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Category: Press
The new Disney+ series, starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, uses its superheroes to examine a world still on edge after a global catastrophe.
NYTimes.com — When Anthony Mackie got the call that the executives at Marvel Studios wanted to meet with him shortly after the release of the 2019 superhero blockbuster “Avengers: Endgame,” he figured he was either getting a new gig or getting fired.
But after several years and multiple Marvel films in which he had played Sam Wilson, that airborne ally of Captain America who is also known as the Falcon, Mackie was feeling optimistic.
“I’m walking in with the assumption that the next ‘Captain America’ movie is going to be me,” he said.
So Mackie traveled to the Marvel offices in Burbank. “I put on a suit,” he said. “I sit there like they’re about to tell me the best news I could ever get.” His ebullient voice receded ever-so-slightly as he continued: “Then they’re like, ‘We’re going to do a TV show,’” he said.
Beyond the fleeting dismay that he wasn’t being offered another film, Mackie said he was fearful that he wouldn’t be able to translate the Marvel brand to TV.
“I was taken aback,” he said, “mostly because I didn’t want to tarnish the Marvel moniker.”
This was how Mackie first learned of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” the new Disney+ series that will make its debut on March 19 and continue the adventures of those two reluctant allies, played by him and Sebastian Stan.
Arriving two weeks after the finale of “WandaVision,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is Marvel’s second show that seeks to extend the characters and momentum of its cinematic universe into streaming television. Its narrative mission is straightforward: to tell the next chapter in the story of its title characters, last seen in “Endgame,” after an aged Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) has retired as Captain America and given his shield to Sam Wilson.
In both its story and its subtext, this show asks, how can the Marvel franchise continue without one of its most prominent figures?
As Stan explained: “We’re going to explore where these two guys left off, with one big character missing — the prominent figure that brought them into each other’s lives. Where are they, and how are they coping with the world?”
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” consisting of six 45-to-55-minute episodes to be rolled out weekly, offers timely explorations into the nature of patriotism and extremism and the values of inclusivity, diversity and representation, set in a world striving for stability after a global catastrophe.
It is also a series freighted with implications for the Wilson character and for Mackie the actor, who, in a universe with precious few Black heroes, now have the chance to become full-fledged lead characters after long careers as sidekicks.
“I’ve gotten used to being the guy overlooked,” Mackie said. “It’s become part of my brand.”
The stage was set for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” about two years ago, when Disney introduced its Disney+ streaming service and turned to its subsidiary studios for original content.
At the same time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was arriving at a narrative turning point with “Endgame,” which said farewell to beloved characters like Steve Rogers while creating opportunities for new champions to rise.
Kevin Feige, the Marvel Studios president, said that from the outset, his company wanted its Disney+ programs to feel as significant as its movies in terms of their production values and of the characters and stories they included.
“As far as Marvel Studios is concerned, the M.C.U. now lives in features and in shows,” Feige said. “We really wanted people to get used to the idea that it was going to be a back-and-forth. The story will be consistent across it and just as important in both places.”
On your left! Empire’s new issue is an exclusive dive into Marvel Studios’ all-action superhero epic The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – chatting to Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Kevin Feige, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl and more. On sale Thursday, March 18th.
You can Pre-order now!
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Source: Instagram @EmpireMagazine
EW.com — Waking up naked and hungover on the beach next to a stranger after a booze-soaked one-night stand doesn’t exactly sound like the beginning of a beautiful love story — especially when it leads to getting arrested for indecent exposure. But when it comes to Monday, the steamy new movie starring Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough, it’s time to throw out any assumptions of what a traditional romance looks like. Relationships can start in the back of a cop car!
This is the first trailer for director Argyris Papadimitropoulos’ film that subverts expectations of what a movie love story looks like. Stan sheds his hard-edged, scowling MCU assassin persona Bucky Barnes — next seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — to become the laidback and fun-loving Mickey, who meets the older and intriguing Chloe (Gough) at a wild party one night on a Greek island. Their magical weekend of drinking, dancing, and sex in public places plays out like a realistic and exciting fairytale. But when Monday morning rolls around, reality starts to outweigh the fantasy as Mickey and Chloe are reminded there’s not always a “happily ever after” in life.
“I was always excited and interested in love stories but I always wanted to explore when things go wrong in relationships,” Papadimitropoulos previously told EW of his fourth feature film, which he wrote with Rob Hayes. “Why do people become so different at some point when everything started like a dream?”
Papadimitropoulos knows moviegoers have seen the candy-coated, happy ending love stories in films many times before, so he wanted to take an honest look at what really happens with relationships — the good, the bad, and the ugly.
“The rom-com genre gave us some amazing films in the past but then again, you watch them, they’re entertaining, but it’s not true,” he said. “You don’t really believe what’s going on at the end. So we start the film like a romantic comedy but then let the characters develop the way they would in real life and have problems, bottled up feelings, things they hide from each other, skeletons in their closet, and see what happens when the reality of everyday life settles in. It’s great having an amazing weekend but then Monday comes with a reality check.”
Monday premieres in select theaters and on-demand on April 16.
The Captain America films are renowned for holding a mirror up to society, acting as parables for the modern world. Sure enough, as soon as Steve Rogers retired the shield and hung up his star-spangled boots, the world moved into uncharted, uncertain territory. Now, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan face the task of continuing a legacy that’s been built on values of courage and responsibility. Add mateship to that equation and you have a pair of comic book heroes uniquely equipped to meet the challenges of our times.
MensHealth.com.au — Over the past decade I’ve felt a difference within myself. A change, a pull, a stirring. And as the Zoom call connects and my face pops up between Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, my suspicions are confirmed: I’m a nerd.
Of course, I’m not alone. The slope to Marvel fandom is not only slippery, it’s one that’s claimed millions around the world in the last decade-and-a-half. It’s the original pandemic, a wave of nerd culture sweeping up millennial males, driven for the most part by the creative forces behind Marvel Studios.
Over the course of 23 films, the Disney-owned studio has brought the comic book heroes of our childhood to the big screen, intricately weaving together a saga that culminated in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the highest grossing film of all time. Beyond their box office clout, these films have had a profound impact on popular culture. They’ve created superstars of their casts, spawned a new generation of fitness idols and provided a great deal of fodder for this very magazine.
Here and now, I find myself positioned between two of the linchpins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (what us nerds call the MCU), trying my very best not to geek out. Maintain professionalism, don’t be a dork, do your job.
“How are you, boys?” I say, intentionally lowering my voice to mask my delight at the situation.
“Chillin’, ” says Mackie, stirring a tea in his mid-century-fitted living room. “Very, very excited,” adds Stan, juxtaposed in a cabin-style living room.
My inner geek stirs. So well cast are Mackie and Stan, that even their homes are reflective of their onscreen alter egos – Sam ‘Falcon’ Wilson and Bucky ‘The Winter Soldier’ Barnes respectively. To my relief, they’re both equally excited to be here, clearly relishing the opportunity to once again be back saving the world, and many others, in the process.
“They brought me back! I’m not fired!” says a jubilant Mackie. “Just don’t get fired, bro,” he urges Stan, as if immediately realizing the fragility of their future. “Just don’t get fired.”
“I just wanted to keep going,” reassures Stan. “I always want to keep going. I’m happy we got another round at it, however we got it.”
Mackie and Stan have once again joined forces as the titular characters in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, taking on villains in their very own Disney + limited series. This time around the stakes are higher, for both the characters and the real-world players backing the project.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is an ambitious move for Marvel, a studio renowned for taking large, and often extremely profitable risks within the comic-book genre.
The show extends the MCU beyond the big screen, a moved planned well before COVID-19 shut cinemas worldwide, although the current appetite for on-demand, short-form content has only built excitement for the delayed release of the series.
If the early buzz and the popularity of its first limited series, WandaVision, are anything to go by, success for Mackie, Stan and the entire MCU seems all but assured. The critically acclaimed follow-up to Avengers: Endgame has even provided an opportunity for more work for the two leading men, with the possible introduction of a ‘multiverse’ (an equally exciting prospect for MH, with the promise of infinite cover men).
“They keep me so in the dark about what possibly happens with these dudes,” says Mackie, on what he hopes for Falcon’s future beyond this particular project. “I would just be happy to be in another movie.” That should be easy enough. Just don’t get fired. Continue reading
Deadline — IFC Acquires ‘Monday,’ Sebastian Stan & Denise Gough Greece Romancer Set For April 16 Release.
EXCLUSIVE: IFC Films has acquired North American rights to Argyris Papadimitropoulos’ latest feature Monday, a sizzling romance that stars Sebastian Stan (Avengers Endgame and I, Tonya) and Denise Gough (Colette).
When Mickey (Stan) is dragged away from his DJ set by a drunken friend and introduced to Chloe (Gough) one hot summer night in Athens, the attraction between the pair is immediately palpable—so palpable that before they know it they’re waking up naked on the beach Saturday morning. And so it goes that a one night stand on Friday turns into a whirlwind weekend romance that leads to serious conversations when they face the harsh sunlight on Monday morning.
Pic is produced by Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Damian Jones, Deanna Barillari, and Papadimitropoulos at Faliro House. Script is co-written by Argyris Papadimitropoulos and Rob Hayes.
‘Monday’ is Argyris Papadimitropoulos’ fourth feature, an official selection at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and 2020 Toronto International Film Festival that were both hobbled by the pandemic. IFC Films will release the film on April 16th, 2021 day and date theatrically and on demand.
Said director Argyris Papadimitropoulos: “In many ways, the film has become even more relevant in this current environment, as all relationships got challenged during the lock down and Chloe’s and Mickey’s story is a very realistic take on relationships. At a time when things have started getting more optimistic in the world and a summer trip to Greece, crowded parties, people kissing and having fun is something we are all longing for – I believe the timing is perfect to release the film and the fact that it found a home at IFC Films, makes my smile a little bigger.”
The deal for the film was negotiated by President of IFC Films Arianna Bocco with ICM Partners and Protagonist Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers.
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Deadline.com — Hulu has had its fair share of high-profile series, but the streamer now is set to profile one of Hollywood’s more iconic couples and the scandal that shook the industry when it comes to celebrity privacy.
Sources tell Deadline that Lily James and Sebastian Stan are on board to play former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in a new limited series for Hulu going by the working title Pam & Tommy. The rockstar couple’s relationship dominated the tabloids for years, including the scandal of when their sex tape from their honeymoon was stolen and leaked to the public. Seth Rogen is on board to play the man who stole the tape, with I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie helming the series and Rob Siegel writing. Rogen is also producing the project along with his partner Evan Goldberg through their Point Grey banner along with Dylan Sellers through Limelight and Sue Naegle and Megan Ellison at Annapurna. The eight-episode series will shoot in the spring.
Point Grey has spearheaded the development as Rogen and Goldberg brought the original idea to the table.
While the scandalous event will play a major part in the series, the story will have a big focus on their relationship going back to their whirlwind romance that started with them marrying after only knowing each other for 96 hours in 1995. The leaked VHS tape turned into quite the legal dispute, with Anderson suing the video distribution company Internet Entertainment Group. Ultimately, the Lees entered into a confidential settlement deal with IEG. Thereafter, the company began making the tape available to subscribers to its websites again, resulting in triple the normal traffic.
Anderson and Lee are not involved in Pam & Tommy though insiders say they are aware since the project has been in development since earlier this year when James first was brought on to play Anderson. The project has gained momentum in recent months with the addition of Gillespie and Stan, and now it looks to be well on its way to production.
Point Grey has been busy on the producing end as of late with such hits as Good Boys and American Pickle, which also starred Rogen.
James already has a busy fall with Netflix drama Rebecca, which also stars Armie Hammer. She next can be seen in The Dig on Netflix opposite Carey Mulligan. She also recently signed on to the Working Title pic What’s Love Got to Do With It. Stan and Gillespie already have strong ties following their time on I, Tonya together. The Captain America star is set to reprise his role of the Winter Soldier in Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier series premiering in 2021.
Gillespie is also no stranger to taking on this material having done it already with Stan in I, Tonya. The film landed several Oscar nominations outside-the-box telling of the Tonya Harding story and the plot to injure her rival Nancy Kerrigan during the Olympic trials. When execs tapped Gillespie the hope is he could bring the same tone for this project that he did with that one.
Variety.com — Bucky Barnes will always have an attachment to Captain America, no matter who holds the title. In the new trailer for “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier,” released by Marvel Studios at the Disney Investor Day, Sebastian Stan’s character works alongside the newest Captain America: The Falcon.
Played by Anthony Mackie, the Falcon received the honorary title from the original Captain America during the resolution of Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame,” though he continues to operate under his bird-based persona.
The upcoming series, originally set to release in August of this year, was delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but is now expected to premiere on March 19, 2021. Mackie and Stan star, reprising their roles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to unfold the journey taken by the Falcon upon receiving the Captain America shield from his now-retired friend.
The series will also feature Daniel Brühl, Georges St-Pierre and Emily VanCamp in returning roles as Helmut Zemo, Georges Batroc and Sharon Carter, respectively. It will feature six episodes directed by Kari Skogland for Disney Plus.
Filming for the series began in 2019, but with production being slowed by the pandemic, final shots were wrapped in late October. Created by Malcolm Spellman, “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” offered a teaser to fans back during the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, featuring Brühl’s character in a purple mask. The outfit — an homage to Helmut Zemo’s comic book origins — was well-received by the actor, who said it brought a fresh feeling to the “Captain America: Civil War” character.
Concept art for the show was shared in the short documentary “Marvel Studios: Expanding the Universe” on Disney Plus last year. Spellman and Kevin Feige executive produce the series.
Variety — Universal’s “The 355,” a female-led heist thriller starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o and Diane Kruger, has pushed its release date back a year.
The movie was initially set to open in theaters on Jan. 15, 2021, and will now debut on Jan. 14, 2022.
Simon Kinberg directed “The 355” from a script he wrote with Theresa Rebeck. The globe-trotting espionage thriller follows a group of international spies — a brigade that also includes Penelope Cruz and Fan Bingbing — who team up to stop a potentially world-altering event. Together, the five women form a faction called “355,” a nod to the assembly of female spies that united during the American Revolution. Edgar Ramirez and Sebastian Stan round out the cast.
Universal Pictures nabbed “The 355” after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. The studio reportedly paid more than $20 million for domestic distribution rights.
Like every Hollywood studio, Universal has been forced to shake up the release calendar numerous times during the pandemic. The studio recently moved “Fast & Furious” sequel “F9” to mid-2021, while “Jurassic World: Dominion” was postponed to June of 2022.
A majority of U.S. movie theaters have closed down again as attendance remains flat and coronavirus cases continue to surge. But thanks to a groundbreaking deal forged with major movie theater chains AMC and Regal, Universal is one of the few studios that has continued to release films in recent months. Among the studio’s titles still on schedule for 2020 are the animated sequel “The Croods: A New Age” on Thanksgiving and the Tom Hanks-led Western drama “News of the World” on Christmas Day.
RMH – Ronald McDonald House New York is proud to bring our gala right to your home in support of children battling childhood cancer. This year’s gala will feature a number of celebrity appearances, recognition of our honorees and entertainment. Sebastian was among them. Click here to watch the ceremony with replays through the week. Below is a trailer.