David Zaslav is talking smack about Clint Eastwood, according to some Warner Bros. executives; 20 Mike Myers characters ranked; If all goes well, we might be getting a peasant revolt drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Plus: We talk with Fab 5 Freddy about Hold Your Fire, a stunning new documentary about de-escalation. All in today’s Movie News Rundown.
But First: Just a reminder that UCLA’s Film & Television Archive Festival of Preservation starts today and continues through Sunday, May 22. Don’t miss your chance to watch films from a grand selection of newly restored Hollywood classics and forgotten gems from the archive! All showings are free. You can make reservations here.
Out Today: The new documentary Hold Your Fire, about an incredibly intense 1973 New York City hostage situation, and the police psychologist who helped avert a bloodbath. The film’s producer, Fab 5 Freddy, talked with Fab 5 Freddy superfan Tim Molloy about the film’s urgent message: If cops could de-escalate the crisis in the film, they can de-escalate anything. Fab also answers some questions about his old friends Blondie… and Jean-Michel Basquiat. You can listen on Apple or Google or Spotify or here:
Can’t You Just Crank Out Hits?: That’s the mentality of WarnerBros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in a nutshell, according to Warner executives interviewed for this very eye-opening Wall Street Journal story by Joe Flint about Zaslav’s cutthroat business tactics when it comes to running the entertainment company. It also suggests that WarnerBros. might be nearing the end of its 50-year relationship with Clint Eastwood, considering that executives also said that Zaslav doesn’t feel the company owes him any favors despite the star’s long history with them. Oh, and he wants more Harry Potter content for HBO Max.
My Two Cents: If the many stumbling blocks that the Fantastic Beasts franchise has faced, including losing Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller’s recent behavior in Hawaii, and J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans remarks aren’t enough to show that Potter spinoffs are a little bit cursed right now (pun intended), can we please consider the concept of letting a good thing die? The original Harry Potter films were incredible. Just appreciate them for what they were and stop trying to recapture the magic. Okay?
Mike Myers, Ranked: Just in time for his new Netflix show The Pentaverate, Vulture cleverly ranked 20 Mike Myers characters, with 1 being the best and 20 being the least best. Tag yourself, I’m Wayne Campbell from Wayne’s World. But seriously, before you go scrolling, I will just tell you that Shrek is ranked number 3 out of 20, and I feel like America’s favorite ogre deserves that place of honor.
Jeremy Strong Says: That there’s something in common between James Gray’s American period drama Armageddon Time, which premiered at Cannes on Thursday night, and HBO’s Succession, in which he plays daddy’s boy billionaire heir Kendall Roy. “It’s interesting, because you can find that thread connecting these two worlds,” he said at Cannes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “The fault lines that we see [in the film] are starting to crack in small ways and are actually enormous and widen and widen and widen to become the new political, social and racial divisions in our society today.”
An Ocean’s Eleven Prequel: Is in development with Margot Robbie, according to Variety. It hasn’t yet been greenlit by Warner Bros. — what do we think, Mr. Zaslav? — but it would be, of course, a heist comedy about some con artists who decide to steal a lot of money from a Las Vegas casino.
Cumberbatch & Greengrass: A script for an English period drama called The Hood about a peasant revolt is being sold today at the Cannes Market, Deadline exclusively reports. It would be directed by Paul Greengrass and would star who else but Benedict Cumberbatch. This sounds like something I would very much watch. What I’m wondering is whether Cumberbatch would play the peasant or the lordly, monarchal figure they are probably revolting against. My guess is the latter.
The Invisible Pilot: If you’re looking for a docuseries with a lot of twists and turns to stream this weekend, check out HBO’s The Invisible Pilot. The filmmakers were interviewed on a recent episode of the Factual America podcast and it sounds like a pretty interesting story that you won’t want to miss. Get a taste of what it’s all about here.
The Man From Mars Stopped Eating Cars: And now he only eats guitars. Here’s Blondie with guest appearances by Fab 5 Freddy and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Main Image: Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in Wayne’s World.
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