You know the deal by now. James Gunn and Peter Safran were named the co-CEOs of DC Studios in early 2023, and they basically dismantled and tore down the entire pre-existing DC Universe. That is, aside from what Gunn had already built during his DC tenure: elements of “The Suicide Squad,” he wanted to keep and “Peacemaker.” His new DC Studios kicks off in earnest in December with “Creature Commandos,” an animated series that’s definitely connected to the aforementioned remnants of Gunn’s DC past.

Continue reading ‘Creature Commandos’ Trailer: James Gunn’s Animated Series Kicks Off His DC Studios Universe In December at The Playlist.

Since the original “Kung Fu Panda” debuted in 2008, Po, voiced by Jack Black, has been a very busy Dragon Warrior. There have been two sequels, 2011’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” and 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3,” and 123 episodes of television centered on the DreamWorks Animation franchise. That’s a lot of adventures, quests, fights, and dumplings for Po to experience over a relatively short period of time.

Continue reading ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Review: This Dragon Warrior Needs More Than Just A New Apprentice at The Playlist.

After roles in “The Suicide Squad” and “The Woman King,” it’s fun to see Viola Davis fully embrace her blockbuster action phase of her career. And it seems as if she’s not slowing down, as production begins on her next film, “G20,” where she is now going to be surrounded by one hell of a supporting cast. 

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024

According to Deadline, Viola Davis has found the rest of her ensemble cast to co-star with in the forthcoming thriller, “G20.” The report claims Anthony Anderson (“black-ish”), Marsai Martin (“black–ish”), Ramón Rodríguez (“Will Trent”), Antony Starr (“The Boys”), Douglas Hodge (“The Great”), Elizabeth Marvel (“The Color Purple”), Sabrina Impacciatore (“The White Lotus”), Clark Gregg (“Painkiller”), Christopher Farrar (“Home Team”), John Hoogenakker (“Waco: The Aftermath”), and MeeWha Alana Lee (“Umma”).

Continue reading ‘G20’: Anthony Anderson, Antony Starr & More Join Viola Davis In Upcoming Action Thriller at The Playlist.

It’s been eight years since “Kung Fu Panda 3,” but the fourth installment in the series finally returns in 2024 with the simply titled “Kung Fu Panda 4.” To be fair, “Kung Fu Panda” didn’t really go anywhere. The franchise pivoted to a Netflix series during the pandemic and even featured Jack Black again. But did anyone realize that series ran for three whole seasons?

Continue reading ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Trailer: Viola Davis & Awkafina Join Jack Black In The Dreamworks Animated Franchise at The Playlist.

With the WGA guild strike now resolves, writing and creative development may begin again on countless postponed projects. And eyes will be on James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new DCU in that regard, considering the sheer breadth of their franchise reboot. Gunn announced ten total new films and TV shows for “Gods And Monsters,” with his “Superman: Legacy” arriving first, with “Peacemaker” Season 2 also on the way.

Continue reading James Gunn Confirms Three Actors Returning To Their DC Roles In The New DCU at The Playlist.

Jessica Chastain has had her share of memorable acting roles recently, including “The Eyes Of Tammy Faye,” “The Good Nurse,” and “George & Tammy.” But there’s one role she’s itching to return to, if her co-star is up to it: Celia Foote from 2011’s “The Help.”

READ MORE: ‘The Savant’: Jessica Chastain To Produce & Star In A New Apple TV+ Series

People reports (via EW’s Awardist podcast) that Chastain spoke about how much she’d love to reprise her role from Tate Taylor‘s 2011 film.

Continue reading Jessica Chastain Would Love To Make A Sequel To ‘The Help’ With Octavia Spencer: “How Amazing Would That Film Be?” at The Playlist.

Never mind that it’s been almost eight years since “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” hit theaters. After Suzanne Collins published “The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes” in 2020, a prequel to her hit YA sci-fi series “The Hunger Games” was all but guaranteed Lionsgate would make a movie of it. And now that time has come: the fifth installment of “The Hunger Games” hits theaters this November, focusing on a young President Coriolanus Snow’s rise to power in Panem.

Continue reading ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes’ Trailer: Lionsgate’s Franchise Prequel Hits Theaters On November 17 at The Playlist.

After acquiring MGM in early 2022, Amazon Studios is now shaping to become a theatrical force in the film landscape for some of its biggest productions. While streaming services frequently release some of their high-profile movies in select theatres to qualify for awards consideration, Ben Affleck’s “Air” will be the first movie distributed by a streaming service to have a wide and long theatrical release. Unlike Netflix, which pulled the plug on “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” a week after its theatrical debut, Amazon plans to release “Air” in theatres for a substantial amount of time.

Continue reading ‘Air’ Trailer: Ben Affleck Returns To Directing With A Nike Drama Co-Starring Matt Damon & Arriving In April at The Playlist.

She may have been unfairly snubbed for an Academy Award nomination for her performance in “The Woman King,” but Viola Davis has something bigger to celebrate this month. During a pre-broadcast ceremony this afternoon, Davis won a Grammy Award in the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category for her own memoir, “Finding Me.” She now has won all four major entertainment awards landing her in the coveted EGOT club.

Continue reading Viola Davis Joins The EGOT Club After Grammy Win at The Playlist.

There were many lessons to take from the 95th Academy Award nominations. And publicists, studio executives, and personal publicists will spend the next few weeks wondering what went wrong and, more importantly, what went right. But as in any year, the 2023 Oscars have provided some significant snubs and surprises to consider.

READ MORE: 2023 Academy Awards nominations [Complete List]

A quick aside, it should be noted the Original Song category was especially competitive this year and you could easily argue The Weeknd‘s “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” from “Avatar: The Way of Water,” LCD Soundsytem’s “New Body Rhumba” from “White Noise,” or “Good Afternoon” from “Spirited” deserved to make the cut.

Continue reading 2023 Oscars Snubs and Surprises: Viola Davis, Taylor Swift, Brian Tyree Henry at The Playlist.

Jesus Christ, am I ever tired of superhero movies. Maybe you’re not, in which case, you should close the tab and move on; anything that follows doesn’t matter because superhero movies are critic-proof, hence their limitless boosting (in funding, in marketing, in overall dominance) by a risk-averse industry. But maybe you’re here because you’re a little tired of them, but not all of ‘em, not the good ones, and you’re wondering if maybe DC’s “Black Adam” is one of those occasional good ones, like “Black Panther” (well, the first three-quarters) or “Wonder Woman” (well, the first three-quarters) or “Thor: Ragnarok” (well, the first – you get the idea).

Continue reading ‘Black Adam’ Review: The Rock’s Passion Project Is A Drab Slog Through Superhero Clichés at The Playlist.

Why Michelle Williams, why? “The Fabelmans” star could have easily run in the Best Supporting Actress category and taken home an Academy Award without anyone giving it a second thought. Instead, she decided to jump into the lead category and make an already competitive race even more so.

READ MORE: Best Picture Predictions and Contenders for the 2023 Oscars

Besides Williams, there are three other actresses who are “expected” to make the cut this January.

Continue reading Best Actress Oscars 2023 Predictions and Contenders at The Playlist.

Since David Zaslav took over as CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, the future of the DCEU has been in major upheaval. But a new TV spot for “Black Adam,” in theaters next month, may offer a preview of what Zaslav’s new vision for DC’s future is. And from the looks of things, they will be a lot of cross-over between Dwayne Johnson‘s new anti-hero and other DCEU characters.

Continue reading New ‘Black Adam’ TV Spot Teases Amanda Waller & Possibly Other DC Heroes In Upcoming Film at The Playlist.

Over the weekend, “The Woman King” easily won the box office battle. Better yet, the historical action film was a hit with fans who gave it an A+ CinemaScore. But all that goodwill still wasn’t enough to prevent social media backlash.

In the leadup to the release of “The Woman King” in theaters, a social media campaign to boycott the film grew. This was because many believed the film, from director Gina Prince-Bythewood and star Viola Davis, was going to skip over some of the actual history and focus on one aspect of the story.

Continue reading Gina Prince-Bythewood Talks ‘The Woman King’ Slavery Backlash: “You Cannot Win An Argument On Twitter” at The Playlist.

TORONTO – Venice, Telluride, and TIFF have pretty much come and gone, and, as such, the Oscar race is slightly more clear than it was just two weeks ago. Sure, there are a number of major players yet to show their wares such as Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” James Cameron’s “Avatar 2,” David O. Russell’s “Amsterdam” and Ryan Coogler’s “Wakanda Forever,” but it looks like we have a frontrunner. And, surprise, it’s perennial Oscar favorite Steven Spielberg and “The Fablemans.” Who could have guessed?

Continue reading Steven Spielberg & Viola Davis Set Their Oscar Sights After TIFF at The Playlist.

When fans complain about the inclusion of women of color in action franchises, they often fall back on the same talking points: it’s not about sexism, it’s just that filmmakers should create different, original movies for Black and Brown actors. Gina Prince Bythewood has done just that with “The Woman King” and proven what we already knew: that women always have and always will make formidable action heroes.

Continue reading ‘The Woman King’ Review: Viola Davis Leads Gina Prince Bythewood’s Fierce, Action-Packed Drama [TIFF] at The Playlist.

Though Viola Davis is an actress that has earned a ton of awards and acclaim over the course of her career, she’s never been one to shy away from a good role in a franchise. Most recently, she’s shown up as Amanda Waller in a number of DC superhero films. And next, it appears she’s ready to join the YA franchise, “The Hunger Games.”

According to THR, Viola Davis is the latest actor to join the growing cast of the upcoming ‘Hunger Games’ prequel, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ In the film, she’s expected to play Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul.

Continue reading Viola Davis Joins The Cast Of The Upcoming ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Film at The Playlist.

Last awards season’s Best Actress race was one of the most turbulent. Post-Golden Globes, Nicole Kidman, seemed a lock for her role in “Being the Ricardos,” despite the initial industry buzz for Kristen Stewart, the ever-lively Lady Gaga bandwagon, and some not totally unreasonable outside shouts for Olivia Colman, while Jessica Chastain ultimately took it all. With the industry now at its most productive since the pandemic began, this year’s race is shaping up to be just as fierce as the last: Margot Robbie, Danielle Deadwyler, and Naomi Ackie are already in the running, as is Viola Davis, whose film “The Woman King” now has its first trailer.

Continue reading ‘The Woman King’ Trailer: Viola Davis Leads A Fierce Tribe Of African Warriors This September at The Playlist.

Social media is one of the best (and worst) inventions of our time. The fact that people all across the world are connected nowadays is a great idea, in theory. However, in practice, we have now seen just how toxic social media can be, and how it has greatly altered the trajectory of various businesses and industries. The world of film is no different. And Viola Davis thinks film is worse off because of social media and the idea of “escapist” filmmaking.

Continue reading Viola Davis Says Social Media & “Escapism” Filmmaking Is “Destroying Our Art Form” at The Playlist.

Following the success of HBO Max’s “Peacemaker” series earlier this year, creator/director James Gunn teased yet another “The Suicide Squad” spin-off series, saying it would “connected to this universe” but it “won’t be as much a comedy as ‘Peacemaker.’” Did we just learn what it is? Because Viola Davis will be reprising her role as The Suicide Squad boss Amanda Waller in an upcoming spin-off series centered on her character.

Continue reading Viola Davis To Star In An Amanda Wallace ‘Peacemaker’ Spin-Off Series At HBO Max at The Playlist.

If Showtime’s new series “The First Lady” is to be believed, being the president’s wife is one of the most thankless and frustrating jobs on the planet. First ladies have given up their own ambitions, livelihoods, friends, and personalities, all in service of their presidential husbands. They exist to remind the nation of domesticity and femininity and basically are meant to be seen and not heard. 

At least, that’s what the show suggests history has always tried to make them.

Continue reading ‘The First Lady’ Review: Viola Davis & Gillian Anderson Tackle The Lives & Legacies Of Michelle Obama And Eleanor Roosevelt In New Limited Series at The Playlist.

Showtime is on a bit of a roll lately. Obviously, the network has series such as “Billions,” which is consistently lauded as one of the best shows on TV. But in 2021, you saw the debut of “Yellowjackets,” which became a big hit for the network, as well as the revival of “Dexter.” And this year, not only is there the new anthology series, “Super Pumped,” but we also get what might be the most anticipated Showtime series of the year, “The First Lady.”

As seen in the trailer for “The First Lady,” as the title suggests, the show tells the story of the First Lady of the United States, aka the President’s wife.

Continue reading ‘The First Lady’ Trailer: Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer & Gillian Anderson Star In Showtime’s Upcoming Drama Series 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.

Sandra Bullock has starred in over fifty films in her career, but, if one can believe it, there hasn’t been a movie with her released since the 2018 Netflix thriller “Birdbox.” But, fear not, Bullock fans. The actress has three films set for releases over the next year, like the assassin thriller “Bullet Train” alongside Brad Pitt and the romantic adventure film “The Lost City Of D” with Channing Tatum.  

Continue reading ‘The Unforgivable’ Trailer: Sandra Bullock Can’t Walk Free Of Her Violent Past at The Playlist.

How do you make a superhero film for a multi-billion-dollar corporation feel like a personal endeavor? (please refrain from laughing at least until the very end) For filmmaker James Gunn that’s leaning into the two, sometimes contradictory elements of your personality, excavating the tension from that juxtaposition and letting it all bleed into your story. Gunn’s two sides—the vulgar and the empathetic—are perhaps best evinced in the 2018 Twitter scandal that saw the director fired from Marvel’s “Guardians Of The Galaxy” franchise (and then rehired a year later): a crass, disgusting pedophile joke from years ago (exploited on social media for political gain), and the inclusive, compassionate person Gunn had become on Twitter, mature and wise enough to accept the fate of his then-firing.

Continue reading ‘The Suicide Squad’: James Gunn Inspires The DC Universe With Gnarly Irreverence, Superhero Subversion & A Big Beating Heart [Review] at The Playlist.