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Atlantic
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
The Trap of the Cinematic Side Quest
What makes the John Wick movies work isn't the premise—that John Wick, the character, is a man out for vengeance. Yes, that was the breathless elevator pitch of the first Wick installment, a cult hit in 2014 whose plot my colleague Sophie Gilbert effortlessly summed up as: 'An idiot killed his puppy and now everyone must die.' But Wick (played by Keanu Reeves) became the face of a billion-dollar franchise because of the strange, darkly cartoonish universe around him. Ballerina, a spin-off whose lumbering subtitle proclaims it as coming 'From the World of John Wick,' recognizes that true appeal only when it's half over. The story of Ballerina is generic to the point of hilarity; the original script was, in fact, a female-led action thriller unrelated to the Wick -iverse. As such, the film begins with the same setup as a hundred other revenge thrillers: A young girl, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), sees her father gunned down by a group of mysterious assassins. Spirited away by friendly faces from the primary John Wick entries, she swears vengeance, and is trained to be a killer in the mold of, well, John Wick. Her mentor is the Director (Anjelica Huston), the matriarch of the Ruska Roma, an organization introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 that teaches its students how to punch, kick, shoot a gun, and take a fall among the best of them. For much of Ballerina 's two-hour run time, I bemoaned that the film seemed to be a Wick clone without any of the stylistic flair. It wasn't a total wash: De Armas is a charming screen presence, throwing herself at fight scenes with aplomb. She moves with a lot more grace than Reeves, who appears to be slowing down after a quadrilogy in which seemingly everyone across the globe is on his tail. But unlike the mysterious, mythic Wick s, Ballerina lacks much intrigue—especially during its first two acts, when the viewer watches Eve go through training and then embark on a few jobs around town, mowing through goons in dimly lit nightclubs for no purpose to the plot. The sense of aimlessness is an issue with so many spin-offs. Think Hobbs & Shaw (which derives from the Fast & Furious movies), Bumblebee (set in the Transformers universe), or the several attempts to generate new Star Wars adventures outside of the main saga: They have to exist on a scale equivalent to their progenitors to not feel totally irrelevant, but avoid disturbing the franchise's primary timeline. Although Ballerina ostensibly occurs between the third and fourth John Wick chapters, it strives to affect neither one; the chronological placement is only to justify how Reeves (who doesn't do much in his several brief scenes) manages to show up—though having watched the other Wick movies, I do not remember his character ever having enough downtime to take on a little side quest with Eve. Ballerina ultimately succeeds as a piece of junky fun, however, because it attempts to expand the Wick canon rather than deepen its titular protagonist. Take what follows after Eve becomes emboldened to hop off the regular mission treadmill and seek payback against the strange cult that killed her father: Her journey leads her into a quaint village in the Austrian Alps, where she learns that every single inhabitant is out to kill her. Considering stopping by the curiosity shop for some Hummel figurines? Just don't turn your back to any friendly clerks. This scenario is a prime example of John Wick 's signature world building. As the first Wick movie progressed, the bizarre depths in which the character lived became apparent. Everyone around our hero was connected to criminality, and any ordinary subway rider or unhoused person on a street corner might be concealing a semiautomatic to attack him with. John Wick 's version of reality has its own currency (golden coins) and housing system (an intercontinental chain of hotels), as well as a set of laws that mix Samurai-like honor with feudal justice. At first, Ballerina pays little mind to any of that, but once Eve enters this cultish mountain town, the askew storytelling begins again. Finally, I was reminded of why I'd stayed interested in the Wick chronicles for all these years. Yes, that includes the action filmmaking, and Ballerina features some incredibly inventive stunts of its own. One extended sequence sees Eve dueling an enemy while each wields flamethrowers; in another, she has to dispatch oncoming aggressors using belts of grenades without blowing herself up. The grim violence has a sense of humor and improvisation to it; de Armas doesn't exactly get the chance to crack jokes, but it harkens back to the Buster Keaton– and Looney Tunes –inspired mayhem at the core of John Wick. Whereas an offshoot like Hobbs & Shaw didn't understand what made its source series good (by largely ignoring the earlier films' wild internal logic), Ballerina eventually comes to terms with it—and then locks on. But despite its best efforts to appeal to the John Wick fan base, Ballerina opened below expectations during its first weekend. The box-office earnings are a possible indication of waning interest in the world of John Wick, which may be taken into account as Reeves weighs returning for another mainline entry. After all, a film like Ballerina ostensibly exists only to keep the franchise's devotees sated in the meantime. Perhaps this kind of business-minded cynicism is unhelpful, but it's unavoidable, as Hollywood flounders for ways to sustain people's interest in going to the cinema. If studios are going to spin off their biggest titles to keep those properties alive, they might as well do it as faithfully as possible.
Black America Web
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Chaos, Combat & Charisma: Prime Video Releases The Final Electrifying Trailer For ‘Heads Of State' Starring Idris Elba & John Cena
Source: Cortesty / Amazon MGM Studios Today (June 4th), Prime Video shared the second and final trailer for one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer. Continue reading to check it out! In the action-comedy Heads of State , the UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) and U.S. President Will Derringer (John Cena) have a not-so-friendly and very public rivalry that jeopardizes their countries' 'special relationship.' But when they become the targets of a powerful and ruthless foreign adversary—who proves more than a match for the two leaders' security forces—they are begrudgingly forced to rely on the only two people they can trust: each other. Ultimately allied with the brilliant MI6 agent Noel Bisset, they must go on the run and find a way to work together long enough to thwart a global conspiracy that threatens the entire free world. On top of Elba ( The Wire, Takers, Hobbs & Shaw, The Harder They Fall ) and Cena ( Daddy's Home 2, F9, The Suicide Squad ), the film also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas ( Baywatch, The Matrix Resurrections, Citadel ), Paddy Considine, Stephen Root ( King of the Hill, Dodgeball, Get Out ), Carla Gugino ( Spy Kids trilogy, American Gangster, Night at the Museum ), Jack Quaid ( The Boys, Oppenheimer, Novocaine ) and Sarah Niles ( I May Destroy You, Ted Lasso ). Ilya Naishuller ( Hardcore Henry, Nobody ) directed Heads of State from a screenplay by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec and Harrison Query, and story from Query. The film was produced by Peter Safran and John Rickard, with Marcus Viscidi, Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Elba and Cena serving as executive producers. Heads of State will premiere globally on Prime Video July 2nd, 2025. In the meantime, check out the final trailer (and the first one) and some first look images from the action packed comedy below! Chaos, Combat & Charisma: Prime Video Releases The Final Electrifying Trailer For 'Heads Of State' Starring Idris Elba & John Cena was originally published on Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Source:Amazon MGM Studios Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
WWE star Roman Reigns in talks for big role in the upcoming Street Fighter film
WWE star Roman Reigns is in talks to join the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie by Legendary Entertainment. The WWE star's Hollywood career could reach new heights, especially after his recent absence from WWE following a brutal post-WrestleMania attack. The 39-year-old might soon land one of the biggest roles of his acting career. According to reports, the Tribal Chief is in talks to join a live-action Street Fighter movie. The film is being developed by Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind recent blockbusters like Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong. Reigns, whose real name is Leati Joseph Anoa'i, already has some acting experience. He played a small role in Hobbs & Shaw beside his cousin, The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), and also appeared in The Wrong Missy. But this Street Fighter role could put him in the spotlight like never before. A big move for the Tribal Chief beyond WWE? The report also claims that big names like Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, and Noah Centineo are being considered for the project. If all goes well, it could become one of the most exciting video game movies in years. Roman Reigns is in talks to star in the live action 'STREET FIGHTER' TRIBAL CHIEF 🩸☝️ It is being said that the Tribal Chief is considered for the role of Akuma. This Street Fighter character is known to be evil but honourable. He is a strong warrior who enjoys defeating his foes. Akuma is popular due to his belief in having a fair fight and standing up for the weak. Akuma's personality matches Roman Reigns' gimmick in WWE. Hence, this could end up being a great opportunity for the WWE star. Roman Reigns is set to play Akuma in STREET FIGHTER 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥(Via @TheInSneider) This news comes just months after Reigns went missing from WWE TV. His last appearance was on the Raw after WrestleMania 41 in April 2025. That night, Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker took him out in brutal fashion, and he hasn't been seen since. Now, with his WWE return date uncertain, Roman might be focusing more on Hollywood. Even if nothing is final yet, this move shows just how far his star power has reached outside the wrestling ring. Stay ahead of the game with the latest updates, match highlights, and insider stories from IPL, cricket, WWE, and more! Click here.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gears of War Movie Finds Director for Video Game Adaptation
The movie may have found its director, with THR reporting that a filmmaker is currently in negotiations to helm the video game adaptation. According to THR, David Leitch is in talks with Netflix on getting behind the camera for the project. Leitch most recently directed 2024's The Fall Guy, but has also directed Bullet Train, Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, and co-directed 2014's John Wick alongside Chad Stahelski. Leitch will also produce the movie alongside his wife and producing partner, Kelly McCormick. John Spaihts is currently set to write the script for the film, with Netflix partnering with The Coalition Studio, the developer behind the franchise, for the movie. Spaihts co-wrote the last two Dune films alongside Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth, and was also credited as a writer on Passengers, Doctor Strange, Prometheus, and more. Currently, plot details to the movie remain mostly unknown. The Gears of War franchise largely follows the conflict between humanity and a race of subterranean reptilian humanoids known as the Locust Horde following their arrival to the surface (known as 'E-Day' in the world of the game). The first three games in the series followed the story of Marcus Fenix, a soldier in the Coalition of Ordered Governments who leads a task force to try and destroy the Locust Horde. The game series originally debuted in 2006, and consisted of a trilogy of games that wrapped up in 2011. The first three titles to series were developed by Epic Games and led by designer Cliff Bleszinski. Following 2011, the series continued without Bleszinski, and four other games in the Gears of War universe have come out since. A new game, Gears of War: E-Day, is currently planned to release some time in the future, and act as a prequel to the series. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter) The post Gears of War Movie Finds Director for Video Game Adaptation appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Roman Reigns Comments On Janel Grant's Sexual Assault Allegations Against Vince McMahon
Roman Reigns gives his take on Janel Grant's sexual assault allegations against former WWE CEO Vince McMahon. In early 2024, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon. She accused him of sexual assault, trafficking, and emotional and physical abuse. The lawsuit led to McMahon stepping down from the boards of TKO Group Holdings. Advertisement TKO is the parent company of both WWE and UFC. In February 2025, McMahon's lawyers responded to the updated lawsuit. They said Janel Grant's request came too late and was made for the wrong reasons. While talking to Vanity Fair, Roman Reigns addressed the allegations and called the situation 'embarrassing' and said it's something no one wants to hear about. 'She's got to live with all these situations that happened and hopefully she's in a place where she feels comfortable and she's secure in her own place,' he says of Grant. 'It's embarrassing. That's stuff you don't want to hear about. You don't want your family to hear about.' Roman Reigns shares when his current WWE contract ends During the same interview, Roman Reigns also confirmed his current WWE contract ends after WrestleMania 42 in 2026. In addition, he hinted that he might sign one final deal with WWE before ending his in-ring career. Advertisement 'After I finish the contract that I'm in, we probably got another year or two max,' Roman Reigns said. 'Then it's time to take on a less physical form of entertainment.' Director David Leitch, who Reigns worked with on Hobbs & Shaw, believes Hollywood is one avenue, if Reigns himself wants it. 'He's a physical specimen,' says David Leitch, the director of Hobbs & Shaw, which Reigns appeared in. 'The camera loves him, the audience loves him, and the only thing standing in his way is his own ambition.' Reigns receives a lot of scripts, but wants to be selective about roles, noting he almost wants to model his career after Quentin Tarantino's outlook on directing movies. Advertisement Read More: Roman Reigns Explains His Reasons For Supporting President Donald Trump The post Roman Reigns Comments On Janel Grant's Sexual Assault Allegations Against Vince McMahon appeared first on Wrestlezone.
