NPR News: FACT CHECK: Trump's State Of The Union Address

FACT CHECK: Trump's State Of The Union Address
President Trump made his pitch for the nation's agenda in Tuesday night's address. Read the full speech, with context and analysis from NPR journalists.

Read more on NPR

NPR News: Trump Makes Bipartisan Pitch In First State Of The Union, But Also Plays To Base

Trump Makes Bipartisan Pitch In First State Of The Union, But Also Plays To Base
In his roughly 90-minute speech, Trump declared "the state of our union is strong because our people are strong." And referencing the immigration debate, Trump said "Americans are dreamers too."

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NPR News: Texas Governor Orders State Investigation Of Claims Of Sexual Abuse At Karolyi Ranch

Texas Governor Orders State Investigation Of Claims Of Sexual Abuse At Karolyi Ranch
The Walker County Sheriff's Office has already been investigating the allegations by multiple athletes of molestation that happened when they were training at the ranch.

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NPR News: Teenagers Are Still Eating Tide Pods, But Don't Expect A Product Redesign

Teenagers Are Still Eating Tide Pods, But Don't Expect A Product Redesign
The pace of poisonings in the so-called Tide Pods Challenge continues to grow. The candy-like appearance of the packets draws easy criticism. Procter & Gamble says it's not planning a new design.

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NPR News: Fraud Officials Are Investigating Sales That Caused Nutella Riots in France

Fraud Officials Are Investigating Sales That Caused Nutella Riots in France
Drastic discounts on Nutella caused fights to break out in France last week. Investigators are now trying to determine if the sales broke trade laws.

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NPR News: What's The 5-Year-Survival Rate For Cancer Patients Around The World?

What's The 5-Year-Survival Rate For Cancer Patients Around The World?
A new study looks at patient records for a variety of cancers from 71 countries. Some of the data is encouraging — and some is discouraging.

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NPR News: Drug Distributors Shipped 20.8 Million Painkillers To West Virginia Town Of 3,000

Drug Distributors Shipped 20.8 Million Painkillers To West Virginia Town Of 3,000
Other towns were similarly inundated, in a state that now has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths. In 2008, one wholesaler provided 5,624 pills for every man, woman and child in Kermit, W.Va.

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NPR News: Ahead Of Trump's Speech, A State Of Disunion On Capitol Hill

Ahead Of Trump's Speech, A State Of Disunion On Capitol Hill
One Republican lawmaker asked authorities to check the identification of immigrants coming as guests. A Democrat is bringing the candidate challenging House Speaker Paul Ryan to sit in the audience.

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NPR News: Wednesday's Rare Super Blue Blood Moon: How To See It And What We Can Learn

Wednesday's Rare Super Blue Blood Moon: How To See It And What We Can Learn
Early Wednesday morning, there's a lunar event that hasn't been seen since 1866. And scientists say data gathered during the event could help them figure out where to land a rover on the moon.

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NPR News: How Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway Could Reshape Health Care Industry

How Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway Could Reshape Health Care Industry
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Steven Halper, managing director at Cantor Fitzgerald about Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase's announcement that they are creating a new health care company.

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/Filmcast Ep. 452 – Phantom Thread

This week on the /Filmcast, David, Devindra, and Jeff welcome Kristy Puchko as a regular contributor and discuss a massive backlog of What We’ve Been Watching, including The Polka King, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Star Trek Discovery and Dave Chappelle’s new specials. Be sure to read Vulture’s piece on whether we should take Chappelle seriously, and if you missed it, check out our interview with Rian Johnson.

You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Also, like us on Facebook!

Download or Play now in browser:

SHOWNOTES

What We’ve Been Watching

• Devindra: Assassination of Versace, 9-1-1, End of the F*****G world, Star Trek Discovery, The Insult (+ farewell Lincoln Plaza, Landmark Sunshine)
• David: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
• Jeff: A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Dave Chappelle: The Bird Revelation,
• Kristy: The Polka King, The Windsors,

Featured review: (1:05:30)

• Phantom Thread
• Spoilers (1:21:00)

Credits

• Our music sometimes comes from the work of Adam Warrock. You can download our theme song here. Our Slashfilmcourt music comes from Simonmharris.com. Our spoiler bumper comes from filmmaker Kyle Hillinger.
• If you’d like advertise with us or sponsor us, please e-mail slashfilmcast@gmail.com.
• Contact us at our voicemail number: 781-583-1993
• You can donate and support the /Filmcast by going to slashfilm.com/filmcast/ and clicking on the sidebar “Donate” links! Thanks to all our donors this week!

The post /Filmcast Ep. 452 – Phantom Thread appeared first on /Film.

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Superhero Bits: ‘Black Panther’ Experience in Canada, ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Hiatus & More

Do you want to check out the Black Panther experience touring around Canada? How did Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg tease Henry Cavill about Superman while shooting Mission: Impossible 6? Want to get a first look at the Ant-Man and the Wasp toys coming this year? Who will direct the pilot for the Watchmen series on HBO? How long is Agents of SHIELD going on hiatus after their next episode? All that and more in this edition of Superhero Bits.

If you’ve been watching TV then you might have seen this new Black Panther commercial for Lexus popping up.

Supposedly a recent casting breakdown hints at the inclusion of Solstice, aka Kiran Singh, on the Titans series.

This fanmade animation shows what Christopher Reeve might look like in the more modern Man of Steel suit.

Glee‘s Max Adler has joined The Flash as an obsessive music fan who worships at the altar of classic heavy metal.

Marvel has a special Black Panther experience that will be touring around Canada with AR experiences and more.

Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg teased Henry Cavill by humming the Superman theme during Mission: Impossible 6.

It’s a weird thing trying to live up to your grandson… 3.21 #krypton pic.twitter.com/dgrTYj1zQX

— Cameron Cuffe (@thecameroncuffe) January 30, 2018

Krypton star Cameron Cuffe shared this new poster for the SyFy series featuring the familiar House of El symbol.

Gotham star Ben McKenzie argues that Jim Gordon could actually be considered the first iteration of Batman.

Continue Reading Superhero Bits>>

Due to the amount of graphics and images included in Superhero Bits, we have to split this post over THREE pages. Click the link above to continue to the next page of Superhero Bits.

The post Superhero Bits: ‘Black Panther’ Experience in Canada, ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Hiatus & More appeared first on /Film.

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Daily Podcast: Black Panther Reactions, Politics in Movies, Ant-Man, Mute, Crank, Purge, Metropolis & More

On the January 30, 2018 episode of /Film Daily, Peter Sciretta is joined by /Film managing editor Jacob Hall and writers Hoai-Tran Bui and Chris Evangelista to talk about the latest movie news, including the early buzz on Black Panther, the first Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer, a Crank cinematic universe, the very political poster for The First Purge, a Metropolis TV series, and the Mute trailer.

You can subscribe to /Film Daily on iTunes, Google Play, Overcast and all the popular podcast apps (here is the RSS URL if you need it).

In the News:

Black Panther Early Buzz: What the Critics Are Saying About Marvel’s New Movie

Lois Lane and Lex Luthor-Centric ‘Metropolis’ Series Coming From DC Digital Service

‘Crank’ Director Wants a Crank Cinematic Universe

‘The First Purge’ Poster is Here to Ruffle Some Feathers

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Trailer: Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly Are Partners in Crime-Fighting

‘Mute’ Trailer: Duncan Jones Heads to Netflix
You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today’s show at slashfilm.com. /Film Daily is published every weekday, bringing you the most exciting news from the world of movies and television as well as deeper dives into the great features from slashfilm.com. You can subscribe to /Film Daily on iTunes, Google Play, Overcast and all the popular podcast apps (RSS). Please feel free to send your feedback, questions or comments to us at peter@slashfilm.com and leave your name and general geographic location in case we mention the e-mail on the air. Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and spread the word! Thanks to Sam Hume for our logo.

The post Daily Podcast: Black Panther Reactions, Politics in Movies, Ant-Man, Mute, Crank, Purge, Metropolis & More appeared first on /Film.

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When Can Fans Expect Fox’s Marvel Characters to Appear in the MCU?

Before the end of 2017, a huge deal in the entertainment industry was announced with Disney acquiring 21st Century Fox, which meant the House of Mouse would own 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, the FX and National Geographic channels, Fox’s regional sports networks, and a majority ownership of Hulu. The details of this purchase are still being worked out, but there was one result from this deal that had comic book movie fans buzzing, and that was the expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Disney purchasing 20th Century Fox meant that Marvel Studios would again be in control of the rights to X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool, characters from Marvel Comics who were previously off limits from being in the MCU. This has fans fantasizing about when and how we’ll see some of these characters introduced to the MCU, but according to head honcho Kevin Feige, they shouldn’t be expecting those characters to meet up with any of The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy until after 2019.

Vulture had the opportunity to talk with Kevin Feige during the press junket for Black Panther in Los Angeles today, and they asked about his possible involvement or knowledge about the Disney purchase of Fox. However, you might be surprised to learn that Feige hasn’t really been part of those conversations, despite its implications for Marvel Studios and their parent company. Feige says this deal is “certainly above my pay grade” and he wasn’t given any special heads up or information about what was happening behind the scenes.

But now that the opportunity is on the table for X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool to become part of the official Marvel Studios family, surely Feige has started to think about how they can be incorporated into forthcoming movies in the MCU, right? Apparently Marvel’s fearless leader isn’t jumping the gun on any plans to bring Fox Marvel characters in the MCU just yet. He says:

“The truth of the matter, as I understand it, is the deal has to be figured out. There’s been no communication. We’re not thinking about it. We’re focusing on everything we’ve already announced. If and when the deal actually happens, we’ll start to think more about it. Until then, we have a lot to do.”

Vulture wasn’t satisfied with this answer. After all, we’re talking about the guy who had the writers of Captain America: Civil War come up with two different versions of the story: one version that included the incorporation of Spider-Man if a deal with Sony Pictures could be struck to share the character, and another that would have left the webslinger out of the equation. Are we sure Feige isn’t coming up with alternate routes for movies that aren’t going in front of a camera until later this year or sometime next year?

If Feige is playing coy, he’s doing a damn good job. When asked if he was thinking of how to incorporate X-Men, Fantastic Four or Deadpool into any of the future movies we know about, Feige said, “It would be years away. We’ve announced everything through 2019, so none of those would be adjusted.”

That means we wouldn’t see any big introductions of mutants, Marvel’s first family or the Merc with a Mouth until after The Avengers 4. That’s a bit of a bummer, but it also makes sense when you consider all the red tape that needs to be figured out for this deal and how far in advance Feige likes to plan things for the MCU. As of now Feige is only concerned with delivering what they’ve promised to fans so far, and they have plenty of time to sort out what happens after that.

However, that doesn’t mean The Avengers 4 wouldn’t have some kinds of credits scene teasing the introduction of those characters in the years after. Marvel has added plenty of credits scenes to their movies at the last minute, long after principal photography has been completed, so anything is possible as a last minute addition. It just wouldn’t be anything that completely shakes up the primary plot of the movie.

The post When Can Fans Expect Fox’s Marvel Characters to Appear in the MCU? appeared first on /Film.

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New ‘Annihilation’ Clip Goes Into The Shimmer

We’re less than a month away from the release of Alex Garland‘s mysterious new movie Annihilation, and a new clip from the film takes you inside the nightmarish world of The Shimmer – a strange, dangerous area that’s slowly expanding and altering everything in its path. It’s all very weird and intangible, but one thing is for sure: entering The Shimmer isn’t going to be pleasant. Watch the Annihilation clip below.

I’ve come to accept that Alex Garland’s film adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer‘s Annihilation is probably going to be drastically different than the book. I’m not entirely okay with this, since I love the book and its two sequels, Authority and Acceptance; but I trust Garland as a filmmaker, and I’m blown-away by the cast he’s assembled here (Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson and Oscar Isaac). I’m hopeful things will work out in the end.

A new Annihilation clip highlights the strange, otherworldliness of Garland’s film, while also selling it as a terrifying experience overall. To access the clip, go to the link from this tweet:

W??­h???e???n??????y?????????????????e???e???????????????a???????ty??n?????l??ion??t??han????so?e?h??g??n?????y??.??e???a?????t?i?? t??c?l??i?e???u. #WhatsInside https://t.co/xHXXBsORrO

— Annihilation (@AnnihilationMov) January 26, 2018

When prompted to “Input Transmission,” enter this sentence: “When you see beauty in desolation, it changes something inside you. Desolation tries to colonize you.” This will bring up the clip, which features Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh discussing the mysterious world of The Shimmer. Some of this is similar to the book, but based on the flashes of imagery here (and previous trailers and clips), the end result is likely to be very different. Perhaps it’s best if those who have read the books divorce themselves from the source material and accept the film on its own terms.

For his part, author Jeff VanderMeer seems perfectly happy with the changes. After seeing an early cut of the film, VanderMeer said:

“It’s actually more surreal than the novel. There are a couple places where I was like, “I might need an anchor here.” The ending is so mind-blowing and in some ways different from the book that it seems to be the kind of ending that, like 2001 or something like that, people will be talking about around the watercooler for years… Visually, it’s amazing. I must say that and that’s all I probably should say.”

Annihilation‘s road to the big screen hasn’t exactly been smooth. Previous reports indicate that Garland’s adaptation is so strange and unconventional that it’s caused a few producers to worry that the film might be “too intellectual” and “too complicated” for average moviegoing audiences. This lead to suggestions of drastic script changes to dumb things down, but thankfully Garland’s vision reportedly remains intact. We’ll know for sure how it all turns out when Annihilation hits theaters on February 23, 2018.

Lena, a biologist and former soldier, joins a mission to uncover what happened to her husband inside Area X – a sinister and mysterious phenomenon that is expanding across the American coastline. Once inside, the expedition discovers a world of mutated landscape and creatures, as dangerous as it is beautiful, that threatens both their lives and their sanity.

The post New ‘Annihilation’ Clip Goes Into The Shimmer appeared first on /Film.

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‘Black Panther’ Star Andy Serkis Dishes on His “Nihilistic,” “Mercurial” Villain [Set Visit Interview]

Andy Serkis‘ Ulysses Klaue had a bit part to play in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but he’s a more substantial threat in Black Panther.

Like with the rest of our set visit interviews, we didn’t learn too many plot details when we sat down with Serkis. But as you’d imagine, the man behind Gollum, Caesar and numerous other digital and non-digital heroes and villains has a lot to say about bringing a character to life, especially one as nasty as Klaue.

So read on to learn what Klaue has been up since losing a limb in Age of Ultron, how Serkis decided on the character’s accent, and what it’s like to work with director Ryan Coogler.

Note: This was a group interview conducted in a press conference format with assembled journalists.

***

How long have you known that you were going to be part of this movie? 

Klaue appears in Age of Ultron, and the way that all happened was, they were working with The Imaginarium, which is my performance-capture studio. We were all working and consulting back on Ultron, working with James Spader and Mark Ruffalo and initiating them into the process of motion-capture because they were both using performance-capture. We were providing services for that. Then Joss Whedon said, “Hey, this is crazy, why don’t you come and be in the show?” And I thought, “Oh, alright, that’d be fun.” So that happened and then, of course, when this came along, I knew that he was part of the Black Panther story. It’s just really great being back.

Is there a different level of connection that you’re able to get with this character? Is there a difference from motion capture?

No, I think everyone knows now really that, at the end of the day, it’s just acting and it doesn’t really matter what you’re wearing. It’s just another costume. You’re looking into another actor’s eyes and you’re communicating with them and you’re playing the role that you’re playing, whether it’s an ape or a human or whatever. Obviously the next Planet of the Apes movie is coming out soon, and the level of connection in that is exactly the same as the level of connection I have with my fellow actors in this.

What has Klaue been up to since Age of Ultron?

Well, he’s just basically been causing mayhem in the world, on minor and major levels. He’s a smart guy in the sense that he’s a businessman as well as an arms dealer. He manages to cover his tracks. He has a mercenary army that works with him in different locations all around the world and he’s able to go down rabbit holes and appear in other places. So he’s got the smarts, but he’s also a little whacked out.

How did you come to that voice?

We decided that Klaue, we would make him South African, a very strong Afrikaans, quite bullish, in a very … edging towards not being particularly a politically correct person, let’s say. [Laughs] He’d fit in the White House quite perfectly. I didn’t say that! I didn’t say that! Or, in fact, in Britain at the moment.

No, it was quite a smart decision, actually, I think. It gives him a real edge. Also, because of the relationship to Wakanda as well, which is obviously a misunderstood African nation, it fits very well politically that he was of South African descent at a time when, of course, he grew up through apartheid.

Klaue’s a very prolific adversary in the comics, and now we’re working with another adversary, Killmonger. Are you guys working in tandem together against T’Challa, or do you have your own separate plans?

Klaue doesn’t really trust or work with anybody. He is his own man. He does deals with people, he interacts, but he doesn’t form allegiances or alliances with anyone. Ultimately, he’s a lone wolf. He has these pop-up groups wherever he happens to be in the world. So he and Killmonger aren’t working together, as such.

Are we going to see a closer iteration of Klaue to the comics?

We’ve established the character and the character is kind of what we saw in Ultron, our version of Klaue. He obviously had his arm chopped off and he has a weapon, which we will discover. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about. Am I allowed to talk about Klaue’s weapon?

[Publicist: No, let’s keep that for now. Surprise, surprise.]

He’s a very good donut-thrower.

Villains, especially super villains in comic book movies, there’s a danger of coming across too one-sided. What kind of balance are you able to find with Klaue to make him a full character?

I think, hopefully, he’s quite grounded. I think he’s not the one color, he’s different shades. He’s got a humorous side to him, he’s got a sense of humor. But he’s equally very deadly and he’s quite mercurial and transitions emotionally very quickly. He turns on a sixpence. He can be outwardly friendly to some people or funny or amusing, and then turn. He definitely feels grounded. There’s a darkness to him which grounds him.

Having worked on so many other huge franchises, what stands out about Black Panther specifically and how Ryan [Coogler] works?

In the short time that I’ve worked with Ryan, which is literally two days, he creates the most incredible atmosphere on set. He’s really is the most subtle actors’ director. He knows what he wants, but he allows you to play and explore with the other cast members, and then gives great, very specific notes. I was told, actually, because of course Martin Freeman I’ve worked with before in, what was it, what was it – oh, The Hobbit. [Laughs] We’ve kind of faced off each other there. We were emailing each other before I came down, and Martin said, “Ryan loves the freedom of what actors give and then bouncing back and circling around.” So there really is a great deal of play in this, which is really exciting.

In the context of the scene you guys are filming today, what is Klaue’s first reaction when he sees T’Challa walk in the door?

Well, something I can say without giving too much away, he’s aware … it’s not a great surprise, put it that way. Yeah, it’s not a great surprise.

You’ve done a lot of work now behind the camera. How has that translated to how you approach a film now?

I’m actually right in the middle of posting two films at the moment as well. This is actually great. I’m really enjoying not having the responsibilities. I’m right in the thick of it with Jungle Book that I’m in post on, and also another small independent film that I’ve directed at the end of last year called Breathe, which is coming out at the end of this year with Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. They’ve just turned in the most amazing performances.

I’ll tell you what I find. When I was on Jungle Book, I found that I’m not the sort of actor-director who likes to direct himself as an actor, if you like. I find that I don’t like to split my skills. I much, much prefer – I mean, I love this, coming in and just digging straight into the character and getting into it. Lots of actors do direct themselves in movies, it’s just not my thing. I like to concentrate on one or the other and bury myself into that world.

In the movie version of Klaue, will we see a longstanding connection with Wakanda?

He’s got a very specific relationship to Wakanda.

I was gonna say, the brand on your neck is still there. 

Yeah, exactly. I hope you’re not giving too much away. So he’s got a bit of a love-hate relationship with it, really. He certainly has discovered things about it that nobody else has, and we discover that in this movie. He’s one of the few people who’s actually been to Wakanda and he reveals quite a lot about it.

Does he have a personal relationship with T’Challa?

Again, he doesn’t really have a personal relationship with anyone. But they’ve definitely crossed paths. They spar.

What was new for you about the character, the thing that you were like, “Oh, okay, I get to play this side of him”?

In this one, there is quite a lot more humor, actually, which is great. Again, it’s that thing where you don’t know whether he’s actually really enjoying this, or whether he’s playing enjoying this, whether he’s really laughing or just hiding behind it. It’s very interesting the way Ryan and the writers have put it together.

A lot of actors talk about villains who don’t look at themselves as villains. They’re always the heroes of their own story or they have their own goal. Does Klaue look at himself as a villain?

Of course he doesn’t. No, no, no. He thinks what he’s doing is existing in this world, in the way that he’s created his own moral relativity, really. He’s quite nihilistic. He’s squared it with himself. He knows life is cheap and you’re either at the bottom of the pile or you’re at the top of the pile, and that’s it. It’s very, very simple. It’s quite clear to him where his moral compass is. What he doesn’t like is hypocrisy. He absolutely despises hypocrisy. So uncovering that is definitely part of the way I’m playing him, anyway.

Building off of that, can you talk about his goals? We know this particular scene we’re watching is about a third of the way through the film. It’s in South Korea. Can you talk about what Klaue is doing there?

At this point in time, he’s actually been … Can I say? I don’t know what I can say, really. But he’s been caught. He’s being held and interrogated. They’re trying to, basically, work out what he’s planning to do.

A huge element of the Klaue character in the comics is the fact that he kills T’Chaka, which isn’t something that’s being put into these movies. So I’m curious how you’re able to use the comics as a source material for your performance.

I think with all of these, it’s about how you expand on a character and bring your take on it. Obviously, some of the plotlines are going to be different, obviously they’re not going to be exactly the same. So it’s importing the essence of those stories and the character into this particular version and retelling of those tales.

What kind of research did you put into Klaue?

Again, it’s just so hard without giving away too much. I was just about to launch into it, but I just don’t want to say too much.

We won’t tell.

Gosh, what can I say? Just in terms of the weapon he might or might not have … He is actually quite a brilliant assembler of weaponry and technology and putting those together. And so I kind of looked a lot into that, to be very superficial about it.

Here’s one that’s not plot, so you can maybe answer. If you could play any character [in the MCU], who would you do?

Oh, golly. Wow. Let me think. I’ve always wanted to play Iron Man, actually. I think Iron Man’s a great character. I’d like to play Iron Man. Next time, when they make them again.

So your last few characters like Caesar and Snoke are both enigmatic and powerful leaders. What kinds of qualities are you able to draw from past roles like those that you’re able to put into Klaue as well?

I don’t know if Klaue thinks of himself as a leader. Because he is just a solo operator, ultimately. He is a mercenary, literally. He came out of the army and became a mercenary and started amassing on a small scale, getting to deals and working with agencies and building up his own networks. In this case, it is slightly different to a lot of the roles I’ve played, in that he’s the master of his own destiny and he is very accepting of that. I don’t think he ever feels like he’s leading a gang or a mercenary army. They fit into his – he picks people up as and when he needs them.

The post ‘Black Panther’ Star Andy Serkis Dishes on His “Nihilistic,” “Mercurial” Villain [Set Visit Interview] appeared first on /Film.

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True Crime: ‘Dirty John’ TV Show in the Works, ‘Maze Runner’ Star to Play Ted Bundy’s Ex

The true crime zeitgeist shows no signs of slowing down, as a popular true crime podcast is set to receive a TV adaptation and a feature film about Ted Bundy casts a rising star as Bundy’s ex-wife.

First, the popular LA Times podcast Dirty John is being adapted into a TV series by Bravo, written by Chance creator Alexandra Cunningham. And Maze Runner and Pirates of the Caribbean rising star Kaya Scodelario has been cast opposite Zac Efron in the Ted Bundy thriller Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

Dirty John Gets Adapted by Bravo

The Los Angeles Times’ eerie investigative series by reporter Chris Goffard will be part of a two-season, straight-to-series order for a scripted drama anthology from Bravo, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The first season will be based on Goffard’s podcast about “Dirty” John Meehan, whose courtship of a wealthy California woman, Debra Newell, turned increasingly bizarre as Meehan attempted to alienate Newell from her family and children. Newell was sent into a spiral of paranoia, deception, and ultimately survival. I won’t give away the ending, but you can peek at the podcast’s homepage here.

Bravo seems like the perfect network for this series, as its sister network Oxygen rebranded to focus on true crime. Oxygen has already ordered a companion unscripted series exploring Meehan’s “real-life crimes.” Episode number counts and premiere dates for both series have not yet been announced. The second season of Bravo’s anthology series will also be an entirely new story with a close-ended finale.

The Dirty John series comes on the heels of the true crime zeitgeist of recent years, which saw podcasts like Serial and In the Dark and TV docuseries like The Jinx or Making a Murderer conquer pop culture conversation. But the genre may be reaching a turning point, as true crime has also received its fair share of scathing satires, like Netflix’s brilliant American Vandal.

Kaya Scodelario Puts the Ex in ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’

But true crime hasn’t yet reached peak saturation point on the film side. Rising star Kaya Scodelario, who stole her scenes in the Maze Runner series and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales, has been cast as Ted Bundy’s ex-wife Carole Ann Boone in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Variety reports.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a thriller starring Zac Efron as the infamous serial killer. The story is told from the point of view of Bundy’s longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins), as she struggles with his strange behavior. John Malkovich also stars as Judge Edward Cowart, who presided over the murder trial. The film is directed by Joe Berlinger from Michael Werwei‘s buzzy screenplay, which won the Nicholl Fellowship prize and was named to the Black List.

Though the cast seems alarmingly young, Efron actually makes for smart casting, as the real-life Bundy was known for disarming his victims as a clean-cut, good-looking man. Bundy confessed to 30 homicides committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978. Scodelario has yet to have a true breakout role but she is a promising talent. Plus, she hails from a British teen show that has spawned acclaimed actors like Dev Patel, Nicholas Hoult, and Jack O’Connell. She may very well be the next Skins star to hit it big.

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‘Monster’ Director and Star on Bringing the Classic Novel to Life [Sundance Interview]

Originally published in 1999, Walter Dean Myers’s novel Monster has been a favorite among young-adult readers, using both a third-person screenplay device and first-person diary format to tell the story of honors student Steve Harmon, a black teenager with dreams of becoming a filmmaker, who is arrested and tried for felony murder in New York City after a bodega robbery goes wrong and the owner is killed. Was this kid from a supportive home a part of this crime? Or is he simply guilty of being young, black and on trial when he walks in the courtroom?

Music video veteran and first-time feature director Anthony Mandler has been desperate to bring Monster to the screen for years, and now he’s done so with a cast that includes such heavyweights as Jennifer Ehle, Jeffrey Wright, and Tim Blake Nelson, as well as musicians-turned-actors like Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, Nas, and A$AP Rocky (real name Rakim Mayers) as Harmon’s co-defendant. Told in a non-linear fashion, Monster moves from Harmon’s life just before the crime to his time in prison and the eventual trial, all culminating in a look at the actual events surrounding the robbery. Various versions of the truth are told, and Mandler illustrates how a kid who wanted to capture the reality of his neighborhood got caught up in way he could never have imagined or wanted.

Harmon is played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., best known as the son in last year’s It Comes At Night. However, he was also in the Oscar-nominated Mudbound and was in two other Sundance films this year: Assassination Nation and Monsters and Men. Harrison delivers some truly rage-filled inner monologues in Monster that add a depth and level of frustration to both the character and the experience of watching the film.

This interview with Mandler and Harrison took place at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where Monster debuted. /Film spoke with the two about the process of bringing the novel to the screen and the movie’s fluid definition of “the truth.” Monster has yet to announce a distributor or release date.

How did you find out about this role, and what do you remember reacting to specifically about your character?

Kelvin: Well, I got the script one day, and I remember reading the opening, which has been changed in the movie, but I remember seeing this kid traveling through all these beautiful moments in New York. It was like “This kid’s skateboarding, and he’s at home with his family”—all of these moments that a kid should be doing at 17. But he’s remembering these moments from jail, so he was like, “That’s not me, that’s not me, that’s not me, that’s not me. I’m not in any of those places, because I’m in prison right now.” It made me go, “Wow, this really cool, free-spirited, intellectual kid from Harlem is being stifled and has been robbed of his childhood and his humanity and his identity simply because he was curious and trying to grow up.” That struck a chord with me being young. It doesn’t feel that different if I walk down the street than if Steve walked down the street. That made me go, “I really want to be a part of this, and I feel like I need to tell that story.”

Whenever I see a film set in prison, I always think all that person is thinking about is surviving in prison, and what happens from minute to minute in prison. But this reminded me that some part of that time, he’s thinking about what he’s not doing, what he’s missing out on by being there. Anthony, I have to ask about the Rashomon reference in the film [Harmon’s film professor shows the class Akira Kurosawa’s landmark movie], which got a laugh from a few folks in the audience last night. It’s a weird coincidence that that film has been talked about a lot recently, because of I, Tonya taking a somewhat similar approach to telling different versions of the same story. So, it’s been in the popular culture maybe a little more than it has been…

Anthony: …in the last 40 years [laughs].

Exactly. Were you worried that might have been a little too on the nose?

Anthony: There have been some comments about that, and it’s funny. All of the film stuff is owed to Jim Posney, who was my film teacher in high school. He would subject us to films that were far beyond what we were capable of understanding—Goddard, Truffaut, Antonioni, Kurosawa. The fact is, this issue is so relevant today, and it’s been relevant for so long, sometimes you have to hit people square in the temple with things to make them think about what they’re watching and remind them how easy this is, and that kids need to be spoon fed things sometimes. Yeah, we’re hitting you, “Make your reality, make your reality. Figure out how to get out of this, because you got yourself into it.” Yeah, it could be more subtle, but I’m not affected by that criticism, because it was intentional, and we clearly knew what we were doing.

I thought it was really sweet, because I remember in my first film-history class, the professor showed us The Hidden Fortress, but he also gave us supplemental films to watch, and Rashomon was on the list, and I watched it immediately. It was a huge part of my film upbringing too.

Anthony: I heard [people laughing], and it was bizarre, because first of all, they didn’t know what was coming next. It was strange. At the end of day, the movie played beautifully; we got a standing ovation.

It did. It might be the most emotional I got at any movie at Sundance this year.

Anthony: Thanks, man.

You have this long, successful career with musicians and music videos. Why was this the story you needed to tell as your first feature?

Anthony: For me, it was two-fold. The opportunity to step into a heralded piece of material, as this is, that asks this question, “Can one moment in your life define your life?” As we watch this 17-year-old black kid defend his innocence against this murder charage, the way that crystallizes this lens that we can look at criminal justice and prison reform and how we treat social issues felt important, which was paramount for me. I wanted to be part of a film that was important and could create a discussion. The second layer is that you’re watching an adolescent kid find his voice, which I can identify with and I went through. Watching his curiosity and this idea of Icarus flying too close to the sun, and how easy it is watch your wings melt and not even know it’s happening and what can happen. The two sides of that were very appealing to me for different reasons, and it felt like the right thing to do.

If you had told me that a 25 year old had made this movie, I would completely believe it [Mandler is 44]. It feels very youthful and energetic, and then I wondered if maybe you’re saying that this might be the film that Steve would make of his own story. You drive that idea home with the directing credit at the end, but was that the idea? “How would he tell his own story?”

Anthony: Yeah, the book is written like a screenplay, so we already know that we’re going to be playing in this break-the-fourth-wall, film-within-a-film thing. When you bring that to life in the movie, you’ve basically got the fact that Steve Harmon is writing a film that he’s basically telling you, and then he’s shooting his life as part of that film and then photographing the whole thing. Certain devices that feel on the nose exist in the language of the film within the film, in the adolescence of it as well. Half the movie is a hard-hitting courtroom drama, and the other half is the exploration of youth. We essentially wanted to use different facilities in telling those stories, so that you were still attached to what Steve was making.

You’d figure at this point, after the last couple of years of feature and docs, mainly regarding the police, that nothing would be shocking anymore. But there are things Jennifer says to you like, “You’re young, you’re black and you’re on trial to this jury.” And the whole idea of not worrying about being found innocent, but just being looked at as a human being by the jury, these things are still shocking to hear. Talk about that slap-in-the-face aspect of some of these realities. 

Kelvin: I think these are the things that are eye opening to Steve as well. We forget; he forgets. And then you start to get settled and you go, “We’re progressive, and it’s 2018. Everyone gets it. We’re all human. We’re all equal.” And she’s like, “No, no, no. This is not how the court sees you. This is not how the law sees you, and that hasn’t changed, so now you need to change if you want to survive.” That conversation is still so necessary, because it makes you wonder “Why is that happening? Why is that a thing? Why does this 17 year old need to transform so he can get off for something that he didn’t even really do?” That gets into the flaws of the judicial system.

Not a lot of films dealing with injustice deal with the court aspect of it, and how slanted all of that is about someone in that age group and that race. 

Anthony: I would put it out there that the on-the-nose concepts in the movie are this: young, black, in jail, black man with a rap sheet down on the block, “make you a human being in the eyes of the jury.” These are the on-the-nose concepts that haven’t gone away. These are the things that we have to hit you square on the forehead with, because people forget, even as this topic sits at the top of our feeds every day. We still have to say these things, and when you hear them on screen, they still land as shocking. “Our job is to make you a human being in the eyes of the jury.” That gets pretty on the nose, but that lands today.

Kelvin: It’s straightforward. We can sugarcoat it. We can gloss over it. We can say it a million different ways. What it does is, it just points to the facts. That’s what’s happening.

Let’s talk about pulling actors out of the world of music. Did you have these people in mind? Someone like Nas or A$AP Rocky are great here.

Anthony: It’s a coincidence. John Legend and Nas were both honest with us, and they were producers before I came in. When I read the script, A$AP Rocky was the only person to play King for me. I made the phone call, and he was hysterical. That was easy. Jennifer Hudson is also a very good friend, and I just thought that she has a very deep, emotionally grounding presence to her, especially when it comes to tragedy and family, because I know what she’s been through. I didn’t think about it at all that they’re all musicians, but just great actors and great characters in that sense.

There are going to be a lot of people who see this, who don’t know A$AP Rocky and are going to think he’s another actor.

Anthony: It’s already happened.

What is it you want people thinking and talking about when they leave this movie? 

Anthony: I think, as a society, we’re really set on hammering things black or white, figuratively. The film really exists in the gray. The idea was to create a scenario that is arguable from all sides, but it still made up of humans. If the film helps open up a discussion about law and mass incarceration or social justice, then that’s what we want. It’s also there for people as a cautionary tale, for fathers to show their sons. It’s there for mothers to show their kids. It’s there for kids to see and talk about. It’s there to say “Really, really crazy stuff can happen in the blink of an eye.” At the same time, don’t throw out the importance of experience. You can look at everything from two sides. If I didn’t go journey and put my own life at risk to become a better photographer or director, which I spent 20 years doing, I wouldn’t have been able to tell this story with a level of authenticity or real insight.

One of the ways that this doesn’t feel like a new filmmaker’s work is the structure and having multiple timelines. I just imagine this giant dry-erase board…

Anthony: You’re right. It was a huge board with scene photos. We spent six months doing this, because that’s how the book is. And it was maddening [laughs]. It was maddening, because we had to keep the power of the structure intact, but also know that this was a slow burn. The idea was to beat people out of their preconceived notions by fucking with you, and showing you different sides of this kid and using stylistic devices to separate the world. All very, very intentional—trying to funnel people down a hallway that’s getting more and more narrow, until you’re basically like, “Fuck, I don’t know what the truth is, I don’t know what it is, because it feels like 10 different things.”

At a certain point, we figure out that at some point, we’re going to see what actually happened, and even that doesn’t play out exactly how we think it will. That might be the most gray thing about this story.

Anthony: Is there a winner? Is there a victory? In the book, he’s innocent. We certainly didn’t want to change that for effect. But, the idea being that no matter what the outcome—guilty or innocent—no one comes out of this unscathed. This is an experience that will resonate with the people directly involved. That’s why when the family [of the victim] walks in the courtroom, and you haven’t seen them for a month, the wife sits down and looks at Steve’s parents, and it’s such a hard-hitting moment. We’re rooting for this kid, but it’s easy to forget that this other guy is dead, and his family, friends, and the community around him are as horrified as we are that Steve could go to jail.

As an actor, what did you learn from this experience. This is probably the most in depth you’ve ever been able to dive into a character in a film. What did you take away from this? 

Kelvin: That’s a really good question. It required a lot, this movie. It was the first time when vanity had to be completely removed from me. I really had to trust Anthony, 100 percent, and I had to understand that I did not know everything. It was an interesting one to collaborate on, because [Steve] is from New York and he is a filmmaker, and though I understand the commonality between us is being young, there are so many other things that I had to explore and trust that Anthony would tell me if I was doing this completely wrong.

That was my greatest gift in this process, just like feeling the comfort of throwing it all on the table and knowing that he would handle it appropriately, and he would even say, “You’re doing the most,” or, “You need to reel it back or bring it back.” That process was so relieving for me. It just let off a big weight, and I’ve carried it on to my films afterwards. When I was doing It Comes at Night, I was so protective of everything. I love Trey [Edward Shults, writer-director]. I’m doing another movie with Trey. I was probably very, very hard to work with because I was so protective of that performance. With this, I just trusted everything he had to say, and I think that’s such a rare thing that happens. It’s great thing to carry that on with you into other films and projects.

Continue Reading Monster Interview >>

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Netflix Might Sign Multi-Picture Deal With Luc Besson and EuropaCorp

Luc Besson and EuropaCorp may have taken a big financial hit when Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets bombed at the box office, but that doesn’t mean they’re down for the count. Word comes today that Netflix, in their never-ending quest to produce all the content you’ll never need, are in talks with Besson and EuropaCorp for a multi-picture deal. Fingers crossed for Valerian 2? More on the Luc Besson Netflix deal below.

Who says there are no second chances? After a record loss of $135 Million thanks to the box office failure of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, director Luc Besson and EuropaCorp might be ready to bounce back. Variety reports that Netflix is in talks with Besson and EuropaCorp to have Besson produce and direct several films over the next few years. The films would be Netflix originals, each with a $30 million budget. In other words, don’t expect huge, expansive Valerian-like adventures here. But if Besson wanted to make a whittled-down Valerian sequel, this might be his chance.

The deal might also give Netflix the option to buy into EuropaCorp’s library, which includes the Taken and Transporter franchises. Netflix isn’t the only company interested in EuropaCorp – Lionsgate has been considering purchasing as well. EuropaCorp clearly needs the help. They’re currently buried under a heavy debt load of about €230 million ($285 million). Per Variety, EuropaCorp’s value has” plummeted by more than 60%” since the release of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

If Netflix goes ahead with this deal, it’ll be just another addition to their never-ending quest to build an unbeatable library of original content. Recently, the streaming giant signed a deal with Mark Millar’s Millarworld to create a wealth of original content. Besson would be the latest big filmmaker to climb aboard Netflix, joining heavy-hitters like Martin Scorsese, Angelina Jolie, Bong Joon-ho, Damien Chazelle and more.

For now, Netflix is riding high, but they’ll soon have some stiff competition. Disney is currently hard at work building their own streaming service, and so is Apple. In other words, everyone knows that streaming is the future, and everyone is trying to get in on the ground floor now. The future of how films are created, and distributed, is about to change forever, whether we like it or not.

Meanwhile, Besson is not letting the failure of Valerian slow him down. The director is currently filming Anna, starring Helen Mirren, Cillian Murphy and Luke Evans.

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