Oh, this is going to be huge. There's a new 3-minute trailer for Will Smith's Hancock available here and ... well, go see for yourself. I recommend the Quicktime version.
I know the all-too-common criticism that "all the good parts are in the trailer" makes this less meaningful, but: Every frame of that thing is gold. The first minute or so, with Will Smith as a sarcastic, rude, drunken superhero, is simply brilliant; I've watched the five-second exchange between Hancock and the indignant bystander ("I can smell that liquor on your breath!" "'Cause I been drinkin'!") a half-dozen times now and giggled every time. Smith deserves an Oscar just for his delivery of that line, and we don't even get to hear the whole thing (I'm guessing the next word is "b*tch"). The second half of the trailer, giving us a glimpse of Hancock's attempted PR comeback with the help of an opportunistic publicist (Jason Bateman) isn't as incredible, but I love the focus on what it's like to be a superhero not in a universe where you can do whatever you want, but in the American bureaucratic state. Hancock's canned press conference apology is priceless.
The special effects look seamless, and I'm particularly curious to see a full-on summer blockbuster done in director Peter Berg's signature volatile shaky-cam style. From what I can tell, it's a bit toned down but still unmistakably present; look at the SUV scene in the opening seconds, and the introduction of Jason Bateman about a minute in.
This looks like a summer movie made by a bunch of very smart, very talented people. And that's something to look forward to.
Mike Judge made a lot of friends and Fox made a lot of enemies when Judge's last live-action feature, Idiocracy, was dumped into a couple of theaters (it made a whopping $438,000) and then ushered to DVD. Those who saw it (myself among them) raved, making the movie a minor cult hit, but it certainly got a lot less exposure than anything from the creator of Office Space should have.
Judge will attempt to remedy that with his next movie, which will be called Extract, and which its distributor (Miramax) will hopefully actually distribute. Jason Bateman, rightly adored by everyone, is attached to star. Variety, which broke the story, provides only a very cryptic plot description: "Extract explores what it's like to be the boss when everything seems to be shifting around you." No word on what the protagonist is the boss of or exactly what is shifting around him.
What can I say? It's hard to be anything less than enthusiastic about something in which both Judge and Bateman are prominently involved, even if I did miss the boat on Office Space when it first came out. I do hope that Bateman will still have time for that Arrested Development movie we've been sort-of promised. The thought of that actually happening makes me cry happy tears.
A brand new trailer-ish preview for Hancock debuted on American Idol last night (see video above), and I'm still in the camp of people who are really looking forward to this one. I've spoken to some people who've seen a good amount of Hancock, and they say the flick is very heavy on special effects. Based on the original trailer and this preview, I'd say they're absolutely right. But this is a July 4th weekend movie -- am I the only one who expects a film that comes out over the July 4th weekend to be absolutely stocked with an unhealthy amount of special effects? Plus it's nice to see an original character sandwiched between a handful of established characters, not to mention the fact that Will Smith plays him.
Shouldn't have to say too much about the plot as the video above does a good job laying it our for us; the only thing I'm interested in seeing now is Charlize Theron's role in all of this. She's the only one who's been kinda absent in these previews. We know she's married to Jason Bateman's character, and, according to early script reviews, her and Hancock were supposed to have a little unspoken "thing" going on. Not sure if that's been removed or what, but here's hoping the next trailer shows us a little more of The Theron.
Why We Can't Wait to See It: For the first time in his career, Mr. Fresh Prince himself dons the superhero costume and will fly off to save the day. Sure, his superhero is a bit washed-up and drunk half the time, but if any man can bring the BIG budget and get nominated for an Oscar in the same year, it's our homeboy from Philly, Will Smith.
Why It Might Do Well: Is there anything more alluring than a combo that includes Will Smith, superheroes and the high stylings of director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom)? Additionally, you want the funny, there's Jason Bateman. You want the hotness, there's Charlize Theron. You want my opinion? I'm sold.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Will Smith always draws big numbers, but when people become so used to seeing a sequel or a film based on a familiar property (like last year's Transformers), it might be somewhat difficult to convince them that it's still okay to support an original idea.
Fun Fact: On its way to theaters, Hancock went through three different directors (Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow and Gabriele Muccino), as well as two different titles (Tonight, He Comes and John Hancock) before settling on Hancock, directed by Peter Berg.
In a summer full of old and new superheroes, one guy has been kinda flying under the radar. The big film arriving this year for Fourth of July weekend doesn't involve any giant f**king robots and it's one we haven't heard much about. USA Today just posted a sneak peek at Hancock; the new Will Smith flick directed by the very talented Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom). Above you will see the brand new image that went along with their story which adds to the other bits and pieces floating around the net (check out our full Hancock gallery below). A bunch of set photos hit awhile back, there was a teaser trailer and a poster, but that's been about it as far as Hancock goes. It's sorta like the huge summer film no one is talking about.
Cinematical is live at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards! Our own Patrick Walsh will report back throughout the afternoon.
Just saw Forest Whitaker and his gorgeous wife, Jason Bateman and his gorgeous hair, and Julian Schnabel in what appeared to be pajamas. Now Illeana Douglas is telling Jiminy Glick how she "blew Lew Wasserman at age thirteen" to make it in the business. It's that kind of day. The crowd is screaming at a limo, it might be Angelina Jolie time, unless they're smuggling her in by underground tunnel. Oh snap, Steve Buscemi is here. That dude is one of my all time favorites, I'm going to go grab a photo or two.
Alright, now Glick is telling Mr. Pink how he'd "like to mount" Sienna Miller, a nominee today for Buscemi's Interview. Buscemi is talking about his heroes ("Robert Altman and John Cassavetes") and a production company he's starting with Stanley Tucci so they can make movies with their friends. He's been interrupted by the crowd chanting "Meg! Meg! Meg!" Yes, it's Meg Ryan. Not sure how she's involved with independent film, but always nice to see familiar face-lifts. Sorry, Jiminy's rubbing off on me. It's getting cold, and the skies remain foreboding. The Santa Monica pier amusement park rises bold and stark. Kids are huddled on the beach in the mist. I want to die with you Wendy on the street tonight in an everlasting kiss...
For more photos and coverage, head on over to Moviefone.
Gallery: 2008 Indie Spirit Awards Arrivals
Gallery: Jiminy Glick Does the 2008 Indie Spirit Awards
I have a problem. As a moviegoer, I'm always attracted to charisma over deed. More times than I can count, I find myself rooting for the bad guy and hoping that they bring the bland hero down. Of course, sometimes it's a fight between hero and villain for who has the most charisma, and sometimes the film wants us to love the villain, but whatever the case, the thorn is usually a lot more fun than the hero he's stuck onto. And this means that I'm often disappointed at the end, because the bad guy almost always dies.
Still, this is what's so great about film -- you can love the baddies without the real-world consequences. We've all heard about bad-guy lust, but this way, the baddie can do his bad thing for us to enjoy, without us getting all of the negative repercussions. We get the wild eye without the body count, the ripped muscles without the steroid set-up, and the twisted humor without the reality.
However, seeing that bad guys are my kryptonite, it's hard to pick just seven. While the following is, by no means, all-encompassing, it's a list of some of my favorite baddies. Some we're told to love, and others, well, they just steal the show.
This is probably what started it all. When my friends and I gathered around the television to watch Christian Slater's new movie, we were immediately smitten. We didn't care that J.D. had a thing for doling out his own deadly justice. By the time he said: "Alright, so maybe I am killing everyone in the school... because nobody loves me!" We were exclaiming: "We love you!" J.D. had the drawling, Jack Nicholson voice, the sexy trench, and the need to row out to the middle of a lake somewhere with a bottle of tequila, his sax, and some Bach. He was very. Very very.
So I know these aren't the first pictures to come out of Peter Berg's Hancock, but these are the first that capture Will Smith in full superhero gear. Cine21 is hosting two images of Smith in his 'tights.' Well, to be fair, they aren't tights. In fact, like most superhero costumes, it's kind of a spandex and body armor combo -- which really does make the most sense if you think about; comfortable and bullet-proof. Smith stars as Hancock; a superhero that is down on his luck. In desperate need of a PR makeover, he hires a new agent (played by Jason Bateman) in hopes of recapturing some of his former glory. Charlize Theron also stars as Bateman's wife and her involvement with Hancock causes some serious problems in her husband's working relationship with the scuzzy superhero.
I'll admit that I'm a little surprised that it took this long to get the first look at Smith in his 'Super' look. There have already been plenty of photos released from the set, a poster, and the first trailer was released back in December -- all of which featured the ordinarily dapper Smith looking like a bum. Now maybe it's just my Arrested Development nostalgia clouding my judgment, but I do think that this movie has a shot at being pretty funny. Say what you like about Will Smith, but he's got one of the best track records in the business. Plus, Berg has a knack with make comedies from unlikely premises. From a dead stripper in Vegas to a misanthropic superhero is not that much of a leap if you think about it. Hancock opens in theaters on July 2nd, 2008.
Before he was saving humanity, Will Smith was all about the comedy. ComingSoon.net is now hosting the first teaser poster for the superhero comedy, Hancock. Directed and co-written by Peter Berg (The Kingdom), the film stars Smith as a down on his luck superhero with a serious need for an image makeover. Enter Jason Bateman (Juno) as a PR agent who is hoping to do just that. Also starring is Charlize Theron as Bateman's wife and possible love-interest for Smith -- or at least those paparazzi pictures taken back in August certainly make it look that way. The project had been kicking around since the 1990's and had passed through the hands of some high-profile directors before Berg landed the job.
The first trailer for the film was released earlier this month and other than a slightly re-cycled gag about flinging marine life, it looks like there is a potential for a pretty funny flick. Personally, I'm not sold on the one sheet -- for starters Smith's expression on the poster has the unfortunate look of someone smelling something unpleasant. Not to mention there is the unfortunate choice of a tag line. But, all in all, I guess there is really not that much to tell audiences about the film other than the fact that Smith is the star. Of course, judging by the man's record at the box-office that seems to be enough to pack them into the seats. Honestly, I'm just looking forward to watching Smith in a comedy that has a little bit of edge -- this is the same director who gave us Very Bad Things after all. Hancock is set for release on July 2nd, 2008.
Sort of. In an entertaining interview over at The Guardian, flavor of the month Jason Bateman opens up somewhat about his many years in the Hollywood wilderness, and comes across as genuinely shaken by how randomly an actor like himself can go from unemployable to a hot property in the blink of an eye, for no good reason. Specifically, Bateman talks about the randomness of choosing the Arrested Development series, his big comeback vehicle. "I would have done a show half as good as Arrested Development," he says. "Things were few and far between. I didn't give a shit at the time. I just got really lucky." He says that around the same time Arrested Development was offered, he also got an offer to appear on another show that would have tanked, and his big rebirth would never have happened. "The more obvious choice was the other series," he says. "It had a big star, it paid better, it probably had guaranteed air time. It could have buried me."
Continuing with his 'it's all a coin toss' analogy, he posits the following hilarious scenario: "Let's say, God forbid, Gary Coleman got kidnapped tomorrow. That would lead the national news. Then he would get released, maybe in a month, but now he is revitalised, currently relevant, and a great piece of casting for a new project. If he does that project and he's halfway decent in it, he's got another career. It's an awful way to make a living if your success is predicated on some arbitrary moment of exposure." Am I the only who thinks that there's at least a 50-50 chance that Coleman will read this article and then hire someone to kidnap him?
When Brad Pittditched his starring role in State of Playlast Wednesday, it seemed like for once a production was hitting snags that have nothing to do with the writer's strike. Not true; it turns out Pitt's departure was due to a script problem, specifically that Pitt thinks it needs some more work and Universal disagrees, and so State of Play has become yet another victim of the strike. But unlike other strike-affected movies, such as Pinkvilleand Shantaram, State of Play may not be going into a development hibernation. According to Variety, Universal is attempting to woo Russell Crowe to fill Pitt's shoes and keep the movie on track. Crowe would have to make sure he can squeeze this film in before his March start on Ridley Scott's Nottingham, while the studio would have to make sure that Crowe doesn't mind problem scripts. If the actor doesn't get cast, though, Variety points out that both Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp seem to be available thanks to the strike (same goes for Bruce Willis I think).
Obviously, Universal is hoping to get this movie made no matter what, because it needs to have something in the can once the strike has left us with a release void. Yet despite the strength of its cast, which includes Edward Norton, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn and Jason Bateman, the studio has to understand that if the script is problematic, the outcome may be a disappointment. It's worth pointing out that the plot of State of Play, which deals with politics and journalism, sounds superficially like the recent remake of All the King's Men, which had a stellar ensemble yet failed anyway. State and Play may be nothing like that film, but regardless it does remind me enough to foresee a failure. Anyway, we should hear definite word on whether or not Crowe takes the part early this week. We should also hear definite word, though probably not this week, on whether or not Universal plans to sue Pitt over his exit. The case will certainly be interesting to follow, because it could change the way in which Hollywood deals with A-list talent and pay-or-play contracts.
A world within a world comes crashing down in the opening sequence of The Kingdom, the new film from director (and uncredited actor) Peter Berg. An American compound inside Saudi Arabia, where ballgames and barbecues are the norm and uncovered female faces mock the law that applies outside the gates, is attacked by men with machine guns and bombs. The details are thoroughly convincing in this scene -- as machine gun fire sends the Americans fleeing in a panic, one of the terrorists, wearing the uniform of a Saudi policeman, falsely beckons some of them his way before setting off a vest of explosives. Later that night, after first-responders have quarantined the crime-scene and set up their own camp, a second-wave attack hits, destroying the entire area and creating a media event that has to be dealt with one way or the other by the American political machinery. This is a decent set-up for a movie, and it's as well-executed as you'd want a set-up to be, but it gives birth to an oddly-schizophrenic film.
You could almost call The Kingdom a double-feature, although it seems blithely unaware of its bifurcated status. To explain: the first half of the film -- actually, closer to two-thirds -- is professorial and serious, going so far as to offer the audience a tedious lecture on Saudi Arabia's history and political situation, balancing Western-style realpolitik with the needs of a population that seems to prefer living by religious teachings. As the aftermath of the compound bombing seeps back to Washington, an FBI team led by steely-eyed Jamie Foxx and comprised of Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman, seeks an entry point to the situation; they want to go investigate the bombing, but the State Department prefers to recognize the Saudi government's 'no boots on the ground' mandate, lest they come off as looking like puppets. Much screentime is given over to a scheme by Foxx to blackmail a Saudi diplomat in order to get his team access, and everything up to this point is deliberately structured as a political thriller. That's why the second part of the film is so surprising.
Director Peter Berg is trying for something very different in The Kingdom, and the end result is fascinating to watch on-screen, and well worth thinking about after. Berg's other films have all been spins on familiar genres, some more successful than others. Very Bad Things was a stab at bleak black comedy; The Rundown put fresh energy and effort into the tired buddy film; Friday Night Lights turned standard-issue sports film themes and scenes into a brisk, bracing portrait of small-town America. Now, with The Kingdom, he's taking the suspense and structure of a forensic police procedural and putting it on the world stage. After a terrorist attack on a Western oil-company compound in Saudi Arabia -- perfectly structured by Berg as a cascading series of nightmares that go from bad to worse to awful -- that leaves hundreds dead, FBI agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) is insistent that the FBI be allowed to put boots on the ground in Saudi Arabia, despite the insistence of the Saudi and American governments that any such deployment would be politically untenable for both parties.
These are not the concerns of your standard action-flick, but from the jump The Kingdom makes a different class of ambitions and aspirations strikingly clear: The opening credit sequence covers historical highpoints from 1932 (the founding of modern Saudi Arabia) to 1974 (the OPEC oil embargo) to 2001 (the 9-11 attacks, where 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens). There's a difference between background and backdrop, though, and I was glad to see that The Kingdom's Saudi setting isn't just left as a concern for the production design and costuming teams; it's woven into every moment of the film. It would have been easy to have The Kingdom take place in some fictional nation-state, and Berg and screenwriter Matthew Carnahan deserve credit for guts as opposed to taking the easy way out; when The Kingdom does feel thinly-drawn, perhaps that just confirms that the complex nature of Saudi society and our co-dependent relationship with it can't be fit onto the screen within a two-hour span.
There might not be any Meat Loaf, but there will be a helping of Jason Bateman in director Kevin Macdonald's State of Play, the upcoming drama that's reuniting Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Variety reports that the actor is going to play one of the key reporters in the drama about the murder of an up-and-coming congressman's (Norton) girlfriend, and a newspaper's investigation of the story. (Pitt plays the politician's manager who starts the paper's investigation.) The film is an adaptation of an award-winning miniseries, and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom) has whittled the 6 hours down into something we can see on the big screen.
This will be the second script from Carnahan that Bateman tackles, since he's also in The Kingdom, and it's looking like it will be another reprieve from some of his more questionable picks. The ex-Bluth might have some seemingly decent drama on the way, but his last films were the largely-panned Smokin' Aces and The Ex, which flopped better than a tossed-off fish. Unfortunately, it looks like this sine wave will continue -- after the highly-praised Juno(which our Scott Weinberg adored), he's got Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Sure, that flick hasn't come out yet, but considering the fact that I really like everyone involved, yet can't muster up any anticipation after the trailer (although Erik likes it), I'm not expecting too much from it. But regardless, is this what we have to look forward to from Bateman? At least, I guess, there are some high points intermingled with the low ones.
It's not every day that one gets to see a film that's charming, sweet, intelligent and also happens to be written by an erstwhile stripper/phone sex operator (who, incidentally, owns a cat named Douchepacker). I had that pleasure at the Toronto Film Festival, however, when I took in Juno, penned with surprising astuteness by first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody (the aforementioned former stripper), directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), and starring Ellen Page (Hard Candy), Michael Cera (Superbad), Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner.
In the film, 16-year-old Juno MacGuff (Page) discovers that she's all knocked up after just one foray into sex with her best bud Paulie Bleeker (Cera), a sweet but clueless orange-Tic-Tac-addicted track star who seems perfectly content to let Juno have an abortion. She doesn't. Instead, she decides to keep the child and let a "perfect" young yuppie couple (Bateman and Garner), who can't have kids of their own, adopt her baby-to-be. The result is a hilarious, endearing and moving picture that explores family and friendship, loyalty and loss, and what it truly means to love someone, all while expertly avoiding turning into a gooey, steaming pile of melodrama.
I sat down with Jason Bateman and Ellen Page to talk about the film, and -- while the full interview won't be posted until the December release date nears -- I thought I'd give you a small yet delicious (some might say orange-Tic-Tac-like) taste of what I learned ...
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Cinematical is live at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards! Our own Patrick Walsh will report back throughout the afternoon.
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SCOOP: Spider-Man 4 and 5 Might be Shot at the Same Time!
Cinematical Seven: Disney's Awesome Live-Action Kid Adventures
