Pierre Morel’s Freelance follows disgraced American journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) and her ex-military bodyguard, Mason Pettits (John Cena), as he escorts her to the fictional South American country of Paldonia for an exclusive interview with its dictator, Juan Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba). While the film starts out by presenting Paldonia and its leader as unrepentantly evil—among other things, we’re told that Venegas is responsible for the deaths of half of Pettits’s former squad years earlier—it eventually reveals that various imperialist forces and corporate-funded mercenary groups have been actively undermining Venegas as a means of forcing him to sell valuable natural resources for a cheaper rate.
That’s a surprising turn of events, especially for an action-comedy, given Hollywood’s typically simplistic representations of under-developed countries whose conditions are presented as justification for American intervention. Regrettably, that’s the only surprise to be found in Jacob Lentz’s screenplay,...
That’s a surprising turn of events, especially for an action-comedy, given Hollywood’s typically simplistic representations of under-developed countries whose conditions are presented as justification for American intervention. Regrettably, that’s the only surprise to be found in Jacob Lentz’s screenplay,...
- 10/26/2023
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
Tom Malloy directs and stars as Jack, a divorced ballroom dance fan, who keeps missing Jill, also a dance fan, by minutes in this good-natured film
Written and directed by its star Tom Malloy, this low-budget comedy is likably offbeat, full of tiny kinks in every sense, with mildly surprising plot twists and supporting characters who are into threesomes, S&m, and so on. But it’s also fully conventional in that like the vast majority of romcoms it sets out to assemble a heterosexual couple and eventually succeeds. The core romance is sutured when Malloy’s Jack and Briana Evigan’s Jill, two ordinary normcore singletons who both love proper ballroom dancing and swing, finally get to dance together at the climax. Honestly, it’s so brazenly obvious in following every rule of genre that it’s barely a spoiler to reveal it: the fun is in how they get there.
Written and directed by its star Tom Malloy, this low-budget comedy is likably offbeat, full of tiny kinks in every sense, with mildly surprising plot twists and supporting characters who are into threesomes, S&m, and so on. But it’s also fully conventional in that like the vast majority of romcoms it sets out to assemble a heterosexual couple and eventually succeeds. The core romance is sutured when Malloy’s Jack and Briana Evigan’s Jill, two ordinary normcore singletons who both love proper ballroom dancing and swing, finally get to dance together at the climax. Honestly, it’s so brazenly obvious in following every rule of genre that it’s barely a spoiler to reveal it: the fun is in how they get there.
- 2/14/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Graham McTavish has signed on to star in Somewhere in Montana, an upcoming indie from writer-director Brandon Smith that will go before cameras later this year.
In the film, the Scottish actor will play John Thomas, a ranch owner who allows a Hollywood production company to come and use his ranch as a location for their movie when he runs into financial difficulties. Eden Matson is exec producing for Nova Vento Entertainment.
“I’m excited to be working on this film with Brandon,” said McTavish. “Not only because this is a script that only comes along rarely in an actor’s career, but also because it fulfills a dream of visiting the beautiful state of Montana. It’s going to be something special that I can’t wait to share.”
“We are lucky to have the opportunity to film...
In the film, the Scottish actor will play John Thomas, a ranch owner who allows a Hollywood production company to come and use his ranch as a location for their movie when he runs into financial difficulties. Eden Matson is exec producing for Nova Vento Entertainment.
“I’m excited to be working on this film with Brandon,” said McTavish. “Not only because this is a script that only comes along rarely in an actor’s career, but also because it fulfills a dream of visiting the beautiful state of Montana. It’s going to be something special that I can’t wait to share.”
“We are lucky to have the opportunity to film...
- 2/25/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Stranger Things star Sean Astin, Ali Larter and Madison Wolfe are set to star in true-crime thriller The Man in the White Van.
The ensemble cast for writer, director and producer Warren Skeels’ suspense pic includes Brec Bassinger, Skai Jackson, Gavin Warren and Julianne Arrieta. Based on a true story set in the town of Brooksville, Florida, in 1974, The Man in the White Van centers on an ominous white van that begins stalking a young girl prone to exaggeration.
Her parents’ disbelief of her fear of being followed leads to a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Astin’s film and TV credits include Guillermo ...
The ensemble cast for writer, director and producer Warren Skeels’ suspense pic includes Brec Bassinger, Skai Jackson, Gavin Warren and Julianne Arrieta. Based on a true story set in the town of Brooksville, Florida, in 1974, The Man in the White Van centers on an ominous white van that begins stalking a young girl prone to exaggeration.
Her parents’ disbelief of her fear of being followed leads to a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Astin’s film and TV credits include Guillermo ...
- 9/21/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Stranger Things star Sean Astin, Ali Larter and Madison Wolfe are set to star in the true-crime thriller The Man in the White Van.
The ensemble cast for writer, director and producer Warren Skeels’ suspense pic includes Brec Bassinger, Skai Jackson, Gavin Warren and Julianne Arrieta. Based on a true story set in the family town of Brooksville, Florida, in 1974, The Man in the White Van centers on an ominous white van that begins stalking a young girl prone to exaggeration.
Her parents’ disbelief of her fear of being followed leads to a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Astin’s film and TV credits ...
The ensemble cast for writer, director and producer Warren Skeels’ suspense pic includes Brec Bassinger, Skai Jackson, Gavin Warren and Julianne Arrieta. Based on a true story set in the family town of Brooksville, Florida, in 1974, The Man in the White Van centers on an ominous white van that begins stalking a young girl prone to exaggeration.
Her parents’ disbelief of her fear of being followed leads to a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Astin’s film and TV credits ...
- 9/21/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Sean Astin (Stranger Things), Ali Larter (The Rookie), Madison Wolfe (The Conjuring 2), Brec Bassinger (Stargirl), Skai Jackson (Bunk’d), Gavin Warren (12 Mighty Orphans) and Julianne Arrieta (Reagan) have signed on to star in The Man in the White Van, a true-crime thriller from Garrison Film Productions, Legion M, XYZ Films and writer-director Warren Skeels (Siesta Key).
The film co-written by Sharon Y. Cobb is set in 1974, watching as an ominous white van begins stalking a young girl from the town of Brooksville, Fl. Her parents’ disbelief that this is really happening, given her tendency to exaggerate, leads in the end to a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Pic will explore the origins of the “white van” trope in popular culture, and chart the beginnings of the destruction fomented by real-world serial killer Billy Mansfield Jr.
Wolfe will play the lead role of Annie, with Bassinger cast as Annie’s sister Margaret.
The film co-written by Sharon Y. Cobb is set in 1974, watching as an ominous white van begins stalking a young girl from the town of Brooksville, Fl. Her parents’ disbelief that this is really happening, given her tendency to exaggerate, leads in the end to a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Pic will explore the origins of the “white van” trope in popular culture, and chart the beginnings of the destruction fomented by real-world serial killer Billy Mansfield Jr.
Wolfe will play the lead role of Annie, with Bassinger cast as Annie’s sister Margaret.
- 9/21/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Bitcoin mogul Charlie Shrem, one of the pioneers and evangelists of the biggest cryptocurrency by market cap, is backing his first venture in film, and plans to do more.
Shrem’s first project as an executive producer is Ask Me to Dance, a romantic comedy that stars Briana Evigan (Step Up), Mario Cantone (Sex and The City), Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company), and Tom Malloy (Love N’ Dancing). It’s shooting now in Rochester, New York, with Malloy as the writer/director of the Trick Candle Productions feature.
Jason Chambers (Human Weapon), Julianne Arrieta (Reagan), Courtney Warner (The Instant Messenger), Jesse Kove (Cobra Kai), Catherine Mary Stewart (Weekend at Bernies), and Kurt Angle (former WWE Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist) are also on board.
Shrem discovered bitcoin as a college senior. He went on to found BitInstant, a service that provided an easy way to convert money into bitcoin. It grew...
Shrem’s first project as an executive producer is Ask Me to Dance, a romantic comedy that stars Briana Evigan (Step Up), Mario Cantone (Sex and The City), Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company), and Tom Malloy (Love N’ Dancing). It’s shooting now in Rochester, New York, with Malloy as the writer/director of the Trick Candle Productions feature.
Jason Chambers (Human Weapon), Julianne Arrieta (Reagan), Courtney Warner (The Instant Messenger), Jesse Kove (Cobra Kai), Catherine Mary Stewart (Weekend at Bernies), and Kurt Angle (former WWE Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist) are also on board.
Shrem discovered bitcoin as a college senior. He went on to found BitInstant, a service that provided an easy way to convert money into bitcoin. It grew...
- 5/16/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.