News

2024 just made the Marvel Cinematic Universe Punisher casting all the more exciting. While only a single MCU movie was put on the schedule for 2024, the year has been significant for the franchise in many ways. Said lone movie - Deadpool & Wolverine - was a major success for the MCU timeline that brought the Fox X-Men universe into the multiverse, and X-Men '97 similarly brought back the classic cartoon series to much praise and critical acclaim. The year has also seen many big reveals for the future, including the news that Robert Downey Jr. will be playing the McU's Doctor Doom.

2024's various awards also saw some nods to the MCU, with Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 being nominated for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, an Academy Award, a range of Saturn Awards, and winning a Visual Effects Society Award. However, it's the 2024 Emmys that make the...

Exclusive: In advance of its Monday Toronto Film Festival World Premiere, the Dito Montiel-directed Riff Raff has been acquired for U.S. rights by Lionsgate’s Grindstone Entertainment Group and Roadside Attractions which made the deal with Capstone, the domestic sales agent. Roadside Attractions plans a domestic theatrical release of 750 theaters minimum in 2025.

Scripted by John Pollono (Stronger), the film centers on a former criminal whose ordinary life is thrown upside down when his family shows up for a long-awaited reckoning. The cast includes Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus), Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding), Gabrielle Union (The Inspection), Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), Emanuela Postacchini (Robots), Miles J. Harvey (American Vandal), Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island), Michael Covina (The Climb), and Bill Murray (Ghostbusters).

Signature Entertainment, which is handling international sales on the title, has closed territory deals in Italy (Maestro Distribution), Scandinavia (Scanbox), the Middle East...

Bill Murray has joined the already-stacked cast of director Dito Montiel’s upcoming crime comedy Riff Raff. More details below.

Dito Montiel’s crime comedy Riff Raff has set up quite a cast. Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Emanuela Postacchini, Miles J Harvey and Pete Davidson are all set to appear, and the film has just added another star to its ranks.

Bill Murray, who was just seen in Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire, will also appear in Riff Raff, Variety reports.

According to the same article, Riff Raff – not to be confused with the 1991 Ken Loach film of the same name – follows a former criminal, whose ordinary life is turned upside down when his family shows up for a “long-awaited reckoning”. John Pollono, whose work takes in Grey’s Anatomy, Masters Of Sex, and the 2021 indie comedy Small Engine Repair, has written the script.

We don’t know who plays who yet,...

Bill Murray has joined the cast of “Riff Raff,” the upcoming crime comedy from director Dito Montiel set to feature Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”), Ed Harris (“Love Lies Bleeding”) Gabrielle Union (“The Inspection”), Lewis Pullman (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Emanuela Postacchini (“Robots”), Miles J. Harvey (“American Vandal”) and Pete Davidson (“The King of Staten Island”).

Signature Films, which is handling international sales on the title, has closed territory deals in Italy (Maestro Distribution), Scandinavia (Scanbox), the Middle East (Phoenicia), Eastern Europe (ProRom), Poland (Kino Siwiat), Taiwan (MovieCloud), airline rights (CineSky), Commonwealth of Independent States (Mgn), Greece (Tanweer), Portugal (Lusomundo) and Turkey (Vagon). Signature will distribute the film in the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Based on a script by John Pollono (“Stronger”), “Riff Raff” centers on a former criminal’s ordinary life which is thrown upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reckoning.

Signature...

Exclusive: Four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris (Westworld), Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), Miles J. Harvey (American Vandal) and Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island) have joined Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge, Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman, and Gabrielle Union (The Inspection) in director Dito Montiel’s crime comedy movie Riff Raff, which has begun filming in New Jersey.

The film centers on a former criminal whose ordinary life is thrown upside down when his family shows up for a long-awaited reckoning.

Signature Films and Canopy Media Partners are behind the production, based on a script by John Pollono.

Canopy Media Partners’ Noah Rothman (Small Engine Repair), Signature Films’ Marc Goldberg and Sarah Gabriel (The Estate), and Adam Paulsen are producing.

Executive producers include David Sullivan, John Pollono, Chris Dennis for Canopy Media Partners, Capstone’s Christian Mercuri, and Patrick Hibler and Patrick Muldoon from Storyboard Media.

Exclusive: Branden Cook (Industry), Spencer House (The Time Traveler’s Wife) and Benjamin Wadsworth (Deadly Class) are set as series regulars opposite Grace Van Patten and Jackson White in Tell Me Lies, Hulu’s straight-to-series drama based on Carola Lovering’s novel, which is executive produced by Emma Roberts.

Adapted by Meaghan Oppenheimer, Tell Me Lies follows a tumultuous but intoxicating relationship as it unfolds over the course of 8 years. When Lucy Albright (Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (White) meet at college, they are at that formative age when seemingly mundane choices lead the way to irrevocable consequences. Although their relationship begins like any typical campus romance, they quickly fall into an addictive entanglement that will permanently alter not only their lives, but the lives of everyone around them.

Cook will play Evan, a kind, intelligent guy who often feels stunted by his father’s success, causing him to sometimes lack motivation.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to the comedy Unplugging, starring Eva Longoria (Sylvie’s Love), Matt Walsh (Veep), Lea Thompson (J. Edgar), Keith David (Greenleaf) and Nicole Byer (Nailed It!), with plans to release it in theaters nationwide next spring.

In the feature directorial debut of veteran film editor Debra Neil-Fisher, husband and wife Dan (Walsh) and Jeanine (Longoria) plan a weekend getaway of “digital detox” without kids, phones, or social media. They need—or think they need—only clean fresh air and alone time together to rekindle their romance. But once they forego Gps to guide them and disconnect from the internet, can they reconnect their own internal servers to spark their marriage?

Johnny Pemberton (Superstore), Al Madrigal (Morbius), Joel Kim Booster (Sunnyside), and Nancy Friedrich (Pen15) round out the cast of the film, scripted by Walsh and Brad Morris.

From The Walking Dead and Punisher to The Wolf of Wall Street, Small Engine Repair, The Many Saints of Newark, and this month’s King Richard, Jon Bernthal has established himself as the hard-working, all-in, go-to, actor’s-actor of the moment. In this episode, he talks about some of the elements he uses—generosity, energy management, isolation, fear-as-fuel, group strength—to do his work, the one thing all great directors have in common, why he’d be just as grateful doing regional theater, plus much more! Back To One can be found wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. And […]

The post Back to One, Episode 178: Jon Bernthal first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

If you’re looking for someone to throw a punch or take on a zombie horde, well, Jon Bernthal’s probably your guy. But when you’re looking for an actor who can credibly serve-and-volley, he might not spring to mind.

That was the dilemma facing “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green when he was looking for someone to portray Rick Macci, the tennis coach who took a chance on a young Venus and Serena Williams. Bernthal has made a career playing tough guys, such as gritty Marvel antihero Frank Castle or “The Walking Dead’s” Shane Walsh. When looking for an actor to play Tony Soprano’s father for “The Many Saints of Newark,” Bernthal, who has broken his nose more than a dozen times, made perfect sense. But to play the happily square Macci, he wasn’t an obvious fit. Imagine casting the Punisher as Ned Flanders.

“He...

A group of friends discover that a deadly urban legend is all too real in Lantern's Lane, and with the new horror thriller coming to North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms this Friday, November 5th, via Vertical Entertainment, we've been provided with an exclusive clip to share with Daily Dead readers!

Check out our exclusive clip below, and read the official press release for more details on Lantern's Lane:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Justin Lareau’s horror thriller Lantern’s Lane. The film will be available in theaters and to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms through Vertical Entertainment on November 5, 2021.

A recent college graduate and her estranged high school friends return to Lantern’s Lane, the home of a real urban legend and must fight to survive the night.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to indie horror film La Patasola from Glass House Distribution, with plans to release it in theaters in at least 10 major markets, and across streaming media and other platforms, on January 14, 2022.

Shot over a 21-day period in a Covid-free bubble just outside of Orlando, Florida, La Patasola follows two struggling couples whose relationships, morality and will to survive are tested when they’re haunted by a famed vampiric monster from South American folklore.

Actor and writer Aj Jones (Lovecraft Country) directed the film in his feature directorial debut, from a script he wrote with Shaun Mathis (The Plug), which was based on a story he created with Daniela Gonzalez (Frenemies).

Gonzales and Aj Jones also appear in the film alongside Luciana Faulhaber (Shades of Blue), Patrick R. Walker (The Resident), Najah Bradley (Black Box), Gillie Jones (Welcome to Flatch), Jack Young (The Perfect Race...

Here’s Kev with a video review of indie drama Small Engine Repair which is in available on digital now. You can also check out his written review right here.

Events spin wildly out of control when three lifelong friends agree to do a favor on behalf of the brash young woman they all adore.

Directed by John Pollono, Small Engine Repair stars John Pollono, Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Ciara Bravo, Jordana Spiro, and Spencer House.

Stars: John Pollono, Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Ciara Bravo, Jordana Spiro, Spencer House | Written and Directed by John Pollono

Well this going to be the shortest review I ever write… Small Engine Repair is as close to perfection as it gets. 5 out of 5. Told you shortest review ever… Actually I need to dig deeper into the film!

Based on a play of the same name written by director and leading man John Pollono, Small Engine Repair tells the story of Frank (Pollono), Swaino (Bernthal) and Packie (Whigham). Three friends from small-town nowhere that have always been there for each other. We first meet our boys as Frank’s daughter Crystal (Ciara Bravo) has found out she is heading to university. One thing is for sure the love these men have for Crystal is unshakeable. After a night out to celebrate the bond between our boys becomes somewhat strained. We jump...

The seams are showing in John Pollono’s long-aborning screen adaptation of his 2011 one-act play. In its original stage incarnation, Small Engine Repair was a taut, testosterone-fueled, darkly comic drama that, while it wore its David Mamet and Neil Labute influences a little too obviously, delivered incisive characterizations and some nastily entertaining plot twists. In his effort to flesh out the bare-bones story for the big screen, writer-director Pollono adds situations and characters, some previously discussed but never seen. The results, although sporadically arresting, feel awkward, like a child wearing clothing a few sizes too big.

Set in “Manch ...

The seams are showing in John Pollono’s long-aborning screen adaptation of his 2011 one-act play. In its original stage incarnation, Small Engine Repair was a taut, testosterone-fueled, darkly comic drama that, while it wore its David Mamet and Neil Labute influences a little too obviously, delivered incisive characterizations and some nastily entertaining plot twists. In his effort to flesh out the bare-bones story for the big screen, writer-director Pollono adds situations and characters, some previously discussed but never seen. The results, although sporadically arresting, feel awkward, like a child wearing clothing a few sizes too big.

Set in “Manch ...

Small Engine Repair Vertical Entertainment Reviewed for Shockya.com by Abe Friedtanzer Director: John Pollono Writer: John Pollono Cast: Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro, John Pollono, Ciara Bravo, Spencer House Screened at: Critics’ link, Wy, 8/31/21 Opens: September 10th, 2021 There is a bond between friends that can last years. In some cases, relationships come […]

The post Small Engine Repair Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

The darkly funny American indie drama “Small Engine Repair” works best when it’s a hangout comedy starring three schlubby New England burnouts.

Based on writer-director John Pollono’s stage play, “Small Engine Repair” eventually becomes an unpleasant slow-burning thriller about revenge, sexual violence and toxic masculinity. Thankfully Pollono and his fellow co-leads, Jon Bernthal and Shea Whigham, carry the movie throughout with some choice one-liners and abundant bromantic chemistry.

Pollono, Bernthal and Whigham keep things light, believable, and charming enough, even after the abrupt and seemingly random arrival of preppy drug dealer Chad threatens to ruin the movie’s otherwise aimless fun. Chad pushes “Small Engine Repair” into unexpectedly dark territory, the kind that invites comparisons with real-life sexual predators like Brett Kavanaugh and other prominent politicians. Pollono’s affable drama doesn’t say much about its characters’ boozy locker talk, but it does hold together well enough thanks...

John Pollono is a playwright, screenwriter, and actor. You know him from Mob City and This is Us. He wrote the film Stronger and the play Small Engine Repair, which had successful runs in Los Angeles and New York. The filmed version, which he also stars in and directs, is about to open after Covid delayed its release. It co-stars Jon Bernthal and Shea Whigham. In this episode, he talks in-depth about working with those guys, the changes that needed to be made from stage to screen that served to enrich the experience, and the factors that played a part […]

The post Back to One, Episode 168: John Pollono first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

John Pollono is a playwright, screenwriter, and actor. You know him from Mob City and This is Us. He wrote the film Stronger and the play Small Engine Repair, which had successful runs in Los Angeles and New York. The filmed version, which he also stars in and directs, is about to open after Covid delayed its release. It co-stars Jon Bernthal and Shea Whigham. In this episode, he talks in-depth about working with those guys, the changes that needed to be made from stage to screen that served to enrich the experience, and the factors that played a part […]

The post Back to One, Episode 168: John Pollono first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Jon Bernthal in Small Engine Repair, based on the play by John Pollono opens in theaters September 10th. Check out the trailer:

Frankie (John Pollono), Swaino (Jon Bernthal) and Packie (Shea Wigham) are lifelong friends who share a love of the Red Sox, rowdy bars and Frankie’s teenaged daughter Crystal (Ciara Bravo). But when Frankie invites his pals to a whiskey-fueled evening and asks them to do a favor on behalf of the brash young woman they all adore, events spin wildly out of control. Based on Pollono’s award-winning play, Small Engine Repair is a pitch-black comedic drama with a wicked twist and a powerful exploration of brotherhood, class struggle and toxic masculinity.

Small Engine Repair stars Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro, John Pollono, Ciara Bravo, and Spencer House and is rated R.

The post Check Out the Trailer For Jon Bernthal in Small Engine Repair appeared...

"I wanted tonight to be special." Vertical Entertainment has released a full trailer for an indie film titled Small Engine Repair, a feature film adaptation of the stage play by John Pollono. This was originally set to premiere at last year's SXSW Film Festival before it was cancelled. Pollono writes and directs, making his feature directorial debut, and co-stars in it with an impressive cast. It's better to know as little about this story going into it. The seemingly casual reunion of three old friends at an out-of-the-way repair shop masks a hidden agenda fueled by the arrival of a privileged young yuppie. This is described as a "black comedy that takes a dark dramatic turn" - and oh boy does it take a turn. The trailer also features some very nice quotes from various other directors, including one from Edgar Wright. Starring Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, John Pollono, Jordana Spiro,...

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Small Engine Repair, the film based on the critically acclaimed stage play (LA Critic’s Choice and New York Times Critic’s Pick).

Vertical is planning a theatrical release in September positioning the film for awards season.

The black comedy is written, directed by and starring John Pollono (Stronger) alongside Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham (Joker), Jordana Spiro (Ozark), Spencer House (Space Force) and Ciara Bravo (Cherry).

It follows lifelong friends Frank (Pollono), Swaino (Bernthal) and Packie (Whigham) who share a love of the Red Sox, rowdy bars and Frank’s teenaged daughter Crystal (Bravo). But when Frank invites his pals to a whiskey-fueled evening and asks them to do a favor on behalf of the brash young woman they all adore, events spin wildly out of control in this exploration of brotherhood, class struggle and toxic masculinity.

James Ransone has been cast in Scott Derrickson’s upcoming film for Blumhouse and Universal, The Black Phone. Derrickson and frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill adapted the script based on Joe Hill’s short story. Derrickson, Cargill and Jason Blum, for Blumhouse, are producing the film. Universal and Blumhouse will present the Crooked Highway production. Joe Hill is an executive producer.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Rex/Shutterstock Scott Derrickson ‘Doctor Strange’ Launch Event, Westminster Abbey, London, UK – 24 Oct 2016

James Ransone has created indelible performances on the big and small screens as well as the stage, performing in a wide variety of projects that span from intimate indies to blockbuster genre films.

Ransone starred in It Chapter Two as Eddie Kasprak, one of the members of “The Losers Club,” opposite Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader, et al. His performance in the movie garnered such praise as “James Ransone...

Based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill, The Black Phone is shaping up to be quite the Sinister reunion, as James Ransone (who played Deputy So & So in 2012's Sinister and Ex-Deputy So & So in Sinister 2) has joined Ethan Hawke (who played Ellison Oswalt in Sinister) in the cast of the new Scott Derrickson film that he co-wrote with C. Robert Cargill:

James Ransone has been cast in Scott Derrickson’s upcoming film for Blumhouse and Universal, The Black Phone.

Derrickson and frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill adapted the script based on Joe Hill’s short story.

Derrickson, Cargill and Jason Blum, for Blumhouse, are producing the film. Universal and Blumhouse will present the Crooked Highway production. Joe Hill is an executive producer.

About James Ransone:

James Ransone has created indelible performances on the big and small screens as well as the stage,...

Exclusive: Small Engine Repair, the indie adaptation of John Pollono’s play, finally gets its big screen moment as it tries to find theatrical distribution the only way it is done in Los Angeles these days — at the drive-in. Written and directed by Pollono a decade after it became an underground stage hit in LA, the film will be screened by 30West and CAA Media Finance for buyers at The Electric Dusk Drive-In on Wednesday. I wrote about the film in April in a Coping With Covid-19 column, this after its SXSW premiere got cancelled along with the festival because the pandemic shut down everything.

Small Engine Repair stars Pollono, Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro, Ciara Bravo and Spencer House. The film revolves around blue collar childhood buddies Frank (Pollono), Swaino (Bernthal) and Packie (Whigham). Even when they brawl which is often, the trio is deeply bonded over the...

Tom Holland's reunion project with the Russo Brothers, Cherry, has been purchased by Apple. The long-awaited movie will premiere on Apple TV+ in early 2021. Holland previously worked with Joe and Anthony Russo in Marvel Cinematic Universe projects Captain America: Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame. The drug-fueled drama is being released in time to be an Academy Awards contender, and Holland apparently gave a powerful performance that is light years away from his Peter Parker character in the Spider-Man movies.

Apple Original Films reportedly purchased Cherry for just over $40 million. In addition to a reunion with Tom Holland, the project is also the first movie for the Russo Brothers since Endgame hit theaters in 2019. Along with Holland, Cherry also stars Ciara Bravo (Small Engine Repair), Kelli Burglund (Now Apocalypse), Jack Reynor (Midsommar), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), Jeff Wahlberg (Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Michael Gandolfini (The Deuce...

Editors’ Note: With full acknowledgment of the big-picture implications of a pandemic that has already claimed thousands of lives, cratered global economies and closed international borders, Deadline’s Coping With Covid-19 Crisis series is a forum for those in the entertainment space grappling with myriad consequences of seeing a great industry screech to a halt. The hope is for an exchange of ideas and experiences, and suggestions on how businesses and individuals can best ride out a crisis that doesn’t look like it will abate any time soon. If you have a story, email mike@deadline.com.

What’s it like to have a passion project undermined by a pandemic? The effort by John Pollono to direct, script and produce a movie from his play Small Engine Repair goes back a decade, before he scripted films like Stronger and others, including the Hulk Hogan movie he’s scripting now...

Two beloved TV Fanatic favorites are possibly returning to the small screen.

We'll start with Scott Foley.

The Scandal and Whiskey Cavalier grad is headed to Fox to lead the cast of The Big Leap.

The series is a journey of self-acceptance, body-positivity and empowerment at any age, it follows a diverse group of underdogs from all different walks of life compete to be part of a competition reality series that is putting on a modern, hip remake of Swan Lake.

What they lack in the traditional dancer body type, they make up for with their edge, wit and desire to reimagine an iconic story to fit their own mold. Inspired by the UK format Big Ballet.

Deadline first revealed the casting news, revealing that Foley is on board to play Nick Smart, the executive producer of the show within a show.

He joins previously cast Simone Recasner, Jon Rudnitsky,...

Showtime’s long-gestating series adaptation of American Gigolo has been picked up to pilot with Jon Bernthal attached to star and produce. The project hails from David Hollander (Ray Donovan) Paramount TV Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Television.

Paramount TV originally joined forces with Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the film noir classic starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton, to explore a TV series adaptation in 2014. The project was set up for development at Showtime in 2016 with Neil Labute as writer. It has since gone through multiple incarnations.

More from DeadlineShowtime Taps Former Exec Michael Crotty As CFO, Will Also Oversee Bet Finance Team, As Adam Townsend ExitsClyde Phillips Inks Overall Deal With Showtime & CBS Television StudiosMaura Tierney To Star In Showtime Drama Series 'Rust'; Bill Camp, David Alvarez, 2 Others Also Cast

In a star-making turn, the 1980 movie featured Gere as Julian Kaye, a male escort in Los Angeles.

Written and directed by Hollander,...

Exclusive: Jon Bernthal is in negotiations to star as coach Rick Macci in King Richard, the Reinaldo Marcus Green-directed Warner Bros drama about how Richard Williams guided his prodigal tennis playing daughters Venus and Serena from the Compton courts to preeminence in the sport. Will Smith plays Richard Williams; Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton were just set as young Venus and Serena Williams, and Aunjanue Ellis will play their mom, Brandi Williams. Zach Baylin wrote the script.

Coming off his role as Lee Iacocca in the Best Picture nominated Ford V Ferrari, Bernthal will play the famed tennis coach who made a deal with Richard Williams to train his daughters, this after watching them at the tender ages of nine and 10 and immediately seeing the potential for speed, power and competitiveness the precocious girls brought to the courts. It was Macci’s task to hone and polish that talent...

Exclusive: Jordana Spiro (Ozark) and Josh Andrés Rivera (West Side Story) have been cast as leads in Vegas High, HBO Max’s coming-of-age period drama pilot from writer Sarah-Raquel Jimenez, director Gillian Robespierre and Michael Showalter’s Semi-Formal Prods. HBO Max is the studio.

Written by Jimenez and directed by Robespierre, Vegas High is inspired by Jimenez’s own experience. It is a 1990s-set coming-of-age story about Laura, a girl who’s caught between two worlds: the fast-paced lifestyle of Las Vegas and her strong Mormon faith and community.

Spiro plays Laura’s mom, Diane. The epitome of a Mormon housewife, Diane is compassionate, complicated and funny. But as a young mother of four, she struggles with the repetitive efforts to keep her family, home and church duties up and running.

Rivera is playing Josh, Diane’s reckless, charismatic son and Laura’s brother who lives unapologetically. Inappropriate but hilarious,...