' creator Jennie Snyder Urman admits she's still shocked she landed Kathy Bates for the starring role. 'And my mom is still surprised that she knows my name!' joked Urman as Bates laughed was joined by cast members Bates, Skye P. Marshall, David Del Rio, Leah Lewis and Jason Ritter to discuss CBS' hit legal drama in which the Oscar-winning plays a lawyer coming out of retirement to work at a big legal firm. Because she's older, few people suspect that the sweet Mattie Matlock is actually undercover, investigating who destroyed evidence.'When we get to a certain age, we do become invisible,' Bates acknowledged. 'And yet it's at the time of our lives when we know more things, we can accomplish more things. But for some reason in our society — and especially in our industry — they're not interested in that.' Bates noted that Urman has 'flipped the script' on that idea and that the show manages to appeal to people of all ages. 'What I love is when people say, 'Oh I watched it with my 16-year-old son, I watched it with my mother.' It's just cool.' Robert and Michelle King have been responsible for several acclaimed shows, including 'The Good Wife' and it's spin-off 'The Good Fight' and were on hand to speak about two of their most recent four seasons, the supernatural thriller 'Evil' signed off the air and even the creators admitted even they can't believe with what the show got away with. But it wasn't evil chatbots or haunted elevators they expected the most resistance to. 'We did a silent episode and I was surprised they didn't read the script and go, 'Wait a minute, where is the dialogue?'' said Robert King. He also praised the production values the show had, particularly an episode where they built a particle accelerator to try and determine the weight of the human Kings were then joined by 'Elsbeth' showrunner Jonathan Tolins and actors Carrie Preston and Wendell Pierce to discuss the CBS hit featuring the lovable attorney character Preston originated on 'The Good Wife' 15 years had previously worked with the Kings on several shows, including the short-lived 2015 sci-fi dram 'Brain Dead,' which was set in Washington D.C. and centered on people whose brains were taken over by alien insects. Tolins jokingly referred to that show as a 'documentary.' Noting that the show was ahead of its time, Robert King added, 'Robert F. Kennedy had a worm in his head. I mean, he stole from us!'Asked about the enduring appeal of the character, Preston spoke of 'her positivity, her joyousness, her ability to be curious. Even when she's feeling hurt or vulnerable, she always willfully makes herself see the good – even in the murderers. That's how she solves the crimes, she has the empathy and compassion to see why they did it.' Echoed Tolin, 'People always say the character is so quirky, but a lot of that comes from the fact that she's willing to say the truth.' The third season of AMC's 'Dark Winds' examines more of Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn's (Zahn McClarnon) past. As he faces new mysteries and 'monsters,' Leaphorn is forced to face his traumatic past. Episode 6 of the latest season delves into the moral gray areas behind some choices. Speaking with Variety's senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, McClarnon said it was fun as an actor to explore that. 'I find it cathartic to tap into some of that stuff that I went through as a kid, which was very similar. I enjoy that process as an actor and that's why I wanted to be an actor.' Writer and director Steven Paul Judd joined McClarnon and discussed how the writer's room was filled with Native storytellers. Judd said, 'You're really pulling from past experiences from yourself, too. So you got a room of people, it's like therapy. Everyone's crying in the room because you're telling personal stories, and because you want the stories to be as true as they can be. So it was cathartic.' Being as authentic as possible is important to the creative team on the show. And that meant McClarnon having to learn Dine, the Navajo language for certain scenes. Cultural consultants on helped ensure each syllable was correct, but it wasn't easy. McClarnon told the audience that it would often take a few weeks 'to learn a couple of lines.' Next season, McClarnon will direct his first episode. He revealed that stepping into prep was the most difficult aspect of the role and having shot lists. 'I relied on everybody around me to hold me up and guide me.' Judd joked that on the first day of shooting, McClarnon showed up with a megaphone wearing boots and a beret. 'He said, 'This is how I saw it in the movie.' As it turns out, McClarnon was inspired by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich's style. While he's not done with the show yet and would like to explore more of Leaphorn's complexities, McClarnon eventually hopes to play other roles. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
