Despite our best predictions with our 2024 TV preview, perhaps a little on the early side, when Disney finally revealed its 2024 Disney+ slate, in spite of four Lucasfilm projects on the docket for this year, Tony Gilroy’s “Andor” starring Diego Luna wasn’t one of them. Instead, Disney promised Leslye Headland’s “The Acolyte,” seemingly scheduled for June of this year, Jon Watts’ “Skeleton Crew,” plus “The Bad Batch,” which just finished up season three, and “Tales Of The Jedi” season two.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Stellan Skarsgård Says Final Season Could Arrive End Of 2024 Or Early 2025 & Teases The “Claustrophobia Of Fascism” at The Playlist.

Lucasfilm still hasn’t released a “Star Wars” feature film since 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” But that hasn’t slowed down the studio’s live-action division as they have been primarily focused on creating original TV content for Disney+. It’s hard to argue that one of their more prestige series is “Andor,” a prequel focusing on the origins of Rebellion spy Cassian Andor while also exploring other rebels running things secretly on Coruscant under the looming threat of being discovered by the Empire.

Continue reading ‘Andor’ Season 2 First-Look Footage Teased As Tony Gilroy Aims For Summer 2024 Release On Disney+ at The Playlist.

Luthen Rael, played by Stellan Skarsgård, has a terrific opening line in the third episode of the “Star Wars” spin-off prequel series “Andor.” “Cassian Andor,” he says with a dramatic pause, “the Empire is choking us so slowly, we’re starting not to notice. What I’m asking is this, wouldn’t you rather give it all to something real?”

Rael’s talking about two things. He’s proposing that Andor (played by Diego Luna, reprising his role from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) join what is then a nascent, still-unformed Rebel Alliance and eventually become the hero and spy we all know from ‘Rogue One.’ But he’s also talking about complacency and apathy, the very kind we face today when we sit idly by and watch our democracy crumble and our Republic slowly sink into autocracy.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Tony Gilroy Talks The Importance Of Saw Gerrera, Luthen Rael & The “Original Gangsters & Maniacs” Of The Rebel Alliance at The Playlist.

Despite that online halfwit insisting, “politics have no place in ‘Star Wars,’” or some nonsense about wokeness, I’m sorry to break it to you that George Lucas’ films have always been, in fact, political from the jump. It is an era where a totalitarian regime rules the galaxy with an iron fist wiping out all dissidents and agitators, after all. While its fantasy elements and family legacy perhaps overshadowed the franchise for years, the prequels were concurrently just as much about the tragic erosion of democracy as they were about the fall of the chosen one.

Continue reading ‘Andor’ Review: Tony Gilroy Doubles Down On ‘Rogue One & ‘Star Wars’ For Adults In Engaging Spy Thriller About Tyranny at The Playlist.

With “Obi-Wan” come and gone, Tony Gilroy‘s “Andor” is the next “Star Wars” Disney+ show to premiere this year. Does it have more hype behind it than the upcoming third season of “The Mandalorian“? Signs point to yes given the epic teaser that dropped in late May (and having Gilroy on board as showrunner doesn’t hurt either).

Continue reading New ‘Andor’ Trailer: The First Three Episodes Of New Disney+ Show Arrive On September 21 at The Playlist.

With the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series in the rearview, Lucasfilm is gearing up for its next “Star Wars” show, “Andor,” a prequel series to “Rogue One A Star Wars Story” starring Diego Luna again as the title character. Spearheaded by Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) — who wrote, directed, and oversaw the reshoots and editing of ‘Rogue One’— the “Andor” series follows Cassian Andor’s early rise within the Rebellion as one of its key spies during the tyrannical reign of The Empire.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Showrunner Tony Gilroy Explains Five-Year Structure Of The Next Epic ‘Star Wars’ Series at The Playlist.

Bill Skarsgård has already made a name for himself as a pretty creepy man in various film and TV roles. But for the new short film, “Soul of a Man,” the actor took his knowledge of frights and applied them to his role as director. 

“Soul of a Man” marks the directorial debut for Bill Skarsgård and adapts the Edgar Allan Poe short story, “Bon-Bon.” The short focuses on a man who might be a bit drunk off of some wine, as he speaks to the Devil about the nature of souls. 

Continue reading ‘Soul Of A Man’: Watch Stellan Skarsgård In The Directorial Debut Short Film From Bill Skarsgård at The Playlist.

Denis Villeneuve‘s operatic space epic, “Dune” is not only a “spellbinding arthouse blockbuster” (as our review aptly put it), but it’s a tactile piece of art with terrific craftsmanship that makes it feel much more rich, real, and lived-in, as opposed to a lot of films that rely on CGI effects that can feel hollow. That palpable, textured feel of much of the movie is perhaps no better evinced than in the outstanding make-up job for Stellan Skarsgard‘s evil, monstrous Baron Harkonnen character, a hideous, frightening behemoth that’s supposed to be 600lbs.

Continue reading ‘Dune’ Exclusive Featurette: Watch The Intense Process Of Creating The Villainous Baron Harkonnen at The Playlist.

Stellan Skarsgård is an actor that has popped up in nearly every recent major franchise. Whether it’s the beloved Eric Selvig of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the dreadful and ominous Baron Harkonnen in “Dune,” you’ve likely seen his face on your screen rather recently. In this episode of The Discourse, Stellan Skarsgård sits down to talk about his latest film “Last Words,” which features Stellan as a reluctant leader of the last human community at the end of the world.

Continue reading Stellan Skarsgård Talks ‘Last Words,’ ‘Dune: Part 2’ & Joining The ‘Star Wars’ Franchise [The Discourse Podcast] at The Playlist.

As non-blockbuster films are finding it tougher to get a foothold in the modern theatrical landscape, the growing criticisms of the superhero genre have become a familiar and somewhat tedious go-to interview question. Filmmakers of a certain age, such as Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Denis Villeneuve, and most recently Jane Campion, are routinely asked about superhero films and their cultural dominance, which often leads to various criticisms of the genre itself and how it’s ruining the theatrical experience for anyone wanting to make non-blockbuster movies.

Continue reading Stellan Skarsgård Says Superhero Films Aren’t The Problem, The “Raw Market” Corporate “System” Around Them Is at The Playlist.

“A great man doesn’t seek to lead; he is called to it,” Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) says somberly to his son Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), in Denis Villeneuve’s dynastic epic space odyssey “Dune.” The Duke speaks to duty, purpose, and destiny, but the words are laced with burden and uncertainty for Paul, seemingly undecided about his future. When Villeneuve (“Sicario,” “Prisoners”) once spoke about making “Dune” as a “’Star Wars’ for adults,” he wasn’t kidding.

Continue reading ‘Dune’: Denis Villeneuve Crafts A Spellbinding Arthouse Blockbuster Odyssey About Destiny & Betrayal [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is returning to the world of big-budget science fiction after the fantastic “Blade Runner: 2049,” a follow-up to the original directed by Ridley Scott. His latest film “Dune,” is a remake of the classic Frank Herbert sci-fi fantasy epic that partially helped inspire many elements of George Lucas‘ original “Star Wars” trilogy. 

READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve Rebukes WB/HBO Max Decision & Says Studio “Might Have Just Killed The ‘Dune’ Franchise”

Villeneuve almost had a big issue during the casting process.

Continue reading Denis Villeneuve Doesn’t Think ‘Dune’ Would Have Been Made Without Timothée Chalamet at The Playlist.

Now that Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” has hit (some) theaters and seemingly underwhelmed some audiences and critics, the next big anticipated sci-fi epic of the year is easily Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune.” Based on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novels of the same name, David Lynch made a “Dune” movie in 1984, but it’s one of his famous flops, and suffice to say it didn’t come near the franchise potential Hollywood always hoped it would have.

Continue reading ‘Dune’ Trailer: Timothée Chalamet Faces His Greatest Fear In Dennis Villeneuve’s Spicy New Space Epic at The Playlist.

Distilling Per Petterson’s complex, non-linear, acclaimed Norweigan novel “Out Stealing Horses,” writer-director Hans Petter Moland’s (“Aberdeen,” “Cold Pursuit”) film of the same name is a visually rich rumination on the multi-generational traumas that spiraled out of World War II. Named after an innocent child’s game, in which protagonist Trond and his friend Jon distract and ultimately jump on untamed horses to ride them, Moland’s film acutely utilizes the framework of a coming-of-age tale to explore how youth distorts relationships, providing outsize significance to minor events and how age doesn’t necessarily relate to the emotional ability to cope with tragedy. 

Continue reading ‘Out Stealing Horses’ Is A Beautiful Rumination On The Nature Of Tragedy [Review] at The Playlist.

Summer is special, especially in one’s years leading up to adulthood. School break aside, it’s the ideal time for growth and exploration. Lifeguarding at the neighborhood pool or cashiering at a grocery store sets the foundation for a solid work ethic. Spending more time with someone you really care about lets love’s experience into the heart to—hopefully—flourish. Even the leisurely drives with all the windows rolled down shows how much more of the world is out there to take in.

Continue reading ‘Out Stealing Horses’ Trailer: Stellan Skarsgård Reminisces About One Memorable Summer In New Drama at The Playlist.

Outside of “The Mandalorian,” there isn’t a whole lot of good news coming out of Lucasfilm about the future of the “Star Wars” live-action TV series. “Obi-Wan” seems delayed for the long haul, as a new writer was only just recently announced. And though the future of “Star Wars” is said to be on TV for the time being, there aren’t a lot of announcements coming out.

Continue reading ‘Cassian Andor’: Stellan Skarsgard & Kyle Soller Join The Cast Of The Upcoming ‘Rogue One’ Spin-Off at The Playlist.

It’s a bit dismissive to look past every film being released over the next year-plus and only care about Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune,” but it’s very difficult to think that there’s another film in 2020 that could excite me more than what the “Blade Runner 2049” director is working on now. And thankfully, according to one of the actors involved in “Dune,” Villeneuve is being given all the freedom he needs to make a great film.

Continue reading Stellan Skarsgård Says Denis Villeneuve Was Given “Free Hands” To Add His “Personal Stamp” To ‘Dune’ at The Playlist.

Deliberate in its approach, precise in its execution, and devastating long after its departure, “Chernobyl” encapsulates the purest essence of good television despite a rejection of that genre’s most notable tropes. There are no action set-pieces, lessons don’t come easy, and the characters never crackle with an engaging familiarity that invites sympathy. What remains, then, is a treacherously difficult exploration of humanity’s most reprehensible instincts, along with some of the best, with both ends of this dichotomy bleeding into a middle ground where they mingle like so much boron, sand, and radioactive material.

Continue reading ‘Chernobyl’ Avoids A Genre Meltdown & Is One Of The Year’s Best Series [Review] at The Playlist.

We were worried for a minute there. The monumentally troubled, decades-spanning production of director Terry Gilliam’s “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” has become the stuff of legend – not to mention the subject of the acclaimed 2002 documentary “Lost in La Mancha.” But after soldiering through enough setbacks this decade to fill a whole second documentary, the completed picture’s triumphant Cannes Film Festival premiere was at risk of being thwarted by a legal battle with the film’s ex-producer Paul Branco.

Continue reading ‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’ Trailer: Terry Gilliam’s Long-Awaited Film Hits US Theaters In April at The Playlist.

We’re in the midst of a Meryl Moment. The legendary Meryl Streep followed up her inevitable Oscar nomination for “The Post“ by signing up to star in “Big Little Lies” season 2. Never one to miss a marketing moment, Universal Pictures has dropped the new international trailer for “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” to give your week a little more Meryl.

Continue reading ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ Trailer: Go Back To The Beginning at The Playlist.

If you ask me, using ABBA‘s already great songs for a musical is kind of cheat. But Universal didn’t ask me, and they did just fine with “Mamma Mia,” which earned $609 million worldwide a decade ago. Incidentally, that’s nearly $200 million more globally than the Best Picture-nominated “La La Land.”  But then again, that movie didn’t have ABBA songs. Anyway, the sequel, “Mamma Mia!

Continue reading ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ Trailer: Return To Greece For Another ABBA Inspired Musical at The Playlist.

In recent years, the Toronto International Film Festival has aimed to put awards contenders or blockbusters with big stars as their opening night film. However, next month they’re switching things up with “Borg/McEnroe,” whose biggest star is the controversial Shia LaBeouf, and even more, it’s a movie without a U.S. release date at the moment. But perhaps it speaks to the potential power of the picture that programmers have put it front and center.

Continue reading ‘Borg vs McEnroe’ Trailer: Legendary Rivals Face Off At Wimbledon at The Playlist.

Tennis seems to be all the rage these days. “Battle of the Sexes,” the story of the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King  (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell), is hitting theaters soon, and coming right behind is “Borg Vs McEnroe,” centering on arguably the most famous rivalry in tennis history: Swedish player Björn Borg versus American John McEnroe.

Continue reading ‘Borg Vs. McEnroe’: Shia LaBeouf Serves Up A New Trailer at The Playlist.

Today marks the 140th anniversary of Wimbledon, the world’s premiere tennis tournament, which makes it a great occasion to promote “Borg Vs McEnroe.” The tennis drama is gearing up to hit cinematic courts this fall, and it certainly looks like it’s going to be some compelling stuff.

Shia LaBeouf stars as John McEnroe with Sverrir Gudnason as Björn Borg, in the Janus Metz Pedersen (“Armadillo,” “True Detective” season 2) directed tale about the famous 1980 showdown between the two players, which is regarded as one of the greatest tennis matches ever.

Continue reading New Trailer For ‘Borg Vs. McEnroe’ Starring Shia LaBeouf Explores Wimbledon’s Finest Hour at The Playlist.

This is a reprint of our review from the 2014 Berlin Film Festival.

In case you’re unaware, Lars Von Trier is not the only director to regard Stellan Skarsgård as something of a talisman, as the actor has paired up with director Hans Petter Moland three times previously, most recently with “A Somewhat Gentle Man,” a film we reviewed in 2011.

Continue reading ‘In Order Of Disappearance’ Is A Bitter, Bloody Treat For The Black Of Heart [Review] at The Playlist.