Brad Pitt to star in, produce action film ‘Heart of the Beast’
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Brad Pitt has found his next starring role.
The actor will star in and produce the film Heart of the Beast for Paramount Pictures, Deadline first reported on Friday. David Ayer will direct the action adventure movie, marking his and Pitt’s first collaboration since they worked together on the 2014 film Fury.
Cameron Alexander wrote and will executive produce Heart of the Beast, which follows the story of a former Army Special Forces soldier and his retired combat dog who have to survive after their plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness.
La La Land director Damien Chazelle and Olivia Hamilton will also work as producers on the film, along with Ayer and Richard Raymond, who is co-producing.
The popular Keanu Reeves character will return in the upcoming film John Wick: Chapter 5, Lionsgate announced during CinemaCon 2025 on Tuesday.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Reeves will reteam with director Chad Stahelski for the film. The actor will also produce alongside Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee.
“Keanu, Chad, Basil, and Erica would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world,” Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, said in a statement to the outlet. “We can’t wait for audiences to see where the journey takes us next.”
The news of Reeves’ return for a fifth installment of the franchise is significant, as the fate of his character was left on an ambiguous note at the end of the 2023 film John Wick: Chapter 4.
In other John Wick news, a spinoff film starring and directed by Donnie Yen centered around his character, Caine, is entering production in Hong Kong later in 2025.
Additionally, Lionsgate is making an animated film about John Wick. Reeves will produce the anime alongside Stahelski, Iwanyk and Lee. It will be directed by Shannon Tindle from a script by Vanessa Taylor.
The film’s story will go back in time before the events of the first John Wick film as the assassin completes the Impossible Task — which is killing all of his rivals in one night — to free himself from his obligation to the High Table.
“To have the opportunity to develop a John Wick anime seems to be the perfect progression for the John Wick world,” Stahelski said. “I feel John Wick is the perfect property for this medium — anime holds the potential to expand our world, our characters, and our action in ways unimaginable before.”
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Adrien Brody is a two-time Oscar winner.
Brody nabbed his second best actor award, this time for his role in The Brutalist, beating out Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes and Sebastian Stan for the honor. He previously won in 2003 for The Pianist.
“Acting is a very fragile profession. It looks very glamorous and in certain moments it is, but the one thing that I’ve gained, having the privilege to come back here, is to have some perspective,” he said in his speech. “No matter where you are in your career, not matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away. And I think what makes this night most special is the awareness of that and the gratitude that I have to still do the work that I love.”
Referring to the themes of both The Brutalist and The Pianist, Brody shared, “I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war, and systematic oppression and of antisemitism, and of racism and of othering. I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world. And I believe, if the past can teach us anything, it’s a reminder to not let hate go unchecked.”
Finally he noted, “Let’s fight for what’s right. Keep smiling, keep loving one another. Let’s rebuild together.”
Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick reunite in a brand-new teaser trailer for the highly anticipated movie Another Simple Favor.
The sequel to 2018’s A Simple Favor received a teaser trailer on Wednesday, giving a new glimpse at Kendrick’s Stephanie and Lively’s Emily’s reunion at Emily’s Capri wedding.
In the new teaser trailer, Emily, who was incarcerated at the end of the first movie, asks Stephanie to be her maid of honor while seemingly surprising her at a presentation.
“Do you think I invited you to get revenge? For stealing my life and taking my kid away from me?” asks Emily later in the teaser.
“Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman,” reads the synopsis for the film. “Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.”
The new lookahead gets increasingly tense with a shot of an explosion and several scenes of violence.
“If I do try to murder you, it will make an amazing sequel,” says Emily as the teaser peaks in intensity.
The 2018 film revolves around Emily and Stephanie’s friendship turned awry when Emily seemingly disappears and Stephanie discovers her dark past.
The upcoming Amazon MGM Studios movie is directed by Paul Feig. It also stars Henry Golding, Bashir Salahuddin, MicheleMorrone, Alex Newell, Andrew Rannells, Aparna Nancherla and Kelly McCormack.
The 2018 film was based on Darcey Bell‘s 2017 novel of the same name. The upcoming sequel comes out on May 1.
