Why Taika Waititi left star-studded deleted scenes from Thor: Love and Thunder on the cutting room floor; bronze statues of Breaking Bad characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman will soon be erected in Albuquerque; the trailer for Jeff Baena’s Spin Me Round starring Alison Brie and our Summer cover star Aubrey Plaza is here. All in today’s Movie News Rundown.
But First: In case you missed it, we unveiled our Summer cover story featuring Emily the Criminal star Aubrey Plaza yesterday. It’s written by yours truly, and here’s one of my favorite anecdotes that she told me: “I got this amazing tarot deck from this witch that was living across the street from me during quarantine. It’s called the Motherpeace deck. Basically, the deck existed before patriarchal times, before the power dynamic shifted and men came to be in the power position.”
If You Were Wondering: Plaza is a Cancer sun, Gemini-Cancer-cusp moon, and a Leo rising. Read the full story here.
Speaking of Aubrey Plaza: The trailer for Spin Me Round, directed by Plaza’s husband Jeff Baena and starring co-writer Alison Brie, is out now, and the film will be in theaters, VOD, and AMC+ on Aug. 19. It’s about the manager of an Olive Garden-esque chain restaurant (Brie) who goes to Italy on a work trip and meets a seductive Italian restaurant executive (Alessandro Nivola) and his capable assistant (Plaza). But it soon becomes clear that the chef and his assistant are hiding something. Watch the trailer here:
The Cutting Room Floor: Is where Taika Waititi leaves a lot of scenes. In Thor: Love and Thunder, he left out deleted scenes that featured appearances by Peter Dinklage, Jeff Goldblum and Lena Headey. Here’s what Waititi told Insider about his process: “I wrote the thing so when you cut anything it’s a little bit of a challenge to yourself because you’re like, ‘Am I not that good? Should I have seen this coming?’ But every film I’ve done I’ve probably cut the same amount out. When you go into the edit you just never know. A scene on its own could be the most funniest thing or intriguing thing, but sometimes those things if you keep them in will just make the movie screech to a halt. So you have to do what’s best for the film.”
An Unveiling: In Albuquerque, New Mexico, bronze statues of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from AMC’s Breaking Bad will be unveiled on July 29. Sculpted by artist Trevor Grove and cast by American Fine Arts Foundry, the statues will be donated to the city by Sony Pictures Television and Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. Of course, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul will be at the unveiling to see the statues in their likenesses, as will Gilligan and Mayor Tim Keller. I would also not be surprised if my dad, a huge Breaking Bad fan, made a trip out to ABQ just for this.
SBIFF: Get your sunglasses ready, because the 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival has set a date for next year’s festival on the American Riviera. The festival will take place from February 8 – 18, 2023, with events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes held throughout the city, including at the Arlington Theatre.
Back to Black: Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson has been chosen to direct the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic titled Back to Black, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film comes from Studiocanal, and while the plot is still unknown, the search for an actress to play the iconic singer-songwriter will begin soon.
My Thoughts: I love Amy Winehouse, I’m super excited for this, and for some reason — I’m not saying this is right — I kind of want Anne Hathaway to play her. Is that just too wild? I know it’s out of left field, but that’s why I like it. Sound off with your pick in the comments.
Main Image: Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Alessandro Nivola, and Ayden Mayeri in Spin Me Round courtesy of IFC Films
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