Palmer featurette offers deeper look at Timberlake-led Apple drama
With just a few days left before the film’s premiere on the streaming platform, Apple TV+ has unveiled a new featurette for the Justin Timberlake-starring drama Palmer offering a deeper look at the film’s story of redemption, acceptance, and love. The featurette can be viewed below!
Inthe moving drama, Timberlake stars as former high school football star Eddie Palmer as he returns home to put his life back together after serving a 12-year prison sentence and forms an unlikely bond with Sam, an outcast boy from a troubled home. But Eddie’s past threatens to ruin his new life and family.
The film stars Justin Timberlake (The Social Network, Trolls World Tour), Juno Temple (Killer Joe, The Other Boleyn Girl), Alisha Wainwright (Raising Dion, Shadowhunters), Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska, Hubie Halloween) and newcomer Ryder Allen. This marks Timberlake’s first live-action feature and streaming platform project in three years since starring in Woody Allen’s period drama flop Wonder Wheel in 2017.
Palmer is directed by Fisher Stevens from a screenplay written by Cheryl Guerriero. It is produced by Charlie Corwin, Daniel Nadler, Charles B. Wessler, Sidney Kimmel and John Penotti, and is set to hit Apple TV+ on Friday.
Delevingne, Longoria & more join ensemble anthology Women’s Stories
A project five years in the making, the anthology feature Women’s Stories is finally making forward progress as it begins building its ensemble roster with the additions of Cara Delevingne (Carnival Row), Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) and more, according to Deadline.
The film, which will feature seven segments helmed by female directors from all over the world and shot in Italy, India and the U.S. and range in genres from drama to comedy to docu-drama and animation, will feature an entirely-female cast. In addition to Delevingne and Longoria, the ensemble will also include Margherita Buy (Me, Myself and Her), Marcia Gay Harden (The Morning Show), Leonor Varela (Lethal Weapon), Jacqueline Fernandez (Mrs. Serial Killer), Jasmine Luv (Starter Pack) and Anjali Lama.
The first four segments have already been planned out and are as follows: Unspoken will be helmed by Maria Sole Tognazzi as she reunites with Me, Myself and Her star Buy, Lagonegro will be directed by Lucia Puenzo (La Jauria) and be led by Golden Globe nominee Longoria, Elbows Deep will be helmed by Catherine Hardwicke (Don’t Look Deeper, Twilight) and star Delevingne, Oscar winner Harden and Luv and Sharing a Ride will be directed by Leena Yadav (Three Cards) and star Fernandez and Lama.
“At We Do It Together, our mission is to enhance and change the image of women in films and media, from object to subject,” Chiara Tilesi, Founder and President of We Do It Together, said in a statement. “We are dedicated to telling stories of women, both in front of and behind the camera. That’s why Women’s Stories is so important to us – we have brought together female directors, from all over the world, who collaborate and share personal stories from their own point of view. We are telling the stories of these heroines and their aspirations: from health workers to mothers, artists and business women, to name a few. We also want to be inclusive and have as many different perspectives as possible, which is why connecting globally is so important to us. Now more than ever, especially after the latest UN policy brief The Impact of Covid-19 On Women, it has emerged that gender inequality is still a very present reality and, unfortunately, we remain far from a solution. Some of the achievements that were made, are at risk of being erased once again. This is why it is so important for us to continue to tell stories about women, by women, but for everyone. Only together can men and women finally change these paradigms.”
The anthology pic will be produced by Iervolino Entertainment (Waiting for the Barbarians) and We Do It Together, a non-profit production company that campaigns for gender equality, with Tilesi, Andrea Iervolino, Lucas Asoskin and Monika Bacardi attached as producers and Carol Polakoff set to executive produce.
According to Deadline, Solstice Studios has officially decided to temporarily remove their Mark Wahlberg-led drama film Joe Bell from their theatrical release schedule. Originally scheduled for a February 19, 2021 release, the film is currently undated due to the ongoing pandemic that continues to affect the film industry. This new release delay comes after a number of high-profile films were shifted to brand new release dates again last week.
Joe Bell tells the true story of Oregonian father Joe Bell who sets out on a walk across America to raise awareness for bullying after his 15-year-old son, Jadin, commits suicide after being subjected to torment by his peers for being gay. The film stars Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), Connie Britton (American Horror Story), Reid Miller, Maxwell Jenkins (Lost in Space) and Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, Truman).
Following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where it received generally mixed reviews from critics though praise was showered onto Miller’s performance, Solstice acquired the rights to the film for $20 million, with the studio working with the filmmakers and Wahlberg to develop a new cut of the film.
Joe Bell hails from Academy-Award winning Brokeback Mountain screenwriters Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry, with Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) in the director’s chair; and will be produced by Daniela Taplin Lundberg (Honey Boy) of Stay Gold, Riva Marker and Jake Gyllenhaal of Nine Stories, Eva Maria Daniels of Vision Chaos, Cary Fukunaga of Parliament of Owls, Ryan Ahrens of Argent Pictures (Hacksaw Ridge), Wahlberg, and Stephen Levinson. Argent Pictures and Hercules Film are co-financing the film.
Jill Ahrens, Ben Renzo, Tony Parker, Derick Brooks, Michael Finley, and Drew Brees are executive producing for Argent Pictures. Good Joe Bell will also be executive produced by Ossan McMurtry along with Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Terry Dougas and Jean-Luc De Fanti for Hercules and Rhea Films.
WandaVision episode 3, titled “Now in Color,” came out on Friday, and just like the first two before it, this episode is chock-full of symbolism, clues, and possibilities. Let’s dive in, and I will point out the things I picked up on in the episode. As expected, major spoilers ahead for episode three, and the final paragraph discusses a few characters that we will see in episode four, according to IMDb.
First off, this episode is set in the 70s, and is modeled after shows like The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family. These shows were about families, which makes sense as episode two ended with the revelation that Wanda is pregnant. The first scene opens up with a visit from Dr. Nielsen, confirming the obvious pregnancy. Nielsen could possibly be a nod to the television Nielsen rating system. Vision walks the doctor out, and after some chitchat, he notices that Herb is mindlessly cutting into the cinderblock wall that divides their yards, seemingly glitching in this strange world, much the same way as Mrs. Hart was smiling and giggling while pleading for her husband to stop choking in episode one, hinting that this world is not as it seems.
When Vision returns inside the home and Wanda has noticeably grown larger in her pregnancy, the two get to work on the nursery. Wanda begins to feel the flutter of movement in her belly, and accidentally wills the butterflies in the mobile above the crib to start flying. Wanda then exclaims, “Oh, did I do that? I didn’t mean to,” alluding to her maybe not being completely in control of her powers in this realm, which we see again in the next scene when she experiences Braxton Hicks contractions and causes the power to go out and pipes to break on her block. The couple then talk baby names, with Wanda leaning toward Tommy, and Vision, Billy. This is of course a tie to the pair’s twins in the comics, Thomas and William, who go on to become the superheroes Speed and Wiccan. Vision says he likes the name Billy, after the great William Shakespeare, quoting, “All the world’s a stage, all the men and women merely players,” which could be a nod to the world they’re currently living in.
Vision is now seen practicing his diaper changing speed on a doll, and Wanda is cutting a pineapple in the kitchen. This is possibly the same pineapple seen in the first episode, as we know that the decade has changed, but the time is only moving forward day by day in each episode. This is when Wanda starts having contractions, setting all appliances out of control, and surging the power in the neighborhood. We then see another couple in their home, and the husband is reading a newspaper with a headline that reads, “Two Fire Hydrants Added on Main Street,” that is cut off, and possibly highlighting the words Two Added, and Hydra, which are hints at the two babies about to come, and Hydra, a reoccurring lurking evil, highlighted in the watch commercial, as well as this episode’s commercial for Hydra Soak, a bath soap similar to the ‘70s and ‘80s bath product, Calgon. There is also a lamp behind the seated man with two cherubs on it, and an ad for a TV on the paper that says it’s in COLOR, just as this is our first episode in color.
Vision is now back home after checking out the neighborhood, and Wanda asks him if he thinks the neighbors are on to them, as the neighbors seem to always be on the verge of discovering their secrets. Vision now gets very series, and the whole tone of the scene changes. Vision seems to be deeply worried, and he recalls dinner with the Harts and Herb acting strangely outside. He sits down on the couch and says, “I think something’s wrong here, Wanda.” Vision then is back up and standing a few feet back from the couch, as he was moments before, seemingly rewound, as he was in episode two when they heard the strange noise outside and went out to find the hazmat bee guy coming out of the manhole. Wanda responded to that first scene, saying, “No,” and that brought them back to a normal TV moment inside. This time, she said nothing, but we can assume that she worked the same magic. Vision then becomes very optimistic and wraps up the scene with a perfect TV chat, interrupted by Wanda’s contractions, her water breaking, and the sprinkler system going off inside their home. After the aforementioned commercial break, Wanda dries them out with a breeze, and Vision runs off to get the doctor.
Wanda is left at home, and the doorbell rings. She opens the door with a coat on to hide her pregnancy, and Geraldine is there to borrow a bucket because the pipes burst in the ceiling of her home. Geraldine then wants to tell Wanda about her job, and Wanda is trying to keep her from seeing the stork that inexplicably appeared behind her. After a fluff scene with the bird and Wanda fighting off labor pains, the two go into the spare room, and Geraldine finds the crib. Wanda then reveals what she can’t hide any longer, and she lays down on the floor. Geraldine barely notices everything in the house going haywire, then tells Wanda to start pushing. Baby boy arrives, and Vision and the doctor walk through the door Wanda presents him to her husband. Vision concedes to Wanda, calling the baby Tommy, and they share a sweet moment just before she starts pushing again. The next baby arrives, and before you know it, Vision and Wanda are hanging out with their twin boys.
Vision walks the doctor out, and asks if he is still planning on going on vacation. The doctor responds, ominously saying, “Small towns, you know, so hard to escape…” seemingly referring to being trapped in this weird parallel universe. After the doctor walks away, Vision notices Herb and Agnes talking next door, and it seems that they are talking about him. He walks over, and makes small talk. The pair seem to teeter between fake sitcom dialogue and anxious tension, and as Vision starts to walk away, Agnes calls to Vision, asking if Geraldine is in the house with Wanda. Vision says yes, and Agnes says Geraldine is “new in town,” and says she doesn’t have family, or a home. This is strange considering Geraldine came over with the intent to borrow bucket for the busted pipes in her house. Is this a lie or another glitch? Vision asks what they mean when they say she doesn’t have a home. Herb then says, “She came here because… she came here because… she came here because we’re all…” Vision asks what he’s trying to tell him, and he once again says, “She came here because we’re all,” and Agnes interrupts him, as if to warn him off what he’s about to do. The two disperse, and Vision is left without answers.
Sidenote: We also get a better look at the necklace that Agnes is wearing in this episode, which she wore as a brooch in the first two episodes. It features the silhouettes of three women, which could be a tie-in to the fact that many believe Agnes to be Agatha Harkness, a Marvel comics witch who was present at the Salem witch trials. Agatha is a mentor to Wanda in the comics, and it would make sense that if Wanda was going to create a world for her and Vision to live in, she would consult a witch to help make that happen.
Meanwhile, Wanda is inside with Geraldine, watching the babies. Wanda reflects, confiding in Geraldine that she is also a twin, and that she had a brother named Pietro. She then sings the babies a Sokovian lullaby, and gears seem to be turning in Geraldine’s head. Then Geraldine says, “He was killed by Ultron, wasn’t he?”, and Wanda responds, saying, “What did you say?” She asks her again, and Geraldine tries to redirect the conversation, but Wanda is on to her. Wanda asks her to leave, and things get tense. Wanda then notices the symbol on Geraldine’s necklace, and asks her what it is. Wanda says, “Who are you?” and walks toward her menacingly.
Vision then goes inside, and asks where Geraldine is. Wanda says she had to hurry home. Then we see a sign for Westview, the city they live in, and Geraldine bursts through the pixelated TV sky, seemingly thrown by Wanda from their reality to a more present time. She is glowing red as she flies, and after landing, she is swarmed by a militarized group we can assume is S.W.O.R.D., the symbol we’ve seen throughout the series so far on the helicopter Wanda finds in the bushes, the back of the suit of bee guy, and in this episode, on Geraldine’s necklace.
We already know from leaks before the series began that Geraldine is Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Maria Rambeau, the best friend of Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel, who eventually went on to become a superhero and Avenger Photon. Could this be the event that led to her receiving her powers?
The episode wraps up here, and it seems like things are beginning to unravel in this universe. Both Vision and Wanda are seemingly becoming more aware and less able to ignore the surfacing troubles within this reality. I can’t wait for episode four to drop this Friday, and it seems that the upcoming episode will drop us into the ‘80s, and Dottie will be back in this episode, as well as Kat Dennings’ character, Darcy Lewis from the first Thor movies, as well as Randall Park’s character Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and the Wasp, and new characters “tactical S.W.O.R.D. agent.” and “Agent Rodriguez.” Bring it on. I can’t wait!
Did you enjoy this episode? What hidden gems did you catch?
The Formula: John Boyega & Robert De Niro to Star in Gerard McMurray’s Netflix Feature
John Boyega (Star Wars franchise, Small Axe, Pacific Rim: Uprising) and Oscar winner Robert De Niro (Raging Bull, The Godfather: Part II, The Irishman) are attached to star in The Formula, a Netflix feature written, directed, and produced by Gerard McMurray (The First Purge) who also helmed the Netflix original feature Burning Sands, according to Deadline.
The story will follow a Formula One racing prodigy is forced to become a getaway driver to save the only family he has left.
McMurray will produce under his recently formed production company Buppie Productions with De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Berry Welsh also producing. Jason Michael Berman will executive produce with Sam Shaw and Buppie Productions’ Ephraim Walker serving as co-producers. The project was developed under Rosenthal and Welsh’s overall deal with Netflix.
After starring in Amazon Prime Video’s anthology film series Small Axe, created and directed by Steve McQueen, Boyega’s upcoming slate also includes Juel Taylor’s They Cloned Tyrone, starring alongside Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx, and Chase Palmer’s Naked Singularity.
De Niro is currently filming Randall Emmett’s thriller Wash me in the River, also starring Jack Huston and John Malkovich, as well as David O. Russell’s upcoming untitled comedy project starring alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Christian Bale, Timothy Olyphant, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, and more.
(Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images & Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
America’s Most Wanted is returning to TV ten years after it was canceled. The series will return to its original network at Fox, with Elizabeth Vargas hosting. Vargas previously anchored several ABC shows including 20/20, World News Tonight, and Good Morning America.
America’s Most Wanted originally began airing in 1988, running for 25 seasons and catching 1,186 criminals with John Walsh hosting. Rob Wade, president of alternative entertainment and specials at Fox Entertainment, was quoted saying, “America’s Most Wanted empowered viewers to help America successfully capture some of its most dangerous fugitives. By bringing back this groundbreaking series with new and effective tech-based crime-fighting tools and acclaimed journalist Elizabeth Vargas, we hope to continue John Walsh’s long-standing mission to be a powerful voice for crime victims everywhere.”
Variety reports that the new series promises modern advances “such as augmented reality and 3-D life-size avatars that will illustrate what suspects might look like now, pinpoint map-tracking that will take the audience hot-on-the-trail of suspects, and social media.”
I am really excited that this show is coming back. I watched this series every week with my parents growing up, and it may have very well been a contributing factor in my becoming a murderino. It will be awesome to watch again, and hopefully help contribute to catching some criminals again.
America’s Most Wanted is set to begin airing new episodes this March on Fox. Are you excited it’s coming back?
Hulu unveils Palm Springs commentary cut with stars, director & writer
In a rare move for a streaming platform debut, the Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti-led sci-fi rom com Palm Springs is getting a new cut at Hulu featuring commentary from the stars as well as director Max Barbakow and writer Andy Siara, according to Variety.
“As far as I know we’re the first,” Samberg said in a statement. “We realized that Palm Springs will always be on Hulu, which is great, but there are elements of the DVD experience that just don’t exist anymore. They were very amenable in talking about ways to get some fun stuff in there.”
When carefree Nyles (Samberg) and reluctant maid of honor Sarah (Milioti) have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, of each other.
Alongside Golden Globe winner Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, SNL), the film also stars Milioti (The Wolf of Wall Street), Oscar winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Meredith Hagner (SearchParty), Camila Mendes (Riverdale), Tyler Hoechlin (Superman and Lois), and Peter Gallagher (Grace and Frankie).
The film is directed by Max Barbakow and written by Andy Siara. The film is produced by Andy Samberg, Becky Sloviter, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Dylan Sellers, and Chris Parker, and Gabby Revilla Lugo serves as executive producer. The film is produced by Limelight and Lonely Island Classics with Neon.
