TV & Beyond on 2025-05-01 15:00:00

TV & Beyond on 2025-05-01 15:00:00

by | May 1, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles

TV & Beyond on 2025-05-01 15:00:00

“Sgt. Rock” cleared what felt like its biggest hurdle to production when de Souza finished his outline before the start of the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike. “If I say ‘these ten sets have to be built,’ they know I’m not gonna change my mind and say, ‘Well, I changed my mind, there is no dentist’s office’ or whatever,” de Souza said. “So they started early preparations so we could hit the ground running when the strike ended.” When the strike ended after 153 days, de Souza knocked out his screenplay in just two weeks.

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Everything was moving quickly at this point. Location scouting was underway in Yugoslavia, while the casting process ramped up. They were making this movie. In what must’ve felt like a formality, Schwarzenegger dropped by the Warner Bros. lot one day to get fitted for his Sgt. Rock uniform. While making small talk with the costume designer, he learned the film would be shooting some 5,000 miles away from Sun Valley, Idaho. According to de Souza:

“[T]he costume designer said to him, ‘I can’t wait ’til we start filming. They say the Adriatic Coast is just like the Mediterranean!’ And Arnold said [Arnold voice], ‘Vat?’ And she says, ‘You know, the Yugoslavian coast, the beaches and resorts are fabulous.’ And Arnold, with his pants still pinned up, walked right over to the front office of the studio and said, ‘I said that I wouldn’t leave the continental US for this project. What’s going on here?'”

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The death of “Sgt. Rock” was swift and unceremonious. “As I understand it,” said de Souza, “They called Joel Silver, John McTiernan, and some executives over, and, whatever happened in that room, I wasn’t present, but Arnold left the project, and McTiernan left, too.” De Souza speculated that Schwarzenegger’s demand must have been legally binding for WB to let a tentpole action film die in a single meeting after an innocent costume fitting. My guess is that Silver’s loss was Paul Verhoeven’s gain, as “Total Recall” went into production right around the same time.

It’s a shame because de Souza said they’d taken Schwarzenegger’s accent into account and reworked the character. “[W]e had it set up so that Sgt. Rock was Austrian and his family had been killed by the Nazis […],” said de Souza. “He climbed over the mountains right behind the Von Trapp family. Nobody else could have filled that role the way it was written.” 

Silver didn’t give up on “Sgt. Rock.” A-list screenwriters like John Milius (who must’ve been brought in to lure Schwarzenegger back to the project) and Brian Helgeland did passes on the script. Guy Ritchie and Francis Lawrence flirted with directing the film, and Bruce Willis once became loosely attached. Quentin Tarantino was offered the opportunity to film Peoples’ screenplay. Those iterations ultimately fell apart, and now “Sgt. Rock” is dead yet again.

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TV & Beyond on 2025-05-01 14:00:00

TV & Beyond on 2025-05-01 14:00:00

by | May 1, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles

Steven Spielberg has directed some of the best movies ever made. After all, this is the same filmmaker who gave us “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and three great “Indiana Jones” flicks before the franchise went off the rails. Those movies barely even scratch the surface of the gems in his oeuvre, and one could even argue that the lowest-rated Spielberg movies have their merits. Spielberg’s credentials speak for themselves, so when he says that a film is the best American movie of all time, people listen. So, which film does he rank above every other movie to come out of the country?

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Spielberg’s favorite American film is one that’s beloved by the masses, and it’s the best crime thriller in history according to IMDb. Yes, we are talking about “The Godfather,” directed by Spielberg’s old friend Francis Ford Coppola. The movie tells the story of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), a son of a mafioso boss, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), who reluctantly inherits control of his father’s organized crime empire. When we first meet Michael, he’s completely removed from his family’s illegal activities, but it’s only a matter of time until the power corrupts him, causing him to lose his morality and sense of right and wrong.

“The Godfather” isn’t the first gangster movie to chronicle the corruption of its protagonist, but it’s arguably the most influential one. For Spielberg, though, Coppola’s movie is more than a mob drama, as he believes it sits at the apex of American cinema, along with its director.

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Steven Spielberg says The Godfather redefined American cinema

Michael Corleone standing next to a black car in The Godfather

Paramount Pictures

As documented by Variety, Steven Speilberg was one of the guests present to honor Francis Ford Coppola at the director’s AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony. During his speech, Spielberg praised his peer for always marching to the beat of his own drum and supporting independent film, then explained why he thinks “The Godfather” is the crowning achievement of American cinema. In his own words:

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“‘The Godfather,’ for me, is the greatest American film ever made. Many artists can and do take a bow from their work on a page, on a canvas, on a screen, but our applause for you Francis, is from a different kind of audience. When we’re young, it’s our parents we want to make proud, and then it’s our friends, and then it’s our colleagues, and finally, it’s our peers, but you, sir, are peerless.”

Spielberg added that “The Godfather” redefined American cinema and paved the way for new generations of filmmakers to leave their mark on the industry. Showing further admiration for Coppola, Spielberg claimed that he always wants to make the filmmaker proud of his work every time he makes a new movie. That is high praise indeed — especially considering that Spielberg has more than proven himself as a legendary talent time and time again.

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TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 22:00:00

TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 22:00:00

by | Apr 30, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles

“An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories”), and the writers of “The Pope’s Exorcist” extrapolated them into a very, very loose film adaptation. 

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Russell Crowe, trying on a very thick Italian accent, plays Amorth, and the film details a specific demonic possession he encountered in 1987. Amorth is seen serving a fictional Italian Pope played by Franco Nero, even though the Polish John Paul II was the Holy Father at the time. Amorth is tasked with traveling to Spain to look into the possible demonic possession of a young boy named Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney), an American kid who just moved into a disused abbey with his mom and sister (Alex Essoe and Laurel Marsden). One of the highlights of “The Pope’s Exorcist” is the sight of Father Amorth speeding to his destination on a Vespa, wearing shades and a fedora. The image was amusing enough to inspire scores of snarky unauthorized t-shirts. 

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The recent death of Pope Francis has had film audiences flocking to the 2024 Oscar darling “Conclave,” a thriller about the election of a new Pope, as well as “The Two Popes,” the 2019 dramatization of the conversations held between Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (who would become Pope Francis after Benedict’s unexpected retirement). Anyone with a Hulu subscription, however, would do well to line up “The Pope’s Exorcist” as well. One may as well move from the sublime to the ridiculous.

The Pope’s Exorcist is very silly

Father Gabriele Amorth on his Vespa in The Pope's Exorcist

Sony Pictures Releasing

And make no mistake, “The Pope’s Exorcist” is plenty ridiculous. In being based on a real person, the filmmakers may have felt that their cheesy possession thriller would stand apart from the thousands of extant “Exorcist” knockoffs made since 1973, but that wasn’t the case. “The Pope’s Exorcist” has a pretty predictable plot, and mostly stands out because of Crowe’s committed performance. 

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As mentioned, Amorth travels to Spain to exorcize a demon from an American boy. He teams up with a local Spanish priest named Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), and they find a mysterious secret about the abbey where Henry is living. Not to give too much away, but it all links to a mysterious evil priest from the time of the Spanish Inquisition, and the demon Asmodeus that he once unsuccessfully tried to exorcize. There are fun Indiana Jones-like sequences wherein Amorth and Esquibel find hidden catacombs underneath the Spanish abbey. The film ends with a sequel tease wherein a Vatican representative extracts a map of 199 unholy sites that need investigating. Amorth and Esquibel will, it is implied, return to lead those investigations and, presumably, exorcize demons at each one. 

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Made for only $18 million, “The Pope’s Exorcist” was a modest hit, making $77 million back. Critics were mixed on the film, and it has only fetched a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 107 reviews). Both the positive and the negative reviews agreed that the film was corny and broad, but some critics found that more entertaining than others. A sequel has indeed been greenlit, although few details are currently known. It would only be worth it if Crowe bothered to return. Doubly so, if he brings his Vespa. 

As mentioned, “The Pope’s Exorcist” is on Hulu. Get some popcorn, and maybe some strong sacramental wine (if you’re of drinking age), and celebrate the life of Pope Francis by watching one of the silliest demon thrillers of the last few years.

TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 21:00:00

TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 21:00:00

by | Apr 30, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles

“Mork & Mindy,” the latter of which originated from what was first thought of as a “horrible” episode script. (There’s also “Joanie Loves Chachi,” though as the saying goes, you can’t win ’em all.)  On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got shows like “Seinfeld,” which drew impressive audiences back in the day but didn’t give birth to any sort of spin-off series.

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However, it wasn’t for a lack of trying that the “show about nothing” has nothing by way of spin-offs. George Costanza actor Jason Alexander pitched a couple of spin-off ideas, one of which would have centered on Cosmo Kramer’s (Michael Richards) lawyer, Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris), who was a parody of O.J. Simpson’s defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. And as it turns out, Morris made a similar pitch, as he stated at a 1999 press event (via the Chicago Tribune) that he was developing a spin-off that would see his fast-talking lawyer character working at a “very austere white law firm.” He added that “Seinfeld” co-creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David were on board as executive producers and that he was hoping for a midseason 1999 launch on the parent show’s network, NBC.

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The series, as Morris explained, was likely not going to feature anyone from the main cast of “Seinfeld,” as the actor doubted Richards was up for reprising Kramer. “Julia [Louis-Dreyfuss] isn’t that interested in another weekly grind, and I don’t think Jason is, either,” he continued. “Jackie has his own energy and conflicts. We’ll go from there.”

NBC claimed it was unaware of Morris’ planned Seinfeld spin-off series

Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris) and Jerry Seinfeld (himself) talking in court in Seinfeld

NBC

During that same press event, Phil Morris explained why he felt the time was right for a Jackie Chiles spin-off, saying that his experience playing the character in a series of Honda commercials convinced him that audiences wanted to see more of Kramer’s lawyer on their television screens.  “They’ve given us the sense that this character would exist outside the ‘Seinfeld’ franchise,” he related. “The public wouldn’t let him go. Since the final episode, people had been clamoring for something that reminded them of ‘Seinfeld.'” The actor also noted that Jerry Seinfeld himself gave him his blessing after initially rejecting the pitch. “He said, ‘You know, you’re right. It’s time for this guy. He’s a killer character. You’re going to be a big-time TV star.’ Those were his exact words,” Morris recalled.

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While Morris seemed very optimistic about the chances of his show getting greenlit, NBC’s response when asked for comment on the potential spin-off essentially doused cold water on the whole affair. A spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle that the network was not aware of Morris’ pitch for Jackie Chiles to get his own series. “This is the first we’re hearing about it,” the representative said. “It’s news to the network.” 

That was pretty much the last anyone heard of a possible Chiles spin-off, and it’s probably just as well.

Why a Jackie Chiles spin-off wouldn’t have worked

If done right, parodies of key figures from much-publicized legal cases like the O.J. Simpson murder trial can work quite well. Remember when Johnnie Cochran (voiced by Trey Parker) entered the “South Park” universe and represented Chef (Isaac Hayes) in the season 2 episode “Chef Aid”? The parody, as well as Cochran’s “Chewbacca defense,” made sense (no pun intended) because the lawyer was a one-shot character — his technically posthumous, wordless cameos in season 14’s now-banned episodes “200” and “201” notwithstanding. Meanwhile, even a mere 10-episode season of a Jackie Chiles spin-off would have gotten tired and repetitive; he was good in small doses on “Seinfeld,” but there are only so many ways you can keep a parody of a real-life celebrity interesting as the main character on a weekly sitcom.

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In addition, characters based on people from high-profile water-cooler events can quickly become dated. While present-day viewers can enjoy most of “Seinfeld” without asking older friends or relatives to explain the jokes and references, the same likely wouldn’t have applied to Phil Morris’ proposed spin-off — who is this Jackie Chiles, and why is he supposed to be funny? Lastly, there’s the possibility of racially insensitive humor and storylines sneaking into the mix, given how Chiles was supposed to be the lone Black attorney in a firm of stuffy, by-the-book white lawyers. What might have been hilarious in 1999 could be construed as insensitive for more modern audiences.

All that is to say that Morris — and “Seinfeld” fans — dodged a bullet when nothing ultimately came of his pitch for a Chiles spin-off.

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TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 21:00:00

TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 21:00:00

by | Apr 30, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles

in the case of “Andor.”) He’s also constantly popping up in documentaries (not to mention his podcast with Marc Bernardin) to give his thoughts on the intersection of art and culture. Smith is unapologetic in his acknowledgement of the art that shaped him, as well as the art that he thinks … well … sucks.

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Of course, opinions and taste can change over time, but the blessing and curse of film is that whatever is recorded and makes it to the final cut is permanently frozen in time. During a recent Q&A during a Chicago screening to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Dogma,” /Film’s own Ethan Anderton asked Smith about his publicly noted reverence for the late filmmaker John Hughes and how it is seemingly contradicted in “Dogma” when Serendipity (Salma Hayek) confesses that she’s responsible for nine of the top 10 highest grossing films of all time … before adding that she had nothing to do with “Home Alone,” quipping, “Somebody sold their soul to Satan to get the grosses up on that piece of s—” (a sentiment certain /Film staff members agrees with).

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As it turns out, Smith feels really bad about including that dig at Hughes’ Christmas classic. “Young Kevin Smith was so opinionated,” he admitted.

Young Kevin Smith felt abandoned by John Hughes

Kevin McCallister in Home Alone smiling at the camera

20th Century Studios

Despite his dislike of “Home Alone,” Smith waxed poetic about his love of Hughes. “John Hughes was an adult who was one of us, man. He wasn’t too far removed,” he explained to the crowd. “He was in his early 30s, but he felt like the teenager felt, and he spoke our f—ing language.” He noted that the films of his youth were “The Breakfast Club,” “Weird Science,” “Pretty in Pink,” and “Sixteen Candles,” and that these were the films that helped Smith “understand a world that was maybe baffling or confusing at that age.” You’d be hard-pressed to find a Gen Xer who doesn’t share the feeling.

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Hughes did not direct “Home Alone” (that hefty residual check belongs to Chris Columbus), but he did write it, and it was a massive success. It also came at a time in Hughes’ career where he was pivoting away from coming-of-age stories and starting to create more adult fare like “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” While “Home Alone” is a story featuring “Tom & Jerry” style violence-afflicted burglars, it’s typically remembered as a kids movie.

“And how I perceived it back in the day was that he gave up on teenagers and just started writing for kids,” Smith explained. “Because after that, it was just like, ‘Curly Sue’ and f—ing ‘Baby’s Day Out.'” He explained that as someone who felt spoken to by Hughes’ work, to see him focus on such young protagonists, he “felt abandoned,” and that’s where the motivation for the joke came into play. Regardless of the controversial debate surrounding “Home Alone,” I do think it’s pretty universally accepted that “Baby’s Day Out” is Hughes at his weakest.

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Kevin Smith regrets mocking another artist

Brian and Melody at the movies in The 4:30 Movie

Saban Capital Group

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and Smith regrets including the joke, especially now that he’s on the other side of the coin. “Me, f—ing telling my favorite artist how he should conduct himself and his career,” he remarked. “Now, I’ve paid for that many times over, with people who will come up to my face, and tell me how I’m failing them, in my current career, versus my older work, and s— like that.” Personally, I still think Smith has “got it,” but his storytelling approach is obviously different. Sure, they can’t all be knock-it-out-of-the-park winners, but that’s the truth for any filmmaker.

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Everyone makes their “Baby’s Day Out,” but that doesn’t magically mean the home runs are suddenly erased from the annals of history. Smith was incredibly self-aware in his response to Anderton/Oman’s question, and if anything, further proved he’s one of the true class-act filmmakers we have currently working today with his comments:

“I paid for the hubris of being like, ‘John Hughes, f—ing he shouldn’t have made a ‘Home Alone’ and s—,’ except I didn’t have the smashing success of a ‘Home Alone’ to even stand behind. Whereas Hughes could have been like, ‘Yeah, you know what? I’ll f—ing cry myself to sleep with all the money and s— like that.’ So, yeah, it shows you the two sides of Kevin Smith, the uber fan, the uber eloquent fan, and the b—-y little fan I could be.”

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Smith’s words actually remind me of a really touching Letterboxd review of his Hughesian coming-of-age film, “The 4:30 Movie,” from filmmaker Vera Drew (“The People’s Joker”), where she had nearly the same realization Smith had about Hughes regarding her relationship with Smith’s work and what she has posted about it online. “No matter where you land on his art, you gotta respect that he makes vulnerable movies that only he could make,” she wrote.

I think Kevin Smith would agree.

TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 20:00:00

TV & Beyond on 2025-04-30 20:00:00

by | Apr 30, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles

“Shōgun” was the television event of 2024. Most streaming aggregators ranked it as the most viewed series across all platforms for the year, while critics showered the adaptation of James Clavell’s epic novel with praise (“Shōgun” season 1 holds a 100% Fresh rating with Rotten Tomatoes’ Top Critics). The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences were equally enamored of the series, bestowing it with an unprecedented 18 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most ever dished out to a single show for one season. It took home nearly all of the top creative awards for a drama series as well, losing only Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series because it was nominated twice in both categories.

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After enchanting critics and mainstream viewers alike, it should come as no surprise that “Shōgun” season 2 will easily be the most anticipated television event whenever it premieres. For a solid year, fans have been desperate for the show to go back into production, all the while wondering who will be returning and who will be joining the cast. Perhaps the most intriguing question surrounding “Shōgun” season 2 is what in the heck it’ll be about, given that season 1 covered Clavell’s entire book and the author never wrote a proper sequel to the novel that was set in the time of its characters.

It’s very early days in the mounting of “Shōgun” season 2, but FX has now issued a press release that gives fans a vague sense of what to expect when the acclaimed series finally returns. Here’s everything we know thus far.

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What happened at the end of Shogun season 1?

Anna Sawai appears pensive as Lady Toda Mariko in Shogun

FX

“Shōgun” season 1 split its focus between Hiroyuki Sanada’s Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis’ Pilot Major John Blackthorne. Set mostly in 1600 at the dawn of the Edo period, this second adaptation of Clavell’s novel approaches its subject with far greater nuance and sensitivity than the very good 1980 miniseries could muster. Audiences were captivated by the political intrigue of the power struggle that exploded in the wake of the passing of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Taikō who unified Japan in the 16th century. To head off worries over the potential for widespread conflict created by a sudden power vacuum, the Taikō divvied up the rule between five elders. One of these elders is Toranaga, a master tactician who lucks into a worldly advisor in Blackthorne.

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Toranaga may be a brilliant strategist, but with the other elders plotting against him, he needs Blackthorne’s assistance, as well as aid from Lady Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai). Blackthorne’s importance to Toranaga places him in harm’s way throughout season 1, but, sadly, it is Mariko who winds up sacrificing her life in an act of defiance against Toranaga’s nemesis Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira). The season ends with the assault on the Ishido-controlled Osaka Castle, which is the prelude to the historically pivotal Battle of Sekigahara. Blackthorne had sought to leave Japan on his ship the Erasmus, but Toranaga surreptitiously had it destroyed to keep the English pilot in country. Given that the other members of the ruling council have voted to declare war on Toranaga, it’s clear he’s going to need all the strategic help he can get.

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What will happen in Shogun season 2?

Hiroyuki Sanada is bloody in battle as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun

FX

According to the FX press release, “Part two of Shōgun is set 10 years after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.” This is actually a pretty big reveal, as it seems to suggest that the series will not pick up right with the massive Battle of Sekigahara and defeat of Lord Ishido. This will bum out more than a few fans who were hoping season 2 would be a great big war saga, but the expense of mounting such a huge conflict might’ve proved just too daunting.

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It also might’ve led to stagnant character development, which could be why the show’s creative team has decided to jump ahead to 1610. That date is important, as it places the narrative four years shy of the Siege of Osaka, which brought about the defeat of the Toyotomi clan and the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. Since Toranaga is based on leader Tokugawa Ieyasu, it stands to reason that season 2 of “Shōgun” will serve as a build-up to that battle. So, maybe fans will get their big, bloody war in season 3, if the writers opt to keep the story rolling.

Who’s in the cast of Shogun season 2?

Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga tends to Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne in Shogun

FX

Not that there was any doubt, but FX has confirmed that Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis will return for season 2. As for who else might be joining them, you have to look at the lifespans and family trees of the surviving characters’ corresponding historical figures to hazard a guess here. Of course, we can safely rule out Tadanobu Asano as Toranaga’s associate Kashigi Yabushige; while the person he’s based on didn’t check out until 1616, Yabushige died by seppuku in the season 1 finale. Tommy Bastow, on the other hand, is a good bet to return, given that Father Martin Alvito’s real-life counterpart remained in Japan until 1614. Finally, based again on the historical record, Fumi Nikaido seems like a cinch for season 2 as Ochiba-no-kata.

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Who won’t return? Unless it’s a flashback, we’ve probably seen the last of Takehiro Hira as Ishido, seeing as he was beheaded after the Battle of Sekigahara (though maybe we’ll get to see his severed noggin on display).

Who is writing Shogun season 2?

Shogun creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo attend the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards

Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

We already knew that the creators of this new “Shōgun” adaptation, Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, were coming back for season 2, and they’ll be joined once again by executive producers Michaela Clavell, Michael De Luca, and Edward L. McDonnell. FX has also announced that Hiroyuki Sanada has been promoted to an executive producer role, while Cosmo Jarvis will serve as a co-executive producer. What’s the difference between those two titles? I will refer you to my /Film article on the role of producers in movies and television!

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Earlier this year, Marks also dropped this nugget about season 2:

“We’re coming out of the writers room now. We’re also done with the 10 episodes and we have our finale now. That’s allowing us to start figuring out how we’re going to shoot this. But we’re very excited about the plan. I think the thing to take away, more than anything, is how, I hope people are going to be surprised with some of the big ideas as soon as the first episode of part two. So, we’ll start there and see where it takes us for future stories. But we’re really excited about it, especially for [Hiroyuki Sanada].”

As long as they’re excited, there’s no reason the fans shouldn’t be either.

When will Shogun season 2 be released?

Hiroyuki Sanda holds a fan as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun

FX

Here’s the bad news for fans who were hoping for the show to return in 2025: Season 2 of “Shōgun” will not begin production in Vancouver until January 2026. Since we don’t know exactly how big and ambitious this season is going to be, it’s hard to say for sure if the show’s creatives will have this new batch of episodes ready before the end of 2026. For now, take comfort in knowing that Marks, Kondo, and the rest of the series’ creative team aren’t rushing into anything. We want them to have all the space they need to make sure season 2 lives up to the brilliance of season 1.

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