Movie News

Jack Black Reteaming with Jared Hess for Oddball Comedy ‘Micronations’ 0 1738

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After working together on the offbeat Mexican wrestling comedy Nacho Libre, funnyman Jack Black and director Jared Hess are reteaming for a new oddball comedy entitled Micronations.

THR reports the news out of Cannes, letting us know that Black will be playing a loveable oddball who lives amid a world of “do-it-yourself” countries e.g. those that declare backyards as their own independent nations (think along the lines of the “E. Peterbus Unum” episode of Family Guy). With a script penned by TV’s New Girl writers Robert Snow and Christian Magalhaes, the full plot is as follows:

[It’s] set in the bizarre and ridiculous world of “do-it-yourself countries” inhabited by a motley crew of eccentrics and visionaries who have declared their own backyards sovereign nations. Black’s character soon finds himself recruited as head of defense for the tiny nation of Valoria (population: 12), and is thrust into an overblown battle with a neighboring nation.

There’s lots of potential in that for big names of modern American comedy to have a field day with the various different DIY nations; could we be seeing the likes of Will Ferrell and Melissa McCarthy making an appearance?

Hess first burst onto the scene with the hilarious Napoleon Dynamite before teaming with Black for Nacho Libre. He also made the little-seen Gentlemen Broncos, a character comedy this year called Don Verdean, starring Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement, and has a new comedy coming out next year called Masterminds, starring Kristin Wiig and Zach Galifianakis. He said that he felt like he had to make this film as soon as he heard that these so-called micronations actually existed and that it was a perfect fit for a creative reunion with Black. It’ll be the first film set up through his new production company Buffalo Film Company.

Black has obviously been a stalwart of Hollywood comedies for going on 20 years now and has played his fair share of oddballs in that time, not least in the recent rather brilliant Bernie. On top of headlining Micronations, Black will also produce through his Electric Dynamite company.

Source: THR

 

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Watch: Incredible New Trailer for ‘The Revenant’ 0 1242

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We don’t usually post trailers individually – saving them for the Trailer Watch – but this one was just too good to pass up.

The Revenant is the new film from acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu, who most recently won an Oscar for Birdman. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter in a tale of a forntierman in 1820 who sets out on a path of vengeance who left him for dead after a bear mauling.

We already had one amazing teaser trailer, now check out the equally great new trailer below:

Could this be the film that finally wins Leo his Best Actor Oscar? Quite possibly!

The Revenant is set for release in the UK on January 15th, 2016.

Vincent Cassel To Play Villain in Next ‘Bourne’ Film 0 1465

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After a fourth Bourne film in which Jason himself was conspicuous by his absence, things are returning to the old but brilliant formula of Matt Damon starring and Paul Greengrass directing.

We already know that in addition to Damon returning (rejoice!), Tommy Lee Jones and woman-of-the-moment Alicia Vikander are part of the cast, playing a tough CIA operative and (presumed) love interest, respectively, as well as Julia Stiles reprising her small but crucial role as Bourne helper Nicky Parsons. But now we’re getting word that one of the best French actors in the business is also joining the cast.

Variety has the news that the wonderful Vincent Cassel has signed on to the spy action sequel as its main villain, which will see him match wits and possibly even go toe-to-toe go with the former amnesiac hero. Although exact plot details are being kept secret for the time being, sources are saying that Cassel will play an assassin tracking Bourne. No doubt he will tie in with the Treadstone/Blackbriar history of the Bourne mythology – maybe he’ll be a scorned fellow assassin who feels Bourne somehow wronged him/was chosen ahead of him.

The series has a pedigree of casting great actors as assassins, whether it be Clive Owen in The Bourne Identity, Karl Urban in Supremacy, Edgar Ramirez in Ultimatum and Oscar Isaac in Legacy.

I was already looking forward to the return of the Damon-Greengrass team but the addition of Cassel – genuinely one of my favourite actors of modern times – only makes me wish next summer would get here sooner.

The as-yet-untitled Bourne sequel is set to start shooting this year for a July 29th, 2016 release date.

Source: Variety