We sat down with some of the incredibly talented cast of “Wicked: Part 1” (Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Jonathan Bailey and Marissa Bode), as well as the film’s iconic director Jon M. Chu, to talk about the upcoming blockbuster movie-musical! Watch them discuss the Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande moments that gave them goosebumps, the “Wicked” songs that have been stuck in their heads, and much more! And of course, watch Jeff Goldblum do Jeff Goldblum stuff. https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/wicked-part-i-interviews-with-jonathan-bailey-jeff-goldblum-jon-m-chu-and-more
During production on 2021’s In The Heights, the musical’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and the film’s director Jon M. Chu became close friends. The two are powerhouses in the movie industry, so it’s little surprise that they’ve both had huge films come out at the tail end of the 2024 release schedule. Miranda wrote original songs for Mufasa: The Lion King and Jon M. Chu directed the musical phenomenon Wicked. Even though they’re not working together on said projects, it seems that Chu lifted some choreography from In The Heights, and after Lin called him out in spectacular fashion, the director responded to his “sassy” friend. I had the privilege of speaking with both men on behalf of their respective projects, and after Lin-Manuel Miranda gave me a message to deliver Jon M. Chu questioning this “homage” in the choreography, I gave the Wicked director a chance to respond.
Ever since Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar-nominated performance in 2017’s Call Me By Your Name, the actor has been on a consistent and aggressively upward Hollywood trajectory. In his latest film, James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, he portrays Bob Dylan not just with accuracy, but heart. It's arguably why critics are raving about Chalamet's performance. But the praise doesn’t stop there, as his castmates are still talking about the first time they heard him sing as Dylan. And, as CinemaBlend learned, they couldn’t tell the difference between the recordings from "Timmy" and Dylan himself. Monica Barbaro, who you may know as Phoenix from Top Gun: Maverick, brilliantly portrays folk singer and Bob Dylan collaborator Joan Baez in the film. When I caught up with her to discuss A Complete Unknown, she told me about the first time she heard Timothée Chalamet as Dylan and how the voice was so close that it confused her while recording.
The cast of "Gladiator II" is absolutely stacked for obvious reasons. It sees the return of Connie Nielsen and a performance by Denzel Washington that folks are saying may have secured his third Oscar. But in what is perhaps a coincidental turn of events, the film also features the internet’s biggest heartthrobs Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, and the now-infamous lost take of the former kissing the latter on the forehead looks like it’s coming to VOD. I recently spoke with the film's star and director in anticipation of "Gladiator II's" release, and to catch all of you up, Paul Mescal retold the humorous story of director Ridley Scott’s reaction to the improvised forehead kiss.
Wicked mania is still in full swing. The film is currently racking it up at the box office, critics are praising it, our own official Wicked review gave it a perfect 5/5, and just as the hype starts to die down, Wicked: For Good will be hitting theaters next year. The massive success forces one to reflect on its predecessor, The Wizard Of Oz, which became a worldwide phenomenon when it hit theaters about 85 years ago. At this point, Wicked feels like its own thing entirely, but according to director Jon M. Chu, Wicked: For Good will connect to The Wizard of Oz in a major, direct way, and it’s through the iconic protagonist Dorothy Gale. Director Jon M. Chu cannot stop teasing what’s to come when the second half of Glinda and Elphaba’s story finally hits the big screen, and although our most recent conversation was in celebration of Wicked’s December 31 home video release, it inevitably came back around to For Good, and of course, Dorothy.
It would be seemingly impossible to outdo the cast of 2000’s "Gladiator," the film that made Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix household names. However, the "Gladiator II" cast may have done just that. Not only does it star some newly-crowned Hollywood A-listers like Paul Mescal and Joseph Quinn, but it also features some industry vets like Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal and, perhaps most notably, the iconic Denzel Washington. The two-time Academy Award winner is already getting some Oscar buzz for the film, and although he’s a huge get for the "Gladiator series," he seems to think that the road stops here. I sat down with Denzel Washington to talk about the new film, and when the subject of participating in future sequels came up, he responded in kind.
No worries about Keke Palmer and SZA's rent money now!
A filmmaker with real substance.
The upcoming action film is set to feature even more death-defying stunts.
A night off from The Housemaid.
"He's been everywhere, he's seen everything."
Powerful documentaries that celebrate the man with a dream.
Trans representation matters.
Emilia Pérez gave me conflicting feelings.
This level of honesty was refreshing.
Big reputations.
His monologue was 17 minutes long.
Selleck's met a lot of famous names during his career.
Saturday night gets bigger.
This is a blast of a girl’s day out.
Despite what you may expect, it's not really a werewolf movie.
Watch our interviews with the cast of "Mufasa: The Lion King!"
There's nothing like joining the most iconic franchise of all time.
Watch our interviews with the WICKEDly talented cast.
The 'Gladiator II' cast discusses all the behind-the-scenes details of the Ridley Scott sequel.
Catch up with the stars and their thoughts on "Yellowstone" coming to an end.
“Venom: The Last Dance” brings back Tom Hardy’s Venom for a ridiculous, outlandish adventure unlike anything we’ve ever seen in a superhero-inspired film.
Sometimes you just have to go back to school.
No worries about Keke Palmer and SZA's rent money now!
A filmmaker with real substance.
