by admin | Jun 13, 2025 | Moviephone News, News
(Left) Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in 2021’s ‘Candyman.’ Photo: Universal Pictures. (Right) Brad Pitt in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Preview:
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is the latest cast member for the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ follow-up.
- ‘The Adventures of Cliff Booth’ will star Brad Pitt.
- David Fincher is directing.
The surprising follow-up to Quentin Tarantino’s alt-history drama ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ keeps on moving forward, and now, via Deadline, we know that ‘Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be part of the cast.
While Tarantino wrote and directed the 2019 original, this will be a collaboration between Brad Pitt –– who played stuntman Cliff Booth –– and director David Fincher.
The other latest development on the movie is that it’ll be titled ‘The Adventures of Cliff Booth’, which makes sense, since Pitt’s character will be at the core of the new movie.
Related Article: David Fincher to Direct Brad Pitt in ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ Follow-Up
What do we know about the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ follow-up?
Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.
We know that this riff on ‘Once’s Booth character –– the movie isn’t strictly a sequel, more a spin-off ––is something that Tarantino was noodling with and could potentially have been born from his scrapped script ‘The Movie Critic,’ which supposedly included Pitt.
Now QT has turned it into a new script, and with both Fincher and Pitt aboard, Netflix has put together the deal, which will probably end up being around a $200 million budget (the streamer reportedly paid a cool $20 million for the script) to shoot in California this July. We’re talking real fast track here.
But what of Sony, which released ‘Once?’ A couple of things… it has a deal to send much of its output to Netflix and ‘Once’ was a special case anyway; Tarantino’s deal for the original included him hanging on to certain rights. Presumably, he could take Cliff where he wanted.
Handing it to Fincher is no bad compromise if we’re not to get another slice of that character from his creator alone.
There’s more! Reporter Jeff Sneider is adding to the story, bringing word that Leonardo DiCaprio is in the middle of hashing out a deal to also appear in the movie. It’s not yet closed and he may not even end up in the movie, but surely the appeal of A) another Tarantino script, B) working with Fincher and reuniting with Pitt is strong.
Deadline’s report mentions that Mateen, while not confirmed, is playing a character in the vein of Jim Brown, who famously ended his Hall of Fame football career early to focus on acting starring in such hits as ‘The Dirty Dozen.’
He joins Scott Caan and Elizabeth Debicki, who were also recently added to the cast list.
What was the story of ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’?
(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’
Tarantino’s original movie is set during the summer of 1969, as Hollywood’s Golden Age is winding down.
Television actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his stunt double Booth endeavor to achieve lasting success in Hollywood while meeting several colorful characters along the way.
Not the least is Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who in this alternate version of history ends up saved from death by the members of the Manson family.
The cast also included the likes of Emile Hirsch, Austin Butler, Julia Butters, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Al Pacino, Lena Dunham, Maya Hawke, Sydney Sweeney, and Mikey Madison.
As for the follow-up, it certainly shoves everything else on Fincher’s To Do list down a notch or two. Apologies to ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’, you just got pushed deeper down.
Where else have we seen Yahya Abdul-Mateen II?
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures/ ™ & © DC Comics.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been building quite the healthy career in the last decade or so, including in ‘Aquaman’ and its sequel, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’,‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ and ‘Ambulance’.
The actor has a few projects in the works, including Marvel’s ‘Wonder Man’Disney+ series, where he stars in the title role.
He also stars and executive produces the ‘Man on Fire’ series for Netflix and will star opposite Mark Wahlberg in Elegance Bratton’s crime thriller ‘By Any Means’.
When will ‘The Adventures of Cliff Booth’ be out?
We could potentially see this on screens as early as next year –– an exciting prospect for sure.
But will it be on a big or small screen? While Fincher and Pitt are certainly big names, the director didn’t warrant a theatrical release for his previous movie, ‘The Killer,’ despite his established professional relationship with the streaming service.
Still… a follow-up to a Tarantino movie? Starring Brad Pitt and potentially Leonardo DiCaprio? Surely a candidate for at least a limited theatrical push.
Oscar® nominee, Quentin Tarantino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Credit/Provider: Nick Agro / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Movies Directed by Quentin Tarantino:
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by admin | Jun 13, 2025 | Moviephone News, News
Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘DIablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Opening in select theaters, On Demand and digital platforms on June 13th is the new action thriller ‘Diablo’, which was directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza (‘Redeemer’) and based on a story created by the film’s stars Scott Adkins (‘John Wick: Chapter 4’) and Marko Zaror (‘The Killer’s Game’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Adkins about his work on ‘Diablo’, creating the story with Marko Zaror, his role as a producer on the project, the short shooting schedule, his character, working with actress Alana De La Rossa, executing the action sequences, what he learned from working on ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’, why he’s happy the Oscars will soon offer a stunt award, and what it was like working with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on next year’s ‘The RIP’.
Related Article: Actor and Martial Artist Scott Adkins Talks ‘Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday’
Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘DIablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how this project came together and your roles as an actor, co-writer and producer on the film?
Scott Adkins: I was working on ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ with Marko Zaror. We spent a lot of time together because we’re good friends anyway and we started talking about a potential movie that we could star in together. We came up with this idea and then we got Ernesto (Díaz Espinoza) involved, who’s the director, and he does a lot of films with Marko in Chile. So, the three of us came up with a story and then we brought in Matt Samson and developed the story some more and got him to write it. My manager, Craig Baumgarten, also produces movies. So, we took it to him. He took it to some people like Clay Epstein, and we found a place to shoot it in Colombia because we wanted it to be in South America. Originally, we were thinking Chile. So, we ended up in Colombia shooting it with a great production team. We got a lot of support and had a fantastic stunt team behind us that really wanted to work with me and Marko because they’re not used to doing as much fight-based stuff. But we got some great stunts in there like car hits and high falls and all the rest of it. They were fantastic. We ended up with an amazing actress, Alana (De La Rossa), who’s Colombian, and she’s the heart of the movie. It’s a great cast. We didn’t have a lot of time to shoot it, but we’re very happy with the result.
MF: Is being a producer on projects you appear in something you want to pursue moving forward?
SA: Honestly, it’s a massive headache that I could do without. I’m a creative producer. I like to create my projects. But when it comes to dealing with the banks, the finance and the day in day out of dealing with all of that … Ignorance is bliss. I’d rather not know what’s going on behind the scenes because sometimes it’s stressful. So really, I’m a creative producer. But it’s nice to be in a position where if there is a problem and something needs to be addressed, I can pull the producer card out and go, “Hang on a second.”
Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘DIablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: How would you describe your character Kris Chaney, and did he change from development to production?
SA: Well, honestly, as simple as it sounds, me and Marko were just riffing on an idea of ‘No Country for Old Men’ and how we could do our version, where I’m like Josh Brolin and he’s Javier Bardem. You can see that now. You see the movie and you’d understand where I’m coming from. We just wanted a chase movie where I’m pursuing him, he’s pursuing me, and what is it? Is it a bag of money? We ended up coming up with the idea for it to be the girl, and everything came from there. As far as my character goes, he is a bit of a blank page, and you learn about my character through the eyes of Elisa. The audience learns about me the way that the story goes, as she does. So, the film’s very much from her perspective. That’s where we went with it. I think the film’s got a lot of heart and really, we were very lucky to get Alana to play the part. Without her being such an amazing actress, it would not be what it is.
MF: Did you have time to rehearse with actress Alana De La Rossa or did you have to dive right in due to a short production schedule?
SA: Well, this is it. She doesn’t know me, so we didn’t need a bond. But we did get some rehearsal time and she quickly proved that she was the best actor in the room. So, I was like, “Okay. Just do that.” But there’s not a lot of backstories because to do that, the way the story is, it would be too expositional. We just got to talk about it and it’s just a lot of talking. It’s more about who these characters are and how they relate to one another on the journey that they’re on. We discussed having some flashbacks to flesh out the backstory, but we just felt it didn’t need it. These characters, that’s who they are. This is the situation they’re in, and this is the journey they’re going on.
(L to R) Alanna De La Rossa as “Elisa” and Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘Diablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Does having a compressed shooting schedule give you a feeling of urgency on the set, and does that translate onto the screen in the action sequences?
SA: You can’t second-guess yourself. If you decide something, you’ve got to go with it because there’s no time to do anything different. You’ve got to hopefully turn up with a tight script that’s ready to shoot if you start making a lot of changes. You always do, but you don’t want to make too many. As far as the action goes, it must be structured. There’s no room for rehearsal, there’s no room for improvisation. Marko designed the action, and it’s pre-vised in a gym. It’s pre-vised in a gym when we’ve got time and we’re not spending as much money to do it. Then we get to the location and then time is money. So, you’ve just got to shoot those pieces, and you want to stick to the structure of what that is, really.
MF: Can you talk about coordinating and shooting the action sequences with Marko Zaror?
SA: We wanted it to be gritty and realistic, to a degree. We want to put a bit of flash in there sometimes, but we didn’t want people flying around on wires or doing somersaults because it would take away from the tone of the movie. It’s important to know what the tone of the film is and stick to it with the action. So, the camera work fits in with that. It’s got a high shutter frame rate and gives it that gritty ‘Saving Private Ryan’ feel. It’s important to us to just let the camera show the action and not just turn into an edited mess. We’re quite good at that. We know what we’re doing. The one thing we don’t have and that we need is time, especially with the action sequences, because it just takes time to get the various angles. You can always do better, but it’s knowing on a budget like this, that, “Okay, that’s the best we’re going to get. Can we live with it? Okay, let’s move on.” Because we want quality action, but we also want a lot of it. When you’ve only got 22 days to shoot the movie, you can’t have everything the way you want it. But me and Marko are obviously very used to doing that sort of stuff.
(L to R) Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” and Marko Zaror as “El Corvo” in the action film ‘Diablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Can you talk about how action sequences and fight scenes have changed since the ‘John Wick’ series, and having worked on that franchise yourself, do you feel pressure to enhance the action and fight scenes that you are involved with?
SA: Yeah, it’s got better and better. Hollywood’s got better at making actors without martial arts experience look like they have martial arts experience. So, you can’t get away with just being a badass and not really being able to act anymore because that can make Brad Pitt look like a badass these days. Fight-wise, it’s hard not to copy people. When somebody comes along like Gareth Evans and creates a new style, you want to lean into that, ‘John Wick’ comes along with that style, and you want to lean in. It is hard to reinvent the wheel, but sometimes guys do it. Then when it does happen, it’s hard not to copy them because anything less looks dated. I’m really impressed when people find a new style, which I can’t say that I’ve come across yet. It’d be interesting to see what the new style is, whatever that will be.
MF: As someone who works closely with the stunt team, how do you feel about the recent news that the Academy Awards are introducing a stunt category in the future?
SA: It’s about damn time. These guys put their lives on the line. Obviously, they try to be as safe as possible. But nobody ever died sewing a costume as far as I’m aware. So, I think it’s high time that it happened. I’ll be interested to see how they structure it, because there’s so many different facets of stunt work. I think maybe that’s why it hasn’t happened for a bit. But yeah, I’m looking forward to it and these guys, they deserve it.
(L to R) Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Ben Affleck as Det Sergeant JD Byrne in ‘RIP’. Cr. Claire Folger/Netflix © 2024.
MF: Finally, you also have ‘The RIP’ coming out next year with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. What was it like working with them and making that movie?
SA: Wow, what a thrill. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, incredible actors. Extremely smart guys. I played Ben’s brother in the movie. Joe Carnahan’s the director. He wrote an incredible script. I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s just a thrill to be working with the caliber of talent that I was able to work with. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Editorial Note: Don Kaye conducted this interview and contributed to this article.
“There’ll be hell to pay.”
Showtimes & Tickets
After his release from prison, one man makes it his mission to right a terrible wrong by revealing a secret that could end his life. Scott Adkins stars as Kris Chaney,… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Diablo’?
After his release from prison, one man makes it his mission to right a terrible wrong by revealing a secret that could end his life. Scott Adkins stars as Kris Chaney, a warrior who seizes the daughter of a Colombian gangster to fulfill a noble promise to the young girl’s mother. When her father enlists both the criminal underworld and the terrifying psychotic killer El Corvo (Marko Zaror) to exact his revenge, Kris will need to draw upon everything he has ever learned — in and out of lockup — to stay alive and keep his word.
Who is in the cast of ‘Diablo’?
- Scott Adkins as Kris Chaney
- Marko Zaror as “El Corvo”
- Alana De La Rossa as Elisa
- Lucho Velasco as Vicente
‘Diablo’ opens in select theaters, On Demand and digital platforms on June 13th.
List of Scott Adkins Movies:
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by admin | Jun 13, 2025 | Moviephone News, News
(L to R) John Candy, Joan Rivers, Daphne Zuniga and Bill Pullman in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Preview
- Mel Brooks is set to return as Yogurt for the ‘Spaceballs’ sequel movie.
- Bill Pullman and Daphne Zuniga are aboard to reprise their roles.
- Josh Greenbaum is directing for Amazon/MGM.
The Schwarz is still strong with Mel Brooks and his ‘Spaceballs’ cast.
Following on from the news a year ago that Brooks and Josh Gad were leading the development of a sequel to Brooks’ 1987 ‘Star Wars’ (and other sci-fi movies) comedy riff.
Amazon MGM Studios has announced that, as we perhaps might have predicted, Brooks will be back in front of the camera as well as behind it, playing the mystical, Yoda-spoofing Yogurt.
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Gad is on board to co-write and produce, and will likely be showing up on screen in some capacity.
And that’s not all: there has been a flurry of other casting stories, with Deadline bringing word that Bill Pullman is returning to play Lone Starr, while in even more surprising news, Rick Moranis will be back as the villainous Dark Helmet.
The Wrap, meanwhile, has a report that Daphne Zuniga plans to join her old ‘Spaceballs’ colleagues, playing Princess Vespa.
It’s not just veterans, either: Deadline’s report mentions that ‘One of Them Days’ star Keke Palmer is also aboard the movie, playing an unknown new role called Destiny.
Keeping it in the family, meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter has the story that Bill’s son Lewis Pullman, recently seen in ‘Thunderbolts,’ will join the cast to play a character named Starburst, the son of Lone Star and Vespa.
Related Article: Mel Brooks and Josh Gad are Planning a Sequel to ‘Spaceballs’
What was the story of ‘Spaceballs’?
(L to R) Bill Pullman and Mel Brooks in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The original ‘Spaceballs’, directed by Brooks from a script he wrote with Thomas Meehan and Ronny Graham, starred Bill Pullman as the aforementioned Lone Starr, a scruffy hero in the Han Solo mold who has to stop the nefarious President Skroob (Brooks) from stealing the atmosphere of the peaceful planet Druidia.
Along the way, he comes to the aid of Vespa (Zuniga) and her sarcastic robot maid Dot Matrix (voiced by Joan Rivers). John Candy plays Starr’s faithful half-man/half-dog sidekick Barf and Moranis is superb Vader spoof Dark Helmet.
‘Spaceballs’ doesn’t just target George Lucas’ work, however: there are also riffs on the likes of ‘Planet of the Apes’, ‘Star Trek’ and in one particularly memorable moment, ‘Alien’.
Though the movie didn’t exactly triumph at the box office (it ended up with $38.1 million worldwide) but has long since been considered a cult classic.
Plot details for the new film have yet to be revealed, but Deadline mentions that people who have not yet read the script describe it as “A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film.” Which if you ask us, sounds like the sort of line Mel Brooks would spin about the movie in order to get a laugh.
Who is making the new ‘Spaceballs’?
Director Josh Greenbaum with Reggie on the set of ‘Strays.’
With Gad on board to star and produce, he’s also co-written the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, who worked on ‘Pokémon: Detective Pikachu’.
Josh Greenbaum, who made ‘Strays’ (for which Gad provided a voice) and ‘Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar’, is in the director’s chair. He feels like a good fit for a new ‘Spaceballs’, since he’s proved he can handle wacky comedy with some emotional undertones.
Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment is also aboard, and he’ll producing alongside Brooks, Gad, Jeb Brody and Greenbaum, with Kevin Salter, Adam Merims, Samit, and Hernandez as executive producers.
(L to R) Rick Moranis and George Wyner in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Moranis is perhaps the most shocking of the new announcements, since he’s barely been seen on screens for more than a decade and hasn’t come back for extensions of other franchises such as ‘Ghostbusters’.
Here’s what he told Heeb magazine back in 2013 about the stalled original plan for a ‘Spaceballs’ sequel:
“I wasn’t privy to what the budget was or anything, but the deal [Brooks] presented me, what he wanted me to do, was not workable. It was two or three years later. He wanted me to… it’s better if I don’t get into the particulars of it. Because it is so specific, it’s counterproductive to talk about it. But I was unable to make a deal, and it would have been something I would have wanted to do. But that ship has sailed.”
Looks like the ship has come back into the harbor!
When will the ‘Spaceballs’ sequel be on screens?
While Amazon MGM Studios has yet to confirm an exact date, Deadline mentions a planned 2027 theatrical launch.
Mel Brooks in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
List of Mel Brooks Movies and TV Shows:
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by admin | Jun 12, 2025 | Moviephone News, News
Gal Gadot in ‘Wonder Woman 1984’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Preview:
- James Gunn says that DC Studios is developing a ‘Wonder Woman’ movie.
- No writer has been announced yet.
- The company already has a show about the character in the works.
As Superman prepares to return to theaters (albeit in the re-imagined form of David Corenswet) in next month’s eponymous movie, there has naturally been speculation about the rest of the Justice League.
And according to ‘Superman’ director James Gunn (who also happens to run DC Studios with co-chief Peter Safran), we might be seeing Diana Prince, AKA Wonder Woman, back on movie screens sooner than originally suspected.
“Look up.”
Showtimes & Tickets
Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent. Read the Plot
As part of a wide-ranging interview to promote ‘Superman’ with Entertainment Weekly, Gunn was asked about the future for Wonder Woman, and he replied that a movie featuring the character is “being written right now.”
Related Article: Gal Gadot is Saying A New ‘Wonder Woman’ Movie is in Development but DC is Reportedly Saying Otherwise
What has been Wonder Woman’s history in movies so far?
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in ‘Wonder Woman 1984.’
The new movie would be a fresh start for the character, who was played on the big screen by Gal Gadot in 2017’s ‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Justice League’, 2020’s ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and in a cameo in 2023’s ‘The Flash.’
When Gunn and Safran were announced as taking over running Warner Bros.’ DC arm (which would go on to be named DC Studios), there was much speculation about whether any of the actors from the Zack Snyder era, including Gadot and ‘Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill, would stay in their roles.
Despite comments from Gadot that she and Patty Jenkins (who had co-written and directed the previous two standalone Wonder Woman outings) were developing a third movie for the character, the DC Studios duo appeared to be steering more towards a complete refresh of the comic book universe.
Gunn and Safran’s initial outline showed they had other ideas for Diana. When they unveiled their first plans around another Wonder Woman project, ‘Paradise Lost.’
It’s a TV series set on Themyscira, the birthplace of Princess Diana, and described as ‘Game Of Thrones’ with the Amazons. It’s set before Diana is born.
Here’s what Gunn said about the show at the time:
“It’s an origin story of how this society of women came about. What does it mean? What are their politics like? What are their rules? Who’s in charge? What are the games that they play with each other to get to the top? I think it’s really exciting.”
And it would seem that, as with Superman, when and if Wonder Woman does return to big screens, she’ll be played by someone new.
What else is coming from DC Studios?
(L to R) Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, David Corenswet as Superman and Director James Gunn in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Superman’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Corenswet is our current Superman, and we’re still waiting to learn who will fill the other roles.
Batman, as played by Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ is staying around (a sequel, despite delays, is still being scripted), but he’s as part of the extended “Elseworlds” stories, which exist outside of the DC continuity.
Gunn and Safran’s original announcement also included mention that ‘Batman: The Brave And The Bold’, was in development, adapting Grant Morrison’s run comics run.
It features yet another Bruce Wayne who tries to keep his son, Damien Wayne, in line as Robin. It’s intended to launch the “Bat-family” into the movie universe, but has been hit with scripting issues and delays.
On the confirmed big screen front, ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,’ opens in June 2026, starring Milly Alcock and directed by Craig Gillespie from a script by Ana Nogueira.
There is also ‘Clayface’ — a horror film about the titular Batman villain — which is currently set to launch in September 2026, and will be directed by James Watkins (‘The Woman in Black’) from a script by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini but is also undergoing re-writes.
Finally, we have ‘Dynamic Duo’ — an animated feature about Batman’s Robin sidekicks Dick Grayson and Jason Todd — which is tentatively scheduled for June 2028.
When would a ‘Wonder Woman’ movie land on screens?
Since the movie appears to be at the early scripting stage, it’s impossible to speculate when it might head to theaters at this point.
Gal Gadot in ‘Wonder Woman.’
Other Movies Featuring Wonder Woman:
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by admin | Jun 12, 2025 | Moviephone News, News
A scene from ‘In Your Dreams’. Photo: Netflix © 2025.
Preview:
- Moviefone attended a special sneak peek event for Netflix’s ‘In Your Dreams’
- The event also included an in-person Q&A with Director Alex Woo and actor Craig Robinson
- ‘In Your Dreams’ explores what happens when your dreams don’t come true
On Thursday, June 5, in Hollywood, Netflix hosted an ‘In Your Dreams’ sneak peek presentation to highlight the upcoming animated film. Director Alex Woo and Craig Robinson (voice of Baloney Tony) were there in person to share a couple of clips and participate in a detailed Q&A session, where they revealed the inspiration behind the movie and Baloney Tony.
‘In Your Dreams’ follows Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her younger brother, Elliot (Elias Janssen), as they search for the Sandman (Omid Djalili), who has promised them that they can make their dreams come true. Cristin Milioti and Simu Liu provide the voices of Mom and Dad, respectively. The film will start streaming on Netflix on November 14, 2025.
Moviefone had the pleasure of attending the event, along with other members of the press.
Related Article: Next on Netflix Animation Preview Announces Upcoming Movies and TV Shows
Footage Description
A scene from ‘In Your Dreams’. Photo: Netflix © 2025.
Press were shown two clips from ‘In Your Dreams’ which Alex Woo introduced.
The first clip features Stevie and Elliot in the basement of a bookstore, where they discover an old book titled ‘The Legend of the Sandman: The Giver of Dreams’. When they arrive home after a teenage employee tells them that they are not allowed down there, Elliot reveals that he stole the book using slight of hand.
Stevie and Elliot read some of the book together, where it states the Sandman can make your dreams come true. Later that night, Elliot’s bed comes alive and the two end up on an adventure flying through the sky through it – think ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’.
A scene from ‘In Your Dreams’. Photo: Netflix © 2025.
They both learn that whatever they can think of, appears in the dream, including a Rocket Mode button on the bed that Elliot pushes, sending them soaring faster and higher than before. The clip ends with them hearing the voice of the Sandman, telling them to find him to make their dreams come true.
The second clip finds Stevie in Breakfast Town, one of the favorite dreams where the townspeople are all walking, talking breakfast foods. When Elliot crashes her dream and declares he wants to help her find the Sandman, the two are distracted by a familiar smell.
Following it leads Elliot to discover his beloved stuffed animal Baloney Tony, who gets his name because Elliot stores his baloney inside of him, trapped behind a refridgerator. It is revealed that the reason he is there is because in the real world Stevie hid him back there, to get the smell out of the bedroom they share.
Footage Reaction
A scene from ‘In Your Dreams’. Photo: Netflix © 2025.
Both ‘In Your Dreams’ clips offer several laugh-out-loud moments, but also prove that this movie is going to be filled with a lot of heart. Stevie is easily annoyed by her little brother, which anyone with a sibling will be able to relate to.
The kids are off to find the Sandman to make their dreams come true. Elliot’s dreams are that of a normal young kid, while Stevie staring longingly at a photo of her family during happier times insinuates that hers is much deeper than that.
Just getting a couple of minutes of Baloney Tony was enough to know that viewers are going to fall in love with him instantly. Robinson brilliantly voices the character, knowing exactly when to hit the comedic beats. The animation is stunning, as well.
Q&A Highlights From Alex Woo
A scene from ‘In Your Dreams’. Photo: Netflix © 2025.
Alex Woo makes his directorial debut with ‘In Your Dreams’. During the Q&A he explained why an animated dream movie is difficult to pull off.
‘A dream movie in the animated space has been a white whale. I think every animation studio in the world has had a dream movie in development at some point over the last couple of decades, but none of them have ever been made because I think nobody could figure out how to give a dream movie stakes. When we started our company and we were dreaming up different movie ideas, when we cracked it, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’ve got to make this really quickly, otherwise somebody else is going to figure it out before us.”’
Alex Woo went on to detail how he wanted to make a movie that explores what happens when your dreams don’t come true.
“I grew up on movies that told me that if I wished hard enough, if I wanted something badly enough, that my dreams could come true. And as I grew up, I realized, well, sometimes that’s true, but sometimes it’s not. And I really wanted to make a movie that explores the question of, what do you do when your dreams actually don’t come true? How do you find hope? How do you keep moving forward in life? How do you find a way through? So that was sort of the big inspiration for me for this movie, and that’s why I wanted to so desperately make it.”
He then talked about how his relationship with his brother helped to inspire ‘In Your Dreams’.
“I have a little brother and Elliot is very much based on him. I’m very much Stevie, and me and my brother, we’ve had our epic battles throughout our childhood. I’m the perfectionistic, overbearing older sibling. He’s the carefree, fun-loving, charming little brother. I think a lot of this movie was me trying to understand and appreciate him and his unique perspective and take on life. One of my good friends, who knows me a little too well, saw the movie, and he said, ‘You know this film is just a really circuitous way of you telling your brother that you love him.’ And I was like, ‘I guess?’ Maybe making movies is easier than dealing with your feelings.”
‘In Your Dreams’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.
Alex Woo also gives Netflix credit for taking a chance on an original film like ‘In Your Dreams’.
“I really got to give it up to Netflix for making an original. It’s such a bold statement and it’s really showing leadership in the industry because a lot of studios are just doing IP plays, sequels, video game adaptations, and those things are great but, it’s nice to have an original story every now and then.”
He teases that there are lots of Easter eggs and film homages to look out for in ‘In Your Dreams’, but he will not give them away.
“One of my favorite movies in the world is ‘Back to the Future’, and that song by The Chordettes is used in that movie. So there’s a secret homage to that film for me, with the Sandman in that song…. Our studio’s first show was ‘Go! Go! Cory Carson’, which is a preschool show on Netflix. We love that show. I’m really proud of it. We put a bunch of ‘Go! Go! Cory Carson’ Easter eggs in the film. You can keep an eye out for those. There are homages to other films that I love, just as a filmmaker, but I’m not going to give them away. You’ll just have to figure it out for yourself.”
Q&A Highlights From Craig Robinson
A scene from ‘In Your Dreams’. Photo: Netflix © 2025.
Craig Robinson discussed what it was about Baloney Tony and ‘In Your Dreams’ that drew him to want to be a part of it.
“This script touches all of us, right? Everybody dreams, and if you don’t, you daydream. We all dream about dreaming. So it was just to be a part of something real. Tony was just so funny and silly. And I could see me as this crazy stuffed animal for some reason.”
He explains how his relationship with his siblings helped him craft the voice of Tony Baloney.
“It was such a collaboration of jokes and improvising in the moment. I would say something and it would be ‘Oh, Craig, say that, okay, do it like this.’ It was ongoing, it was so much fun. And also it is a love letter to our brothers and sisters, because I have a younger brother and an older sister. So that was all real. My brother and I are relentless in teasing our sister, with all love and faith, but the text messages, you can’t misspell a word in our text, it’s over, you know what I’m saying? ‘Really, I never heard that word before.’ So it’s all there.”
“The adventure of a nightitme.”
Stevie and her little brother Elliot journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family. Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘In Your Dreams’?
A girl named Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her brother named Elliot (Elias Janssen) magically travel into the world of dreams to find The Sandman (Omid Djalili), who would grant their wish of saving their parents’ (Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti) marriage.
Who is in the cast of ‘In Your Dreams’?
‘In Your Dreams’ will be available on November 14th. Photo: Netflix © 2025.
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by admin | Jun 12, 2025 | Moviephone News, News
(Left) Director Peter Sohn at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Deborah Coleman/Pixar. (Right) The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.
Preview:
- Peter Sohn will direct ‘Incredibles 3’.
- Brad Bird, who directed the previous two movies, wrote the script.
- The movie was confirmed at last year’s D23 event.
If you cast your mind back to last August, you might recall that Disney took the opportunity of its D23 event to announce that a third movie in the successful ‘Incredibles’ franchise was in the works.
Little was revealed about it, beyond Pixar animation Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter offering that Brad Bird –– who has written and directed both the previous outings, was developing a third.
Not Yet Rated
The third installment in the Incredibles franchise. Plot TBA. Read the Plot
Yet it would appear that Bird’s duties elsewhere (more on that lower down the page) are precluding him from handling the new movie. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that while Bird is at work on the screenplay, ‘Elemental’ director Peter Sohn is the one who will usher the super-powered Parr family back to screens, with ‘Soul’s Dana Murray producing alongside Bird.
Related Article: Director Peter Sohn and Producer Denise Ream Talk Pixar’s ‘Elemental’
What’s the story of the ‘Incredibles’ franchise?
The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.
Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe helped superheroes conquer cinema, Bird’s first ‘Incredibles’ movie, released in 2004, told the story of Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson).
Bob (A.K.A. Mr. Incredible), and his wife Helen (A.K.A. Elastigirl, played by Holly Hunter), are the world’s greatest famous crime-fighting superheroes in Metroville, always saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis.
But 15 years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they have no choice but to retire as superheroes to live a “normal” life with their three children Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Spencer Fox) and Jack-Jack, who were born with secret superpowers.
Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction.
In the 2018 sequel, ‘Incredibles 2’, the Parr family still know that heroism is illegal according to the established law that prevents them from helping people.
But their lives in hiding are cut short when a wealthy philanthropist approaches Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl with the idea to remove the law and make their heroic acts legal. And Elastigirl is chosen to help lead this plan, leaving Mr. Incredible in charge of the kids.
Things get even more complicated when a terrifying new menace called the Screenslaver shows up and threatens to abolish Elastigirl’s attempt to restore heroism. Who is the Screenslaver? Can the Parrs save the world from chaos and destruction? Can the heroic freedom be restored?
(L to R) Jeremy Renner, Tom Cruise Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton in ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.’ ©2021 Paramount Pictures. All Right Reserved.
While Bird, who has also brought us the animated likes of ‘The Iron Giant’ and ‘Ratatouille’ and live-action movies ‘Tomorrowland’ and ‘Mission: Impossible –– Ghost Protocol’, had been predicted to direct the third ‘Incredibles,’ but is in the midst of another animated movie instead.
That project, ‘Ray Gunn’, has been a passion of Bird’s for nearly 30 years. Originally created alongside writer Matthew Robbins, it’s reportedly the story of the last human private detective, Raymund Gunn, in a future world composed of humans and aliens.
Originally aimed for production via Skydance Animation and its deal with Apple, the movie has been mired in creative difference issues and budgetary wrangles, but is now likely to see screens via Netflix, which took over the ‘toon company in 2023.
What else has Peter Sohn worked on?
Oscar® Nominee Peter Sohn, Elemental during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Oscar Season: Animated Feature Film” Event on Saturday, March 2 at the The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Credit/Provider: Michael Owen Baker / ©Academy Museum Foundation. Copyright: ©Academy Museum Foundation
Peter Sohn feels like the natural pick to follow Bird; he has worked on every animated Bird film (including both ‘Incredibles’) up until ‘Ray Gunn’.
Bird has been a mentor to Sohn, and Sohn was specifically chosen to carry The Incredibles torch by Bird and Pete Docter.
Sohn is a Pixar veteran, having worked on various movies as a story artist, animator and story consultant, and has been a member of the company’s Senior Creative Team (a group of filmmakers who offer input to those making films there) for a decade.
He has also voiced characters in various movies for the studio, like ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Monsters University’ and ‘Lightyear’.
As a director himself, Sohn made ‘The Good Dinosaur’ and the aforementioned ‘Elemental’, Sohn’s second movie, was nominated for the best animated feature Oscar last year.
When will ‘Incredibles 3’ head to theaters?
Disney and Pixar are keeping that particular piece of information locked in a vault for now, but given the usual lead time on CG animated movies, we can’t imagine it being ready much before 2028 or 2029 (the planned sequel to ‘Coco’, for example, is tentatively scheduled for 2029.)
Next up for the Emeryville-based animation team is alien abduction adventure ‘Elio’, which sees the title character (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), a space-obsessed kid who is swept off on a cosmic misadventure.
‘Elio’ will be in theaters on June 20th.
Pixar’s ‘Elio’. Photo: Disney.
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