“That was the opportunity that I was looking for because I don’t get offered roles like that a lot,” Bautista recently told Uproxx about “Blade Runner 2049.” “At that point, nobody was offering me roles like that. It was hard for people to see past my physicality and see that I actually wanted to…I used to tell people when I was just coming up, even after I got Drax, I was like I just really want to do some acting....
Updated, 3:29 p.m. ET: Netflix has issued a statement regarding the attack on Dave Chappelle onstage at the Netflix Is a Joke festival: “We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence.” Chappelle’s rep, meanwhile, has provided a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “The performances by Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl were epic and record-breaking and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment,” the rep said....
The writer-director said as much during 2022 CinemaCon when premiering the intensely horrific trailer for “Crimes of the Future,” which now publicly has made its debut. The body horror sci-fi epic marks “The Fly” director’s return to Hollywood after eight years, following 2014’s “Maps to the Stars.” The film stars Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux as celebrity performance artists who publicly showcase the metamorphosis of human organs in avant-garde performances. However, the acts capture the attention of a National Organ Registry investigator, played by Kristen Stewart, and the true mission becomes clear: Organ transplants will lead to the next phase of human evolution....
As anti-Asian attacks and hate crimes escalate, there’s also been a call to re-examine the media’s role in creating Asian stereotypes. Most recently it’s been inflamed by politics, with COVID-19 described as “kung flu” by former President Trump and Fox News. However, film and television have a much longer history of creating roles that buy into the idea of Asians as props rather than people. (Hat tips to Canwen Xu, who gave a great 2016 TedX talk on this topic, “I Am Not Your Asian Stereotype,” and to @dietprada for her recent breakdown of Hollywood’s Asian stereotypes....
“For me, it was a non-negotiable condition,” Villeneuve said about the window. “But again, I love streaming. I use streaming all the time. I think it’s a fantastic way of revisiting movies or discovering movies from the past that are not accessible in theaters anymore. But I still think that contemporary movies need to have their chance. All movies need to have proper time in theaters.” Villeneuve continued, “The theatrical experience is at the very heart of the cinematic language for me....
“I wanted at the beginning to do the two parts simultaneously,” Villeneuve said. “For several reasons, it didn’t happen, and I agreed to the challenge of making part one and then wait to see if the movie rings enough enthusiasm. As I was doing the the first part, I really put all my passion into it, in case it would be the only one. But I’m optimistic.” Villeneuve previously told Total Film magazine that greenlighting “Dune: Part Two” would depend on the financial success of “Dune: Part One” at the box office....
Another day, another theatrical release bites the dust. The latest casualty is Disney/Pixar’s “Soul,” the animation house’s first Black-led feature, which was slated to launch in theaters on November 20 and will now instead debut exclusively on Disney+ on December 25, Christmas Day 2020. In international markets where Disney+ isn’t currently or soon to be available, “Soul” will be released theatrically, with dates to be announced. However, unlike “Mulan,” which came with a $30 one-time fee for “premier” access to view the film, “Soul” will come with no such upcharge....
