Can a CIA agent rekindle his lost romance? “The Agency” looks at the consequences one faces over these unresolved feelings, leaving an uneasy balance between love and duty. The series is based on the French drama “Le Bureau des Légendes,” also known as “The Bureau.” George Clooney and Grant Heslov are executive producers through their production shingle Smokehouse Pictures.

Continue reading ‘The Agency’ Trailer: Michael Fassbender’s New Spy Series With Joe Wright Directing Hits Nov 29 at The Playlist.

Paramount+ might be surviving thanks to Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” franchise, but that doesn’t mean the streaming service isn’t trying to expand its library. Much like its streaming brethren, Paramount+ isn’t afraid of corralling some big names for a prestige drama series, such as “The Agency.”

READ MORE: Fall 2024 TV Preview: 40 Must-See Series To Watch

With “The Agency” coming later this fall, we got our first look at the new series courtesy of EW.

Continue reading ‘The Agency’ First Look: Michael Fassbender, Richard Gere & More Star In Paramount+ Spy Thriller at The Playlist.

The new Sony Pictures Classic drama “Kneecap” chronicles the creation of the popular Belfast-based hip-hop trio, comprised of Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh, Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin, and JJ “DJ Próvaí” Ó Dochartaigh. The three will play themselves inside a comedic version of their story, written and directed by Rich Peppiatt.

SPC acquired distribution rights for its release in North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East after its January premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (read our review).

Continue reading “Kneecap” Trailer: Hit Sundance Drama Releases in Theatres on August 2 at The Playlist.

Having debuted four projects in fewer than 12 months, always prodigious filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (“Logan Lucky”) is back at it and returning to the espionage genre with his new movie, “Black Bag.” The spy pic stars Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Michael Fassbender (“The Killer”) in the lead roles. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed three more names to the growing cast, with production ramping up this spring. 

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh’s Spy Pic ‘Black Bag’ Adds James Bond Alums Pierce Brosnan & Naomie Harris at The Playlist.

Based on the cast alone, Steven Soderbergh‘s upcoming spy flick “Black Bag” could be his buzziest feature in a long time. Deadline reports that two more join Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett on the thriller’s cast list: Regé-Jean Page and Marisa Abela. Abela’s casting is a coup for her, another major role after she stars in the Amy Winehouse biopic “Back To Black” this Spring, which will likely be a breakout role for the “Industry” actress.

Continue reading ‘Black Book’: Marisa Abela & Regé-Jean Page Join Steven Soderbergh’s Upcoming Spy Pic At Focus Features at The Playlist.

Last week, the trades revealed details about “The Department,” a new espionage political thriller series based on the critically acclaimed hit French drama “Le Bureau des Legendes.” Michael Fassbender was cast in the lead role, and the series came from George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures shingle. While early reports said Clooney would direct, a new Paramount+ announcement revealed that he’s just executive producing the project and Golden Globe and multi-BAFTA winner Joe Wright (“Pride and Prejudice,” “The Darkest Hour” and “Atonement”) will direct the series instead.

Continue reading Joe Wright To Direct ‘The Department’ Spy Series Starring Michael Fassbender at The Playlist.

Did you believe Michael Fassbender was retiring? Did you think George Clooney was done with his prodigious directing turn of the last few years? Guess again on all fronts, as Fassbender is negotiating to star in a new espionage thriller series from Clooney called “The Department.”

According to Variety, the series is supposed to shoot this spring in London and has already been given a straight-to-series order from Showtime.

Continue reading Michael Fassbender To Star In George Clooney’s Espionage Thriller Series ‘The Department’ at The Playlist.

Now that Steven Soderbergh’s three-year overall deal with HBO is over, he’s free to work with any studio he chooses. And the filmmaker is doing just that, in his usual workaholic way, as Deadline reports that Focus Features outbid everyone for “Black Dog,” Soderbergh’s upcoming spy thriller with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It’s the second pickup of a Soderbergh feature this week, as NEON nabbed “Presence” for distribution after its buzzy premiere at Sundance this past week.

Continue reading ‘Black Bag’: Focus Features Wins Bidding War For Steven Soderbergh’s Spy Thriller With Cate Blanchett & Michael Fassbender at The Playlist.

Some movies are Irish. “Kneecap” is Ireland. From its self-conscious open blasting viewers in the face with images from the country’s fabled Troubles to its raucous encore, this film intends to demolish standard Irish imagery with a sonic blowtorch. Writer-director Rich Peppiatt energetically captures the state of a nation still disagreeing with itself after 1998’s Good Friday Agreement. At a moment in which nationalism is on the rise across the globe as a tool of domination and subjugation, it’s refreshing to see a tale focused on the ideology’s unifying potential to save an endangered heritage.

Continue reading ‘Kneecap’ Review: A Raucous, Rebellious Tribute To The Rappers Fighting For The Irish Language [Sundance] at The Playlist.

Well, the Steven Soderbergh/David Koepp relationship continues. After writing the surveillance thriller, “Kimi” and the upcoming ghost movie “Presence” which will premiere at Sundance soon, screenwriter David Koepp (“Jurassic Park,” “Carlito’s Way”) has penned yet another film for director Steven Soderbergh. This one, a spy thriller, is called “Black Bag” and has Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender attached to the star.

Continue reading ‘Black Bag’: Cate Blanchett & Michael Fassbender To Star In Steven Soderbergh Spy Thriller at The Playlist.

In 2023, there are few actors as well known as Michael Fassbender. And this year proved how versatile he is as a performer, with polar opposite roles in films “The Killer” and “Next Goal Wins.” So, with that knowledge, it’s interesting to hear him talk about his beginnings in Hollywood and how unlikely it was for him to end up where he is today. 

Continue reading Micheal Fassbender Says He Lost The Lead Role In ‘Pearl Harbor’ To Ben Affleck But Got ‘Band Of Brothers’ Instead at The Playlist.

Michael Fassbender has taken a long break from movies, seemingly enjoying fatherhood, marriage, and racing at Le Mans. But the actor does have two films in theaters now (or one on streaming anyhow), Taika Waiti’s “Next Goal Wins” (read our review) and David Fincher’s “The Killer” (read our review). In a new Happy Sad Confused podcast conversation, Fassbender discussed both these projects, his time on the “X-Men” franchise, the “Alien”/Prometheus” franchise, and much more.

Continue reading Michael Fassbender Admits He Had Early ‘Star Wars’ Talks But Not For Kylo Ren; Says X-Men Was A “Great Run” at The Playlist.

Earlier this week, at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Netflix held a special AMPAS Screening of “The Killer” followed by a Q&A with the film’s director David Fincher,  the movie’s star Michael Fassbender, moderated by filmmaker Rian Johnson (“Looper”). And now, that whole conversation has made its way online.

In case you’re unaware, “The Killer” is Fincher’s latest film, an assassin thriller about the process.

Continue reading ‘The Killer’: David Fincher Talks Making “A Lean & Mean Don Siegel” Thriller In New 45 Min Q&A With Michael Fassbender & Rian Johnson at The Playlist.

Netflix has a bunch of anticipated films left on their 2023 release calendar, but maybe none more so than David Fincher‘s “The Killer.” And the director’s follow-up to 2020’s “Mank” sees him in familiar territory: adapting a hardboiled thriller in a way only he can.

READ MORE: David Fincher On Why He Chose To Use The Smiths In ‘The Killer’: “I Thought It Was Amusing And Funny”

Fincher reunites with “Se7en” scribe Andrew Kevin Walker for his latest feature, about an assassin who gets caught in an international manhunt after a hit goes wrong.  Michael Fassbender stars.

Continue reading ‘The Killer’ Trailer: David Fincher’s Hitman Flick With Michael Fassbender Hits Select Theaters Today, Netflix On November 10 at The Playlist.

David Fincher has a strong relationship with The New York Film Festival; he made the world premiere debuts of “The Social Network” (2010) and “Gone Girl” (2014). “Mindhunter” screened at the 2017 edition, and if the filmmaker has a new film in the wings, it’s generally in the wings for an NYFF discussion, at least. So while it made its world premiere in Venice already (read our review), today Film at Lincoln Center announces Fincher’s latest film, “The Killer,” starring Michael Fassbender, would join the Spotlight selection of the 61st New York Film Festival—making it the film’s North American premiere— screening on October 14 at 7pm at the Paris Theater and October 15 at 8:45pm at the Walter Reade Theater.

Continue reading ‘The Killer’: NYFF 2023 Adds David Fincher’s Michael Fassbender-Starring Hit Man Movie To Spotlight Section at The Playlist.

You’ll recall in 2014, there was the ridiculously entertaining documentary “Next Goal Wins.” Directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, the doc follows Thomas Rongen, a Dutch soccer coach hired to lead the national team for American Samoa. This famously pitiful outfit spent nearly two decades at the bottom of FIFA’s international rankings. So that true story has been brought to life by Taika Waitii (“Thor: Ragnarok”) in a very similar but more humorously imagined comedy called, you guessed it, “Next Goal Wins.”

READ MORE: ‘Next Goal Wins’ Review: Taika Waititi Scores With An Underdog Soccer Comedy [TIFF]

Starring Michael Fassbender as the constantly-peeved but ultimately caring Dutch coach, “Next Goal Wins” tells the same story of triumph over adversity in a feel-good underdog narrative.

Continue reading ‘Next Goal Wins’ Trailer: Taika Waititi’s Soccer Comedy With Michael Fassbender Is A Feel-Good Underdog Story at The Playlist.

It surprised no one earlier this year when Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross officially came on board to score David Fincher‘s “The Killer.” After all, the pair have scored all of Fincher’s films since 2010’s “The Social Network.” But it surprised audiences at the movie’s world premiere in Venice last weekend when Reznor & Ross’ work didn’t feature prominently in “The Killer” at all.

Continue reading David Fincher On Why He Chose To Use The Smiths In ‘The Killer’: “I Thought It Was Amusing And Funny” at The Playlist.

TIFF 2023 gets underway tomorrow, and that means plenty of world premieres over its ten-day schedule. And there several movies debuting in Toronto to get excited about, like Brian Helgeland‘s “Finestkind,” the GameStop short comedy “Dumb Money,” and the star-studded New England noir “Reptile,” which makes the feature debut for Grant Singer.

READ MORE: TIFF 2023: Taika Waititi’s ‘Next Goal Wins’ Starring Michael Fassbender Will Premiere In Toronto

And there’s also Taika Waititi‘s “Next Goal Wins,” which has its world premiere at TIFF this weekend.

Continue reading New ‘Next Goal Wins’ Clip: Taika Waititi’s Soccer Comedy With Michael Fassbender Has Its World Premiere At TIFF This Weekend at The Playlist.

The question of whether or not technology has killed the classic crime thriller has popped in and out of the discourse as the years saw pocket watches morph into sci-fi-looking gadgets capable of getting one both dinner and a first-class ticket to Dubai in the space of a couple of minutes. Directors who have solidified their careers through portrayals of mafiosos, gangsters, and assassins held tightly to the period film as a chance to continue working with the story beats that work so well within the genre, recreating CCTV-free alleyways and public phone booths to allow their scoundrels and scumbags to wreak havoc in overpopulated mazes around the world. 

Continue reading ‘The Killer’ Review: David Fincher’s Homage To The Classic Crime Thriller With Michael Fassbender Is Entertaining But Orthodox [Venice] at The Playlist.

Happy belated birthday to filmmaker David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “Seven,”), who turned 61 yesterday, and today unveils the trailer for his most anticipated new movie, “The Killer.” An assassin thriller about a job gone wrong, the movie has been mostly shrouded in mystery for months, but we know it stars Michael Fassbender, an actor Fincher had been keen on working with for years.

Continue reading ‘The Killer’ Trailer: Michael Fassbender Is David Fincher’s Deadliest New Weapon In Upcoming Assassin Thriller at The Playlist.

The Cannes market heats up even further with a new James Marsh movie on the scene. Deadline reports that Marsh will direct an adaptation of Kevin Barry‘s 2019 novel “Night Boat To Tangier” with Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson in the leads.  Ruth Negga will also star in the film. That’s quite a catch for director Marsh, who already has his Samuel Beckett biopic on the way with Gabriel Byrne and Aidan Gillen leading the cast there.

Continue reading ‘Night Boat To Tangier’: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson & Ruth Negga To Star In James Marsh’s Adaptation Of Kevin Barry’s Lauded 2019 Novel at The Playlist.

Taika Waititi’s follow-up to “Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Next Goal Wins,” has all the ingredients of a potential Awards contender. The movie is based on the 2014 British documentary of the same name, directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, with a script written by Waititi and Iain Morris. The movie tells the story of coach Thomas Rongen, who is tasked to turn around the American Samoa national football team from one of the worst football teams in the world to one of the best.

Continue reading ‘Next Goal Wins’ Trailer: Taika Waititi’s Sports Comedy With Michael Fassbender Hits Theaters In November at The Playlist.

It’s been seven years since “The Light Between Oceans” debuted and saw Alicia Vikander act opposite Michael Fassbender. Since then, the duo has married in real life, but they have yet to reconnect on screen. Thankfully, Korean filmmaker Na Hong-Jin is going to fix that with his new film, “Hope.”

READ MORE: ‘Faith’ Trailer: South Korean Director Na Hong-jin Showcases The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s New Capabilities In His Gloomy, Fight-Heavy Short

According to Deadline, Na Hong-Jin is set to direct a new film, “Hope,” which will star Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.

Continue reading ‘Hope’: Michael Fassbender & Alicia Vikander To Star In Na Hong-Jin’s New Film at The Playlist.

When it was announced that Netflix was going to foot the $130 million bill for the new Nancy Meyers rom-com with an A-list cast, there were many (myself included) who thought it was a bit crazy. That’s a superhero film budget, not necessarily the type of money you throw at an adult-focused romantic comedy. Sure, it’s Nancy Meyers, but a nine-figure budget? Wow. Well, it appears Netflix ended up thinking the same thing. 

Continue reading Nancy Meyers’ New Rom-Com With Scarlett Johansson, Michael Fassbender & More Searching For New Home After Netflix Bails at The Playlist.

If you ask most film fans, they’d probably say Nancy Meyers is the queen of the rom-com. Over the ‘90s and ‘00s, some of the most popular and well-reviewed romantic comedies were probably at least written, if not directed, by the filmmaker. Sadly, we haven’t had a new film from the writer-director since 2015’s “The Intern.” However, that’s about to change in a big, big way. 

READ MORE: ‘Just Cause’: Scarlett Johansson To Star In Amazon’s Upcoming Streaming Series

According to THR, Nancy Meyers is teaming up with Netflix for her new romantic comedy film.

Continue reading Scarlett Johansson, Owen Wilson, Michael Fassbender & Penelope Cruz Eyed For Big Budget Nancy Meyers Rom-Com at The Playlist.