Marvel’s Kevin Feige hit the D23 stage on Friday night in Anaheim and revealed a taste of “Captain America: Brave New World,” a hello from the cast of “Fantastic Four,” and trailers for “Agatha All Along,” “Ironheart,” and “Daredevil: Born Again.” While only “Agatha All Along” was put online, let’s say we’ve had a chance to see all the footage.

READ MORE: ‘Agatha All Along’ Trailer: Kathryn Hahn & Aubrey Plaza Cast Witchcraft Spells In Marvel’s Upcoming Mini-Series [D23]

“Daredevil: Born Again” was the fan favorite online, and a two-minute trailer shown within D23 confirmed the return of Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, The Punisher (he was on stage, too).

Continue reading ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Trailer Confirms Jon Bernthal & A Ms. Marvel Tease, ‘Ironheart’ Teaser Also Unveiled [D23] at The Playlist.

When the FX drama “The Bear” arrived out of nowhere in the summer of 2021, it was thrilling, a bolt of “Uncut Gems”-like electricity coursing through the veins of damaged, traumatized characters trying to survive not only the high-pressure-cooker stress of a highly dysfunctional kitchen setting but their highly dysfunctional and broken lives. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Cousin Ritchie on the show, perfectly described the series in our season one interview as “high-sodium volatility”; no one was coked up on drugs per se (though sometimes they were), but the surging blood pressure anxieties of their environment and lives made for a brilliantly toxic and gripping show about generational trauma, grinding through life and surviving grief.

Continue reading ‘The Bear’ Review: Carmy & The Dysfunctional Kitchen Struggle To Keep The Heat In Undercooked Season 3 at The Playlist.

It looks like the partnership between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon‘s studio Artist Equity and Amazon MGM will continue to bear fruit. Deadline reports that the companies team up again for “The Accountant 2,” a sequel to the 2016 action drama starring Affleck. It’ll be their fourth collaboration together after Nike shoe drama “Air,” Jennifer Lopez doc “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” and the upcoming wrestling pic “Unstoppable,” about Anthony Robles.

Continue reading ‘The Accountant 2’: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, & J.K. Simmons Return For Sequel at The Playlist.

Lots of excellent movies premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year, like “Poor Things,” “Maestro,” and “Priscilla.” But while those films already have awards buzz swirling around them, don’t forget about Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” a complex drama about a journalist grappling with tremendous tragedies in her life and the global journey she embarks on.

Continue reading ‘Origin’ Trailer: Ava DuVernay’s Acclaimed Drama With Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Starts Expanding January 19 at The Playlist.

One last story from Jon Bernthal’s podcast with David Ayer about “Suicide Squad.” Sorry, but this one’s full of juicy tidbits. OK, Bernthal has a podcast called “Real Ones,” where he brings his friends on mostly. And those friends include people like Shia LaBeouf, who starred with him in the WWII tank drama “Fury” and in this episode, its director David Ayer.

Continue reading David Ayer Says ‘Suicide Squad’ Dailies Were So Well Received That There Was Talk Of “Oh, Maybe Ayer’s Gonna Take Over DC.” at The Playlist.

It’s a decent film, nowhere close to a masterpiece, but the stories of the making of David Ayer’s WWII tank drama “Fury” are nearly legendary. Ayer put his cast, including Brad Pitt, through a rigorous boot camp; they all took it very, very seriously, bonded, and seemingly all started acting the part of tough guy soldiers in real life when cameras weren’t even rolling. One of them, Shia LaBeouf, went way too far in that regard, giving himself a real-life scar on his face with a knife while on set in front of his castmates and then later, pulled out a tooth because he thought his character would be missing one if he was real (on top of various other shenanigans).

Continue reading Jon Bernthal Says Shia LaBeouf Aggressively Questioned Why David Ayer Wanted To Make ‘Suicide Squad’ While Meeting About It With An A-List Actor at The Playlist.

When Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) first conceived of the multifaceted premise that would eventually become the lauded non-fiction book “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents,” her editors were concerned about whether she would manage to cohesively merge her personal experiences with all the moving parts of her research across cultures and continents to prove that it all interconnects.  

Venice Film Festival 2023: The 17 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch

That’s in turn the same task that writer-director Ava DuVernay faced to convey the big-picture ideas and Wilkerson’s revelatory odyssey to put them on the page in an enticingly cinematic manner.

Continue reading ‘Origin’ Review: Ava DuVernay Adapts Isabel Wilkerson’ ‘Caste’ With Dazzling Inventiveness [Venice] at The Playlist.

Despite its disputes being more than seven years old, David Ayer’s 2016 superhero film, “Suicide Squad,” continues to be a source of controversy for dejected fans online and a point of contention for the filmmaker. Part of it is because “Suicide Squad” was a vestige of the old Zach Snyder-led DC Universe, which is no more, and part of it is because the film was apparently tampered with beyond belief.

Continue reading ‘Suicide Squad’: David Ayer Clarifies His Cut Is A “Possibility,” But James Gunn Wants “Scores On The Board” First at The Playlist.

When it comes to the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival, there’s any number of in-competition titles that could win the coveted Golden Lion. But a top sleeper pick may be Ava DuVernay‘s “Origin,” which has its world premiere on the Lido on September 6. Based on Isabel Wilkerson‘s 2020 bestseller “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” the film isn’t an adaptation so much as a fictionalized account of how Wilkerson prepared to write a book that examines American racism as a caste system.  

Continue reading ‘Origin’ First Look: Ava DuVernay’s Adaptation Of ‘Caste’ With Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal & Vera Farmiga Premieres At Venice On September 6 at The Playlist.

It’s been a busy week for Marvel’s “Daredevil: Born Again” as production is ramping up in NYC. First, it was announced that Jon Bernthal would be returning to the role of Frank Castle, aka, The Punisher, in the Disney+ series alongside fellow former “Daredevil” cast members Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio in their respective Marvel roles. That pair have already showed-up in previous MCU projects.

Continue reading Marvel’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Taps ‘American Assassin’ Director Michael Cuesta For Latest Disney+ Series at The Playlist.

Okay, folks, it really does seem as if Marvel Studios is giving fans a Netflix reunion over in “Daredevil: Born Again.” Not only are we getting Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, but apparently, we’re also going to see the return of none other than Jon Bernthal as the Punisher.

READ MORE: ‘Daredevil’: Mike Colter Hasn’t Talked To Marvel About More Luke Cage & Says The Character is “In The Rearview Mirror”

According to THR, Jon Bernthal is the latest actor to join the upcoming Disney+/Marvel Studios series, “Daredevil: Born Again.” As mentioned, this is a reunion of sorts, as Bernthal played Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, for multiple seasons of TV over on Netflix during the “Defenders” era of Marvel shows.

Continue reading ‘Daredevil: Born Again’: Jon Bernthal To Return As The Punisher In Marvel Studios’ Upcoming Series at The Playlist.

Ava DuVernay‘s “Caste” has been shooting in Savannah, GA for weeks without any casting news save for “King Richard” star Aunjanue Ellis leading the cast. But now Deadline has the scoop on who joins Ellis for the upcoming film, and it’s an intriguing list.  Niecy Nash-Betts, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Nick Offerman, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Connie Nielson are all on board for DuVernay’s race drama.

Continue reading ‘Caste’: Ava Duvernay’s Upcoming Racial Drama Adds Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Nick Offerman & More To Cast at The Playlist.

An Armani-clad Richard Gere cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway in a black Mercedes-Benz as Blondie’s “Call Me” blares, sets the tone not only for Paul Schrader’s classic neo-noir “American Gigolo,” but also, as Karina Longworth posits in the latest season of her podcast You Must Remember This, the erotic ’80s. So, of course, this deep into the era of reboots, the film was ripe for a television re-imagining.

Continue reading ‘American Gigolo’ Review: A Perfectly Cast Jon Bernthal Can’t Save This Misogynistic Mess at The Playlist.

Shia LaBeouf’s comeback campaign has seemingly begun. His first film in two years—since the allegations actor/artist FKA Twigs (real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett) made against him about mental, physical, and violent abuse—“Padre Pio” directed by Abel Ferrara, is about to premiere at Venice and LaBeouf, who has been mostly quiet ever since the accusations, is finally breaking his silence.

Continue reading Shia LaBeouf Acknowledges FKA Twigs’ Abuse Accusations: “I Hurt That Woman” at The Playlist.

At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios really did blow the competition out of the water with its ridiculous number of announcements about future projects. Two ‘Avengers’ films, a new ‘Captain America’ announcement, ‘Thunderbolts’ confirmed, and much more. But as excited as fans are for all of those, the thing that seems to be low-key the most fan-favorite thing announced was “Daredevil: Born Again,” plus the reveal that Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox, would show up in ‘She-Hulk’ this summer.

Continue reading Rosario Dawson Says Jon Bernthal’s Punisher “Is Happening Again” At Marvel at The Playlist.

Simply put, Lena Dunham’s “Sharp Stick” is a film about sex. But sex for a very naive, innocent, fearless, infertile, 26-year-old virgin woman is more than just sex, and the implications of the many encounters and decisions made by Sarah Jo (the luminous Kristine Froseth) on her journey of self-discovery can be dizzying in their sheer number and magnitude. Dunham, however, seemingly unperturbed by the vertiginous stakes of her creation, follows her heroine with inspiring patience and compassion, in a refreshingly loose and lo-fi film where each element gels so well with the others that it is hard to imagine the film didn’t simply emerge fully formed.

Continue reading ‘Sharp Stick’: Lena Dunham Talks Sex, Diane Keaton & Her Provocative New Coming Of Age Fairytale at The Playlist.

Can another ‘80s classic reinvent itself? Showtime’s new series “American Gigolo” joins an already crowded list of upcoming remakes. The project attempts a difficult feat, combining the neo-noir flare of Paul Schrader‘s classic 1980 film while also taking its story in new directions. This version features male escort Julian after he’s spent almost two decades in jail for murder. His subsequent freedom after wrongful conviction leaves both himself and a veteran detective searching for answers. 

READ MORE: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2022

Much of the show’s appeal comes from its two leads.

Continue reading ‘American Gigolo’ Trailer: Jon Bernthal Stars In Showtime’s Series Update To Paul Schrader’s 1980 Neo-Noir at The Playlist.

Actor/writer/director Lena Dunham’s career goes something like this: dazzle everyone with her DIY, lo-fi indie debut “Tiny Furniture,” impress Judd Apatow with that film and get HBO to greenlight “Girls.” That honest coming-of-age series becomes the talk of television for at least five of its six seasons; then, she becomes something of a pariah on social media in the early days of Twitter for TMI over-sharing.

Continue reading ‘Sharp Stick’ Trailer: Lena Dunham Provocatively Prods In A Coming Of Sexual Age Drama Arriving July 29 at The Playlist.

It’s another busy year for Jon Bernthal. Fresh off of HBO‘s “We Own This City” and with Lena Dunham‘s latest, “Sharp Stick” hitting theaters in late July, the actor’s next role is already in the pipeline. And it’s an unexpected one for Bernthal: a 21st-century TV update of Paul Schrader‘s 1980 classic escort drama “American Gigolo.”

READ MORE: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2022

Bernthal takes over for Richard Gere as Julian Kaye in this present-day reimagining that picks up where Schrader’s movie left off.

Continue reading ‘American Gigolo’ Teaser: Jon Bernthal Stars In Showtime’s Modern Update To Paul Schrader’s 1980 Classic at The Playlist.

It’s disappointing to report that, contrary to its IMDb page, Treat Williams does not appear in all six episodes of “We Own This City,” George Pelecanos and David Simon’s new HBO miniseries, adapted from the book by Justin Fenton. But the good news is that when he finally does turn up in the penultimate episode, the show has generated such weight that his appearance has the proper power; for an epic saga of police corruption, nothing could feel more like the Pope giving his blessing than a cameo by the star of “Prince of the City.”

READ MORE: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2022

And that 1981 Sidney Lumet film really does feel like the template for “We Own This City,” perhaps more than Simon’s previous work – even “The Wire,” its most obvious point of comparison, to say nothing of the cops-and-dealers angles of “The Corner” or the knotty politics of “Show Me a Hero.” Lumet’s film told the true story of an elite unit of hotshot cops that helped themselves to copious money and contraband in ‘70s-era New York City; this miniseries tells the true story of similar unit, the Gun Trace Task Force, engaging in similar activities in Baltimore in the early 2000s.

Continue reading ‘We Own This City’ Review: David Simon’s Latest is Another Electrifying Story of Police & Politics at The Playlist.

“The Wire” is widely regarded as one of the best shows on television and certainly one of the best shows HBO has ever produced. So fans of that show will want to catch “We Own The City,” a new series from “The Wire” creator and writer David Simon, his producing partner George Pelecanos (who co-created the HBO series “The Deuce” with Simon) and director by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who is coming off the success and Best Actor win of his most recent film, “King Richard.” The three of them have teamed up for “We Own This City’ which is a series about Baltimore Cops, specifically Baltimore’s failed Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force.

Continue reading ‘We Own This City’ Trailer: Jon Bernthal Leads Baltimore Cops In A New Mini-Series By ‘The Wire’ Creators & Director Reinaldo Marcus Green at The Playlist.

“The Wire” wrapped up almost a decade-and-a-half ago, but it’s still one of HBO‘s most beloved shows. A lot of that comes from showrunner David Simon. Simon had credentials no one else could bring to that show as a journalist at The Baltimore Sun for thirteen years, as well as his 1991 book, “Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets.” Paired with crime novelist George Pelecanos, Simon’s influence made “The Wire” one of the best all-around TV series of all time.

Continue reading ‘We Own The City’ Teaser: ‘The Wire’ Creator Returns To Baltimore In New HBO Crime Series This April at The Playlist.

Playing in the Premieres section of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Sharp Stick,” produced during lockdown, was conceived by Lena Dunham and the film’s director of photography, Ashley Connor, starting from the base elements that were already available to them — namely a set of actors and locations. But while many quarantine-made films have appeared to embrace a “will this do?” aesthetic, implicitly relying on the audience’s sympathy and compassionate understanding to fill gaps and forgive compromises in production value, Dunham has instead created a work of art that comfortably fits within and plays with the limitations imposed by the pandemic.

Continue reading ‘Sharp Stick’ Review: Lena Dunham’s Provocative Tale of Sexual Awakening Tackles Thorny Material with Compassion [Sundance] at The Playlist.

Who are these characters? Why should we care about them, or at least care enough to spend two hours with them? These are fundamental questions any filmmaker should start with before endeavoring to make a film. And, yet it’s these very questions that director Nora Fingscheidt and her three screenwriters Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz and Courtenay Miles never seemed to have answered before they began work on the new Sandra Bullock starring Netflix film “The Unforgivable.”

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2021

Based on the 2009 British miniseries of the same name by Sally Wainwright (“Gentleman Jack”), we’re introduced to Ruth Slater (Bullock) as she prepares to leave prison in an opening sequence montage filled with an excessive amount of quick cuts.

Continue reading ‘The Unforgivable’ Review: Sandra Bullock Prison Redemption Drama Is A Bleak Slog at The Playlist.

Few actors are defined by the word “badass” the way that Jon Bernthal is. From playing the tragic villain Shane Walsh on “The Walking Dead” to the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s version of the brutal Frank Castle in “The Punisher,” right down to roles where he isn’t cracking heads—his eerily spot-on portrayal of Lee Iacocca in “Ford v Ferrari,” for example—Bernthal exudes an endless cool and charisma, while still looking like he could take on anyone in the room if he needed to.

Continue reading Jon Bernthal Talks ‘King Richard,’ How To Reboot ‘The Punisher’ & What Makes A Great Coach [The Fourth Wall Podcast] at The Playlist.