Peacemaker, the upcoming spinoff series of James Gunn’s 2021 feature film The Suicide Squad, follows an unlikely protagonist: John Cena’s brooding, potty-mouthed, muscle-bound super-patriot Chris Smith, aka Peacemaker. His modus operandi is to maintain peace, no matter the cost. So, basically, he kills a lot of people. For America.
Gunn wrote every episode and directed five, and the first three premiere on HBO Max on Thursday, January 13.
(Photo by HBO Max)
Directly following the events of the movie, Peacemaker is recruited out of prison by a shadow government group to hunt down a mysterious threat to America. Joining him on this bonkers mission is a rag-tag group of heroes (?) including Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), John Economos (Steve Agee), Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), and, of course, Freddie Stroma’s unhinged, yet extremely likable, Vigilante. Robert Patrick makes a few appearances as Peacemaker’s abusive dad Auggie Smith.
This is James Gunn’s first time running a television show of this magnitude, and the buzz is certainly high. But does his small-screen The Suicide Squad sequel save the day? Here’s what critics are saying about Peacemaker season 1:
(Photo by Katie Yu/HBO Max)
Even for comic-book geeks, the crush of winking jokes and coy references to more respectable quadrants of the DC universe begin to feel overdone, narrowing the project’s appeal. – Brian Lowry, CNN.com
But like its comrade in HBO Max weirdness Doom Patrol, Peacemaker takes a fundamentally irreverent approach to the superhero genre as a whole and to DC Comics in particular. Peacemaker claims that Superman has a poop fetish and name-checks obscure comics characters like Bat-Mite and Matter-Eater Lad. Where Disney+ shows like Loki are cogs in a much larger Marvel storytelling machine, Gunn seems to have been left alone in his own filthy corner of the DC universe. – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
While the end result isn’t flawless, the first seven episodes make up for it by being violent, endearing, and absurdly entertaining, all while showcasing the untapped potential of TV that is set within the main DC Extended Universe. – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
Argue all you want, about what’s been seen on Disney+ so far (and the less said about the embarrassing DC/The CW, the better), but “Peacemaker” does not make a case for its main character’s existence beyond the big screen, let alone as the front and center lead. – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
(Photo by HBO MAX)
By now it’s not a surprise that Cena is a gifted comic actor — more versatile and game than Dwayne Johnson, even if the Rock’s magnetism is undeniable — and Gunn (who writes and/or directs most of the episodes himself) leans on his star’s verbal gifts as much as his physical ones. – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
While Cena already brilliantly made Smith his own in The Suicide Squad, the unembarrassed dimension he is able to bring to the series never ceases to be mesmerizing to watch. In a way, this series feels like the unintentional culmination of Cena’s entire career — as a wrestler, as an action-movie star, as a comedic actor, and even as a commercial spokesman. – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
James Gunn clearly delights in challenging likability, and his greatest weapon is Cena. There is no hesitation or fear in his performance. Cena throws himself into Christopher Smith with a theater kid’s energy, growing impossibly larger in his already impossibly large frame. He fills his character to its edges, never shrinking even when the scene might intellectually call for it, but Cena is smart enough to ignore the inclination. – Brad Gullickson, Film School Rejects
The most compelling among them is Leota Adebayo, played by Danielle Brooks, who joins Peacemaker’s new crew led by Clemson Murn (a dryly humorous Chukwudi Iwuji) and finds herself in an unexpected position to somewhat wrangle him but also witness him at some of his most vulnerable moments. – Carly Lane, Collider
Perhaps the biggest, most interesting casting surprise here is Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase aka Vigilante, a comic book character who has been reconceived here as… well, as he never has been before. A kill-happy and sometimes whiny dork, he is as far removed as can be from the Dashing Hunk Persona that Stroma previously honed on UnREAL and Bridgerton, and because of that his scenes with his hero, Peacemaker, are a reliable hoot. – Matt Webb Mitovich, TV Line
The ensemble cast fill but don’t transcend the character types they’ve been assigned — the tech-y nerd, the lady badass, the no-nonsense leader — though Danielle Brooks does succeed in flooding the picture with warmth whenever she’s onscreen as a conflicted newbie. – Angie Han, Hollywood Reporter
(Photo by HBO MAX)
Each episode features at least one absurdly choreographed fight scene, whether it’s the lumbering Peacemaker struggling against the diminutive but quick Judomaster (Nhut Le), or Peacemaker getting some graphically violent assistance from his pet eagle/best friend, Eagly (a marvelous CGI creation). It is not a show for the faint of heart, though Gunn and his collaborators frequently manage to make the gore part of the joke. – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
When it comes to the action, the fights are a lot more frenetic than in The Suicide Squad. There’s no graceful martial arts like Harley Quinn executed in the film. But, even if it’s not fair to compare a TV series to a movie, Peacemaker’s action falls a notch below the likes of The CW’s Arrowverse superhero shows. Fight scenes are not as clear or epic as The CW pulls off weekly in several superhero shows. However, on HBO Max, the fights are punctuated by the absurd violence that computer generated visual effects allows. – Fred Topel, United Press International
The violence ends up being a different kind of visceral tone from The Suicide Squad’s bloody deaths and hot dog–style dismemberings, especially when juxtaposed with the mundane rural setting of the show, but the result is still impactful and feels like a natural evolution from Gunn’s days working in horror. – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
Filmmaker Gunn wrote all eight episodes and directed five (including the premiere), and his no-holds-barred style is on full display here. The language can get downright raunchy, the insults are crude (and at times racist), the violence is messy, and skin (other than Cena’s jacked torso) is occasionally on display. That makes for a rolicking premiere that mixes a dash of exposition with copious amounts of quips and action. – Matt Webb Mitovich, TV Line
There are intermittent shining moments, briefly-glimpsed reminders of how Gunn can also thrive in the earnest elements within exaggerated, comic book-rooted comedy — and of course, the soundtrack undeniably slaps. – Carly Lane, Collider
And again, this entire series is on-brand for James Gunn. DC gave him a playground and he takes full advantage of it! – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Like so much else of creator James Gunn’s work in the super-something realm, the series is equally interested in provoking giggles at exploding heads or dick jokes as it is in wringing tears for its poor tragic weirdos. And while it more or less succeeds on both counts, it struggles to stand out in a sea of other superhero content doing much the same thing — often at the hands of Gunn himself. – Angie Han, Hollywood Reporter
The series is very much a James Gunn endeavor. It’s aggressively profane and sophomoric, ridiculously violent, and every part of its construction was undoubtedly stitched together with giggles. Underneath its proud irreverence is sorrow and a confused protagonist struggling with immense regret, desperate for affection. – Brad Gullickson, Film School Rejects
(Photo by HBO Max)
Peacemaker, if you can stomach the title character’s lunkheaded views (and temporarily forgive if not forget his actions in The Suicide Squad), is a lot of James Gunn fun. – Matt Webb Mitovich, TV Line
“Peacemaker” doesn’t exactly miss, at least for those predisposed to buy into it. But even allowing for that, and Gunn’s shotgun approach to comedy, nor does it completely find its target. – Brian Lowry, CNN.com
But what makes Peacemaker such an interesting and compelling character is his unrepentant awfulness, and the series choosing to back-pedal on what could be considered his defining traits only makes for an aggressively fine follow-up. – Carly Lane, Collider
If The Suicide Squad wasn’t for you, neither will Peacemaker be, but fans of the movie shouldn’t object to the series continuation. – Fred Topel, United Press International
Even in a wildly oversaturated market for tales of hypermuscular men and women punching their way to justice, Peacemaker stands out. You’ll wanna taste it, even the parts that are in incredibly bad taste. – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
93%
Peacemaker: Season 1
(2022)
premieres its first three episodes on Thursday, January 13, on HBO Max.
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(Photo by Jackson Lee Davis/AMC)
Despite leading a show like The Walking Dead, in which any character can die at any time, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) has survived for nine years. But now that Lincoln has left the show — and will star in his own series of The Walking Dead movies — Daryl (Norman Reedus) is stepping up and a whole new crew of survivors is populating the post-apocalyptic world. An older, Walker-wise Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) and new characters Magna (Nadia Hilker), Yamiko (Eleanor Matsuura), Connie (Lauren Ridloff), Kelly (Angel Theory), and Luke (Dan Fogler) are among the new blood the series has brought in to fill TWD‘s Rick Grimes–shaped void.
The Walking Dead is only the latest show that has had to move on in the wake of a major cast member departure. Throughout TV history, shows have dealt with losing their stars for various reasons — and in some cases the shows grew stronger with the new cast. Not all benefitted from a cast swap, however — there are certainly some duds on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the most famous television replacements. Read on to find out who was replaced and why, along with how their departure was explained on screen.
(Photo by ©Aaron Spelling Prod./Courtesy Everett Collection; Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty, pictured right)
The Replacement: Valerie Malone (Tiffani Amber Thiessen, pictured left)
The Reason: In 2015 Tori Spelling revealed that she eventually made a call to her father, producer Aaron Spelling, asking him to fire Doherty over her conflicts with the cast and crew.
The Explanation: Brenda left for drama school in London. Valerie Malone, a bad girl from Minnesota, came to live with the Walshes for seasons 5 through 10 of 90210. In 1994, Thiessen told press on the set she thought she was cast because “they heard I had a reputation for being easy to work with.”
(Photo by ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Prue Halliwell (Doherty)
The Replacement: Paige (Rose McGowan)
The Reason: According to the New York Daily News, Alyssa Milano gave producers of the original WB show (not to be confused with the 2018 reboot) an ultimatum: It was either her or Doherty. The show’s producers said Doherty wanted to leave, and they let her.
The Explanation: Prue is killed by demons, and, shortly thereafter, the Halliwells discover a long-lost fourth sister, Paige, who ended up sticking around from season 4 through the show’s remaining eight seasons. There’s no bad blood on McGowan’s part, however: The actress wrote to Doherty via Instagram when Doherty underwent cancer treatment: “The men & brainwashed women in our business made it so we couldn’t be friends. I regret that.”
(Photo by Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: C.J. Parker (Pamela Anderson, pictured)
The Replacements: Donna Marco (Donna D’Errico) and Lani McKenzie (Carmen Electra)
The Reason: Anderson left Baywatch to focus on being a mother.
The Explanation: C.J. Parker got married off the show, and it took two new lifeguards to fill her sandy footprints. While Carmen Electra told Esquire, “I don’t think I was hired as a replacement,” costar Kelly Packard recalled auditions for “a room of Pamela Anderson–looking women” and Traci Bingham said Donna “thought she was Pamela.” Electra was only on the series for one season and D’Errico for two, but the casting proved that a rotating roster of lifeguards could survive long into syndication.
(Photo by FX)
Outgoing Character: Kate Wales (Selma Blair)
The Replacement: Dr. Jordan Denby (Laura Bell Bundy, pictured)
The Reason: TMZ reported that Blair complained to the producers about Sheen’s unprofessional behavior, and Sheen demanded she be fired. Sheen told Jay Leno that Blair was written out because viewers expected the show to be about their relationship.
The Explanation: Charlie Goodson (Sheen) stopped seeing Kate for anger management therapy, but went into business with Dr. Denby. Reviews for Anger Management were never all that Fresh (season 1 has a 23% score on 35 reviews), so the switch didn’t seem to change much on the series — except perhaps, given season 2’s three meager reviews, that most critics stopped paying attention.
(Photo by Fox)
Outgoing Character: Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford)
The Replacement: Wesley Cole (Sean William Scott, pictured)
The Reason: Warner Brothers fired Crawford for abusive behavior, which Crawford insisted was only in response to difficulties with costar Damon Wayans.
The Explanation: The character of Riggs survived four films and a perma-rumored fifth, but on TV he was shot and killed. Scott told EW, “For a lot of fans that are upset that they’re not going to see Riggs, which I totally understand, I really believe they’re going to feel ‘OK, they handled it in a way that’s really respectful to that character and what he means to the show.’”
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Outgoing Character: Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin)
The Replacement: David Rossi (Joe Mantegna, pictured)
The Reason: Patinkin said that the violent subject matter of the murder-centric series was “destructive to my soul.”
The Explanation: Mirroring Patinkin’s own experience, Gideon also left the Behavioral Analysis Unit due to emotional distress. His former partner Rossi has filled in ever since and continues to lead the show in its 14th season.
(Photo by CBS)
Outgoing Character: Dr. Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin)
The Replacement: Dr. Kate Austin (Christine Lahti, pictured)
The Reason: Patinkin wanted to be with his family in New York, while Hope filmed in Los Angeles.
The Explanation: Geiger resigned after he couldn’t save Alan Birch (Peter MacNicol) from a gunshot wound, although the show insisted Dr. Austin was not replacing him. Unlike Criminal Minds, Patinkin did return for guest appearances on Chicago Hope.
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The Character: Rayna James (Connie Britton)
The Replacements: Alyssa Greene (Rachel Bilson, pictured) and Jessie Craine (Kaitlin Doubleday)
The Reason: When the series was canceled by ABC and moved to CMT, Britton decided to leave the show, working with the writers to give Rayna a dramatic finale.
The Explanation: Rayna died in the hospital from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Doubleday’s singer/songwriter Jessie Craine and Bilson’s Highway 65 record label exec Alyssa Greene joined the cast in the series’ fifth season, with Bilson leaving at the end of that season and Doubleday staying on through the sixth and final year.
Doubleday prepared for the worst when she entered the show, she told The Boot: “If everyone hates me, it doesn’t matter. It’s a paycheck. I’ve felt pretty at home since the day I got here.”
Interestingly, Britton left 9-1-1 after only one season, and Jennifer Love Hewitt stepped in as a new call center operator. She also appeared in only the first of eight seasons of Ryan Murphy‘s American Horror Story anthology series, while other stars from season 1, like Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Jessica Lange, formed something like a troupe and continued with the show.
(Photo by Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett, pictured left)
The Replacement: Kris Munroe (Cheryl Ladd, pictured right)
The Reason: When Fawcett left the show, she said it was because it prevented her from growing as an actor. Producer Aaron Spelling sued her for $7 million.
The Explanation: Jill resigned from the Angels to become a race-car driver, and — wouldn’t you know it? — she also has a sister named Kris who’s fresh out of the police academy. Ratings held steady enough with Ladd, but dwindled when other new Angels started to rotate in during the final seasons, including Shelly Hack replacing Kate Jackson, and then Tanya Roberts replacing Hack.
(Photo by ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Catherine (Linda Hamilton, pictured)
The Replacement: Diana (Jo Anderson)
The Reason: Hamilton left the series, which ran from 1987 to 1990, when she was pregnant.
The Explanation: Catherine was killed, leaving her love, Vincent (Ron Perlman), heartbroken. Diana offered a potential new love interest, but many fans felt the magic left with Hamilton. Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin wrote for the show and told THR, “You can’t do two seasons of telling the world, ‘This is a love story for the ages, this is Romeo and Juliet,’ and then suddenly third seasons say, ‘Juliet? Forget Juliet. It’s Romeo and Harriet.'”
(Photo by ©Lorimar/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Valerie Hogan (Valerie Harper, pictured)
The Replacement: Sandy Hogan (Sandy Duncan)
The Reason: Wrongful termination, as Harper was vindicated in court.
The Explanation: You would think star Valerie Harper would be safe playing Valerie Hogan on a show called Valerie, but Valerie Hogan died in an automobile accident. Michael Hogan’s (Josh Taylor) sister Sandy came to live with Valerie’s Family, later renamed (again) The Hogan Family.
At the time, Duncan told UPI she didn’t know there was any controversy: “The story I got before I agreed to do the show was that Valerie had left the series. Valerie and I have known each other for years. And while we were never friends, we were friendly. And I’m relieved to know she has told people the dispute is not my problem. I refuse to be on the hot seat.”
Despite Harper’s victory, the show lasted four more seasons, including one on CBS, without her.
(Photo by ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson)
The Replacement: Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan, pictured)
The Reason: NBC promised Stevenson more money, but subsequent shows bombed and Stevenson regretted leaving M*A*S*H after just three seasons.
The Explanation: Blake was tragically shot down while returning home. Sherman Potter joined the M.A.S.H. unit for the rest of its eight seasons, and its spinoff AfterMASH. Morgan had impressed the producers when he guest-starred as a different character in the third season premiere.
(Photo by Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers, pictured)
The Replacement: Cindy Snow (Jenilee Harrison)
The Reason: Somers got fired for asking for pay equal to John Ritter in the fifth season.
The Explanation: Chrissy also had a sister we’d never met before. The show went on for eight total seasons and a spinoff, Three’s a Crowd.
Outgoing Character: Mike Flaherty (Michael J. Fox)
The Replacement: Charlie Crawford (Charlie Sheen)
The Reason: Fox’s real-life battle with Parkinson’s.
The Explanation: Mike became an environmental lobbyist for senator Alex P. Keaton (if only we’d gotten a scene of them together!), and Mayor Winston (Barry Bostwick) got a new deputy, Charlie Crawford (Sheen). Sheen earned the show a younger audience, according to The New York Times. Sheen told the paper, “I’m just glad people are responding. I can’t comment on what they’re responding to.” Spin City went two more seasons and Fox returned as a guest star.
(Photo by Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Det. Elliot Stabler (Meloni, pictured)
The Replacement: Det. Nick Amaro (Pino)
The Reason: Meloni and NBC couldn’t come to terms on a new contract.
The Explanation: Stabler retired, so Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) needed a new partner. Nick Amaro was that partner, and stayed on the job for four seasons. SVU has made it to 20 seasons, matching the original Law & Order.
(Photo by NBC)
Outgoing Character: DA Benjamin Stone (Michael Moriarty)
The Replacement: DA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston, pictured)
The Reason: Moriarty claimed he was forced out for speaking out against a meeting Janet Reno had with NBC, believing the Attorney General would impose restrictive laws on television.
The Explanation: Stone resigned and McCoy took over. Now it’s hard to imagine the show without Sam Waterston as DA Jack McCoy, and he’s who you’re most likely to see in a syndicated rerun. In 1995, Waterston was on speaking terms with Moriarty. “I have nothing to say about his reasons for leaving,” Waterston told The New York Times. “But I’ve talked to him since, and I think we’re OK.”
(Photo by Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Paul Hennessy (Ritter, pictured)
The Replacements: Jim Egan (James Garner) and C.J. Barnes (David Spade)
The Reason: Ritter’s sudden death at the age of 54.
The Explanation: In the aftermath of Ritter’s (and his character’s) death, the show added Garner as widow Cate’s (Katey Sagal) father, and then Spade as her nephew who came to live with them. The show completed three seasons with the new cast.
(Photo by ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Doug Ross (George Clooney, pictured)
The Replacement: Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic)
The Reason: Clooney fulfilled his five-year contract with ER, even as he ascended to movie stardom.
The Explanation: Ross moved to Seattle after a dispute over being caught helping a mother euthanize her terminal son. The next year, Luka Kovac joined the E.R. an attending physician. Luka even dated Ross’ love, Nurse Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) until the two reunited (with a surprise Clooney cameo) when Margulies left the show too. The series ran for 10 more years, ending after its 15th season (during which Clooney and several other cast members returned).
(Photo by ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Det. John Kelley (David Caruso)
The Replacement: Det. Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits, pictured right)
The Reason: Caruso got a taste of the movie business and asked for a raise that NYPD Blue brass didn’t agree to — especially after only one season.
The Explanation: Internal Affairs pushed Kelly off the force, and Simone became Sipowicz’s (Dennis Franz) new partner. Eventually, Rick Schroder joined the cast as well. Once Caruso was on CSI: Miami, he admitted he made a mistake leaving NPYD Blue.
The modest Smits wouldn’t take credit for the ratings bump after he joined the show. “I don’t think I solely am responsible for that,” Smits told SF Gate in 1995. “But the people at the network are happy.”
(Photo by Shane Harvey/FOX)
Outgoing Character: Fox Mulder (David Duchovny, pictured)
The Replacement: John Doggett (Robert Patrick)
The Reason: Duchovny’s contract was up after seven years, and he was also suing Fox for syndication earnings. He would later return full-time in the 10th season.
The Explanation: Mulder got abducted by aliens, of course. Agent Doggett became Scully’s (Gillian Anderson) new partner, but without the seven years of rapport and back story, Patrick’s Dogett just didn’t have the same spark. Some critics, however, are reconsidering his seasons.
In 2017, Patrick told People TV he knew the fans weren’t interested in him at first, but “we won ’em over and we got two seasons out of it.” It worked out for X-Files fans, though: Duchovny and Anderson starred in two feature films and then two additional seasons over a decade later.
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Outgoing Character: Charlie Harper (Sheen)
The Replacement: Walden Schmidt (Ashton Kutcher, pictured)
The Reason: Sheen’s public meltdown and lashing out against creator Chuck Lorre.
The Explanation: Charlie was murdered by an ex, and the heartbroken billionaire Walden Schmidt took over his share of the rent. Kutcher said after his arrival that he drew a younger and more international audience to the show.
“The demos for the show have actually started to skew a little bit younger,” Kutcher said in 2012 after half a season. “I can see a reflection of that on on the social media surfaces. You can actually see the international markets that are going to pop with the show. I think we just opened in Germany this week, and it was double.”
Even Angus T. Jones (the titular half-man) left the show for a while after disparaging it publicly. Two and a Half Men was always critic-proof, so it lasted four more years with Walden Schmidt.
(Photo by ©Paramount Television/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Outgoing Character: Diane Chambers (Shelley Long, pictured left)
The Replacement: Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley, pictured right)
The Reason: Long wanted to pursue a movie career and left after five seasons.
The Explanation: When Diane left Sam Malone (Ted Danson) before their wedding, he sold the bar to a corporation that put Rebecca Howe in charge, making her Sam’s new romantic foil. It worked. Cheers ran for 11 years total and Alley is arguably even more closely identified with it than Long. The show previously had to fill a void when Nicholas Colosanto died during the third season, which is when Woody Harrelson joined the series.
Did we leave out your favorite replacement? Tell us in the comments.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Moviegoers of a certain age will remember the first time they saw Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which flipped Arnold Schwarzenegger’s villain from the first film into a hero and pitted him against an even more sinister foe, the liquid metal T-1000 played by Robert Patrick. Thanks to James Cameron’s deft hand, some groundbreaking special effects, and, of course, the T-1000’s piercing, ice-cold stare, T2 became a runaway success, and Patrick, who was relatively unknown at the time, earned a spot as one of cinema’s most memorable villains.
Since then, Patrick has enjoyed success in a variety of roles, including the final two seasons of The X-Files as agent John Doggett, and even as Terminator 2 returns to theaters this week with a brand new 4K transfer and 3D effects overseen by James Cameron himself, Patrick has even more lined up for the coming weeks. The fourth season of his CBS drama Scorpion arrives in September, as well as a true crime thriller called Last Rampage, and he’ll also feature in a new paranormal anthology series for Amazon called Lore. Patrick took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with RT about his Five Favorite Films and the impact Terminator 2 has had on his career.
My first film would be Braveheart. I love that film. I have Scots-Irish ancestry, and I was very intrigued with it. I’m actually a part of the Wallace clan on my grandmother’s side, so I was very intrigued with the portrayal of William Wallace, even though I’m not a direct descendant. The subject matter interested me, and I thought that Mel Gibson did an exceptional job. It’s my favorite film. It’s one of those films I can watch over and over and over again. It has comedy, there’s romance, love, passion, love of your country, the pursuit of freedom, and I just think he did an incredible job directing that film and also starring in it.
I think my second favorite film is Apocalypse Now, partly because I’m 58 years old, and I grew up with Vietnam on the television. That movie is just such an amazing journey, and it was really terrifying to watch. There were just so many elements of that film that just left a big impression on me when I saw it. I think I saw it — when did it come out? In ’78, ’79? It was just an amazing film. For me, not having served, it kind of articulated and revealed the fear I think I would’ve had, had I had to go. There were just so many elements about that film that were terrifying. It was fascinating filmmaking, and I love that film.
In my career, I finally got to work with Bobby Duvall, he played my father in the movie I did with Billy Bob Thornton [Jayne Mansfield’s Car], but to talk to Bobby about those sequences and what that was like, and how it was like to shoot… It’s a pretty profound movie.
And Coppola himself, my third favorite film is The Godfather. He’s just such a huge filmmaker of the ’70s, and I admire his work tremendously.
What would be my number four? I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten that far in my categorizing of films. Maybe 2001 by Stanley Kubrick. It’s a film I saw early on with my father that had a really profound effect on me. That movie, I think, is pretty amazing filmmaking. And to see it at a young age — I remember going with my dad to watch it. It was a very, very profound film to watch.
RT: I love that film, but I’m not sure how I would have processed it if I had seen it as a child. How old were you when you and your father went to see it?
God, I don’t know. I wasn’t that old. I wasn’t that old at all. Yeah, it was such a mind-blowing experience. I have to say that I was under 12, and I’m not really quite sure when that one came out, but even to this day when I rewatch it, it was just amazing. I think maybe the power of the cinema really hit me.
I think my fifth choice will blow you away. At a time in my life when I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to pursue, and I had a feeling I wanted to pursue acting as a career, one of the films that really hit me hard emotionally that made me feel pushed that way was An Officer and a Gentleman, with Richard Gere. There was just something about that film that had such a profound effect on me. The line,”I have no place else to go,” that he yells up at Lou Gossett, Jr. resonated. I love that film for the emotional impact it had on me. It’s an amazing film.
RT: So it was the performances that really stood out to you.
Yeah, it was more of the performances. I’m not sure if that’ll ever be on anybody’s top five list, but again, just thinking about it, it’s the power of the cinema and the impact that it has on me as a filmgoer. Certainly there are films that are technically superior and just amazing achievements in film, but also I like that aspect of what kind of an impact can the film deliver. That one definitely falls in that category. It’s a lot like Braveheart in that sense, that emotionally I was connected to it. It hit me profoundly.
Ryan Fujitani for Rotten Tomatoes: You mentioned part of the reason you love Braveheart is your Scots-Irish heritage. Have you ever visited your ancestral lands?
Robert Patrick: Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. Three or four years ago, I took my family to Scotland on a trip, and Matt Kennedy was our escort. He’s a part of Best Scottish Tours, and he took us around and showed us. We actually found the home of my family clan, the Lamont clan, that later my descendants became Patrick when they came over to America in the initial immigration to America by the Europeans. We’ve been over here since the early 1600s. It was quite interesting, because everybody was in pursuit of freedom. That’s how I got to be here, and my family had a really, really great time going around Scotland. Yeah, I have never really felt at home anywhere other than America, but when I was in Scotland, I really could feel the presence of my ancestors.
RT: You’ve obviously done a lot of different projects over the years, but the 3D release of Terminator 2 is coming out this week. This was your big breakout role. I’m wondering if you still get a lot of people coming up to you quoting lines from the movie.
Patrick: Oh, absolutely. It’s a huge breakout role for me, the biggest impact on my career. Up until that time, I’d only done Roger Corman films that were somewhat obscure and not really widely seen. No one had any idea who I was, which is one of the reasons why I think the character had such a big impact with the audience. Because I was an unknown guy, they had no preconceived notions, which made them willing to, whether they knew it or not, accept me as the T-1000. To this day, it is the thing that I am the most recognized for. Not a day goes by that I don’t acknowledge someone when they say, “T-1000!” and I say, “That’s me.”
RT: Does it ever get to a point where you think, “God, I’ve done so much other great stuff over the years. Where’s the love for that?”
Patrick: Well, I appreciate you saying that, and secretly I do hope that people are aware of the other work that I’ve done. I’ve been doing it for 34 years, and I would hope that someone has also seen some of the other stuff. But that character’s just so iconic, and I’m so proud of it. I’m really proud of the impact it’s had on our culture, and be a small part in that. There’s a quarter me, quarter Jim Cameron, quarter Stan Winston effects, and a quarter Industrial Light & Magic effects, and they all combined to make that character, so I’m really proud of it. But I’m incredibly proud of some other movies I’ve done, like Cop Land and Walk the Line, you know.
RT: You reprised the T-1000 character in a couple of cameos for Wayne’s World and The Last Action Hero. When they approached you about that at the time, did you feel any reluctance to play up that character again.
Patrick: Yeah, well, there was a give and take with it. There was some give and take, and it was something kind of like… I wanted to prove myself, that there was more to me than just that, and yet I still felt like, “Well, if anybody wants to make fun of it, I should be the guy to do it.” And I did, and I had fun with that, but I tried not to perpetuate it in the sense that I didn’t want to do a role that was similar to it, or I didn’t want to use the celebrity from it to sell beer. I didn’t want to do it in that fashion, but doing it in the fashion I did, in Wayne’s World and Last Action Hero, well, that seemed to be okay with me, because then I was in on the joke. I wanted to explore finding other opportunities for me to do my craft in a different way and remove myself as far as I could from it.
I’m very proud of my career. I feel that I’ve tried to be a chameleon. I’ve really tried to lose my identity in different roles and confuse people, and not let there be the personality of Robert Patrick be what you’re watching. I want you to watch the character and believe the character. I’m real confident that I’ve achieved that goal.
So that was the kind of give and take with it. I don’t want to just be known for this, but I’ll have fun being known for this, and I got to compartmentalize everything and continue as an artist.
RT: There’s a tricky balance to strike there, I’m sure.
Patrick: Yeah, I’m really grateful that my own personality, the personality of Robert Patrick, isn’t the dominant thing when people see me. Usually they acknowledge the work, and I’m much more happy with that.
RT: You have a lot of projects coming up in the pipeline, including this film called Last Rampage.
Patrick: That’s a film I’m very, very proud of, that I co-produced with my director, Dwight Little. My brother does the score — my brother, a multi-platinum recording artist, formerly of Nine Inch Nails, it’s his composition. I think it is undoubtedly the darkest character I’ve ever played in my life. It’s a true life story, a true crime story, and my guy is the devil, just a real monster. I’m really, really excited for people to see this. It’s an independent film, and I’m really, really proud of it.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D opens this Friday, August 25; Last Rampage opens in theaters an on VOD on September 22; and CBS’ Scorpion returns for its fourth season on September 25.
Members of the Television Critics Association gathered at the Beverly Hilton Friday for presentations from FX Networks, featuring their upcoming slate of original programming. The network announced premiere dates for their fall lineup, including American Horror Story: Hotel, Fargo, and The Bastard Executioner, as well as new series pickups, a third season renewal for The Strain, and an unexpected hiatus for Louis C.K.’s critically acclaimed comedy series Louie.
Don’t expect any Louie in 2016. Series creator Louis C.K. is taking another “extended hiatus” from his critically acclaimed comedy to pursue other projects. FX Networks and FX Productions CEO John Landgraf told the press, “After writing, directing, starring in, and mostly editing 61 episodes of television, he’s anxious to take a break from the show and work on other things.” One such project is his in-development movie I Am a Cop, which he will write, direct and star in.
C.K. previously took a break from Louie back in 2012, when he pushed the season four premiere date back a year in order to recharge and focus on touring. Landgraf doesn’t know how long the hiatus will span this time around saying, “”Gosh, I hope 20 years is the outside date but I think Curb Your Enthusiasm is the right analogy,” referring to Larry David’s on-and-off-again HBO comedy series, which has produced eight seasons in fifteen years. “It’s really going to be his choice,” said Landgraf. “It could be six months or two years.” But don’t fret, C.K. will still have an active presence at the network thanks to his overall deal, including the Zach Galifianakis comedy Baskets and the Pamela Adlon’s freshly announced series Better Things, which C.K. co-created, and a third “equally compelling” project Landgraf promised the network will announce soon.
The acclaimed thriller The Strain, from Guillermo Del Toro and Carlton Cuse will return next summer for a 10-episode third season. Eric Schrier and Nick Grad, Presidents of Original Programming announced the news prior to the FX TCA presentation.
“Guillermo and Carlton have delivered two thrilling seasons of The Strain that are captivating and visually arresting, doing justice to the original novel trilogy and meeting fans’ high expectations in the process,” said Schrier. “We’re excited to see them carry this powerful story into a third season on FX.”
While addressing the press, Cuse confirmed a five-season plan for the series. He also clarified the planned timeline to adapt Del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s trilogy, with the first season covering the first book, the second and third seasons drawing from the second book, and the final two seasons wrapping up the story of the third novel. The second season of The Strain is currently running Sundays on FX.
FX has set premiere dates for their slate of fall programming. First up is Kurt Sutter’s highly-anticipated Sons of Anarchy follow up, The Bastard Executioner. The 10-episode first season of the “blood-soaked medieval epic” debuts on FX September 15 with a two-hour premiere.
The next installment of Ryan Murphy’s Emmy and Golden Globe-winning limited series, American Horror Story: Hotel, will premiere on October 7. The 13-episode fifth installment of the hit series is led by an all-star cast including Lady Gaga and Matt Bomer alongside AHS regulars Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Evan Peters, and Sarah Paulson.
Finally, the Peabody award-winning anthology series Fargo will return to FX on October 12. The 10-episode second season travels back to 1979 South Dakota for yet another “true crime” case. Fronted by an A-List cast including Patrick Wilson, Kirsten Dunst, Ted Danson, and Jean Smart, the latest Fargo installment chronicles the Sioux Falls “madness” mentioned by Lou Solverson in the first season.
FXX announced its pick-up of Cassius and Clay, an animated action-buddy comedy from Archer creator Adam Reed and Modern Family producer Megan Ganz. It will star Kaitlin Olson as Cassius and Lake Bell as Clay — bandits surviving and thriving in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic America. The voice cast also includes Susan Sarandon, Jeffrey Tambor, and Robert Patrick. Cassius and Clay’s 10-episode debut season is expected to debut on FXX in 2016.
Additionally, the hit comedy series Archer will move to FXX after six seasons on FX. The seventh season will be paired with Cassius and Clay in 2016, adding to FXX’s top-tier comedy slate that already includes It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, You’re the Worst, Man Seeking Woman, and Animation Domination.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is and always has been the Terminator movie closest to my heart. It’s probably due to the fact that I watched T2 repeatedly on cable as a child — I was 10 years old when it was first released, and an HBO/Cinemax junkie through adolescence — and, I can admit now without shame, I majorly crushed on little Edward Furlong throughout the ’90s. (Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the Edge” music video, anyone?)
But it was only while watching T2 again as an adult that I began to appreciate its complexities. Yes, it’s an action film about a robot from the future who blows s*** up, but it’s also a story about human nature and the bonds of love and friendship; a self-reflexive but not overly self-aware sequel; and a technical marvel of a movie that employs the most special of special effects and puts all of its insanely expensive budget on screen.
T2: Judgment Day opens, as does the first film, on a desolate glimpse of the future. Again, it’s Los Angeles circa 2029 A.D. and rebel humans skirmish with deadly machines on the battlefield — only this battlefield is revealed to be a former playground littered with human skulls, a foreshadowing to the recurring nightmare that returning heroine Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) has throughout the present, the year 1995. (So too does the production quality reveal familiar visuals that feel different; here, James Cameron‘s bigger budget is immediately evident: among sets with actual depth of field, endoskeleton Terminators walk and shoot humans with the fluidity of CG rather than jerky stop motion animation. Even the lasers look more modern.)
Back in 1995, it’s been ten years since Sarah Connor gave birth to her son John, conceived with resistance fighter from the future Kyle Reese before his untimely (or timely) death in Terminator. As two Terminators touch down from the future — one sent to kill the young John, the other sent to protect him — Sarah Connor prepares herself for the battle ahead while locked in a mental hospital. Like Reese in the first film, Sarah tries in vain to warn authorities of the pending Judgment Day, when a nuclear blast will decimate humankind; unsurprisingly, no one — especially the superbly slimy Earl Boen, reprising his role as psych evaluator Dr. Silberman — believes her. As the reprogrammed Terminator Model T800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) joins forces with the Connors, the trio attempts to battle a newer model Terminator (Robert Patrick) and destroy the technology that will eventually lead to the creation of SkyNet.
As happens through the entire film, we’re treated to frequent nods to the first film that validate and add new dimension to our Terminator-like memories. (Remember how the Governator first lands from the future, in his nude crouch? Or how he beats up some local thugs for clothing?) Where the Terminator in the first film was deadly and ruthless, in T2 he’s menacing, but practically a pacifist. The decision to turn him from villain to hero (and Sarah Connor from wallflower to warrior woman) was simply genius — a character reborn anew that critic David Ansen termed “Conan the Humanitarian.”
The new old Terminator also becomes an underdog with the introduction of a newer model: the T1000, a mighty morphin’ Terminator made of liquid metal who can mimic any human form and voice (Robert Patrick). Suddenly the muscled, lumbering T800 is an obsolete model to which the shape-shifting, metal armed-T1000 seems invincible. Thanks to this juxtaposition, we learn to accept the Terminator as not only a physical underdog, but a hero to be pitied and rooted for. (What match is he for the Oscar-winning CGI effects of ILM, whose metal morphing effects resemble those they created for Cameron’s The Abyss?)
Beyond the Terminator/T1000 match up, it’s the Terminator’s fundamental personality shift that makes T2 so compelling. The T800 is alternately pet and father figure to the ten-year-old John Connor (Furlong), a rebellious young tech prodigy in the making who wears a Public Enemy t-shirt under a camo jacket and rips ATMS for cash when not playing Missile Command and After Burner with his friend, the mulleted redhead kid from Salute Your Shorts (Danny Cooksey).
(Small details like this date T2, but not distractingly so. For that matter, let’s give a shout out to Jenette Goldstein AKA Vasquez from Aliens as John’s foster mom! )
Back to that “boy and his robot” dynamic. After meeting in an iconic hallway shoot-out scene that recalls the slow-motion dance club shoot-out in Terminator (threatening stalker-type saves a Connor from actual killer, takes them on the run), John and his cyborg pal develop a deeply moving relationship that gives T2 its most compelling emotional resonance. John teaches his ‘bot slang, how to smile, where humans like to leave their car keys; the Terminator in turn gives the young Connor a steadfast protector and father figure, a fact that Sarah Connor herself notes in one of the film’s many voice-overs.
As the story progresses, robot and human trade roles; the T800 becomes more compassionate, Sarah more machinelike. Bent on changing the future (or history, depending on your vantage point) as told to her by our dear, departed Kyle Reese, Sarah sets off to prove that there is “no fate,” hoping that she can save the future by assassinating the scientist due to invent Terminator technology. Between the events of Terminator and T2, Sarah Connor has become a woman on a mission — get strong, be tough, learn military tactics, and protect John — but her training has pushed her too far. (Incidentally, given the obvious physical and weapons training that Hamilton did in preparation for the role, this has to be one of the most dedicated thespian transformations in movie history.)
They say that guns don’t kill people; people kill people. In T2, weapon and human are equally dangerous. As the Terminator’s “master,” John exercises responsibility by forbidding human casualties, even in the interest of his own safety, while Sarah nearly kills scientist Miles Dyson (the excellent Joe Morton) to save her son; Dyson himself is blithely creating the technology that will wipe out humankind in the interest of national security. T2‘s anti-violence message is a subtle thread woven throughout its story, present between explosions, firebombs, and blasts of gunfire.
The specter of the first film looms constantly over T2, whether through visual reference (a bloody X-acto knife, the blue hues of technology-themed scenes) or dialogue (“I’ll be back,” Arnold assures the Connors as he confronts a lobby teeming with SWAT). It also dredges up the age-old sci-fi problem — time travel and the causality loop — but smartly addresses it in a single scene; John explains the story of his birth to the Terminator, including how in 35 years his future self will send Kyle Reese back to 1984. “It messes with your head,” he complains, echoing my sentiments. Which came first — John knowing Reese was his father, or John sending him back in time? Cameron and co-writer William Wisher seem to be telling us not to put too much thought into the matter.
Ultimately, the brilliance of Terminator 2: Judgment Day is that it’s a sequel which not only continues its original story, but also builds upon and expands it in terms of storytelling, theme, and scope. T2 is the rare case where a sequel is better than the original, though it never forgets its debt to the first film; it would be nothing without, and yet is much more than, the first Terminator.
Tomorrow, see how well we like the new John Connor, the new lady Terminator, and Claire Danes in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (AKA Terminator 3: My So Called Future).
Jen Gets Terminated Dates:
In this week’s Ketchup, the first trailer for "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" appears on RT, Natalie Portman delights many by showing her stuff in "Goya’s Ghosts," and Emma Watson fuels speculation about her status in the next "Harry Potter" films.
Also, Frank Miller has his sights set on a "300" sequel, and "Grindhouse" may be to gruesome for the good folks at the MPAA. Read on.
This Week’s Most Popular News:
"Pirates 3" Trailer is Here!
If you missed it during "Dancing with the Stars" and you didn’t bother trolling through Yahoo! around midnight last night, you needn’t worry. The brand-new (and very stellar) trailer for "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" is now ready for consumption.
Natalie Portman "Goya’s Ghosts" Nude Scene Clips Online
You dreamt that this day would come. The rumor mill offered it up only to snatch it right back so cruelly last summer. But now they’re back — those Natalie Portman nude scene rumors, that is. This time, with clips!!
Is Emma Watson Planning to Dump "Harry Potter"?
Over the course of one news report, the info goes from "Emma Watson will NOT star in the final pair of Potter flicks" to "Well, actually, we don’t know for sure." Sounds like it’s contract renegotiation time, kiddies!
Frank Miller Prepping a "300" Sequel After "Sin City 2"?
When a movie comes out with no stars and a hard R rating, and STILL explodes at the box office, you just know you can expect some sequel talk. And while details are very sketchy at this point, Variety states that Frank Miller wants to mount a "300" sequel.
NC-17 Rating for "Grindhouse"? (Grisly Semi-Spoilers Within)
Consider these seven words describing a scene in "Grindhouse:" "Grossly obese man chewing on a baby." Yeah, so is it any wonder rumors claim the grungy Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double feature is heading towards an NC-17?
Testing the MPAA’s nerves.
In Other News:
The second flick to spring from WWE Films (after the woeful "See No Evil") is "The Marine" which stars wrestler John Cena as an unkillable former soldier who must rescue his hot wife from a bunch of scummy criminals.
Click right here for the trailer, which is jam-packed with goofy dialogue, numerous explosions, and Robert Patrick having a good time as an ultra-evil jerkface villain.
The annoyingly PG-13-rated "The Marine" storms into theaters on October 13th.
ComingSoon.net shares with us a press release from the workaholics over at Walden Media, and the newest news is this: Production has already begun on Walden & Disney’s "Bridge to Terabithia," a sprawling fantasy adventure inspired by the works of author Katherine Paterson. Flick’s got a pretty solid cast & crew lined up, too.
Bridge to Terabithia, the motion picture adaptation of Katherine Paterson’s Newbery Honor award winning best-selling novel, began principal photography on location in Auckland, New Zealand. The project is a co-production between Walden Media (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Because of Winn-Dixie) and The Walt Disney Studios. International sales and distribution will be handled by Summit Entertainment.
Josh Hutcherson (Zathura, The Polar Express) stars as Jess Aarons, an 11 year old boy whose efforts to be the fastest runner in his grade are thwarted by a new girl who outruns all the boys. AnnaSophia Robb (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) stars as Leslie Burke, the new girl who becomes friends with Jess despite their awkward introduction.
She ultimately opens up a world of imagination for Jess in the land of Terabithia that changes his life forever. "Bridge to Terabithia" also stars Zooey Deschanel (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Elf) as Miss Edmunds, the music teacher at Jess and Leslie’s school, and Robert Patrick (Walk the Line, Ladder 49, Terminator 2: Judgement Day) joins the cast as Jess Aarons’ father.
Together Jess and Leslie create the world of Terabithia, an imaginary kingdom filled with all manner of magical beings. While the real world of family and school may be filled with challenges, in Terabithia, Jess and Leslie rule as King and Queen.
Brimming with fantastical creatures, palaces and beautiful forests – the kingdom of Terabithia will be brought to life by the creative wizards at the Academy Award winning visual effects facility Weta Digital in Wellington, New Zealand. Weta Digital is responsible for effects in the Academy Award winning "Lord of the Rings" films and King Kong and is co-owned by a team of Academy Award winners including director Peter Jackson, effects specialist Richard Taylor and editor Jamie Selkirk.
The film marks the big screen directorial debut of famed Academy Award nominee and Emmy-Award winning animator Gabor Csupo (Rugrats in Paris, The Wild Thornberrys Movie). Former Production President of Universal Pictures Hal Lieberman (Around the World in 80 Days, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) produces with Lauren Levine (I am David), and the author’s son David Paterson (Love Ludlow), who wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by Katherine Paterson, with revisions by Jeff Stockwell and Kevin Wade.
The talented team of filmmakers includes two-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Michael Chapman (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Fugitive), Production Designer Robert Gillies (The World’s Fastest Indian, Boogeyman), Costume Designer Barbara Darragh (River Queen, The Frighteners) and film editor John Gilbert ("The Fellowship of the Ring").
Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia is a timeless classic from one of the world’s most renowned children’s book authors.
Ms Paterson is the author of 14 novels, numerous non-fiction and essays for children and young people including Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, both winners of the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1978 and 1981. Her novels have sold over 5 million copies since 1978 and are published in over two dozen languages worldwide.
Bridge to Terabithia will film on location in West Auckland, New Zealand including the rural forest areas of Riverhead and Puhoi. The company will film for 10 weeks and production will conclude in early April 2006, with Walt Disney Pictures planning an early 2007 release.
Good ol’ Harrison Ford never gets too old to stop kicking some serious butt, and the 63-year-old actor shows off his stuff in a new action thriller from director Richard Loncraine. It’s a heist flick called "Firewall," and you can see the all-new trailer right here.
"With his family held for ransom, the head security executive for a global bank is commanded to loot his own business for millions in order to ensure his wife and children’s safety. He then faces the demanding task of thwarting the kidnapper’s grand scheme, which makes him look guilty of embezzlement."
Mr. Loncraine’s previous films include "Wimbledon," "Richard III," and "The Missionary."
Co-starring Virginia Madsen, Paul Bettany, and Robert Patrick (and written by first-time Joe Forte), "Firewall" busts into theaters on February 10th.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a good Harrison Ford flick, so it’s with hopeful optimism that we point you towards the all-new trailer for Mr. Ford’s next film, the crime thriller "Firewall."
"Jack Stanfield is a bank security expert, whose specialty is designing infallible theft-proof financial computer systems. But there’s a hidden vulnerability in the system he didn’t account for – himself. When a ruthless criminal mastermind kidnaps his family, Jack is forced to find a flaw in his system and steal $100 million. With the lives of his wife and children at stake and under constant surveillance, he has only hours to find a loophole in the thief’s own impenetrable system of subterfuge and false identities to beat him at his own game."
Co-starring alongside Harrison Ford are Virginia Madsen, Paul Bettany, Robert Patrick, Alan Arkin, Robert Forster, and Mary Lynn Rajskub. The screenplay is from first-timer Joe Forte, and it’s director Richard Loncraine ("Richard III") behind the camera.
WB’s "Firewall" opens on February 10th.
Curious to see what Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash would look like? Well then click right here to check out the very first Quicktime trailer for James Mangold‘s "Walk the Line."
The biopic about the man in black stars Mr. Phoenix as the late great Mr. Cash and Reese Witherspoon as his longtime love (and writing partner) June. Based on a pair of autobiographies and various real-life events, "Walk the Line" also stars Robert Patrick, Shelby Lynne, and Ginnifer Goodwin.
Early reports indicate the Joaquin does all of his own singing in "Walk the Line," which (for better or for worse) should be worthy of the ticket price all by itself.
The Fox 2000 flick is scheduled for release on November 18th.
