Dancers and non-dancers alike can rejoice at the announcement of upcoming dance documentary “Dance As You Are,” a new project from “Embattled” producer Eryl Cochran. The film was shot almost exclusively on iPhones over 60 days and is the first release from Cochran’s new production label Keykix.
“Dance As You Are” centers on a group of 75 strangers, ages 23-74, who must come together to form six dance teams over the span of eight weeks. The participants in the documentary are not professional dancers, and some have never even danced before. As a result, the participants find themselves connecting over the shared experience of learning dance.
According to the press release, the participants of the documentary come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Audiences will see them “work to overcome a handful of personal struggles” over the course of their time together. One dancer tries to discover themselves outside the label of “learning disability,...
“Dance As You Are” centers on a group of 75 strangers, ages 23-74, who must come together to form six dance teams over the span of eight weeks. The participants in the documentary are not professional dancers, and some have never even danced before. As a result, the participants find themselves connecting over the shared experience of learning dance.
According to the press release, the participants of the documentary come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Audiences will see them “work to overcome a handful of personal struggles” over the course of their time together. One dancer tries to discover themselves outside the label of “learning disability,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
A couple weeks ago, we learned that a new take on Red Sonja had gone into production – after spending decades in development hell – with Matilda Lutz (Revenge) in the title role. Deadline reports that Lutz is joined in the cast by Oliver Trevena, who has experience wielding a sword thanks to his role in the 2019 film The Rising Hawk. Trevena is taking on the role of Tr’aal, “a gladiator-type warrior who joins Sonja in her fight against an evil emperor”.
M.J. Bassett (Solomon Kane) is directing Red Sonja from a screenplay by Joey Soloway (Transparent) and Tasha Huo (Netflix’s Tomb Raider anime). This version of Red Sonja is derived from the sword and sorcery comic books by Dynamite Entertainment, based on the character created by Robert E. Howard and adapted by Roy Thomas. Details on the plot are being kept under wraps. All we know is that Sonja...
M.J. Bassett (Solomon Kane) is directing Red Sonja from a screenplay by Joey Soloway (Transparent) and Tasha Huo (Netflix’s Tomb Raider anime). This version of Red Sonja is derived from the sword and sorcery comic books by Dynamite Entertainment, based on the character created by Robert E. Howard and adapted by Roy Thomas. Details on the plot are being kept under wraps. All we know is that Sonja...
- 9/9/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Darren Mann, a heat-seeking actor from the indie world, has been cast opposite Morgan Freeman in the upcoming film “The Minute You Wake Up Dead.”
From director Michael Mailer, Mann joins Freeman, Cole Hauser (“Yellowstone”) and Jamie Alexander in the project, billed as a neo-noir thriller. It follows a stockbroker in a small southern town who gets involved in an insurance scam with a next-door neighbor, which leads to multiple murders. Timothy Holland wrote the screenplay, and Milestone Studios is handling production finance and sales.
Mann broke out in the 2018 drama “Giant Little Ones,” an official selection of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. His performance as a closeted teen earned him the 2019 Leo Award (one of three), given to the best in film and television in British Columbia.
He most recently starred in IFC’s “Embattled” as a high-school prodigy who steps into the Mma cage to fight his father,...
From director Michael Mailer, Mann joins Freeman, Cole Hauser (“Yellowstone”) and Jamie Alexander in the project, billed as a neo-noir thriller. It follows a stockbroker in a small southern town who gets involved in an insurance scam with a next-door neighbor, which leads to multiple murders. Timothy Holland wrote the screenplay, and Milestone Studios is handling production finance and sales.
Mann broke out in the 2018 drama “Giant Little Ones,” an official selection of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. His performance as a closeted teen earned him the 2019 Leo Award (one of three), given to the best in film and television in British Columbia.
He most recently starred in IFC’s “Embattled” as a high-school prodigy who steps into the Mma cage to fight his father,...
- 2/24/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Darren Mann, Alyssa Goss, Sonja Sohn and Celia Rose Gooding have been cast in “Breakwater.” They join Dermot Mulroney in the crime thriller, which is written and directed by James Rowe, and produced by Loose Cannon Pictures. The film starts principal photography this week in North Carolina.
Mann stars as Dovey, a young ex-con charged with finding the estranged daughter of fellow inmate Ray Childress (Mulroney). Breaking his parole and crossing state lines, Dovey tracks down the enigmatic Eve (Goss). Sohn plays Dovey’s parole officer Bonnie Bell, while Gooding portrays Jess, Eve’s best friend and confidant.
Matt Paul, Larry Hummel, Edward Winters and Dana Lustig are producing.
Mann starred alongside Stephen Dorff in the Mma indie drama “Embattled” and the coming-of-age drama “Giant Little Ones.” He will appear in the upcoming sixth season of TNT’s “Animal Kingdom.” Goss first gained attention for her appearance in BET’s...
Mann stars as Dovey, a young ex-con charged with finding the estranged daughter of fellow inmate Ray Childress (Mulroney). Breaking his parole and crossing state lines, Dovey tracks down the enigmatic Eve (Goss). Sohn plays Dovey’s parole officer Bonnie Bell, while Gooding portrays Jess, Eve’s best friend and confidant.
Matt Paul, Larry Hummel, Edward Winters and Dana Lustig are producing.
Mann starred alongside Stephen Dorff in the Mma indie drama “Embattled” and the coming-of-age drama “Giant Little Ones.” He will appear in the upcoming sixth season of TNT’s “Animal Kingdom.” Goss first gained attention for her appearance in BET’s...
- 10/4/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
FX announced that the pilot based on Octavia Butler’s 1979 science fiction novel “Kindred” has cast Micah Stock, Ryan Kwanten, Gayle Rankin, Austin Smith, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and David Alexander Kaplan as series regulars.
They join previously announced cast member Mallori Johnson, who will play the lead role of Dana, a young Black writer who finds herself transported back and forth between the present and a 19th century slave plantation.
Stock is primarily known for his stage work, including his Tony-nominated performance as Gus in Terrence McNally’s “It’s Only a Play.” He will also star in John Slattery’s upcoming film “Maggie Moore(s)” alongside Jon Hamm and Tina Fey. His other credits include Netflix’s “Bonding,” Disney Plus’ “The Right Stuff,” and Paul Downs Colaizzo’s film “Brittany Runs A Marathon.” Stock is repped by ICM, Anonymous Content and ID.
From 2008 to 2014, Kwanten starred as Jason Stackhouse in HBO’s True Blood.
They join previously announced cast member Mallori Johnson, who will play the lead role of Dana, a young Black writer who finds herself transported back and forth between the present and a 19th century slave plantation.
Stock is primarily known for his stage work, including his Tony-nominated performance as Gus in Terrence McNally’s “It’s Only a Play.” He will also star in John Slattery’s upcoming film “Maggie Moore(s)” alongside Jon Hamm and Tina Fey. His other credits include Netflix’s “Bonding,” Disney Plus’ “The Right Stuff,” and Paul Downs Colaizzo’s film “Brittany Runs A Marathon.” Stock is repped by ICM, Anonymous Content and ID.
From 2008 to 2014, Kwanten starred as Jason Stackhouse in HBO’s True Blood.
- 9/29/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
FX has rounded out the series regular cast for drama pilot Kindred, based on an adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s influential novel. Joining newcomer Mallori Johnson, who stars, are Micah Stock, Ryan Kwanten, Gayle Rankin, Austin Smith, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and David Alexander Kaplan.
The project hails from writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Watchmen), Courtney Lee-Mitchell (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Darren Aronofsky and his Protozoa Pictures, Joe Weisberg (The Americans) and Joel Fields (Fosse/Verdon). FX Productions is the studio.
Johnson plays the central character Dana, a young Black woman and aspiring writer who has uprooted her life of familial obligation and relocated to Los Angeles, ready to claim a future that, for once, feels all her own. But, before she can get settled into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time to a nineteenth-century plantation with which she and her family...
The project hails from writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Watchmen), Courtney Lee-Mitchell (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Darren Aronofsky and his Protozoa Pictures, Joe Weisberg (The Americans) and Joel Fields (Fosse/Verdon). FX Productions is the studio.
Johnson plays the central character Dana, a young Black woman and aspiring writer who has uprooted her life of familial obligation and relocated to Los Angeles, ready to claim a future that, for once, feels all her own. But, before she can get settled into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time to a nineteenth-century plantation with which she and her family...
- 9/29/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
To coincide with the release of the new drama Embattled, which is available on digital download, we sat down with the film’s star Stephen Dorff to find out more about the hard-hitting drama.
Dorff has made a name for himself in high-profile films like Blade and Public Enemies, the actor has said he is more at home in smaller films, and with Embattled, he finds himself once again diving into a complex character. Here, he plays Cash, an aggressive man who has channeled his long-gestating aggression into becoming an Mma fighting champion who has become a superstar.
But while it might seem like this is another fighter story in the tone of Rocky or Warrior, Embattled goes much deeper, telling a story of anger, resentment, and retaliation, as well as one of fathers and sons, boyhood and manhood, and how far we go to protect those we love. Dorff...
Dorff has made a name for himself in high-profile films like Blade and Public Enemies, the actor has said he is more at home in smaller films, and with Embattled, he finds himself once again diving into a complex character. Here, he plays Cash, an aggressive man who has channeled his long-gestating aggression into becoming an Mma fighting champion who has become a superstar.
But while it might seem like this is another fighter story in the tone of Rocky or Warrior, Embattled goes much deeper, telling a story of anger, resentment, and retaliation, as well as one of fathers and sons, boyhood and manhood, and how far we go to protect those we love. Dorff...
- 7/6/2021
- by Scott Davis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Back in the ‘90s and early-‘00s, there weren’t many actors that were as famous as Stephen Dorff. Appearing in films such as “Blade,” “Cecil B. Demented,” and others, Dorff established himself as the go-to handsome bad boy in Hollywood. But in 2021, his star isn’t as bright as it once was. That said, according to Dorff himself, the main reason he’s not in modern blockbusters is because of his own desire to keep doing smaller features with indie filmmakers that could become “the next Kubrick.”
Speaking to The Independent, Dorff talked about the current state of the film industry, while promoting his recent Mma film, “Embattled,” and he took specific aim at the big film that is being released this weekend, “Black Widow,” and its star, Scarlett Johansson.
Continue reading Stephen Dorff Trashes “Garbage” Films Like ‘Black Widow’ & Says He’s “Embarrassed” For Scarlett Johansson at The Playlist.
Speaking to The Independent, Dorff talked about the current state of the film industry, while promoting his recent Mma film, “Embattled,” and he took specific aim at the big film that is being released this weekend, “Black Widow,” and its star, Scarlett Johansson.
Continue reading Stephen Dorff Trashes “Garbage” Films Like ‘Black Widow’ & Says He’s “Embarrassed” For Scarlett Johansson at The Playlist.
- 7/5/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
True Detective actor Stephen Dorff took several swings at Hollywood in a candid interview published today in UK’s The Independent, blasting the 2021 Oscars broadcast, likening feature film Black Widow to “a bad video game” and expressing embarrassment for the Marvel movie’s star Scarlett Johansson.
“I still hunt out the good sh*t because I don’t want to be in Black Widow,” Dorff said in the interview. “It looks like garbage to me. It looks like a bad video game. I’m embarrassed for those people. I’m embarrassed for Scarlett! I’m sure she got paid five, seven million bucks, but I’m embarrassed for her. I don’t want to be in those movies. I really don’t. I’ll find that kid director that’s gonna be the next Kubrick and I’ll act for him instead.”
The Backbeat star, currently appearing in mixed martial arts film Embattled,...
“I still hunt out the good sh*t because I don’t want to be in Black Widow,” Dorff said in the interview. “It looks like garbage to me. It looks like a bad video game. I’m embarrassed for those people. I’m embarrassed for Scarlett! I’m sure she got paid five, seven million bucks, but I’m embarrassed for her. I don’t want to be in those movies. I really don’t. I’ll find that kid director that’s gonna be the next Kubrick and I’ll act for him instead.”
The Backbeat star, currently appearing in mixed martial arts film Embattled,...
- 7/5/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Stephen Dorff, who starred opposite Wesley Snipes in the 1998 Marvel film “Blade,” slammed the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the upcoming “Black Widow” as little more than a “bad video game” as part of a “clusterf— of content.”
Though he has a history with franchises and superhero movies, Dorff made clear he has no interest in being part of the MCU and is “embarrassed” for the people involved with the movie.
“I still hunt out the good s— because I don’t want to be in ‘Black Widow,’” he said in an interview with The Independent Monday. “It looks like garbage to me. It looks like a bad video game. I’m embarrassed for those people. I’m embarrassed for Scarlett! I’m sure she got paid five, seven million bucks, but I’m embarrassed for her. I don’t want to be in those movies. I really don’t. I...
Though he has a history with franchises and superhero movies, Dorff made clear he has no interest in being part of the MCU and is “embarrassed” for the people involved with the movie.
“I still hunt out the good s— because I don’t want to be in ‘Black Widow,’” he said in an interview with The Independent Monday. “It looks like garbage to me. It looks like a bad video game. I’m embarrassed for those people. I’m embarrassed for Scarlett! I’m sure she got paid five, seven million bucks, but I’m embarrassed for her. I don’t want to be in those movies. I really don’t. I...
- 7/5/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The actor on being close to Jack Nicholson, missing his brother and his most unappealing habit
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Stephen Dorff, 47, started acting as child. His films include The Power Of One, Blade and Somewhere. He also co-starred in the third series of True Detective. His latest film, Embattled, is released on 5 July. He lives in Tennessee.
When were you happiest?
In the 90s. I am pretty happy now, but back then I didn’t have the heavier things that life brings as you get older.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Stephen Dorff, 47, started acting as child. His films include The Power Of One, Blade and Somewhere. He also co-starred in the third series of True Detective. His latest film, Embattled, is released on 5 July. He lives in Tennessee.
When were you happiest?
In the 90s. I am pretty happy now, but back then I didn’t have the heavier things that life brings as you get older.
- 7/3/2021
- by Rosanna Greenstreet
- The Guardian - Film News
The Netflix dark comedy “Strangers,” inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock classic “Strangers On a Train,” has added a slew of new actors to its lineup: Austin Abrams, Alisha Boe (“13 Reasons Why”), Talia Ryder, Paris Berelc, Jonathan Daviss (“Outer Banks”), Maia Reficco and Ava Capri.
The new cast members join Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, Rish Shah and Sophie Turner, who were previously announced for the film.
“Strangers” is directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (“Someone Great”) based on a screenplay she wrote with Celeste Ballard. The film’s premise is in the vein of “Strangers on a Train,” in which two strangers plot to murder someone the other person wants gone.
“Strangers” subverts that idea and stars two teenage girls — one a trendy “it girl” and the other an alternative girl — who team up to go after each other’s bullies.
Robinson will also produce with Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron...
The new cast members join Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, Rish Shah and Sophie Turner, who were previously announced for the film.
“Strangers” is directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (“Someone Great”) based on a screenplay she wrote with Celeste Ballard. The film’s premise is in the vein of “Strangers on a Train,” in which two strangers plot to murder someone the other person wants gone.
“Strangers” subverts that idea and stars two teenage girls — one a trendy “it girl” and the other an alternative girl — who team up to go after each other’s bullies.
Robinson will also produce with Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron...
- 6/24/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Amazon’s YA pilot “Hot Pink” has added five new cast members.
Nina Bloomgarden, David Iacono, Mimi Davila, Dana Donnelly, and Myra Molloy will star in the pilot, joining previously announced star Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The show is loosely inspired by Elana K. Arnold’s book “What Girls Are Made Of.” In the book, Nina Faye was raised to believe that there is no such thing as unconditional love, meaning she will do anything for her boyfriend to prove her worthiness. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost and sets out to find out what the conditions of love really are.
Bloomgarden recently wrapped on the Netflix/Sony film “Fatherhood” starring Kevin Hart. She previously had a supporting role in the indie feature “Good Girl Jane.” She is repped by Innovative Artists and Grandview.
Iacono’s past credits include “Grand Army” at Netflix, “The Flight Attendant” at HBO Max,...
Nina Bloomgarden, David Iacono, Mimi Davila, Dana Donnelly, and Myra Molloy will star in the pilot, joining previously announced star Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The show is loosely inspired by Elana K. Arnold’s book “What Girls Are Made Of.” In the book, Nina Faye was raised to believe that there is no such thing as unconditional love, meaning she will do anything for her boyfriend to prove her worthiness. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost and sets out to find out what the conditions of love really are.
Bloomgarden recently wrapped on the Netflix/Sony film “Fatherhood” starring Kevin Hart. She previously had a supporting role in the indie feature “Good Girl Jane.” She is repped by Innovative Artists and Grandview.
Iacono’s past credits include “Grand Army” at Netflix, “The Flight Attendant” at HBO Max,...
- 4/29/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Nina Bloomgarden (Fatherhood), David Iacono (Grand Army), Mimi Davila (The Chonga Diaries), Dana Donnelly (The Sex Life of College Girls) and Myra Molloy (He’s All That) are set as leads opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar in Hot Pink, a biting coming-of-age comedy pilot for Amazon created by Elisabeth Holm (Obvious Child).
Character details are being kept under wraps.
Hot Pink, from Amazon Studios in association with Annapurna Pictures, was loosely inspired by Elana K. Arnold’s National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of.
Series creator Holm is executive producing with director Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and executive producers Rebecca Green (It Follows) and Sue Naegle and Ali Krug for Annapurna.
If ordered to series, Hot Pink would join Amazon Studios’ growing YA series slate, which includes The Wilds, already renewed for a second season, and the upcoming Panic.
Published in 2017, Arnold’s What Girls Are Made...
Character details are being kept under wraps.
Hot Pink, from Amazon Studios in association with Annapurna Pictures, was loosely inspired by Elana K. Arnold’s National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of.
Series creator Holm is executive producing with director Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and executive producers Rebecca Green (It Follows) and Sue Naegle and Ali Krug for Annapurna.
If ordered to series, Hot Pink would join Amazon Studios’ growing YA series slate, which includes The Wilds, already renewed for a second season, and the upcoming Panic.
Published in 2017, Arnold’s What Girls Are Made...
- 4/29/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Jasper Polish (Force of Nature), Darren Mann (Fortunate Son), Kevin Csolak (Boardwalk Empire) and Stevie Lynn Jones (Nancy Drew) will join the Animal Kingdom cast in recurring roles for the TNT drama’s sixth and final season.
Animal Kingdom, which features Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Leila George, Rigo Sanchez and Jon Beavers, will return for its fifth season this summer. In Season 5, Pope (Hatosy), Craig (Robson), Deran (Weary) and J (Cole) are still dealing with the fallout from the events surrounding Smurf’s death, including family members out for revenge. With their kingdom without a leader, the Codys struggle to maintain their fragile alliance, and to see which of them will come out on top. Meanwhile, they search for more information on Pamela Johnson, whom Smurf made the beneficiary of her estate. And back in 1984, an increasingly volatile 29-year-old Smurf is forging her own path raising...
Animal Kingdom, which features Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Leila George, Rigo Sanchez and Jon Beavers, will return for its fifth season this summer. In Season 5, Pope (Hatosy), Craig (Robson), Deran (Weary) and J (Cole) are still dealing with the fallout from the events surrounding Smurf’s death, including family members out for revenge. With their kingdom without a leader, the Codys struggle to maintain their fragile alliance, and to see which of them will come out on top. Meanwhile, they search for more information on Pamela Johnson, whom Smurf made the beneficiary of her estate. And back in 1984, an increasingly volatile 29-year-old Smurf is forging her own path raising...
- 4/14/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
“Animal Kingdom” is adding four recurring stars to its cast for the TNT drama’s sixth and final season.
Jasper Polish, Kevin Csolak, Darren Mann, and Stevie Lynn Jones will all join the show alongside stars Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Leila George, Rigo Sanchez, and Jon Beavers.
Polish plays young Julia, described as beautiful, intelligent, and edgy. Although she’s an excellent student, she’s also the type of chick who sells tabs of LSD because she thinks it’s cool. She’s torn between loving and hating her mother, Smurf.
Polish is repped by Buchwald and Management 360.
Csolak plays Andrew, a young version of Shawn Hatosy’s character. Andrew is intense and struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness. He possesses a simmering rage but also instinctively searches for redemption as he struggles with his darkest impulses. He is completely devoted to Smurf, to his...
Jasper Polish, Kevin Csolak, Darren Mann, and Stevie Lynn Jones will all join the show alongside stars Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Leila George, Rigo Sanchez, and Jon Beavers.
Polish plays young Julia, described as beautiful, intelligent, and edgy. Although she’s an excellent student, she’s also the type of chick who sells tabs of LSD because she thinks it’s cool. She’s torn between loving and hating her mother, Smurf.
Polish is repped by Buchwald and Management 360.
Csolak plays Andrew, a young version of Shawn Hatosy’s character. Andrew is intense and struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness. He possesses a simmering rage but also instinctively searches for redemption as he struggles with his darkest impulses. He is completely devoted to Smurf, to his...
- 4/14/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Arianna Bocco has been named president of IFC Films. Her promotion comes after more than a decade at the indie studio, where Bocco oversaw acquisitions and productions for IFC Films as well as for its genre label IFC Midnight.
Bocco is stepping into the role after Lisa Schwartz announced in November that she was stepping down as co-president of the studio. Jonathan Sehring, who served as co-president of IFC Films for decades, left the company in 2018.
In her new role, Bocco will continue to oversee acquisitions, production, marketing and publicity, while adding oversight of theatrical film distribution. She will also be tasked with continuing to grow its subscription streaming service, IFC Films Unlimited.
IFC Films is owned by AMC Networks. Bocco will now report to Miguel Penella, AMC Networks’ president of SVOD. He, in turn, reports to Ed Carroll, AMC Networks’ COO.
“Arianna is a talented and respected executive who...
Bocco is stepping into the role after Lisa Schwartz announced in November that she was stepping down as co-president of the studio. Jonathan Sehring, who served as co-president of IFC Films for decades, left the company in 2018.
In her new role, Bocco will continue to oversee acquisitions, production, marketing and publicity, while adding oversight of theatrical film distribution. She will also be tasked with continuing to grow its subscription streaming service, IFC Films Unlimited.
IFC Films is owned by AMC Networks. Bocco will now report to Miguel Penella, AMC Networks’ president of SVOD. He, in turn, reports to Ed Carroll, AMC Networks’ COO.
“Arianna is a talented and respected executive who...
- 12/2/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
After seven months of shooting the most material he’s ever shot in his 35-year career, Stephen Dorff was exhausted. But as taxing as his True Detective role was, something told Dorff that a caustic Mma fighter named Cash Boykins needed to be his next on-screen challenge. With little time to get into fighting shape, Dorff called up Josh Perzow, the same Montreal-based trainer who transformed him for 2011’s Immortals, and the two put together an accelerated training regimen that spanned six or seven weeks. Before he knew it, Dorff was on the Alabama set of Embattled, shooting fight scenes at the very start ...
- 11/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
After seven months of shooting the most material he’s ever shot in his 35-year career, Stephen Dorff was exhausted. But as taxing as his True Detective role was, something told Dorff that a caustic Mma fighter named Cash Boykins needed to be his next on-screen challenge. With little time to get into fighting shape, Dorff called up Josh Perzow, the same Montreal-based trainer who transformed him for 2011’s Immortals, and the two put together an accelerated training regimen that spanned six or seven weeks. Before he knew it, Dorff was on the Alabama set of Embattled, shooting fight scenes at the very start ...
- 11/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The erratic world of VOD consumption saw a lift this week with debuts of “The New Mutants” (Disney) and “Unhinged” (Solstice), films that were the first wide releases when theaters began to reopen in August. Ninety days later, normal windows dictate that it’s time for non-premium availability. (They each rent for $5.99.)
Disney’s Marvel spin-off took the top spot at Apple TV and FandangoNow, while Russell Crowe’s stalker thriller is #1 at Google Play. Two items of note: “Mutants” shows its strength by taking the top spot at Fandango, which ranks by revenue, not transactions; that’s impressive for a standard-price title. Unlike “Mutants,” “Unhinged” had a PVOD release and now sees a revival at its lower price.
These two titles were the only ones to place on three charts. (Spectrum’s weekly chart lags behind and will likely show them next week.) “Unhinged” placed #2 and #3 elsewhere, while “Mutants” was #5 on Google.
Disney’s Marvel spin-off took the top spot at Apple TV and FandangoNow, while Russell Crowe’s stalker thriller is #1 at Google Play. Two items of note: “Mutants” shows its strength by taking the top spot at Fandango, which ranks by revenue, not transactions; that’s impressive for a standard-price title. Unlike “Mutants,” “Unhinged” had a PVOD release and now sees a revival at its lower price.
These two titles were the only ones to place on three charts. (Spectrum’s weekly chart lags behind and will likely show them next week.) “Unhinged” placed #2 and #3 elsewhere, while “Mutants” was #5 on Google.
- 11/24/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
If last week was a big one for Netflix (what with “Mank” and “Hillbilly Elegy” out in theaters), then this one belongs to Amazon, who have a pair of big projects launching via their Prime Video subscription service. The first is “12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen’s anthology “Small Axe,” an epic and altogether unconventional series that doesn’t fit neatly into the “film” or “TV” categories: McQueen has made five features, all set in London’s immigrant West Indian community, dealing with aspects of cultural identify, racism and community. Of the three entries I’ve seen, this week’s entry, “Mangrove,” is the strongest — and a great way to kick off the cycle, with a courtroom drama for those who felt Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” didn’t give adequate time to Bobby Seale.
Amazon also launches “The Sound of Metal,” a drama about...
Amazon also launches “The Sound of Metal,” a drama about...
- 11/21/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Dorff only had a few weeks to transform himself into a mixed martial arts superstar in order to play the lead role in “Embattled.”
The actor was booked tight and had no choice but to hit the gym hard after wrapping work playing an Arkansas police officer in the third season of “True Detective.” For Dorff, the chance to play Cash Boykins was worth the punishment. It was a role he fought long and hard to land, having to elbow aside other, bigger and more bankable actors. And it’s a performance that Dorff thinks ranks among his best.
“Embattled” opens this week in theaters and on-demand. Dorff spoke to Variety about the emotional toll of channeling the abusive and egomaniacal Boykins, and shared his unvarnished thoughts about how the movie business has changed in the three decades he’s worked in and around Hollywood. Like the blunt-talking Boykins,...
The actor was booked tight and had no choice but to hit the gym hard after wrapping work playing an Arkansas police officer in the third season of “True Detective.” For Dorff, the chance to play Cash Boykins was worth the punishment. It was a role he fought long and hard to land, having to elbow aside other, bigger and more bankable actors. And it’s a performance that Dorff thinks ranks among his best.
“Embattled” opens this week in theaters and on-demand. Dorff spoke to Variety about the emotional toll of channeling the abusive and egomaniacal Boykins, and shared his unvarnished thoughts about how the movie business has changed in the three decades he’s worked in and around Hollywood. Like the blunt-talking Boykins,...
- 11/19/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
There’s one question you’re likely to ask yourself while watching Nick Sarkisov’s drama about the contentious relationship between an egomaniacal Mma fighter and his sensitive, 18-year-old son: Who the hell is Stephen Dorff’s trainer and how much does he charge?
That’s because it’s otherwise hard to sustain interest over the course of Embattled, in which Dorff plays the lead role of the monstrously self-absorbed Cash. Frequently wearing little more than tight briefs, the 47-year-old Dorff displays a physique so ripped and chiseled that he more than convinces as a champion fighter whose resemblance to Conor McGregor ...
That’s because it’s otherwise hard to sustain interest over the course of Embattled, in which Dorff plays the lead role of the monstrously self-absorbed Cash. Frequently wearing little more than tight briefs, the 47-year-old Dorff displays a physique so ripped and chiseled that he more than convinces as a champion fighter whose resemblance to Conor McGregor ...
- 11/19/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
There’s one question you’re likely to ask yourself while watching Nick Sarkisov’s drama about the contentious relationship between an egomaniacal Mma fighter and his sensitive, 18-year-old son: Who the hell is Stephen Dorff’s trainer and how much does he charge?
That’s because it’s otherwise hard to sustain interest over the course of Embattled, in which Dorff plays the lead role of the monstrously self-absorbed Cash. Frequently wearing little more than tight briefs, the 47-year-old Dorff displays a physique so ripped and chiseled that he more than convinces as a champion fighter whose resemblance to Conor McGregor ...
That’s because it’s otherwise hard to sustain interest over the course of Embattled, in which Dorff plays the lead role of the monstrously self-absorbed Cash. Frequently wearing little more than tight briefs, the 47-year-old Dorff displays a physique so ripped and chiseled that he more than convinces as a champion fighter whose resemblance to Conor McGregor ...
- 11/19/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You’re either a sucker for films like director Nick Sarkisov and screenwriter David McKenna’s Embattled or you’re not. I’m the former—a fact that’s proven especially true when the filmmakers are willing to use the fighting drama genre as a means to provide something more than just an adversarial winner-takes-all approach. So I was hooked pretty much from the first scene as Cash Boykin (Stephen Dorff) runs his mouth on the way to the Octagon, pumping himself up with the crowd as his son Jett (Darren Mann) gives a few verbal jabs to keep him loose and also stoke the killer edge that’s vaulted him to two championship belts in Mma. It wasn’t that camaraderie, but what came next that earned my investment.
Namely, it was the look in Jett’s eyes as the elation and pride conjured by his father’s objective...
Namely, it was the look in Jett’s eyes as the elation and pride conjured by his father’s objective...
- 11/19/2020
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
“Over the top” is a relative concept in the bludgeoning, unabashedly theatrical sport of mixed martial arts, which makes cartoon hero-villains of stars like Conor McGregor, even as their fighting gets grimily down-and-dirty. So it perhaps goes against the spirit of things to describe “Embattled,” a sports drama animated by a clear McGregor proxy, as a bit overblown. Yet at several points in Georgian director Nick Sarkisov’s roaring, blood-and-guts film, it’s hard not to wish it would take things down a notch: A hokey, old-fashioned father-son meller clothed in a younger man’s bling-encrusted robes, it increasingly sacrifices emotional credibility for the violent, amped-up bravado of Mma itself. By the time it pivots into outright revenge fantasy territory, the script’s earlier attempts at intimate character work are largely undone, though committed performances by Stephen Dorff and Darren Mann remain.
“Embattled” is primarily fashioned as a showcase for Dorff,...
“Embattled” is primarily fashioned as a showcase for Dorff,...
- 11/18/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Embattled Trailer — Nick Sarkisov‘s Embattled (2020) movie trailer has been released by IFC Films and stars Stephen Dorff, Darren Mann, Colin McKeenna, Donald Faison, Elizabeth Reaser, Said Taghmaoui, Mimi Davila, Karrueche Tran, Charles Green, Jay Galloway, Adam Karst, Michael Wayne Foster, and Ava Capri. Crew David McKenna wrote the screenplay for Embattled. Michael [...]
Continue reading: Embattled (2020) Movie Trailer: Egomaniacal Mma Champion Stephen Dorff fights His Estranged Son in the Octagon...
Continue reading: Embattled (2020) Movie Trailer: Egomaniacal Mma Champion Stephen Dorff fights His Estranged Son in the Octagon...
- 10/23/2020
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
"You've been offered another fight?" "Unfortunately... it's against me." IFC Films has unveiled the official trailer for an indie Mma drama titled Embattled, from director Nick Sarkisov (Krasny) and screenwriter David McKenna. A high school judo prodigy steps into the Mma cage to face the ultimate rival in a battle for recognition and retribution – his father. A son aspires to follow in his famous Mma father's footsteps, but along his challenging journey must figure out how to break the abusive cycle, if possible, that his father has continued. Stephen Dorff stars as the father, and Darren Mann as the son, with a cast including Elizabeth Reaser, Donald Faison, Saïd Taghmaoui, Karrueche Tran, and Colin McKenna. This looks brutal in a seriously impressive way, a cinematic story about abusive fathers and stopping abusiveness by literally fighting your father. Intense. Fire it up below. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Nick Sarkisov's Embattled,...
- 10/20/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Mixed Martial Arts (Mma) is a violent sport. There’s no way around it. How else do you describe a sport that requires two men to enter a cage and beat the living hell out of each other until time runs out or someone is knocked out or taps out? And as you might expect, violent sports often feature violent people, such as the championship fighter at the center of “Embattled.”
Read More: ‘Empty Man’: 20th Century Studios Releases First Trailer For New Horror That Comes Out In A Week
As seen in the trailer for “Embattled,” the Mma film focuses on the relationship between an aging champion fighter, who has no shortage of confidence and lives a rock star lifestyle, and his teenage son, who is trying to deal with the wreckage his father left behind when he abandoned his family and went off to make millions as a fighter.
Read More: ‘Empty Man’: 20th Century Studios Releases First Trailer For New Horror That Comes Out In A Week
As seen in the trailer for “Embattled,” the Mma film focuses on the relationship between an aging champion fighter, who has no shortage of confidence and lives a rock star lifestyle, and his teenage son, who is trying to deal with the wreckage his father left behind when he abandoned his family and went off to make millions as a fighter.
- 10/20/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Exclusive: APA has signed writer-producer and creator David McKenna.
McKenna’s feature writing credits include such notable pics as New Line’s Oscar-nominated American History X and Blow, the Warner Bros. Sylvester Stallone movie Get Carter, Sony’s 2003 reboot of Swat starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez and LL Cool J.
In television, McKenna’s credits also include writing and executive producing the biopic Cocaine Godmother starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, and creating the NBC series E-Ring starring Benjamin Bratt and the late Dennis Hopper.
IFC recently acquired McKenna’s new indie feature, the mixed martial arts drama Embattled starring Stephen Dorf, which is slated for release this November. In Embattled, a son aspires to follow in his famous Mma father’s footsteps, but along his journey must figure out how to break the abusive cycle that his father has continued.
Formerly with UTA, McKenna continues to be repped by Heroes & Villains Entertainment,...
McKenna’s feature writing credits include such notable pics as New Line’s Oscar-nominated American History X and Blow, the Warner Bros. Sylvester Stallone movie Get Carter, Sony’s 2003 reboot of Swat starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez and LL Cool J.
In television, McKenna’s credits also include writing and executive producing the biopic Cocaine Godmother starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, and creating the NBC series E-Ring starring Benjamin Bratt and the late Dennis Hopper.
IFC recently acquired McKenna’s new indie feature, the mixed martial arts drama Embattled starring Stephen Dorf, which is slated for release this November. In Embattled, a son aspires to follow in his famous Mma father’s footsteps, but along his journey must figure out how to break the abusive cycle that his father has continued.
Formerly with UTA, McKenna continues to be repped by Heroes & Villains Entertainment,...
- 10/7/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
IFC Films nabbed North American rights to Stephen Dorff’s mixed martial arts drama “Embattled” and plans to release the film in November.
The Blitz Films production marks Georgian-born director Nick Sarkisov’s English-language film debut. David McKenna, whose credits include “Blow” and “American History X,” wrote the script.
Dorff plays a man who channels his aggression into becoming a major champion in the cage-fighting sport but when his second son is born with Williams Syndrome, an incurable developmental disorder, he runs away from his family. McKenna’s own 15-year-old son Colin, who was born with Williams Syndrome, portrays the boy. When his elder son, played by Darren Mann, decides to follow his father’s footsteps into the fight game, a media firestorm results in the father and son facing each other in a battle that neither can truly win.
The cast also includes Karrueche Tran, Elizabeth Reaser, Donald Faison,...
The Blitz Films production marks Georgian-born director Nick Sarkisov’s English-language film debut. David McKenna, whose credits include “Blow” and “American History X,” wrote the script.
Dorff plays a man who channels his aggression into becoming a major champion in the cage-fighting sport but when his second son is born with Williams Syndrome, an incurable developmental disorder, he runs away from his family. McKenna’s own 15-year-old son Colin, who was born with Williams Syndrome, portrays the boy. When his elder son, played by Darren Mann, decides to follow his father’s footsteps into the fight game, a media firestorm results in the father and son facing each other in a battle that neither can truly win.
The cast also includes Karrueche Tran, Elizabeth Reaser, Donald Faison,...
- 7/15/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Actor Stephen Dorff has signed with ICM Partners, returning to the agency he has had a long association with.
Dorff is coming off starring turns on the most recent installment of HBO’s True Detective opposite Mahershala Ali and as the title character in the drama series Deputy, which aired on Fox for one season, with Dorff cast in one of the biggest talent deals of the 2019 pilot season.
Dorff’s feature credits include Blade, Public Enemies, World Trade Center, Cold Creek Manor, The Power Of One, Cecil B. Demented, I Shot Andy Warhol and Somewhere. He will next star as Mma fighter Cash Boykins in the David McKenna-penned Embattled, which is finalizing a distribution deal.
Multiple projects are in various stages of development through his La Costa Productions including a Twa Flight 800 miniseries in the works at eOne TV from David McKenna, with Dorff executive producing.
Dorff,...
Dorff is coming off starring turns on the most recent installment of HBO’s True Detective opposite Mahershala Ali and as the title character in the drama series Deputy, which aired on Fox for one season, with Dorff cast in one of the biggest talent deals of the 2019 pilot season.
Dorff’s feature credits include Blade, Public Enemies, World Trade Center, Cold Creek Manor, The Power Of One, Cecil B. Demented, I Shot Andy Warhol and Somewhere. He will next star as Mma fighter Cash Boykins in the David McKenna-penned Embattled, which is finalizing a distribution deal.
Multiple projects are in various stages of development through his La Costa Productions including a Twa Flight 800 miniseries in the works at eOne TV from David McKenna, with Dorff executive producing.
Dorff,...
- 6/25/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Outer Banks is a coming-of-age action mystery, replete with danger, romance, and good old-fashioned whodunit. The 10-episode season, which premiered on Netflix on April 15, features standout performances by a slew of relatively unknown young actors— many of whom, this is their first major role. Read our review here, and find out more about the cast of your new binge obsession below.
Outer Banks Main Cast Chase Stokes as John B.
Chase Stokes stars as John B., the charismatic leader of the Pogue crew. You may have caught the rising star in an episode of Stranger Things, or Daytime Divas, but Outer Banks is Chase Stokes’ breakout role. You’ll see him next playing Martin in Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets, based on the novel of the same name. You can find him being lightly self-deprecating and (and promoting Outer Banks) on Instagram @hichasestokes.
Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron
Madelyn...
Outer Banks Main Cast Chase Stokes as John B.
Chase Stokes stars as John B., the charismatic leader of the Pogue crew. You may have caught the rising star in an episode of Stranger Things, or Daytime Divas, but Outer Banks is Chase Stokes’ breakout role. You’ll see him next playing Martin in Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets, based on the novel of the same name. You can find him being lightly self-deprecating and (and promoting Outer Banks) on Instagram @hichasestokes.
Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron
Madelyn...
- 4/23/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
In today’s film news roundup, a quartet of Ufc fighters have joined Stephen Dorff’s “Embattled,” firefighting documentary “Wildland” is bought, and Timothée Chalamet and Rachel Weisz are honored.
Castings
Ufc fighters Tyron Woodley, Cowboy Cerrone, Eryk Anders, and former Ufc fighter Kenny Florian have joined Stephen Dorff and Darren Mann in director Nick Sarkisov’s Mma drama “Embattled.”
Written by David McKenna, the film will be produced by Sergey Sarkisov for Blitz Films, alongside Kate Cohen for Straight Up Films, and Scott Lastaiti, with Blitz’s Nick Sarkisov and Dorff serving as executive producers. Eryl Cochran from Blitz Films will oversee production. The film is currently shooting in Alabama.
Mann plays a high school judo prodigy who steps into the Mma cage for a vicious battle of retribution against his father, played by Dorff.
“It’s been really important to me that the film feels as authentic as...
Castings
Ufc fighters Tyron Woodley, Cowboy Cerrone, Eryk Anders, and former Ufc fighter Kenny Florian have joined Stephen Dorff and Darren Mann in director Nick Sarkisov’s Mma drama “Embattled.”
Written by David McKenna, the film will be produced by Sergey Sarkisov for Blitz Films, alongside Kate Cohen for Straight Up Films, and Scott Lastaiti, with Blitz’s Nick Sarkisov and Dorff serving as executive producers. Eryl Cochran from Blitz Films will oversee production. The film is currently shooting in Alabama.
Mann plays a high school judo prodigy who steps into the Mma cage for a vicious battle of retribution against his father, played by Dorff.
“It’s been really important to me that the film feels as authentic as...
- 10/12/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
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