News

Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to make his first return to the big screen after five years in the holiday family comedy from Amazon MGM Studios, ‘The Man with the Bag.’

Schwarzenegger will star alongside the already cast ‘Reacher’ star Alan Ritchson. Adam Shankman (Hairspray) will take the helm on the film from a script written by Allan Rice.

The synopsis reads; When Santa’s magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance, a former thief, to help him get it back. Along with his daughter, Santa, and a group of misfit elves, Vance will have to pull off the greatest heist of his life to save Christmas.”

Also in news – Ben Affleck, J. K Simmons & more return for ‘The Accountant 2’

Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Reg Tigerman, Dan Spilo, and Alan Ritchson are set to produce the feature.

Schwarzenegger is also attached to star in the action movie ‘Breakout.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to return to the holiday genre with Amazon MGM Studios’ The Man With the Bag.

Adam Shankman is directing the family Christmas comedy that will see Schwarzenegger star alongside Alan Ritchson, whose involvement was previously announced. Allan Rice wrote the script for the movie that counts Ritchson, Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Reg Tigerman and Dan Spilo as producers.

The Man With the Bag centers on Santa Claus learning that his magic bag has been swiped, leading Old St. Nick to team up with Vance, a reformed thief and denizen of the naughty list, to get it back. The duo also enlist Vance’s daughter and a team of misfit elves to help them save Christmas.

Schwarzenegger, who captivated Oscar viewers over the weekend by reuniting with Twins cohort Danny DeVito, stars on the Netflix action-comedy series Fubar, which is set to return for its second season.

Exclusive: Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to star in holiday family comedy The Man With The Bag, alongside Reacher star Alan Ritchson, we can reveal.

Silver screen icon Schwarzenegger hasn’t starred in a movie since 2019 when he shot Kung Fury 2 and he was last seen on the big screen in the same year in Terminator: Dark Fate. We understand this one is aiming to shoot later this year.

Adam Shankman (Hairspray) is directing the film, which hails from Amazon MGM Studios, from a script penned by Allan Rice.

The logline reads: “When Santa’s magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance, a former thief, to help him get it back. Along with his daughter, Santa, and a group of misfit elves, Vance will have to pull off the greatest heist of his life to save Christmas.”

No word yet on who is playing...

The last cork has been popped and the final flute of Kirkland Signatures sparkling wine drained down to the last drop. Old Man 2023 has gathered his sash about his withered frame and slunk into the night, clearing the way for cherubic New Year 2024–giggly, chubby and brimming with promise.

Or something. In reality, years don’t flip on and off like a light switch. They smear into each other like paint, until everything is the same weird shade of brownish-purple. But still: we all strive to make each new chapter in the Gregorian filing system a fresh start–a chance to break bad habits and begin good ones.

The traditional way of kickstarting these self-improvement reboots is through the maddeningly self-deceptive ritual of setting New Year’s Resolutions–80% of which are inevitably abandoned by February 1, according to most studies. But hey! A sustainable 20% is still pretty good. And for cineastes,...

At this point, the body switch comedy genre is pretty well worn. Big, Freaky Friday (twice), 17 Again, 13 Going on 30, etc., have pretty much defined and exhausted what can be done with the concept to keep it fresh. The latter 2004 hit actually starred Jennifer Garner, who is now returning to the genre again, this time as producer and star of Netflix’s holiday comedy Family Switch.

This time around, the formula is expanded to have an entire family experience a life-altering cosmic moment and become their opposites. The parents become their kids, the kids become their parents, even the baby becomes the French Bulldog. Guess what? It works, even offering some Lol moments along the way in a movie that isn’t trying to reinvent anything here, just finding a new angle to squeeze some more life out of it.

Inspired by the book Bedtime For Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal,...

Family Switch‘s age/identity swapping premise has been done many times before. In fact, Jennifer Garner even references her prior age-swapping comedy 13 Going on 30 in Family Switch‘s trailer. But Netflix is hoping audiences are ready for a new 2023 version of the tried-and-true premise with Garner and Ed Helms in starring roles.

The cast includes Emma Myers, Brady Noon, Bashir Salahuddin, Matthias Schweighöfer, and Xosha Roquemore. Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Paul Scheer, Fortune Feimster, and Rita Moreno also star.

McG directs from a screenplay by Victoria Strouse and Adam Sztykiel, based on Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Bedtime For Mommy novel. McG, Jennifer Lawrence, Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Nicole King Solaka, and Mary Viola serve as producers, with David Hyman, Jason Rosenthal, and Victoria Strause executive producing.

Family Switch premieres on November 30, 2023 on Netflix.

Poster for Netflix’s ‘Family Switch’

“Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to...

Somewhere in the neighbourhood of, 100,000 people die a year of opioid overdoses in the United States alone. This is a sad result of the ongoing Opioid Epidemic which, in part, was driven largely by the increasing prescriptions of opioids for pain management pushed by companies like Purdue Pharma. While the oxycontin story was previously dramatized as Dopesick by Hulu and Painkiller by Netflix, Purdue wasn’t the only company with pharma reps pushing prescriptions. One company called Insys Therapeutics moved a fentanyl spray that was heavily marketed to doctors through thinly veiled bribes, which were first documented in a story by journalist Evan Hughes that was called “The Pain Hustlers.”

This story has been given a fictionalized, star-studded retelling by Netflix, with Harry Potter director David Yates changing pace for this Wolf of Wall Street-style drama. Recently, I had a chance to sit down with Yates and his producer, Lawrence Grey,...

David Yates, perhaps best known for directing four “Harry Potter” movies (and three “Fantastic Beasts” spin-off films) is back with a much more down-to-earth project. “Pain Hustlers,” based on a 2018 New York Times Magazine article by Evan Hughes that was expanded into a book last year, traces the lives of a pair of pharmaceutical reps (played by Emily Blunt and Chris Evans) who play a key role in the opioid epidemic that has swallowed the country. As it turns out the American healthcare system was just as otherworldly to Yates as anything J.K. Rowling could have dreamed up.

Yates’ colleague Lewis Taylor sent him the original article and Yates was blown away. “I read the article and what immediately attracted me was it portrayed a healthcare system and an industry that was so far removed from anything I knew in the UK. It seemed extraordinary that these practices were taking...

According to filmmaker David Yates, the Fantastic Beasts film franchise is falling under a dark spell. Speaking with Total Film Magazine, the director of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts said the enchanted spin-off prequel franchise is “parked” after three movies. Initially, the plan involved making five Fantastic Beasts films. However, that no longer appears to be the case.

“With ‘Beasts,’ it’s all just parked,” Yates said. “We made those three movies, the last one through a pandemic, and it was enormous fun but it was tough. We were actually filming when there wasn’t a vaccine. Thankfully, no one got sick, but we did have the most detailed protocols in place.”

The three movies in the Fantastic Beasts film series include Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), and The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022). While the first film in the series delighted fans, earning $812.5M worldwide,...

The Harry Potter franchise had a string of directors for its duration but no one had a run like David Yates, who directed half of the franchise’s entries, beginning with 2007’s Order of the Phoenix and ending with the two-part Deathly Hallows films. And while he even continued his run with the first three Fantastic Beasts movies, he is willingly avoiding the upcoming Harry Potter series.

Speaking with ComicBook.com, David Yates said his time with the Harry Potter movies – that is, the franchise that has taken up 70% of his filmography – is most definitely over. “Do you know what? Honestly, I could not, in any conceivable way, get involved…It’s simply: I spent a long time at that school, in those corridors and in those classrooms, and it was an exquisite experience and one I will always treasure. But to go back and do another year or two, for me,...

An Iranian American woman navigating culture clash, an Argentine bank heist and an animated ghost story voiced by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie debut this weekend with a handful of docs and some notable expansion, vying with Apple wide release Killers Of The Flower Moon.

Sony Pictures Classics The Persian Version opens on eight screens in NY, LA, Toronto and Vancouver today. The film by writer-director Maryam Keshavarz won both the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance where it premiered (Deadline review here). Her previous film Circumstance, about two teenage Iranian girls who fall in love, won the Audience Award too, in 2011, but the filmmaker hasn’t been able to return to Iran since.

The Persian Version stars Layla Mohammadi as Leila, Iranian-American like Keshavarz, and bisexual, striving to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant,...

Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. Pain Hustlers is a sharp and revealing look at what some people do out of desperation and others do out of greed. The film is directed by BAFTA award winner David Yates, produced by Lawrence Grey, and also starring Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass and Brian d’Arcy James.

In select theaters on October 20th and on Netflix October 27th.

Kansas City Readers:

Advance Screening is 7Pm Monday,...

If the trailer for Netflix’s Pain Hustlers has a familiar-ish ring, it’s because we’ve seen the topic – a big pharma company making billions off the [hurt] backs of patients – done multiple times before. This outing benefits from a big-name cast and narrowing the focus to one particular employee, played by Emily Blunt.

“I feel like it’s been bucket list name after bucket list name,” stated producer Lawrence Grey. “It is such an incredible cast.”

In addition to Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara, Chloe Coleman, Jay Duplass, and Brian d’Arcy James star in the pharmaceutical drama. The cast also includes Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor, and Andy Garcia .

David Yates (the Fantastic Beasts films) directs from a screenplay by Wells Tower. Yates and Lawrence Grey produce, with Emily Blunt, Mark Moran, Yvonne Walcott-Yates, Lewis Taylor, and Ben Everard executive producing.

Pain Hustlers opens in select theaters...

"There is nothing so inspiring as sheer desperation." Netflix has debuted the full official trailer for the film Pain Hustlers, arriving in theaters soon for just a week before it's streaming on Netflix later this month. It first premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival. Liza dreams of a better life for her and her daughter so she gets a job at a bankrupt pharmacy, and Liza's guts catapult the company and her into the high life not knowing that she'll be in the middle of a criminal conspiracy. All the while dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss, the medical condition of her daughter, and her growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. Co-starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans, with Catherine O'Hara, Chloe Coleman, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor, and Andy Garcia. The film is directed by BAFTA award winner David Yates,...

Emily Blunt frantically hustles for a better life, only to fall deeper into a dangerous racketeering scheme, in the official trailer for David Yates’ Pain Hustlers, which Netflix released on Tuesday.

Dreaming of riches for herself and her young daughter, Liza Drake, played by Blunt, lands a job from Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) at a failing pharma startup in a Florida strip mall.

“There’s nothing so inspiring as sheer desperation,” Drake says at one point in the trailer as her charm, drive and guts catapult her into the high life as a sales executive at a company marketing a new kind of opioid drug offering pain relief to cancer patients.

The problem is that drug unwittingly is helping spark the U.S. opioid epidemic and Drake’s unceasing hustle can’t keep the company and her position safe at the center of a criminal enterprise. And to complicate their success,...

The world of peddling pharmaceuticals and the sudden financial success that comes with it is bound to have some side effects. The new Netflix comedy/drama, Pain Hustlers, is a new cautionary tale of breaking laws and business ethics for massive flows of cash. The recently released trailer showcases Emily Blunt taking a chance on a career opportunity that puts her in over her head. Joining Blunt is Chris Evans and the cast of the movie includes Catherine O’Hara, Chloe Coleman, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor and Andy Garcia.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,

“Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme.

Emily Blunt unveils the dark side of the pharmaceutical industry amid the opioid epidemic in “Pain Hustlers.”

Blunt leads David Yates’ film, based on Evan Hughes’ 2022 book, “Pain Hustlers: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup.” Blunt portrays a single mother struggling to make ends meet as a stripper until a generous customer (Chris Evans) offers her a position as a pharmaceutical representative for fentanyl.

Per the official synopsis, Liza Drake (Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices.

Recently, it has been announced that Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee is directing a new biopic of the martial arts legend, Bruce Lee, and Ang’s son, Mason Lee, will be filling the shoes of the Dragon. The producer of the yet-to-be-named film, Lawrence Grey, spoke with Collider recently at the Toronto International Film Festival about Mason getting the larger-than-life role. “Early on, Ang introduced me to his son, Mason Lee, who’s a very accomplished actor—particularly works a lot in China, although he’s been in some very successful American films—and he is a spitting image of Bruce. We had that in our pockets, and said, ‘Okay, we don’t wanna be producers who succumb to nepotism. We’ll put that aside.’ And then, we did a worldwide search all across Asia and North America, and we didn’t find anyone as compelling as Mason.”

Grey, then,...

Netflix’s Pain Hustlers is a largely fictionalized tale of a very real-world and rather eye-opening business: selling an easy fix for what ails us, even if it leads to addiction and death.

Although names have been changed and characters invented (though inspired for some by actual cases and people), the original source material is all too real. Based on a New York Times article by Evan Hughes and then developed as Hughes was turning his research into the book The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Start-Up, screenwriter Wells Tower has fashioned a riveting if disturbing scenario brought to life by director David Yates, who was looking for a less fantastical tale to tell other than the Harry Potter movies he was directing. He found it, and also his way in to what might be quite a shocking exposé of just how far into a grift some...

Emily Blunt is a desperate single mom who ends up in a wild criminal scheme in David Yates’ Pain Hustlers. Netflix today dropped the first trailer for the film billed as tonally similar to The Big Short, American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street.

In Pain Hustlers, Blunt stars as Liza Drake, a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices.

The trailer teases Liza and Pete’s high salary, hard-partying lifestyle with title cards...

"Is that even legal?!" Netflix has unveiled a teaser trailer for their new opioids film titled Pain Hustlers, which is premiering at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival kicking off this week. It's also set to open in select US theaters for a week before it's streaming on Netflix worldwide later in October this fall. Liza dreams of a better life for her and her daughter so she gets a job at a bankrupt pharmacy, and Liza's guts catapult the company and her into the high life not knowing that she will soon be in the middle of a criminal conspiracy. All the while dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss, the medical condition of her daughter, and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. Starring Emily Blunt, plus Chris Evans, Catherine O'Hara, Chloe Coleman, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor, and Andy Garcia.

Netflix has just dropped the teaser trailer of one of their anticipated releases of the year with Pain Hustlers. The dark comedy showcases Emily Blunt joining Chris Evans in the lucrative game of pill peddling. David Yates, who is predominantly involved with the Harry Potter movies, as well as the Fantastic Beasts spin-offs, helms this new original Netflix film.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,

“Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices.

Emily Blunt pursues a better life for herself and her young daughter only to fall with dire consequences amid a criminal conspiracy in the teaser trailer for David Yates’ Pain Hustlers, which Netflix dropped on Wednesday.

“Is that even legal?” Liza Drake (Blunt) asks Pete Brenner, played by Chris Evans, at one point in the trailer after landing a job at a failing pharma startup in a Florida strip mall. Liza’s charm, drive and guts send her into the high life, but it’s not enough to keep the company and her position safe at the center of a criminal enterprise, according to a synopsis of the film from Netflix.

The crime drama sees the pharmaceutical drug business marketing a new kind of opioid drug offering pain relief to cancer patients, which unwittingly helps spark the U.S. opioid epidemic for greed and profits. The trailer shows Liza’s...

Emily Blunt is at the center of a criminal conspiracy in the first official trailer for Netflix’s “Pain Hustlers,” which is set to debut on the streaming service Oct. 27 after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival.

As a mother struggling to support her daughter, Liza Drake (portrayed by Blunt) seeks out a new stream of income in hopes of turning her life around. All seems to be working out well for Liza when she lands a job at a pharmaceutical start-up. However, she has no idea that the company is failing, fully-fledged illegal business, and she swiftly finds herself stuck in the middle of a racketeering scheme.

The first trailer gives audiences a glimpse at the drama, which has been speculated to be in the vein of critically acclaimed movies like “American Hustle” and “The Big Short.” Having been introduced to Blunt’s Liza, viewers get a sneak...

Emily Blunt has gone from bombs to pills in her domination of 2023 cinema.

The “Oppenheimer” actress and anticipated Oscar nominee leads (and also executive produces) Netflix film “Pain Hustlers” alongside MCU alum Chris Evans. BAFTA-winning “Harry Potter” franchise director David Yates helms the pharmaceutical-centric drama adapted by Wells Tower from Evan Hughes’ book of the same name.

The official synopsis reads: Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices.

Catherine O’Hara,...

Christmas has come early for Alan Ritchson.

The star of Reacher is set to star in The Man With the Bag, a holiday family comedy that Adam Shankman will direct for Amazon Studios. Allan Rice (Stuck in the Middle) wrote the script for the feature project, which is in development.

Man With the Bag’s plot is set in motion when Santa’s magical bag of gifts is stolen, forcing him to turn to his naughty list to find help. He enlists Vance (Ritchson), a charming thief fresh out of prison who is trying to go straight, while attempting to spend a normal, crime-free Christmas with his family. The thief, with the help of his daughter and a group of misfit elves, then must pull off the greatest heist of his life to save Christmas

On top of starring, Ritchson will also produce. Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Reg Tigerman and Dan Spilo are also producing.

Following the worldwide release of Fast X, in which he stars opposite Vin Diesel and many more, Reacher breakout Alan Ritchson has recommitted to his relationship with Amazon by coming aboard to star in The Man with the Bag, a holiday family comedy that Adam Shankman (Hairspray) will direct from Allan Rice’s script.

The film in development at Amazon Studios picks up following the theft of Santa’s magic bag, as he turns to his naughty list to find Vance (Ritchson), a former thief who will help him get it back. Along with his daughter, Santa and a group of misfit elves, Vance will have to pull off the greatest heist of his life to save Christmas.

Falling under Ritchson’s three-picture film deal for acting with Amazon Studios, The Man with the Bag will be produced by Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Reg Tigerman, Dan Spilo and Ritchson.

Ritchson...

The horror genre is filled with Cinderella stories where independent filmmakers hit it big with a compelling short film or shoe-string-budget feature, leading to a successful career making studio pictures. Think of the humble beginnings of Sam Raimi and "The Evil Dead" or the Troma roots of James Gunn; they're both horror mavens who went on to direct some of the most expensive and globally successful blockbusters of recent memory. Another director who followed this micro-to-macro trajectory is David F. Sandberg, the Swedish filmmaker behind the "Shazam!" films for the DC Extended Universe who got his start making no-budget horror shorts under the online pseudonym "ponysmasher."

While Sandberg's early work covers a wide range of genres, his second horror short, "Lights Out," became a viral sensation and led to his first feature-length film. The story centers on a terrifying something that can only be seen when the lights are off,...

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" opened this weekend with such a low box-office turnaround that there's a good chance it will be the last cinematic adventure for Billy Batson. Now, I don't work for Warner Bros. or DC, but I can't imagine anyone who does work at either company is having a particularly good Monday morning after this opening weekend. I can only assume that emergency meetings are occurring where folks are frantically trying to troubleshoot what went wrong, and how they can recoup some of the losses. Is it superhero fatigue? Is it Zachary Levi's seemingly anti-vaxxer stance on social media? Is it that folks know there's a new DC slate coming so they're not invested in the last vestiges of a soon-to-be-bygone era?

While there's certainly no easy answer, there is one thing I know for sure: director David F. Sandberg is innocent. Sandberg directed both "Shazam!" movies,...

“Family Leave,” the upcoming Netflix movie starring Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms, has rounded out its ensemble cast.

Joining the comedy film are Rita Moreno, Matthias Schweighöfer, Bashir Salahuddin, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Fortune Feimster, Xosha Roquemore, Paul Scheer, King Bach aka Andrew Bachelor, Pete Holmes, Naomi Ekperigin, Dan Finnerty, Cyrus Arnold and Vanessa Carrasco, with character details yet to come.

Based on the book “Bedtime For Mommy” by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal, “Family Leave” follows Jess (Garner) and Bill Walker (Helms), who are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, the Walkers must unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout. Emma Myers (“Wednesday”) and...

Emma Myers (Wednesday) and Brady Noon (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) have signed on to star alongside Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms in the body-swap comedy Family Leave, which McG is directing for Netflix.

The family film based on New York Times bestseller Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s book, Bedtime for Mommy, follows Jess (Garner) and Bill Walker (Helms), who are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout?

Myers and Noon will play Jess and Bill’s children, Cc and Wyatt.

Adam Sztykiel is writing the latest draft of the...

Mason Lee, the son of famed filmmaker Ang Lee, will play Bruce Lee in a forthcoming film of the same name for Sony’s 3000 Pictures. Ang will direct the project from a script written by Dan Futterman. Futterman is taking over scripting duties after Jean Castelli, Alex Law, Mabel Cheung, and Wells Tower penned previous versions of the story.

It’s challenging to overestimate Lee’s astronomical impact on the martial arts film genre. Already a star in Asia, Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon catapulted his star into the stratosphere in the West. Had he lived beyond the age of 32, Lee would have achieved the success of actors like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and more. Still, Lee is a household name despite his early passing, and few martial artists have risen to his level of notoriety since. Lee’s death was labeled “death by misadventure” by authorities,...

Martial arts legend Bruce Lee is getting the biopic treatment. Oscar-winner Ang Lee is set to direct a film about the late actor, simply titled "Bruce Lee," for Sony's 3000 Pictures. What's more, the filmmaker has actually tapped his own son, Mason Lee ("The Hangover Part II") to star as the Hollywood icon in the upcoming biopic, making it a high-profile family affair.

According to Deadline, Dan Futterman ("Foxcatcher") is currently working on the script, a script that has already passed through many hands up to this point. Lee, in addition to direction, will produce alongside the likes of Lawrence Grey, Shannon Lee, Ben Everard, and Brian Bell, with Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva overseeing the project for the studio. Ang Lee had this to say about it:

"Accepted as neither fully American nor fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese Kung Fu to the world,...

Click here to read the full article.

Director Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Life of Pi and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has tapped his son, Mason Lee, to play revered martial artist, actor and filmmaker Bruce Lee in his upcoming action pic for Sony’s 3000 Pictures.

Dan Futterman is penning the script for Bruce Lee, a martial arts pic about the Chinese American actor best known for movies like Fists of Fury and Enter the Dragon. Ang Lee will direct the drama.

Mason Lee appeared in The Hangover Part 2 as Teddy, the teenager that the lead characters to try to rescue as they struggle to piece together what happened during a crazy night in Bangkok. He also appeared in his father’s 2016 drama, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and most recently starred in the Taiwanese comedy Stand by Me, the Hong Kong drama Limbo and Who Killed...

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee has cast his son Mason to play Bruce Lee in a biopic about the legendary martial artist for Sony’s 3000 Pictures.

The “Brokeback Mountain” director will helm a script by Dan Futterman, building on previous versions by Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung and, most recently Wells Tower.

Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee will produce the film, which is untitled for now, along with Ang Lee, Lawrence Grey of Grey Matter Productions, Ben Everard and Brian Bell. 3000 Pictures’ Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva will oversee the project on behalf of the studio. They previously collaborated on Lee’s 2012 film “Life Of Pi.”

Also Read:

Scarlett Johansson to Star In, Executive Produce ‘Just Cause’ TV Adaptation for Amazon

Said Ang Lee, “Accepted as neither fully American nor Fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese Gung Fu to the world,...

Three Lees are better than one. Legendary director Ang Lee will direct his son Mason Lee in “Bruce Lee,” a biopic about the life and career of the iconic martial artist and movie star, IndieWire has confirmed.

Lee is set to direct the film for Sony’s 3000 Pictures banner, with a script written by Dan Futterman, best known for his work on the Oscar-nominated films “Capote” and “Foxcatcher.” Futterman’s script is the latest in a long line of scripts written for a potential biopic on the “Enter the Dragon” star. Past versions were written by Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung, and Wells Tower.

“Accepted as neither fully American nor Fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese Gung Fu to the world, a scientist of combat and an iconic performing artist who revolutionized both the martial arts and action cinema,...

Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning director of “Life of Pi” and “Brokeback Mountain,” is set to direct a film about Chinese American martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Ang Lee’s son Mason Lee is attached to star in the film, which is in development at Sony’s 3000 Pictures. Dan Futterman, who wrote “Capote” and “Foxcatcher,” is adapting the script. Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung and Wells Tower wrote earlier versions of the screenplay.

Bruce Lee, who died in 1973 at the age of 32, had a brief but lasting presence in Hollywood as an actor, director and martial arts expert. His films, including “Fist of Fury,” “Enter the Dragon” and “The Way of the Dragon,” as well as the TV series “The Green Hornet,” popularized martial arts across the globe in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

“Accepted as neither fully American nor Fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge...

The filmmaker’s son Mason Lee is attached to star.

Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning director of Brokeback Mountain and Life Of Pi, is developing a biopic of martial arts icon Bruce Lee with the filmmaker’s son Mason Lee attached to star.

The project has been in development all year with Sony Pictures division 3000 Pictures. Dan Futterman is adapting the script, which has seen versions by Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung and, most recently, Wells Tower.

Lawrence Grey, Shannon Lee, Ang Lee, Ben Everard, and Brian Bell are producing.

Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva are overseeing the...

Exclusive: Sony’s 3000 Pictures has finalized a deal that will see Oscar winner Ang Lee direct Bruce Lee, a film that will star the filmmaker’s son Mason Lee in the role of the iconic martial artist. Dan Futterman, whose work includes Capote and Foxcatcher, is working on a script that has seen previous versions by Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung, and, most recently, Wells Tower.

Lawrence Grey, Shannon Lee, Ang Lee, Ben Everard and Brian Bell are producing, and Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva are overseeing the project for the studio. The project will see Gabler, Paiva and Tom Rothman reunited with the director after they worked together previously on Life of Pi.

Ang Lee

The director, who left his stamp on the martial arts genre with Best Foreign Film Oscar winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000 (it remains the highest-grossing international film in the U.

“The Office” star Ed Helms will join Jennifer Garner in “Family Leave,” a body-swap comedy set at Netflix.

Joseph McGinty Nichol, known professionally as McG, is directing the film, which is written by Adam Sztykiel and adapted from author Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s heartwarming book “Bedtime For Mommy.”

In the film, Garner and Helms will play Jess and Bill Walker, two parents who are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, the Walkers will attempt to unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout. Additional cast members, who will play the rest of the Walker clan, have yet to be announced.

David Hyman...

Ed Helms has signed on to co-star with Jennifer Garner in the Netflix comedy “Family Leave,” with McG joining as director and producer.

Garner, who also serves as a producer, has been attached to the film since Feb. 2021. Adam Sztykiel is handling the rewrite of Victoria Strouse’s script, which is based on “Bedtime for Mommy” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

The film follows Jess and Bill Walker, a couple determined to keep their family close as their kids are growing older and less connected to one another. One day, after a chance meeting with an astrological reader, they wake up to find that they’ve switched bodies with a family living on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, the body swap happens to take place on the most important day in their individual lives, with a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout on the table.

Also Read:...

Ed Helms (Together Together) and McG (The Babysitter) have boarded the Netflix body swap comedy Family Leave, inspired by New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s book, Bedtime for Mommy. Helms will star alongside the previously announced Jennifer Garner, with McG serving as the project’s director and producer.

The film first announced back in February of 2021 follows Jess and Bill Walker, who are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout?

Family Leave is a continuation of McG’s recent work with Netflix on titles like The Babysitter, Holidate, the...

Click here to read the full article.

Ed Helms is joining Jennifer Garner in Netflix’s body switch comedy Family Leave.

Based on Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s book Bedtime For Mommy, the story follows Jess and Bill Walker, who are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent and more distant.

The rest of the logline reads: “When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout?”

McG is set to direct from a script by Adam Sztykiel (Black Adam). McG, who has a long history with Netflix that includes titles The Babysitter and Tall Girl, will also produce along with Wonderland partner Mary Viola.

Lawrence Grey...

We love watching Chris Evans in romantic comedies. In villainous roles. In action thrillers. And soon, in crime dramas. The actor has dabbled in distinct projects, more so since stepping away from his superhero responsibilities. He was recently seen playing the egocentric sociopath Lloyd Hansen alongside Ryan Gosling in Netflix's "The Gray Man." 

Lately, Evans has joined a new production alongside award-winning actress Emily Blunt, a crime drama film titled "The Pain Hustlers," which Netflix acquired global rights to during this year's Cannes Film Festival. The Chris Evans and Emily Blunt-led film has found several new award-winning cast members (via Variety); keep reading to learn all you need to know about it.

What Is The Pain Hustlers About?

"The Pain Hustlers," penned by American screenwriter Wells Towers depicts a blue-collar woman's endeavor to live the American dream. As per the official logline, the film follows Liza Drake (Emily Blunt...

Everyone’s involved in a hustle nowadays. The economy is in the trash, the job market is a joke, and making ends meets is a constant struggle for many. If you’re comfortable with where you’re at, consider yourself fortunate. Not everyone has that luxury, and in David Yate’s The Pain Hustlers, one woman is about to discover what it’s like to play dirty for those pulling the wool over the eyes of the public.

Catherine O’Hara, Andy Garcia, and Jay Duplass are joining Chris Evans and Emily Blunt in Yate’s upcoming film, debuting on Netflix. Brian d’Arcy James and Chloe Coleman also star.

A crime drama that warps perceptions of the American Dream, the official logline for The Pain Hustlers says the film follows an unemployed “blue-collar woman struggling to raise her daughter [who] takes a job at a failing pharmaceutical start-up, only to get involved in a dangerous racketeering scheme.

David Yates’ Netflix film The Pain Hustlers has begun rounding out its cast, with Andy Garcia (Father of the Bride), Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek), Jay Duplass (Industry), Brian d’Arcy James (West Side Story) and Chloe Coleman (My Spy) signing on to star alongside Emily Blunt and Chris Evans.

The film billed as tonally similar to The Big Short, American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street follows Liza Drake (Blunt), a high-school dropout dreaming of a better life for her and her young daughter. Liza lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical startup in a yellowing strip mall in Central Florida. Her charm, guts and drive then catapult the company and her into the high life, where she soon finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.

Netflix acquired global rights to the film written by Wells Tower for 50M out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival,...

Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass and Andy Garcia will join the cast of “The Pain Hustlers,” teaming up with Emily Blunt and Chris Evans in the Netflix movie.

Brian d’Arcy James and Chloe Coleman are rounding out the ensemble.

David Yates, best known for directing several “Harry Potter” movies, is helming “The Pain Hustlers,” which is said to be tonally similar to American Dream-esque crime dramas like “The Big Short,” “American Hustle” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” According to the official logline, the film follows an unemployed “blue-collar woman struggling to raise her daughter [who] takes a job at a failing pharmaceutical start-up, only to get involved in a dangerous racketeering scheme.”

It’s not clear who O’Hara, Duplass, Garcia, James or Coleman will play in the movie, which was written by Wells Tower (“The True American”). Netflix shelled out 50 million to land rights to “The Pain Hustlers” during this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James and Chloe Coleman are attached to join Emily Blunt and Chris Evans in the cast of “The Pain Hustlers,” director David Yates’ feature film for Netflix.

Production on “The Pain Hustlers” kicked off this month. The project is described as a “hilarious, dramatic and wild journey to the corrupt heart of the American dream” in the vein of Adam McKay’s “The Big Short.”

The film follows Blunt as a blue-collar woman who, upon losing her job struggling to raise her daughter, takes a position at a failing pharmaceutical start-up, only to get involved in a dangerous racketeering scheme.

Also Read:

The 5 Best New Netflix Shows to Watch in August

Yates, best known for the final “Harry Potter” and all of the “Fantastic Beasts” films, is directing “The Pain Hustlers” from a script by Wells Tower. Yates is also producing via his Wychwood Media banner,...

Click here to read the full article.

Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James and Chloe Coleman have joined Emily Blunt and Chris Evans in the Netflix film The Pain Hustlers.

David Yates will direct the movie in the style of The Wolf of Wall Street and The Big Short, with Blunt playing, Liza, a high school dropout who lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical startup in a yellowing strip mall in Central Florida.

As a mother, Liza struggles to raise her daughter, only to get involved in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Her charm, guts and drive catapult the company and her into the high life, where she soon finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.

Wells Tower wrote the script for The Pain Hustlers, with Lawrence Grey producing via Grey Matter Productions, and Yates via his banner, Wychwood Media. Netflix closed...

Chris Evans has entered into talks to join the cast of the Netflix feature ‘Pain Hustlers’ alongside Emily Blunt.

Described as being tonally similar to ‘The Big Short,’ ‘American Hustle’ and ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ the film focuses on Liza Drake (Blunt), a high-school dropout dreaming of a better life for her and her young daughter. Liz lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical startup in a yellowing strip mall in Central Florida. Her charm, guts and drive catapult the company and her into the high life, where she soon finds herself at the centre of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.

Also in news – Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy & more join Andrew Haigh’s ‘Strangers’

Written by Wells Tower, the film is directed by David Yates. Lawrence Grey is producing under his Grey Matter Productions banner alongside Yates and Yvonne Walcott Yates’ Wychwood Pictures. Lewis Taylor and Ben Everard are EPs,...