In Logan Lerman‘s new movie, Oh, Hi!, he plays a bit of an asshole. The technical, generationally specific term might be “soft boy” — a young, entitled New Yorker who wants all the perks of a relationship (companionship, sex, a reliable plus-one) without the commitment. The dark comedy hinges on the extremely poorly timed moment his character Isaac reveals to his not-quite-girlfriend Iris (played by Molly Gordon) that they’re not a couple — at least not in his mind.
Lerman plays the part so smoothly and convincingly, it’s easy to assume he’s drawing on personal experience. In fact, he is. Just not in the way you’d think.
“I’m an Iris,” he says over breakfast at his local diner in L.A.’s Franklin Village. “In my dating life, I’ve been with people and thought, ‘This is so great!’ But then they tell me it’s actually not working, and the whole thing implodes after a few months. You’re left thinking, ‘Wait, I thought we had something good?’ “
Archie shirt; Levi’s jeans;
Kleman loafers.
Photographed by Sela Shiloni
This admission isn’t what people would expect from someone who’s been in the spotlight since he first broke out in 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians and was anointed by fans as “White Boy of the Year” and “The Internet’s Boyfriend.” And yet, Lerman, now 33, manages to keep a relatively low profile. He doesn’t do much press, and despite the fan pages tracking his every haircut, he has managed to stay just out of reach.
Raised in West L.A., he was a possible heir to a podiatry dynasty — his great-grandfather founded an orthotics company, and much of his family still works in the business. Acting started as a distraction during his parents’ divorce. “They were like, ‘He needs something to do,’ ” he says, “and I’d always loved performing.” That pastime turned serious when he was cast as Christian Bale’s son in 3:10 to Yuma at 14. “Being part of that movie scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had,” he recalls. “That feeling — plus wanting to get the fuck away from home — made me realize I wanted to just do this job all the time.”
Although Percy Jackson and The Perks of Being a Wallflower earned him a devoted teen fan base, he managed to sidestep the child-actor trap, pivoting to adult roles in Fury, Bullet Train and Hunters. “Still,” he says, “you hit a point in your mid-20s where you think, ‘I don’t ever want to be in a high school [movie] again. I don’t ever want to wear a backpack.’ “
Enter Oh, Hi!, co-written by Gordon and director Sophie Brooks. The script had been circulating for years but never landed in Lerman’s hands — until his team happened to start repping Gordon. That’s when a copy finally appeared in his inbox.
“As soon as I read it, I said yes,” he recalls — never mind the role’s rather specific physical requirements.
Isaac drops the bomb that he and Iris aren’t a couple while he’s handcuffed to her bed, post-sex — and she refuses to let him go. That’s not just a scene, it’s pretty much the entire movie. Lerman estimates he spent more than 100 hours lying prone on the set. “At first I wondered how we’d make it work, energy-wise,” he says, “but it came down to the bed frame and how much movement it allowed. Once we figured that out, I’d just show up to work and hop into bed.” Physically, it was easy. “The hardest part was knowing I had to be naked every day — and look the same every day. That took more effort, especially toward the end of the shoot.”
Lerman’s Isaac is handcuffed to the bed by Molly Gordon’s Iris in Oh, Hi!
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
The film also gave Lerman a chance to flex comedic muscles rarely seen in his more serious roles. He’ll continue that streak with a guest turn in the next season of Only Murders in the Building. He wrapped filming a few weeks before this breakfast and still sounds a little surprised by how much fun he had during his downtime with Steve Martin and Martin Short. “It’s scary to meet someone whose work you love that much,” he says. “They can ruin their whole filmography for you if they’re an asshole. That’s happened to me — those people shall remain nameless.”
Despite this recent turn toward comedy, Lerman insists he doesn’t map out his career. OMITB showrunner John Hoffman offered him the role just a week before shooting began. “I don’t really plan,” Lerman says. “I like the excitement of not knowing what’s next.”
Meanwhile, he seems to have ironed out the kinks in his own love life. Just before the pandemic, he met ceramic artist Ana Corrigan — and unlike Isaac and Iris, she’s been sticking around of her own free will. In fact, they got engaged two years ago. “I’m approaching the time in my life where I want kids,” Lerman says. “And I’m thinking a lot about how to balance that with my work.” He shrugs. “But the irony is, now that I’m in a great relationship, it’s easier than ever to focus on my career — because everything else finally feels solid.”
Decoys tee.
Photographed by Sela Shiloni
This story appeared in the July 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
British actor Micheal Ward, star of Top Boy and more recently, Ari Aster’s Cannes-debuting film Eddington, has been charged with rape.
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that the 27-year-old actor from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire has been charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The offences relate to one woman, the force added, and are reported to have taken place in January 2023.
Ward will appear at Thames Magistrates Court in London on Thursday, Aug. 28.
“Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward,” said detective superintendent Scott Ware, whose team is leading the Met’s investigation. “We know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports.”
Catherine Baccas, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said: “Having carefully reviewed a file of evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Micheal Ward, 27, with two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against a woman in January 2023.”
She added: “We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial… It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.”
The young, Jamaican-born star is best known for his role as Jamie in Netflix’s BAFTA-winning Top Boy. In 2020, he was honored with the British Academy’s rising star award. In 2022, he starred in the Sam Mendes drama Empire of Light, earning a BAFTA nomination in the supporting actor category.
Earlier this year, he joined Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler on the Cannes red carpet for the premiere of Aster’s latest neo-Western black comedy Eddington, in which Ward played police officer Michael.
Mister Fantastic and his family have cleared the launch pad in high style.
Director Matt Shakman‘s acclaimed superhero movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps launched to a promising $24.4 million in Thursday previews at the North American box office to score the biggest preview gross the year to date ahead of rival DC’s Superman ($22.5 million), as well as the biggest since fellow Marvel title Deadpool & Wolverine a year ago ($38.5 million).
That’s welcome news for the Disney-owned Marvel Studios, where chief Kevin Feige and his team are looking for redemption after a rough few years (Deadpool & Wolverine being the exception). It also comes as Disney becomes the first Hollywood studio to cross $3 billion in global ticket sales, a milestone it will cross sometime today, July 25. And Marvel boasts three of the five top preview grosses of the year, even if the other two — Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* earned around less than half what First Steps did.
Disney and Marvel are predicting a North American opening in the $100 million to $110 million range for Fantastic Four; ditto for overseas. But based on brisk advance ticket sales, strong reviews and glowing early audience scores, the all-star reboot could easily open higher.
Superman debuted to a successful $125 million domestically two weeks ago and $95 million overseas, where it came in slightly behind expectations due to the pro-American themes long tied to the comic-book character. Fantastic Four should have an upper hand over Superman overseas, considering that the previous films in the franchise made by 20th Century Fox did more of their business offshore.
The New York City-set First Steps, which is earning raves for its early 1960s retro-style, stars Pedro Pascal as scientific genius Reed Richards, who leads a space expedition with his wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby); her brother, Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn); and piloted by their good friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). When their rocket ship encounters a cosmic storm, it alters their DNA, returning them to Earth with superpowers.
The new film picks up after the four have returned and have become become worldwide heroes. But there is no time to rest on their laurels. They must return to space when Earth is visited by the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), who warns that the planet is about to be destroyed by a cosmic entity named Galactus.
In terms of the box office, the hope is that Fantastic Four will play to both families and fanboys/fangirls alike, which should help combat lingering superhero fatigue at the box office. “The eponymous quartet may have superpowers, but they are also a family, struggling like most of us to handle the most daunting responsibilities life throws our way,” writes David Rooney in his THR reivew.
Stellan Skarsgård is the star who will receive this year’s Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the 31st edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival, organizers unveiled on Friday.
He will get to honor “in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the film industry and his remarkable acting career.”
Said the star: “The Sarajevo Film Festival remains unwavering and driven in its aim to highlight subjects of great consequence, underscored by an intense lust for life. I love going there.”
Skarsgård, “a longtime friend of the Sarajevo Film Festival, as well as a curator and one of the patrons of the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation – whose scholarships were awarded at the Sarajevo Film Festival – presented the foundation’s scholarship to Juanita Wilson at the festival’s 15th edition in 2009,” organizers highlighted.
Said Jovan Marjanovic, director of the Sarajevo Film Festival: “It is a true honor to present the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo to Stellan Skarsgård, an actor of remarkable depth, strength, and integrity. Stellan has been a longtime friend of Sarajevo, and we are delighted to welcome him back. His career is filled with unforgettable roles in films that challenge, move, and stay with audiences. This award is a heartfelt thank you for his outstanding contribution to cinema and for the continued support he has shown to our festival.”
Italian auteur Paolo Sorrentino was previously unveiled as this year’s filmmaker receiving the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award during the 31st edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival, which will also feature a retrospective of his movies screened as part of the fest’s “tribute to” program.
The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award was established in 2005 with the aim of recognizing “individuals for their outstanding contribution to the affirmation and development of the film industry and the support and development of the Sarajevo Film Festival.”
Past recipients of the honor include Meg Ryan (2024), Lynne Ramsay (2023), Jesse Eisenberg (2022), Ruben Östlund (2022), Wim Wenders (2021), Michel Franco (2020), Mads Mikkelsen (2020), Tim Roth (2019), Isabelle Huppert (2019), Alejandro González Iñárritu (2019), Paweł Pawlikowski (2019), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (2018), Oliver Stone (2017), John Cleese (2017), Stephen Frears (2016), Robert De Niro (Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016), Benicio Del Toro (2015), Danis Tanović (2014), Gael García Bernal (2014), Jafar Panahi (2011), Angelina Jolie (2011), Steve Buscemi (2007), Mike Leigh (2006), and Marco Müller (2005).
You might be tempted to rewatch Adam Sandler’s hit 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore before taking in its long-belated sequel on Netflix, but there’s really no need. There are so many clips from its predecessor that even those who never saw the original film will have no trouble catching up. Add to that the many original performers repeating their roles, the constant callbacks and the nonstop nostalgia, and the result is less a continuation than an exercise in fan service. If you’re watching Happy Gilmore 2 at home, don’t be surprised if some of the castmembers show up at your door offering autographed pictures for a fee.
Yes, it’s been 29 years since the first film, but considering its constant presence on cable and streaming, it’s surprising that repeating screenwriters Sandler and Tim Herlihy felt the need to provide so many reminders. But then again, Sandler has always proved adept at giving his audiences what they want. Like the first film, the sequel (directed by Kyle Newacheck) proves moronic, witless and relentlessly vulgar. Which is to say, Happy Gilmore fans will love it.
Happy Gilmore 2
The Bottom Line
A whiffed shot.
Release date: Friday, July 25 Cast: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Benny Safdie, Ben Stiller, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, John Daly, Haley Joel Osment, Jackie Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Philip Schneider, Ethan Cutkosky, Conor Sherry, Kevin Nealon, Lavell Crawford, Kym Whitley, John Farley, Eric André, Martin Herlihy, Margaret Qualley Director: Kyle Newacheck Screenwriters: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler
Rated PG-13,
1 hour 54 minutes
As the story begins, Happy is all washed up, lost in an alcoholic haze after accidentally killing his beloved wife, Virginia, with an errant golf ball (Julie Bowen smartly bails from the proceedings after a few minutes, her character only briefly reappearing periodically as a ghost). He’s lost his home, he’s broke and he works a menial job at a supermarket, which is not going to pay for his daughter Vienna’s expensive tuition at a Paris ballet academy. (She’s played by Sandler’s daughter Sunny, continuing his penchant for casting friends and family members in his movies.)
So as former golfer John Daly, who’s living in his garage, points out, there’s nothing else for Happy to do but go back to playing golf. Returning to the links turns out to be humiliating, since his first time out on the course with some strangers (played by the likes of Eric André and Margaret Qualley) proves disastrous. But he eventually sobers up after attending a support group for “alkies” led by former retirement home orderly Hal (Ben Stiller, somehow managing not to be funny).
Encouraged by the other veteran golfers — the film features cameos from so many well-known players it should be shown on ESPN, not Netflix — Happy, who still suffers from anger management issues, re-enters the circuit. Except his competition this time isn’t Shooter McGavin, his arch-nemesis from the first film, but rather an upstart group called Maxi Golf, a bizarre new concept featuring showbiz embellishments and golfers who’ve been surgically enhanced to improve their swings. (Its CEO is played by Benny Safdie, who, along with brother Josh, directed Uncut Gems, a film that demonstrated Sandler’s genuine acting chops. Here, the talented actor/filmmaker is reduced to a running gag involving his character’s horrifically bad breath.)
Speaking of Shooter McGavin, he thankfully does reappear in the glorious form of Christopher McDonald, as if you had any doubt. Released from the mental institution in which he’s been confined since the events of the previous film, Shooter winds up as Happy’s ally, although not before the two of them duke it out in a cemetery filled with tombstones emblazoned with the names of now-deceased characters (including Bob Barker, whose fight with Sandler in the first film became iconic).
Carl Weathers’ Chubbs Peterson was also slated to return, until the actor died last year. So this film features the character’s son Slim Peterson (Lavell Crawford), who, like his father, sports a prosthetic hand that has an inconvenient propensity for falling off.
And so it goes, with nearly every minute of the film featuring a reference to the original in one form or another. It all feels extremely lazy and self-indulgent, especially Sandler’s tendency to cast nearly everyone he’s ever worked with or even met. The cameos here are so voluminous that you need a cheat sheet to keep up, although most of them barely make an impression.
Sandler lazily walks through the film looking, as one character describes him, like someone who “got divorced four seconds ago.” Thankfully, McDonald is on hand to lend the proceedings some genuine lunacy. More surprisingly, Bad Bunny turns out to be utterly endearing, and very funny, as a busboy whom Happy hires as his caddie. Although it’s unlikely that anyone had the Puerto Rican superstar slathering a bare-chested Travis Kelce with honey, as he does here, on their cinematic bingo card.
Other than a running gag revolving around Happy’s use of every possible object as a liquor container, the film’s main humor involves people being painfully hit by golf balls. By the time the movie ends and you’ve been assaulted by one tired gag after another, you’ll know exactly how they feel.
Joel Edgerton plays Robert Grainier, an early-20th century logger and railroad worker who faces a rapidly-changing America in the teaser trailer for director Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams, which dropped on Thursday.
Felicity Jones, who plays Gladys, Grainer’s wife, William H. Macy and Kerry Condon also star in Bentley’s drama that adapts Denis Johnson’s prize-winning novella. “I don’t know where the years go,” a meditative Grainer says at one point in the trailer amid scenes where he rides the rails or, long axe in hand, eyes giant trees to possibly chop down.
Macy, who plays Arn Peeples, an explosives expert, finds lyrical beauty in an early 20th century America where the outside world is fast closing in on their traditional, pastoral way of life. “This world is intricately stitched together, boys. Every thread we pull, we know not how it affects the design of things,” Macy’s character says from around a campfire.
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Train Dreams bowed in Sundance and is headed next to the Toronto Film Festival for an international premiere. The film is directed by Bentley from a script he wrote with Greg Kwedar after they worked together on the Oscar-nominated Sing Sing drama.
Bentley said of his latest movie in a director’s statement: “I think most of us will never have some great impact on history and yet we will lead very, very deep and beautiful lives. There’s something very special about [Robert Grainier’s] story in that it is so specific to this one person’s life, and yet there’s a universality to it of a person trying to navigate a world that’s changing around them constantly — kind of leaving you behind, even as you’re still alive.”
The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief film critic David Rooney said of Train Dreams in his Sundance review: “At the risk of gushing, I adored this perfectly formed movie. It elevates Bentley into the league of essential American filmmakers.”
Train Dreams is produced by Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, William Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer and Michael Heimler, while Edgerton, Scott Hinckley, Kwedar and John Friedberg executive produce.
