Renowned for making biographical dramas on strong female figures, Pablo Larraín’s latest offering, Maria, was well received at its Venice Film Festival debut and will now make its way to Telluride and New York.
Written by Steven Knight (Locke, Peaky Blinders), the distribution rights of the biopic were acquired by Netflix, which plans to release the movie in the U.S. at a “later date.” In the U.K., the movie will be released by Studiocanal, which hasn’t revealed an exact timeline for the release either.
Renowned for making biographical dramas on strong female figures, Pablo Larraín’s latest offering, Maria, was well received at its Venice Film Festival debut and will now make its way to Telluride and New York.
Written by Steven Knight (Locke, Peaky Blinders), the distribution rights of the biopic were acquired by Netflix, which plans to release the movie in the U.S. at a “later date.” In the U.K., the movie will be released by Studiocanal, which hasn’t revealed an exact timeline for the release either.
A24’s The Front Room is a marriage of fairytale tropes like the evil stepmother with the horror fare of religious zealotry that can turn bloody. The Front Room follows Belinda—played by Brandy Norwood in her first return to horror since I Still Know What You Did Last Summer—who is expecting a baby with her spouse Norman (Andrew Burlap). Things aren’t quite what Belinda wants them to be in terms of work and getting their house ready for their bundle of joy. And it gets much, much worse when Norman’s estranged (and racist) stepmom Solange (Kathryn Hunter) moves in and begins to cause a ton of trouble. We spoke to Brandy Norwood and Kathryn Hunter about The Front Room‘s themes, character building, and more.
A24
Nerdist: This question is for both of you. When you first got the script for The Front Room, what aspects of the film made you want to be a part of it?
Brandy Norwood: I thought the script was amazing and I loved my character. I felt like it was a role that could really push me and expand my acting, and I wanted to see if I could pull something like that off. And I haven’t been into the horror genre in a long time, so I thought that it was a perfect way to get back into it.
Kathryn Hunter: When my agent said “It’s a horror movie,” I went, “Oh, no.” Then I read it and it kind of escaped all the clichés of horror. It’s a story about family, about social, political, and racial issues. The horror is vested in those things rather than slashing off noses and fingers. This is an adaptation of the original Susan Hill story, which is itself wonderful, but what [directors/writers] Max and Sam [Eggers] have achieved in the adaptation is really brilliant… I think their work is absolutely astonishing. The characters are so detailed… I mean, Solange just leapt off the page.
The characters are absolutely engaging. Brandy, you mentioned that The Front Room is your first time returning to horror in a really long time. What was this experience like, especially playing someone who is so starkly different from Karla Wilson in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer?
Norwood: I did a lot of work on my role. I worked with [an acting] coach and I was surrounded by an amazing cast. I feel like Kathryn Hunter brought out the best in me! I never knew what she was going to do in any particular part of the scenes, so I had to stay on my toes and react and stay very present. And Sam and Max [Eggers] made the environment and the atmosphere a place where I can feel free to try to do different things.
Absolutely. I find Solange to be so chilling, Kathryn. I know you build a character from what’s on the script page, but where else did you draw from when creating her persona?
Hunter: Max and Sam shared that their grandfather came to stay with them when they were in their teens. And so a lot was based on that relationship with this person who was suffering from getting old, who was magnificent in some ways, and completely terrifying in other ways. So it was listening to those stories. Throughout my life, I’ve had quite close relationships with older people, too. The whole kind of religious and racist thing was something I had to explore and that was very challenging… It seems, unfortunately, extremely relevant now.
That is a sad truth. There are a lot of relevant themes in this movie, like motherhood and wild religious beliefs. But this film also explores the unequal labor that gets forced upon and expected of women in the household. Can you all talk more about how The Front Room tackles this in a compelling way?
A24
Norwood: Belinda automatically feels as though she has to accommodate Solange and to take care of her, to provide a space for her to feel comfortable. And you find her being manipulated and used, and it is a battle and a fight. In every scene, she’s like “I’m fighting for my life, for my integrity, for my dignity.” She’s trying to not disrespect Solange and make her feel like she is a part of the family.
Hunter: The role of caretaker is taken by Belinda because that’s how she is as a person, but also perhaps because it’s a default position with women. So eventually when Belinda comes to free herself of that and says, “I am a mother, but my vocation is in teaching,” we absolutely salute that and it’s a huge catharsis. Did you feel that liberation?
Yes, absolutely. And that’s not the only catharsis that happens in this film. We get a twist that many won’t necessarily expect. What revelations do you hope fans come away with after seeing that moment and this film?
Norwood: I hope they feel liberated. I hope they enjoy the film and find the horror and comedy in it. I want them to see a strong woman fighting for her life, fighting for her freedom, and fighting for her family and just knowing that she can do anything, but she’s not going to put up with everything.
A24
Indeed. What does The Front Room bring to this very varied and exciting current horror landscape?
Hunter: I think it’s absolutely extraordinary and brilliant the way Max and Sam have calibrated the tone. You get scared and then you’re disarmed because it has resonances with all sorts of family situations that we’ve all been in… I think it is absolutely unique and genius.
When it comes to horror, the Eggers Brothers create those tonal shifts, but it doesn’t feel chaotic or uneven. They just kind of ebb and flow right into each other really well! One more fun question for you, Brandy. Would Karla or Belinda win in a fight?
Norwood: I think Belinda would win! Karla was facing hooks and chains, but Belinda was facing the possession of the Holy Spirit. That’s different.
See if Brandy can proudly proclaim that “The house is mine!” when The Front Roomhits theaters on September 6.
Today, Prime Video announced the highly anticipated premiere of Evolution of the Black Quarterback, a three-part docuseries that will debut on September 24. The series, which will be available in over 240 countries and territories, offers a compelling exploration of the history and influence of Black quarterbacks in the NFL.
Hosted by retired NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick, the series takes viewers on a journey across America, delving into the challenges and triumphs of Black quarterbacks on and off the field. Evolution of the Black Quarterback celebrates the rich legacy of these trailblazing athletes, showcasing their resilience, talent, and enduring impact on the sport.
The documentary features interviews with some of the most prominent Black quarterbacks in NFL history, including Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts,
The latest trailer for Agatha All Along shows Kathryn Hahn’s titular witch breaking free of the spell Wanda Maximoff put her under in the finale of WandaVision. And judging from the newest teaser, it seems Heartstopper star Joe Locke’s mysterious character, only confirmed as “Teen” in official materials, is the one who breaks the Scarlet Witch’s. But his doing so has led to further speculation as to who he’s actually playing. Watch the new trailer for Agatha All Along down below, and then we’ll unpack that big clue.
As we can see in the trailer, Joe Locke’s character is something of a fanboy of witches. Also, a novice magic user himself. He discovers who Agatha Harkness really is, and breaks her from Wanda’s spell. When Agatha asks what this boy’s name is, a stylized squiggly pattern appears over his mouth. A pattern that looks to be the letters “W” and “V.” Yes, as in WandaVision. It also might be a very stylish “M,” as in “Maximoff.” This adds juice to the speculation that his character is none other than Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan of the Young Avengers. A character who just so happens to be one of the twin sons of Wanda Maximoff and the Vision.
Marvel Studios/Marvel Comics
So how can this teenage boy be Wanda’s son Billy? Wasn’t he only a little kid the last time we saw him a couple of years ago? And wasn’t he a kid who never really existed in the first place? Well, let’s put on our tin foil caps. Wanda created her children Billy and Tommy within the Hex and they seemingly dissipated when it came down. But that doesn’t mean their souls were destroyed. We believe that somehow, the soul of Billy Maximoff found a new home, in the body of teenager Billy Kaplan. Perhaps Kaplan died and Billy Maximoff’s soul “moved in,” so to speak, and doesn’t even know who he really is. He would still retain Billy Kaplan’s memories. This is just speculation, but this is the easiest explanation for how Joe Locke can be the future Young Avenger.
Agatha All Along drops its first two episodes on Disney+ on September 18.
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