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Escape from New York is one of my favorite movies, so I'm glad the remake appears to have finally died in development. The original 1981 John Carpenter movie has one of the all-time great movie hooks; the most dangerous convict in the world, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), is forced to rescue the kidnapped President from New York, which has been walled off and turned into a hellish prison. Escape from New York is one of Carpenter's best, filled with great sequences and dialogue.

I've always felt that one minor flaw is that the film's modest budget meant it couldn't fully use its setting. Escape From New York's action is relatively small-scale, and it doesn't take audiences to some of the city's most iconic locations, like Central Park or the subway. In theory, a big-budget reboot could really flesh out the concept and make it much larger, but the Escape from New York...

Over the last few years, Oscar winner Rami Malek has developed quite the line in playing socially awkward, variously psychologically traumatised, somewhat eccentric geniuses who sit all across the moral spectrum. Mr. Robot's Elliot Alderson, No Time To Die's villainous Safin, Bohemian Rhapsody's Freddie Mercury... the list goes on. In The Amateur, Slow Horses alum and One Life director James Hawes' upcoming revenge thriller, Malek is CIA decoder Charlie Heller, a man whose life is turned violently upside down when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a terrorist attack. In the tense first trailer for the film, which boasts the likes of Laurence Fishburne, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Stuhlbarg among its starry ensemble, it very quickly becomes clear that Charlie is set to become a worthy addition to Malek's resumé of unorthodox mavericks. Check it out below:

Move over John Wick, bon voyage Nobody,...

In theaters on April 11, is the upcoming movie The Amateur, starring Oscar® winner Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Academy Award® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”).

Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.

The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne.

The Amateur is directed by James Hawes. The screenplay is by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli...

Rami Malek is leaning into his “Mr. Robot” roots with CIA spy thriller “The Amateur.”

Malek leads the upcoming feature as a decoder for the CIA, who is working out of a basement when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. Cue the revenge action saga.

The official synopsis reads: “Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.”

Laurence Fishburne, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, and...

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Rami Malek in a lead role. Since he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2018, his biggest roles have been as a Bond villain in “No Time to Die” Denzel Washington’s LAPD partner in crime thriller “The Little Things,” and a supporting role in “Oppenheimer’s” large ensemble. None of these movies were really what you’d call Rami Malek movies. “The Amateur,” which 20th Century released a trailer for on Wednesday, is a Rami Malek movie. The espionage thriller looks to take advantage of Malek’s unique characteristics in a way nothing else quite has since “Mr. Robot.”

Malek stars as an antihero on a revenge mission who uses CIA resources for his own purposes. Here’s the official logline from 20th Century: “Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for...

Oscar winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) isn’t a trained killer but he does have other skills that will prove extremely useful in finding his wife’s killers in The Amateur. The first trailer introduces Malek as a CIA decoder who vows revenge after his wife is murdered.

Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do with It), Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal and Michael Stuhlbarg also star, along with Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, and Danny Sapani.

“Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack,” reads 20th Century Studios’ synopsis. “When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible,...

20th Century Studios is kicking off this chilly Wednesday afternoon with some heat from Rami Malek‘s latest film, The Amateur. The studio debuted a new action-packed trailer and poster for The Amateur, an espionage thriller in which Malek’s character uses his unique set of skills to find the people who killed his wife. He has no experience in the field, but that won’t stop him from launching a manhunt that defies expectations.

James Hawes directs The Amateur from a screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli based on the novel by Robert Littell. The film opens in theaters on April 11, 2025.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Amateur courtesy of 20th Century Studios:

“Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack.

James Hawes is returning to the espionage genre with Rami Malek along for the ride in The Amateur. Hawes is a BAFTA-nominated director better known for his work on the small screen in Britain, having directed multiple episodes of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's Doctor Who eras as well as multiple episodes of Merlin, Penny Dreadful, Black Mirror and Apple TV+'s Slow Horses. Malek is an Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning star known for everything from his early work in the Night at the Museum franchise to his acclaimed roles in Mr. Robot and Bohemian Rhapsody and No Time to Die.

Based on Robert Littel's novel of the same name, which was previously adapted to film in 1981, Malek leads The Amateur as Charlie Heller, a reserved CIA cryptographer whose world is rocked when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. Initially seeking help from a senior...

20th Century Studios has released the official trailer and poster for The Amateur, a new espionage thriller that will open in theaters on April 11, 2025. The film stars Oscar winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do with It).

The film has been rated PG-13 by the MPA for some strong violence, and language.

In The Amateur, Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack.

When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.

The film stars Rami Malek,...

Rami Malek explains how The Amateur brings his career full circle. The Amateur is an upcoming spy movie that tells the story of a CIA cryptographer who blackmails his group into training him to hunt down a terrorist group that killed his wife in London. The Amateur features a leading cast including Malek, Holt McCallany, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, Julianne Nicholson, Laurence Fishburne, Takehiro Hira, Adrian Martinez, Joseph Millson, Alice Hewkin, and Marc Rissmann. It is directed by James Hawes with a screenplay co-written by Evan Katz, Ken Nolan, and Gary Spinelli.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Malek explains the arc of his career. He begins by explaining the origins of his career doing "Marine boot camp" for The Pacific. Between shows like this and Mr. Robot, he has been "taught lessons that [he] never would have been privy to otherwise." He feels that The Amateur is "an evolution...

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts continues the franchise's success, landing #6 on Netflix's Top 10 movies. The movie brings in familiar action and popular characters while introducing new elements like Beast Wars. Strong voice acting from the likes of Pete Davidson and Peter Dinklage adds to the film's appeal and streaming success.

The $439 million worldwide box office hit Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is finding even more success on streaming, landing in the Netflix top 10 for the week. The toy-line-derived movie series became a box office juggernaut, beginning with the Michael Bay-directed 2007 entry, which grossed $709 million worldwide. Since that auspicious beginning, the Transformers franchise has become one of the highest-grossing of all-time, with total box office receipts reaching $5.286 billion.

2023s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts made its own healthy contribution to that overall total, and its now proving to be a hit on streaming as well, landing at #6 on Netflixs...

Exclusive: After a grueling few months for UK film and TV producers, there are signs that the industry is starting to head back to work following twin actors and writers strikes in the U.S.

Amateur, the 20th Century terrorism thriller starring Rami Malek, will be among the first studio shoots to resume filming in London next month, sources tell Deadline.

Amateur, which also stars Rachel Brosnahan and Laurence Fishburne, was halfway through production when the feature’s hundreds of cast, crew, and contractors were put on hiatus in July.

The film’s cast has prioritized the project ahead of other commitments they would be shooting had the strike not happened. “Productions needing lead actors back to complete means other shows and films cannot schedule starting,” said a source.

Amateur is directed by James Hawes, whose debut feature, the Anthony Hopkins vehicle One Life, has generated plenty of buzz during the fall festival season.

Synopsis

Black Hawk Down

From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (The Martian) and renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pearl Harbor) comes the gripping true story about bravery, camaraderie, and the complex reality of war.

Black Hawk Down stars an exceptional cast including Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, and Eric Bana. In 1993, an elite group of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are sent to Somalia on a critical mission to capture a violent warlord whose corrupt regime has led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. When the mission goes quickly and terribly wrong, the men find themselves outnumbered and literally fighting for their lives.

The Guns Of Navarone

Academy Award®-winners Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn star as a team of Allied military specialists recruited for a dangerous but imperative mission: to infiltrate a Nazi-occupied fortress and disable two long-range field guns so that 2,000 trapped British soldiers may be rescued.

Where to Watch Powered by Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' disappointing box office returns raise doubts about Michael Bay's 14-movie Transformers plan. The movie introduces changes to character beats and incorporates references to Transformers lore, but fails to make a mark at the box office. The possibility of a Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover offers hope for the franchise's future by attracting wider audiences and capitalizing on nostalgia.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' disappointing box office returns prove that Michael Bay's 14-movie Transformers plan may not work out. Serving as a reboot to Michael Bay's Transformers movies and a sequel to 2018's Bumblebee, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts brings a fresh spin to the franchise by unfolding in the 90s. Unlike the Michael Bay movies, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts also emphasizes Mirage's characterization and highlights how Optimus Prime struggles to guide the Autobots during his early years of leadership.

Exclusive: Texas Monthly, the magazine that has been chronicling life in the Lone Star State since 1973, has continued its expansion into film and TV by setting its first-ever feature documentary, to be made in partnership with Peabody and Critics’ Choice Award-winning filmmaker Deborah Esquenazi (Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four).

The currently untitled film centers on James Reyos, a gay Apache man who for 40 years has sought to clear his name of the brutal murder of a Catholic priest in oil-rich West Texas. Embedding with the Innocence Project of Texas that has taken up Reyos’ case, Esquenazi with her doc sheds new light on a story that has eluded detectives, crime researchers and amateur sleuths for four decades, exposing a web of media lore and homophobia, as well as whispers of a possible serial killing team targeting clergy in the 1980s. The project extends coverage of...

Exclusive: Holt McCallany (Nightmare Alley) and Julianne Nicholson (Blonde) are the newest additions to the cast of Amateur, the CIA thriller that Rami Malek is leading for 20th Century Studios.

The actors join an ensemble that will also include Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Laurence Fishburne and Adrian Martinez, as previously announced.

Based on a novel by Robert Littell, Amateur tells the story of Charles Heller (Malek), a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is tragically killed in a London terrorist attack, demands his bosses go after them. When it becomes clear they won’t act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him and letting him go after them himself.

The film to be directed by Slow Horses‘ James Hawes had its screenplay adapted by Ken Nolan, with Scott Frank and Gary Spinelli handling revisions.

While sources tell Deadline that McCallany will play CIA Deputy Director Moore,...

Michael Bay once teased that 14 Transformers movies were in development, and here is a prediction for what sequels and spinoffs might be. Paramount began developing ambitious plans to turn the Hasbro action figures into a movie shared universe in 2015. This came as Michael Bay's Transformers movies delivered back-to-back $1 billion hits despite poor reviews, making the franchise look like one of the safest bets in Hollywood. That is why the studio assembled a Transformers writers room filled with some of the most talented writers in the industry to formulate ideas for sequels and spinoffs that could expand the franchise.

The success of the writers room included coming up with the idea for Transformers: The Last Knight's script, which enthused Michael Bay enough to convince him to direct it. Although the film was the last that Bay will direct, his time working with the Transformers writers room and his role as...

Michael Bay might be done directing Transformers movies, but his help with a final movie plan helped save the franchise. Paramount found success with Michael Bay at the helm of the Transformers franchise once it began in 2007. The studio and director partnered up for five Transformers movies in total before Bay decided to call it quits and shift his focus to directing other films. The film series has continued to live on, as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the seventh entry in the live-action franchise overall. However, it was not that long ago that it appeared that the Transformers movies could come to an end.

Michael Bay's Transformers movies peaked in popularity with Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Transformers: Age of Extinction. The two films, one the end of the first trilogy and the other the start of a potential new trilogy, both earned over $1.1 billion at the box office worldwide.

Exclusive: WME has signed Eric Warren Singer, one of the screenwriters behind Paramount’s summer smash Top Gun: Maverick.

The Tom Cruise sequel nearly 30 years in the making hit theaters on May 27 and has thus far grossed over 907 million worldwide, registering as the highest grossing film of 2022. Singer shares screenplay credit on the Navy aviator action-drama with Ehren Kruger and Christopher McQuarrie, having worked from a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, which was based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.

Singer came to Top: Gun Maverick after collaborating with its director Joseph Kosinski on the critically acclaimed drama Only the Brave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, which starred Josh Brolin, Miles Teller and Jeff Bridges. He co-wrote that film, based on Sean Flynn’s GQ article “No Exit”, with Ken Nolan.

The screenwriter’s first script, The Sky Is Falling,...

Exclusive: Jackson Pictures & Stampede Ventures have teamed up to land The Debriefing, a spec script by Black Hawk Down scribe Ken Nolan based on the Robert Littell novel. They will fast-track the thriller, and the plan is to get into production next year and the script will be put on submission to directors immediately.

Matt Jackson of Jackson Pictures and Stampede’s Greg Silverman and Jon Berg made the deal with Nolan’s reps at CAA and Kaplan/Perrone.

The Debriefing is a cat-and-mouse psychological espionage thriller that centers on a top-level CIA intelligence operative who must debrief an asylum-seeking Gru computer tech to verify the veracity of his story before the critical information he possess expires. Aside from Black Hawk Down, Nolan’s credits include Only the Brave and Transformers: The Last Knight.

“Ken’s scripts are always...

After Michael Bay’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Age of Extinction both crossed the billion dollar threshold at the box office, Paramount doubled down on their intentions to launch an entire shared universe around the Autobots and Decepticons by establishing a writers room tasked with expanding the mythology.

Spearheaded by Akiva Goldsman, the roster of talent included Christina Hodson, Ant-Man‘s Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrarri, Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Steven S. DeKnight, The Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman, Iron Man scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s Jeff Pinkner, Marvel regular Zak Penn and Black Hawk Down‘s Ken Nolan, while Geneva Robertson-Dworet would go on to write Captain Marvel.

The experiment was ultimately abandoned having produced just two movies, with Nolan penning The Last Knight and Hodson scripting Bumblebee, making the costly assembly of such well known writers pointless in the long run.

Peabody Award-nominated and Television Academy Honors documentary 16 Shots and director Sacha Jenkins’s Burn Motherf*cker, Burn! are being offered for free viewing on multiple platforms by Showtime.

16 Shots examines the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued. Burn Motherf*cker, Burn! explores the complicated relationship between the Los Angeles Police Department and the city’s Black and minority communities.

Showtime said it was making the documentaries available in an effort to provide resources and raise awareness around the ongoing struggle against systemic racism in America.

Both are now streaming on YouTube and Sho.com, and are available to Showtime subscribers on demand. The two films will also be available across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels.

16 Shots is a joint production from Midnight Productions, Topic Studios, Impact Partners and Chicago Media Project.

The Oscilloscope Laboratories docu-thriller The Infiltrators is hitting virtual cinemas today before making its way to on-demand and digital June 2. The virtual release is becoming a staple for many film titles as it allows audiences to purchase film tickets through a theater’s website and, in turn, helps continue support of theaters that have been closed due to Covid-19.

Directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, the film made its world premiere last year at the Sundance Film Festival where it the won the Next Section Audience Award. The hybrid pic blends feature filmmaking, re-enactments of real-life events and documentary footage to tell the true story of young undocumented immigrants who are intentionally detained by Border Patrol and thrown into a for-profit detention center.

More from DeadlineWestern Thriller 'True History Of Kelly Gang' And '60s Coming-Of-Age Drama 'To The Stars' Make Debuts - Specialty Streaming PreviewComing-Of-Age Foodie Comedy 'Abe' Fires Up,...

Exclusive: Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to the critically acclaimed immigration feature The Infiltrators. Directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, the film made its world premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where it went on to won the Audience Award: Next and the Next Innovator Prize. Oscilloscope is set to release the feature in theaters before streaming on digital platforms.

The Infiltrators is a very timely docu-thriller that tells the true story of young immigrants who get detained by Border Patrol, and put in a shadowy for-profit detention center — on purpose. Marco (Maynor Alvarado) and Viri (Vida‘s Chelsea Rendon) are members of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, a group of radical Dreamers who are on a mission to stop deportations. And the best place to stop deportations, they believe, is in detention. However, when they try to pull off a prison break in reverse,...

Showtime Documentary Films said Tuesday that it will premiere its new documentary 16 Shots, an examination of the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued, on June 14 at 9 Pm.

The pic is from Richard Rowley, whose Dirty Wars was nominated for a Feature Documentary Oscar in 2014. He also serves as cinematographer on many of his projects including docuseries America Divided and Documenting Hate: Charlottesville.

Rowley’s 16 Shots dissects the aftermath of the McDonald shooting through first-hand witness accounts. After the police initially declared the shooting as justified, journalists and activists fought for footage to be released, causing turmoil within the Chicago Pd and local Chicago government officials. Van Dyke was eventually convicted, further fracturing the city’s political landscape.

“The shooting of Laquan McDonald tore up Chicago in ways the city is still processing today,” said Vinnie Malhotra, Evp Nonfiction Programming at Showtime.

In today’s film news roundup, immigration drama “The Infiltrators” gets financing, Jake Busey is starring in a high-school comedy, and Stuart Ford’s Agc Studios hires two former Im Global executives.

Project Financing

Chicago Media Project Invest/Impact’s Paula Froehle and Steve Cohen have joined the immigration drama “The Infiltrators” as executive producers and financiers, Variety has learned exclusively.

Cmp I/I has invested previously in the Academy Award-winning documentary “Icarus,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” and Showtime’s series “The Fourth Estate.”

Directed and produced by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, “The Infiltrators” centers on a small group of young undocumented immigrants who embark on a high-risk mission inside America’s for-profit detention system in order to set people free. The film, which mixes documentary with narrative dramatization, stars Chelsea Rendon, Vik Sahay, Maynor Alvarado, and Manuel Uriza.

Production is currently underway in Southern California. The...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Bpm (Beats Per Minute) (Robin Campillo)

Robin Campillo’s account of what it was like to be a member of Act Up in the 1990s epitomized why the personal is always political. His kind-hearted, unsentimental approach to the struggles of people living with HIV was equal parts brutal and inspiring. Nahuel Pérez Biscayart proved to be a revelation as a young activist living his life as if, literally, every day was his last.

Here’s yet another “inspired by true events” film , just in time for the somber Fall season. Somber, the right word for this one. Unlike this weekend’s other non-fiction flicks, it’s set in the not too distant past, not decades ago, but in this decade, the 2010’s. It concerns a group of men who regularly risk their lives, and often make the ultimate sacrifice, in order to protect their fellow men. And it shines a light on the families that must stay behind and hope that all goes well. You may be thinking that’s it’s another those on the front line, our soldiers overseas sagas as in the films The Hurt Locker and American Sniper. Well, these heroes aren’t on foreign soil, though they are on the front line, one made of flame. And with their special clothing and gear ,they could be mistaken for soldiers.

The word hero seems to be mentioned a great deal in this age of the 24-hour news cycle, but the members of the Granite Mountain “Hotshots” genuinely deserve to be known as such. They were the best at what they did. This bunch of regular, but courageous firefighters were more than just co-workers: they were a brotherhood that continuously risked their lives trying to contain fast-spreading wildfires. As part of the Prescott Fire Fepartment, which consisted of 92 career personnel, split among five fire stations, this municipal team of “hotshots” — which, in firefighting terms, means the cream of the crop — were the elites of their profession.

Containment is what these brave men and women have as a goal whenever a fire spreads. As a character in the film would say, they are “fighting fire with fire.” This happens with the creation of a fireline, which is accomplished by doing a controlled...

If you've been to the movies any time over the last century, you're familiar with men like Eric Marsh. They're hard-ass guys, often stoic but capable of being sensitive and, in rare cases, prone to sentimentality. Their flaws and temper-flares are balanced out by their virtues: staunch professionalism, a salt-of-the-earth nobility, an almost stubborn loyalty to their men. The kind of dudes who treat their enemies – in this case, the massive forest fires that annually scorch acres of Arizona landscape – with something close to respect. ("What are you up to?...

In June 2013, the Yarnell wildfire in Arizona spiraled out of control and killed 19 firefighters from nearby Prescott, marking the highest death toll for U.S. firefighters since 9/11. Only one member of the group, a lookout stationed elsewhere, survived the massacre. That’s the setting for “Only the Brave,” but it takes almost the entire running time to get there. The movie is so cautious about avoiding disaster movie tropes that you can practically sense the resistance to arriving at the tragic finale. The result is a tasteful, well-acted bore, but so out of sync with traditional studio filmmaking it deserves some kudos anyway.

The two-hour plus working class drama stars Josh Brolin as the hardened leader of the group and Miles Teller as the eventual lookout struggling to find his place in the pack. That makes it stand apart from other approaches to adaptations of real-life catastrophes: Avoiding the morbid...

Chicago – Knock me over with a feather kids, but I enjoyed “Transformers: The Last Knight.” Maybe it was in comparison to the others or maybe director Michael Bay has beaten me into submission, but this one had the right story elements and casting to make it work, with exceptions of course. It’s goofiness is its charm, and it was released on Blu-Ray/DVD on September 26th, 2017 (Digital HD already available).

Rating: 3.5/5.0

The two essential things that made the film more tolerable was Anthony Hopkins and Laura Haddock, two Brits who brought some performance parts that made me laugh in their earnestness – Sir Anthony was particularly bizarre. The story is tied into the Arthurian legend, and begins on a knights-of-the-round-table battlefield, and somehow that gave a bit more understanding to what was going on, which was decidedly lacking in previous films. The rest will be pretty familiar to the Transformers’ universe and fan base,...

Ron Perlman would have us believe that war never changes, but the movies about it certainly have. The last 15 years have brought no shortage of films about the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (for obvious reasons), but World War II continues to fascinate filmmakers most of all. That includes Christopher Nolan, whose recent hit “Dunkirk” manages to bring something new to a genre that constantly feels at risk of becoming old hat.

Read More‘Dunkirk’ Is Too Loud For Some Viewers, But Christopher Nolan Says That’s the Way He Likes It

And while those two conflicts have dominated the genre of late, everything from the Civil War to the Battle of Red Cliffs has found powerful expression onscreen. Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” tells us that “war is a drug,” and the films below suggest that movies about war are just as addictive — maybe even more so.

Josh Brolin and Miles Teller are two of the Granite Mountain Hotshots in the first trailer for Only the Brave.

Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale, Taylor Kitsch and Jennifer Connelly also are featured in the real-life Sony drama, which recounts the heroic story of a team of local firefighters who are part of the Prescott Fire Department in Arizona. In 2013, they fought the deadliest wildfire in history, resulting in the death of 19 crewmembers.

Joseph Kosinski directs the drama from a script by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer, based on a magazine article by Sean Flynn.

Only the Brave...

Sony Pictures has released the trailer for “Only the Brave,” the biographical drama starring Miles Teller and Josh Brolin based on the true story about firefighters and the historic wildfire that struck Yarnell, Arizona in June of 2013. Formerly known as “Granite Mountain Hotshots,” the name of the elite firefighting group that battled the deadly blaze, the film only took on its new title this week. GQ, which posted the trailer on Wednesday, published a magazine feature about the story entitled “No Exit” in 2013.

Read More‘Thank You for Your Service’ Trailer: Miles Teller Is a Soldier With Ptsd — Watch

Directed by “Oblivion” and “Tron: Legacy” director Joseph Kosinski, “Only the Brave” tells the harrowing story of the tragic fire that claimed the lives of 19 members of the Hotshots. “Black Hawk Down” screenwriter Ken Nolan co-wrote the script with “American Hustle” co-writer Eric Warren Singer. The star-studded cast includes Jennifer Connelly,...

Previous | Image 1 of 10 | NextMark Wahlberg is Cade in ‘Transformers: The Last Knight.’

Chicago – The Windy City became the “transforming” city on June 20th, 2017, as the major cast members and director Michael Bay walked the Red Carpet for the premiere of their new film “Transformers: The Last Knight.” The special Red Carpet event was on a barge on the Chicago River, behind the legendary Civic Opera House. Mark Wahlberg, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel and Laura Haddock were among the cast members that were there.

And HollywoodChicago.com photographer Joe Arce was also there, and captured these Exclusive Portraits of the cast as they walked the Red Carpet. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

TRANSFORM1: Mark Wahlberg is Cade in ‘Transformers: The Last Knight.’ TRANSFORM2:...

Chicago – “Transformers: The Last Knight” held its star-studded premiere in Chicago on June 20, 2017. On the red carpet, Adam Fendelman of HollywoodChicago.com interviewed writers Ken Nolan, Matt Holloway and Art Marcum about their writers’ room process.

The film, which opened on June 21, 2017, stars Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Laura Haddock and Stanley Tucci from director Michael Bay. Watch now below!

Interview by: Adam Fendelman, Publisher

Filmed and edited by: Jeff Doles, 238 Studios

Edited by: Ethan Madison, Erm Films

Stills and trailer (used with permission): Paramount Pictures

© 2017 HollywoodChicago.com LLC...

Chicago – Knock me over with a feather kids, but I enjoyed “Transformers: The Last Knight.” Maybe it was in comparison to the others or maybe director Michael Bay has beaten me into submission, but this one had the right story elements and casting to make it work, with exceptions of course.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

The two essential things that made the film more tolerable was Anthony Hopkins and Laura Haddock, two Brits who brought some performance parts that made me laugh in their earnestness – Sir Anthony was particularly bizarre. The story is tied into the Arthurian legend, and begins on a knights-of-the-round-table battlefield, and somehow that gave a bit more understanding to what was going on, which was decidedly lacking in previous films. The rest will be pretty familiar to the Transformers’ universe and fan base, which surprisingly I guess I’m in tune with… no thanks to director Michael Bay, who still could have cut a good 45 minutes out of the running time. But this is the very definition of the “summer movie,” no more nutritious than the oil-slathered popcorn and giant Coke, and decidedly critic proof.

The film begins in King Arthur’s time. We find out the source of Merlin (Stanley Tucci) the Magician’s wizardry, which is an Autobot, naturally. The power is contained in a magical staff, which only Merlin can control. Meanwhile, in the present day, Autobot Optimus Prime and the Transformers are barred from earth, and a special military task force has been formed to hunt them down.

But Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) still harbors some Transformers fugitives, and rescues a young girl Izabella (Isabela Moner) because of her sympathies to the crew. During the rescue he is given a talisman that is part of the Merlin staff, and with its power becomes “the last knight.” Cade is then brought to England by the mysterious Sir Edmund (Anthony Hopkins), who teams him up with Professor Viviane (Laura Haddock), a direct descendant of Merlin. They are the last best hope to sway the earth’s destiny, as the Transformers’ home planet, Cybertron, is hurling towards our planet with the intention to destroy.

“Transformers: The Last Knight” opens everywhere June 21st, in 3D and regular screenings. See local listings for 3D theaters and show times. Featuring Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Hopkins, Isabela Moner, Laura Haddock and John Tuturro. Screenplay by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Ken Nolan. Directed by Michael Bay. Rated “PG-13”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Transformers: The Last Knight”

Another Day, Another Disaster for Cade (Mark Wahlberg) in ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Transformers: The Last Knight”...

Yes, that's zero stars you see up there. Every time Michael Bay directs another Transformers abomination (this is the fifth), the movies die a little. Mark Wahlberg has announced that The Last Knight will be his farewell to the Bay franchise. Quoth the actor: "I get my life back."

Ha! Now Wahlberg knows how sentient film critics feel every time they exit another Bay travesty. Transformers: The Last Knight is all kinds of awful. It's also the worst of the series to date, which is saying something. The year is only half over,...

Following the one-two punch of Transformers and its so-so sequel, Revenge of the Fallen, question marks have been raised over Michael Bay’s involvement in the series. To his credit, the director returned to the helm every time, resulting in an additional two blockbusters – namely Dark of the Moon and Age of Extinction – and a huge box office return, but there was a time just prior to Transformers: The Last Knight when Bay seriously considered walking away from the franchise for good.

What’s the one thing that caused the prolific filmmaker to pull a U-turn? Paramount’s decision to establish a writers room for The Last Knight and beyond, and Michael Bay has spoken in the past about how that pool of talent has given the Transformers series a new lease of life. But in a new interview with ComicBook, Bay pinpointed the ways in which that writers room...

The Transformers franchise whilst being a multi-million dollar franchise, has had its up and downs (mostly downs) when it comes to critics and audience response. Pair that with the way people have been trolling certain other franchises, remakes and reboots over the last couple of years, and its not surprising that a director would maybe feel the need to reassure the fans of what is coming.

Director Michael Bay has done just that before the upcoming release of the latest installment. Here is what he had to say to the fans:

I’ve been living in this franchise for over 10 years now. For Transformers: The Last Knight, we put together a writers’ room designed to greatly expand our mythology, integrating our films in a whole new way. Every movie will interlink.

It was a huge task to expand mythology from the beginning of the world throughout history. We had a...

Simon Brew Jun 12, 2017

To go with the many final trailers, a new poster has been released for the incoming Transformers: The Last Knight...

The wheels of the Transformers publicity machine keep turning, and the latest material to be spat out is this brand new poster for the movie...

This follows the release of the latest final trailer for Michael Bay's Transformers: The Last Knight, that arrived last week...

And a week before that, we got this one, that we though was the last trailer...

Here's the earlier trailer that we thought was the final trailer too...

And a recent poster...

The previous trailer for Transformers: The Last Knight arrived last month. Here it is, along with a bunch of promo videos from the film...

Michael Bay – via the power of the Paramount Pictures Publicity Machine ™ - has also released a letter to you all.

It would be remiss of...

Say what you will about previous instalments of the franchise, but Transformers: The Last Knight is looking pretty damn cool. That's evident from the full Super Bowl TV spot for the movie which you can see below, and it features a lot of great shots, including the apparent demise of Dinobot Grimlock! Set to be released on June 23rd this year, Transformers: The Last Knight will feature the return of Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager as well as new roles for Isabela Moner and Jerrod Carmichael. With Bay back in the director’s chair, the screenplay for the movie was written by Iron Man's Art Marcum and Matt Holloway along with Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down). Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but this new TV spot does at least offer some insight into what we should expect from the movie! What do you think of this latest...

Paramount isn’t the first – nor is it likely to be the last – studio to establish a writers room to nurture a film franchise, but it’s surely one of the biggest.

We are, after all, referring to a studio that consistently hits the billion-dollar mark with its Transformers films, and one that will be hoping to uphold tradition – and perhaps even set a new record in the process – when Transformers: The Last Knight descends into theaters this June. Like it or lump it, The Last Knight is undoubtedly one of the biggest movies currently lining 2017’s summer slate, and Paramount is already beginning to stoke the embers of excitement ahead of Sunday’s grand trailer reveal at Super Bowl Li.

It marks something of a new chapter for the lucrative juggernaut, thanks in large part to that aforementioned writers room. Beyond The Last Knight, Paramount has drafted up early...

Everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Michael Bay, and now he's got something to say back to fans. He wants you all to know that not only is Transformers: The Last Knight the biggest entry yet in that franchise, but it's also likely his last.

Bay has shared an open letter to fans on his official website, which you can read right here:

I’ve been living in this franchise for over 10 years now. For Transformers: The Last Knight, we put together a writers’ room designed to greatly expand our mythology, integrating our films in a whole new way. Every movie will interlink.

It was a huge task to expand mythology from the beginning of the world throughout history. We had a great team of writers: Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind); Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Iron Man); Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down); Zak Penn (Ready Player One); Lindsey Beer...

The latest Transformers 5 spot can be seen during the Super Bowl, this Sunday. Although, you can check out a :30 second version here!

The Super Bowl is always known for its hilarious commercials and amazing football action, but lately movies have gotten into the habit of releasing big trailers during the big game. Michael Bay's latest Transformers movie will be part of what looks to be a massive movie lineup for Super Bowl Li. In anticipation for its grand arrival, check out a shorter version of the Super Bowl spot for Transformers 5.

Unfortunately, there isn't much context in this short commercial. All we know is that once again the world is in trouble and some Independence Day Resurgance-esque alien ship will be entering our atmosphere. Plus, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime will have a climactic battle that will include a hammer.

An extended version of this Super Bowl...

As promised, Michael Bay has released a sneak peek at the Super Bowl TV spot for Transformers: The Last Knight, and it's packed full of some awesome new footage from the franchise's fifth instalment. Set to be released on June 23rd next year, Transformers: The Last Knight will feature the return of Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager as well as new roles for Isabela Moner and Jerrod Carmichael. With Bay back in the director’s chair, the screenplay for the movie was written by Iron Man's Art Marcum and Matt Holloway along with Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down). Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but this new TV spot does at least offer some insight into what we should expect from the movie! What do you think of this latest look at Transformers: The Last Knight? Sound off down below.

Chances are you either love or hate the Transformers franchise, but there's no denying that The Last Knight looks pretty good! Kicking things off with a three headed dragon and then wrapping up with Optimus Prime seemingly killing Bumblebee, there's a lot to talk about here for fans of these characters. Set to be released on June 23rd next year, Transformers: The Last Knight will feature the return of Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager as well as new roles for Isabela Moner and Jerrod Carmichael. With Bay back in the director’s chair, the screenplay for the movie was written by Iron Man's Art Marcum and Matt Holloway along with Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down). Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but the trailer below does at least offer some insight into what we should expect from the movie! What do you guys think of this action-packed preview?...

Regardless of whether you love or hate the Transformers franchise, the trailers almost always deliver. That's probably why we get so excited before inevitably being left disappointed, but regardless of that, we're getting a first look at Transformers: The Last Knight tomorrow. It's also been confirmed that set visit embargoes are being lifted, so expect some official images and plot details to also surface. Set to be released on June 23rd next year, Transformers: The Last Knight will feature the return of Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager as well as new roles for Isabela Moner and Jerrod Carmichael. With Bay back in the director’s chair, the screenplay for the movie was written by Iron Man's Art Marcum and Matt Holloway along with Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down). Plot details are currently being kept under wraps. What do you want to see in tomorrow's trailer? Be sure to share your thoughts in the usual place.

We’re coming up on 10 years of development on the Escape from New York remake that originated at New Line Cinema but now finds itself at 20th Century Fox. Over the years, we’ve seen various talents attached such as writers like Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) and Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down) involved, directors such […]

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