Movies

Long Shot first look: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen dive into international affairs. Five years after The Interview, producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg re-team with screenwriter Dan Sterling for another story that emulates the current state of political affairs. But this one, Rogen promises, won't incite hate mail from North Korea. "I think this movie will steer clear from the controversies that befell our previous collaboration," he jokes to EW. Once dubbed Flarsky, the latest from this producing pair stars Charlize Theron as a U.S. Secretary of State hoping to be the country's first female president, as revealed in EW's first-look photos at Long Shot. Sounds topical, right? Well, Rogen clarifies it's more of a love story similar to the style of Knocked Up that "takes place in another universe than our actual world." Like, there's no Trumpian figure, per se. Although, Alexander Skarsgrd plays another dreamboat Prime Minister of Canada and Bob Odenkirk takes over as POTUS. "We wanted to make a movie that acknowledged the political realities we all live in without trying to make too heavy-handed directives," Rogen explains, "and at the same time make something that's highly enjoyable and highly entertaining that appeals to as wide an audience as anything I've made." Rogen adds a new character to his rolodex: Fred Flarsky, "a hard-hitting political writer" with "a talent for trouble," according to the official synopsis. When he reunites with his old crush, Charlotte Field (Theron), he finds she's now one of the most powerful women in the world making a play for the Oval Office. "There's a nostalgia to [the relationship] and she really enjoys that, this remembrance of her when she was young," Theron mentions of Charlotte and Fred. "She somehow has forgotten that, and he reminds her." Through sheer charm, Fred lands a job offer to "punch up her campaign speeches," but the pair's chemistry plunges them into a cross-continental affair -- one that, paired with Fred's past and present indiscretions, threatens to dismantle Charlotte's entire Presidential campaign. Rogen maintains "there was only one person that I really thought could play the other role in the movie and that was Charlize," but the Mad Max and Tully star says the part comes with "a lot of fear attached to it." "If anybody knows me from any kind of comedy, it's probably the darker comedies that I've done that are maybe not considered comedies to a lot of people, that maybe are just horror movies," the actress jokes of films like Young Adult. "It's not my play zone," she adds. "I explored a little bit, but not to the level of working next to Seth Rogen and trying to keep up with that." Work on what would become Long Shot began years ago -- nine, by Rogen's estimates -- with Sterling's 2012 Black List script and it continued to evolve since then through director Jonathan Levine (Rogen's helmer on 50/50 and The Night Before), Rogen, Theron (who first came aboard as a producer before agreeing to star), and Sterling. In more recent years, the film benefited from The Post screenwriter Liz Hannah, Theron's former intern of three months at the Oscar winner's Denver and Delilah who then began work at the production company full time in development. The initial goal was to "tell a comedic love story in a unique way," Theron recalls. "It was the concept of telling a story that felt fresh and felt new in the confines of what a comedy or a love story could be and just turn all of those ideas on their heads." There's a lot more front-of-camera talent populating the cast with O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Den of Thieves), Andy Serkis (Black Panther), June Diane Raphael (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Ravi Patel (Master of None), and Randall Park (The Interview) featuring opposite the leading duo. Long Shot is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 3. "Everybody who does not see this will die," Theron offers as a final zinger. (Entertainment Weekly)

Peter Jackson making documentary of Beatles in the studio. Director Peter Jackson is making a new documentary using never-before-seen footage of the Beatles in the studio. The acclaimed Lord of the Rings director said Wednesday the film will be based on roughly 55 hours of footage of the band working on songs in the studio in January 1969. "It's like a time machine transports us back to 1969, and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together," he says. The film is being made with the cooperation of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison. The film was announced on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' final performance on the roof of Apple Records in London. (PageSix)

Britney Spears Is Returning to the Big Screen, Baby, One More Time. Britney Spears is taking her talents to the big screen one more time! Close to 17 years after appearing in Crossroads, the pop music superstar will make a brief cameo in the upcoming horror comedy film called Corporate Animals. The news was announced at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival when director Patrick Brice was discussing the project during a Los Angeles Times panel. "One of our characters -- Calum Worthy's character, Aidan -- is obsessed with Britney Spears, and there's a runner of him as he's going crazy thinking that he is hearing Britney speaking to him from the walls," Patrick explained. The news caught many fans by surprise including cast member Jessica Williams. "That is awesome. Wow, that's awesome," she explained while looking visibly surprised. "I gotta hear the outtakes. I'm happy to have that energy in the film." So how did they make it happen? "Through a series of connections we were able to get 10 minutes of her time to record this, which was so awesome," Patrick explained. Corporate Animals, which also stars Demi Moore and Ed Helms, doesn't have a release date just yet. It is premiering at Sundance this week. For a moment, fans of Britney thought the possibility of a Crossroads 2 could actually happen. Rewind to August 2014 when co-star Zoe Saldana said some super sweet things about her co-star in an interview. Britney heard the messages and couldn't help but react. "Truly the sweetest, thx 4 the kind words. Nothing but great memories of working w u. Crossroads pt 2? ;)" she wrote on Twiter. Ultimately, Britney has been focused on her music career including her Las Vegas residency. And while she recently announced a work hiatus to spend more time with family, we're a bit excited that she had time beforehand to film this cameo. Go Brit, Brit! (Eonline)

Judd Apatow to direct film starring Pete Davidson. Judd Apatow has set his next feature film, an untitled comedy that will star "Saturday Night Live" cast member Pete Davidson. It will reflect a storyline that mirrors the comic's own life, including his firefighter father on 9/11. It's Apatow's first film since "Trainwreck," a vehicle crafted for Amy Schumer. Davidson has a lot of potential, and even more baggage. A whirlwind romance with Ariana Grande led to a high-profile engagement and an equally high-profile breakup. Davidson separately drew the ire of conservatives when he poked fun at the eyepatch of former SEAL turned Republican congressman Dan Crenshaw, who lost his eye in an explosion in Afghanistan. Davidson subsequently sent out a tweet that indicated he might be considering harming himself. All in all, it has been a rocky year for a talented young man, whose appearances on "Weekend Update" have largely been standout good. Being able to turn his energy into a comedy by Apatow, who helped make stars of Steve Carell, Schumer and many others, will be an important next step for Davidson, who wrote the script with Apatow and Dave Sirus. Davidson appears in "Big Time Adolescence," which premiered at Sundance. Apatow and Barry Mendel will produce. Universal Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers will oversee production on behalf of the studio. Davidson is repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and ICM, Apatow is repped by Mosaic and UTA. (PageSix)

Film4, Lakeshore, Kew Media Strike Library Deal With Cryptocurrency Platform TaTaTu. The deal will provide more than 50 films and TV shows to TaTaTu users. Lakeshore Entertainment, Kew Media Group, and Film4 have signed content licensing agreements with TaTaTu, the cryptocurrency-centric social entertainment platform run by entrepreneur Andrea Iervolino. The deals will provide more than 50 films and TV shows to TaTaTu users, including the likes of Heathers, The Amateurs, Hotel Splendide, The War Zone and the Children of the Corn trilogy, and featuring talent such as Jeff Bridges, Scarlett Johansson, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton, Anthony Hopkins, Liam Neeson, Winona Ryder, Tommy Lee Jones and Kristen Stewart. Financial terms of the agreements are not being disclosed. The deal significantly bolsters TaTaTu's offering by adding some of the more valuable film libraries in the independent space to the company's library of content. TaTaTu was launched in early 2018 and is run by movie producer Iervolino, who recently formed a partnership with Johnny Depp to develop and produce film and digital content. "Our aggressive acquisition strategy is making TaTaTu one of the largest AVOD platforms for content in the world," said Iervolino. "When you combine our model which compensates users financially for viewing content along with the variety of content choices, TaTaTu will be one of the most compelling platforms for consumers to view their favorite content." TaTaTu is an advertising VOD entertainment platform that combines features from the major platforms and social networks with an innovative incentives system. Digital tokens (TTU tokens) are given out to creators and consumers of content, including those from their referred friends, as they participate in the network. Alongside the content licensing agreements, TaTaTu recently signed major industry deals with top global film and media financier BondIt Media Capital, as well as and leading global film and TV rights and financial services company Fintage House, to recognize and accept TTU Tokens, on specific deals and transactions to finance motion pictures, and for collection account management deals and transactions for film and television rights. TaTaTu closed a $575 million token pre-sale, with proceeds being used to create original content, acquire new users, market the platform and develop the software. TaTaTu has been acquiring content, as well as creating original films and series. Original content funded and produced projects in the works include a feature film adaptation of J.M. Coetzee's prize-winning novel Waiting for the Barbarians, starring Johnny Depp, Mark Rylance and Robert Pattinson and being directed by Ciro Guerra; a Lamborghini biopic starring Antonio Banderas and Alec Baldwin; an original documentary on Jeremy Renner; the drama The Sound of Freedom starring Jim Caviezel and Mira Sorvino; and David Henrie's teen comedy This is the Year. On the acquisitions front, TaTaTu recently acquired the documentary Friedkin Uncut, featuring the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Shannon, Edgar Wright, Willem Dafoe, Ellen Burstyn, Gina Gershon, Juno Temple, Wes Anderson, Damien Chazelle and William Friedkin. (Hollywood Reporter)

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