Latest news with #AmberMidthunder
Metropolis Japan
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Novocaine
By Don Morton A painless viewing experience When the new love (Amber Midthunder) of a mild-mannered bank assistant manager (Jack Quaid) is kidnapped, he brushes off his 'superpower' and leaps to the rescue. You see, he suffers from something called congenital analgesia (a real thing), preventing him from feeling any sort of pain. I had fun with this slapstick romantic actioner, but it's far from perfect. You can't say the directors, Dan Berk & Robert Olsen, haven't explored every possible aspect of an unfeeling action hero, and the earlier, rom-com scenes are above average and charming. (Fun fact: If Jack's goofy grin and infectious cheerfulness seem familiar, it's because he's the son of none other than Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.) On the whole, it's surprisingly relatable and deeper than you may think. But the latter, admittedly inventive action and fight scenes get unnecessarily violent and gory. The directing duo's previous work (Significant Other, Villains, Body) are all in the cheapo horror genre. The third act drags on forever, and the villains are not all that threatening. I wouldn't mind if this turned out to be an origin story. I'd watch a sequel before most big-budget Marvel flicks. But the directors need to leave the gore behind and grow up a bit. (110 min)
Geek Tyrant
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Director Dan Trachtenberg Confirms His Third PREDATOR Movie Will Continue Naru's Story — GeekTyrant
The future of the Predator franchise might just lie in its past… and its future. Dan Trachtenberg, the director behind Prey , isn't done with the Predator universe, and he's making it clear that Naru, played by Amber Midthunder, still has a story to tell. In a recent conversation with Fangoria, Trachtenberg said: 'I had a bunch of big ideas when I finished Prey, I would love to get to all of them. There's definitely a plan in mind, but the movie has to do well. So, we'll see.' While he's careful not to reveal too much, Trachtenberg confirmed that the third movie will continue Naru's story: 'The third story, which I can't speak to yet, is what would happen with Naru.' Naru already made an appearance In Predator: Killer of Killers , an animated anthology film now streaming on Hulu and Disney+, a reference to Naru is woven into the timeline-hopping story that spans Viking-era battles, 17th-century samurai duels, and WWII carnage. Trachtenberg previously revealed that both Killers and Badlands were fast-tracked because he couldn't wait to get to a third project, and it seems like that project will continue Naru's story. He said' 'After Prey came out, and I started thinking about sequel stuff, there were three ideas that I had. Killers is one, Badlands is two and the third one is something else. 'The reason why I felt possessed to make them and sort of why I rushed – I did two at once because I could do, I could multitask with animation – was because I was so eager to get to the third thing.' Trachenberg told Bloody Disgusting: 'The fun is that now we have the end of Prey set up something, and then there's this, and I love the slow play of it all. I think it's cool rather than smushing everything together inside one movie right away, we can really be elegant with our storytelling and hopefully aspire to that. So, it is not a setup for what's in Badlands, but it is a setup for what could happen afterward.' That 'afterward' is what has fans excited. While Killer of Killers plays the long game, Predator: Badlands is taking the franchise somewhere exciting and unexpected. Set in the far future, Badlands introduces Elle Fanning as Thia, a Weyland-Yutani android who teams up with Dek, a disgraced Yautja (voiced and mo-capped by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), in a story that could reshape Predator lore. So while Badlands takes us lightyears ahead, the seeds for a potential Prey 2 are quietly sprouting beneath the surface. Trachtenberg clearly has a long-term vision, and Naru's journey might not be over just yet. 'I had a bunch of big ideas… I would love to get to all of them.' Let's hope we get the chance to see where they lead.
Geek Tyrant
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS Directors Tease Future ALIEN vs. PREDATOR Plans and PREY Crossover Potential — GeekTyrant
The co-directors of Predator: Killer of Killers are stirring the Yautja pot, and the fans are ready for what they are looking to deliver. Spoilers ahead if you haven't watched the movie yet. Dan Trachtenberg ( Prey ) and Josh Wassung recently sat down with Screen Rant and dropped some interesting hints about where the Predator franchise might be headed next, including a surprise connection to Prey and a subtle nod to the Alien vs. Predator legacy. If you caught the animated anthology film, you know it's not just another hunter-hunted story. Killer of Killers takes us through three distinct time periods that include the Viking Age, feudal Japan, and WWII, each centered around a warrior facing off against a relentless Yautja. But then it flips the script: These warriors have actually been plucked from their time and cryogenically frozen, only to be revived in the far future to fight in an arena for the twisted entertainment of the Grendel King, a Predator overlord with a flair for theatrical brutality and carnage. The biggest surprise? Prey protagonist Naru, played by Amber Midthunder, is shown in one of those stasis pods. It's a moment that reframes the 2022 film's hopeful ending into something far darker. Trachtenberg made one thing clear: "I mean, I'll clearly say it is not time travel. They are not time-travelling. That is the benefit of the cryo pod—they are plucked from their time period and then put into stasis and then unleashed when decided upon for that evening's delightful entertainment." So what does that mean for Naru and others? The door is wide open. She could return in a future story, perhaps forced to fight alongside or against other characters from throughout the Predator mythos. But the Alien question looms large, especially with fans pointing out that the Grendel King's cape appears to be stitched together from Xenomorph tails. When asked if this was a nod to a future Alien vs. Predator project, Wassung responded: "I would say the fans should interpret that the way they want to interpret it. I mean, we wanted to design that Predator with a regal elegance mixed with brutality. And that's what spoke to us about that. And we honestly were having fun imagining where they might've come from." He added: "But we really wanted to leave it to the fans to imagine where each of those skeletons and pieces of various creatures that he clearly has conquered and where they might've come from." Predator: Badlands is on the horizon, with Elle Fanning set to play a Weyland-Yutani android, which is a massive connective tissue between the Alien and Predator worlds. There's clearly something brewing behind the scenes at 20th Century Studios and Disney. While we wait to see what that is, one thing's for sure: Predator: Killer of Killers just opened up a whole new arena of possibilities. The film is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Forbes
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jack Quaid's Action Comedy ‘Novocaine' Gets Digital Streaming Date
"Novocaine" partial poster featuring Jack Quaid. Novocaine — an action comedy hit starring Jack Quaid — is coming soon to digital streaming. Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, Novocaine opened in theaters on March 14. The official summary for Novocaine reads, 'Nathan Caine (Quaid, The Boys) was born with a rare genetic disorder, where he can't feel any pain. When the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder) is taken hostage in a bank heist, he turns his inability to feel physical pain into an unexpected strength in the fight to get her back.' Rated R, Novocaine also stars Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: No Way Home) Nate's video game-playing partner Roscoe and Ray Nicholson (Smile 2) as Simon, who is the mastermind behind the bank heist. The cast also includes Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Lou Beatty Jr., Van Hengst and Conrad Kemp. Paramount Home Entertainment announced Monday that Novocaine will debut on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, April 8. Novocaine will be available for purchase on digital platforms such as Prime Video, AppleTV, and Fandango at Home for $24.99, while the film can also be rented on PVOD for $19.99 for a 48-hour period. Per Paramount Home Entertainment, viewers who purchase Novocaine on PVOD will also have access to 35 minutes of bonus content, which consists of three featurettes: Novocaine has earned $19.7 million in North American theaters and $12.5 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $32.2 million to date. Novocaine had a production budget of $18 million before prints and advertising costs, Deadline reported. Upon its release, Novocaine was a big hit with Rotten Tomatoes critics earning an 80% 'fresh' rating based on 94 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, 'Getting an adrenaline shot from Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder's considerable charm while finding increasingly demented ways to utilize its concept, Novocaine is the opposite of a pain to watch.' Novocaine arrives on PVOD on Tuesday.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Quaid's 1000 yard stare
Actor Amber Midthunder discusses what her "'Novocaine" co-star Jack Quaid went through to portray a man who feels no pain in the new action movie. (March11)
