Month: October 2024

NEW MOVIES: Oct 31-Nov 6, 2024, “Here,” “Hitpig,” “Absolution,” “Juror #2”

HERE

HERE

Here is a 2024 American drama film produced and directed by Robert Zemeckis, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth, based on the 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire.[7][8] It stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, and Kelly Reilly.

Here premiered at the AFI Fest[9] on October 25, 2024 before being theatrically released in the United States by TriStar Pictures through Sony Pictures Releasing on November 1, 2024. The film received generally negative reviews from critics.

Premise

The story covers the events of a single spot of land and its inhabitants, spanning from the past to well into the future.

Cast

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HITPIG

HITPIG

Hitpig! is an upcoming animated adventure comedy film directed by Cinzia Angelini and David Feiss. The film comes from an original story by Berkeley Breathed, rooted from his 2008 children’s book Pete & Pickles. Breathed also wrote the screenplay alongside Dave Rosenbaum and Tyler Werrin. Produced by Aniventure and animated by Cinesite, the film features the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Lilly Singh, Rainn Wilson, Anitta, RuPaul, Hannah Gadsby and Charlie Adler.

Premise

In a futuristic cyberpunk world, Hitpig, a bounty hunter pig, sets out to capture an elephant named Pickles but finds themselves on a criss-crossing world adventure.[1]

Voice cast

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ABSOLUTION

ABSOLUTION

Absolution is an upcoming American crime thriller film directed by Hans Petter Moland, written by Tony Gayton, and starring Liam Neeson as a brooding, aging gangster.

Absolution is set to be theatrically released on November 1, 2024, by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Cast

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JUROR #2

JUROR #2

Juror #2 is a 2024 American legal thriller film directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jonathan Abrams. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland.

Juror #2 had its world premiere at AFI Fest on October 27, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 1, 2024.

Premise

Family man Justin Kemp, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict — or free — the accused killer.[3]

Cast

 

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10/29/24 #Here #Hitpig #Absolution #Juror#2

NEW MOVIES: Oct 24-30, 2024, “Venom: The Last Dance,” “Conclave,” “A New Kind of Wilderness,” “Zurawski vs Texas”

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE

Venom: The Last Dance is a 2024 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Venom. A sequel to Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), the fifth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU), and the third and final installment of the Venom trilogy, it was written and directed by Kelly Marcel. Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock and Venom alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, and Stephen Graham. Its plot follows Eddie and Venom, who are on the run from both of their worlds.

Hardy revealed in August 2018 that he was signed on to appear in a third and final Venom film, and Sony Pictures began development by December 2021, after the second film was released. Marcel and Hardy were writing the script by June 2022, and Marcel was set to make her directorial debut with the film that October. New cast members, including Ejiofor and Temple, joined in mid-2023, and filming began in Spain at the end of June 2023. Production was halted the next month due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, resumed that November after the strike ended, and was completed by the end of February 2024. The title was revealed a month later.

Venom: The Last Dance premiered at the Regal Times Square Theater in New York City on October 21, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 25, 2024. Like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews from critics.

Premise

After the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Eddie Brock and the symbiote Venom go on the run when both of their worlds hunt them.[3]

Cast

 

Additionally, Clark Backo has been cast as ‘Christmas’ [11], while Cristo Fernández appears as a bartender, reprising his role from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).[8]

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CONCLAVE

CONCLAVE

Conclave is a 2024 mystery–thriller film directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini.

Conclave premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024 and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Focus Features on 25 October 2024 and in the United Kingdom by Black Bear UK on 29 November 2024. The film received critical acclaim, with Fiennes’ performance being praised.

Premise

 

Cardinal Lawrence, tasked with organizing the election of the successor to the deceased pope, discovers the former pope had a secret that must be uncovered concerning one or more of the candidates to succeed to the papacy.[3]

Cast

 

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A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS

A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS

The family starring in ‘A New Kind of Wilderness’ lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere in Norway. They try to live as much as possible from what the land and nature give them. Vegetables, animals, wood for heating, and lots of fresh air. It all looks very idyllic. Four children, father and mother, and a lot of warmth and love for each other. The children are homeschooled and seem to be outside almost permanently. The reason for this way of life? Mom and Dad have chosen to spend more time with the children.

This emotional documentary was named the best foreign documentary by the jury of the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. An award that filmmaker Evensmo Jacobsen certainly deserves. She came across Maria and Nik through a blog post in which they shared their experiences with the world. Fascinated by the subject, she became acquainted with the family, and after Maria’s death, she proposed to share their story with the world through a documentary. It is impressive to see how the family lives in and with nature and for what purpose. It is also impressive to see how they end up being bigger than the challenges they are presented with.

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ZURAWSKI VS TEXAS

ZURAWSKI VS TEXAS

  • Status: Completed
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 98:22 Mins
  • Themes: Human Rights, Justice, Reproductive Rights, Women, women’s Rights
  • Year: 2024

A group of women denied abortions, even at the brink of death, banded together with a fearless attorney to sue the state of Texas in an extraordinary effort to regain their rights and reproductive futures — not only for themselves but millions of others.

Directed By: Maisie Crow & Abbie Perrault

Produced By: Amy Flanagan, Siobhan Sinnerton, Blye Pagon Faust, Cori Shepherd, Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault

Executive Producers: Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi, Bari Lurie, Johnny Webb, Linda Himelstein, Laurie Michaels, Amy Metzler Ritter

Co-executive Producers: Lisa And Jeffrey Akin, Suzanne Lerner, Emily Liu Foy, Cristina Ljungberg, Nancy Mcgregor And Neal Manne, Gretchen Sisson, Amanda Stephens, Jacob And Terese Hershey Foundation, The Boone Family Foundation

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October 23, 2024 #Venom:TheLastDance #Conclave #ANewKindofWilderness #ZurawskiVsTexas

NEW MOVIES: Oct 17-23, 2024, “Goodrich,” “A Real Pain,” “Anora,” “Stolen Time”

GOODRICH

GOODRICH

Goodrich is a 2024 American comedy film written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer. The film stars Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis.

The film premiered in Los Angeles on October 8, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Ketchup Entertainment on October 18, 2024.

Premise

After his younger second wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program, Los Angeles art dealer Andy Goodrich seeks out his adult pregnant daughter Grace for help with raising his nine-year-old twins.[1][2]

Cast

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A REAL PAIN

A REAL PAIN

A Real Pain is a 2024 comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Jesse Eisenberg. It stars Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes. Emma Stone serves as a producer under her Fruit Tree banner.

It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024, at the 62nd New York Film Festival on October 6, 2024, and is scheduled for limited theatrical release in the United States on November 1, 2024.

Premise

A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

Cast

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ANORA

ANORA

Anora is a 2024 American romantic comedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by Sean Baker. It stars Mikey Madison as an exotic dancer in the title role and follows her beleaguered romance with the son of a Russian oligarch. It also stars Mark Eidelstein, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and Aleksei Serebryakov.

The film premiered on May 21, 2024, in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or, the first American film to do so since The Tree of Life in 2011. Neon is scheduled to release it on October 18, 2024. It received widespread critical acclaim, with major praise for Madison’s performance and Baker’s direction, screenplay, and editing.

Plot

Ani is a young Russian-American exotic dancer from Brighton Beach, a Russian-speaking neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. As she is somewhat conversant in Russian, her boss fixes her up with Russian-speaking clients. She is introduced to Vanya, the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, who pays her to move into his mansion and become his girlfriend. A whirlwind romance commences, resulting in them flying to Las Vegas and eloping.

Vanya’s parents learn of this development through social media and order Toros, Vanya’s handler, to rectify the situation before they arrive in America the following day. Toros sends two henchmen, Garnick and Igor, to Vanya’s house to confront them; a struggle ensues in which Vanya runs away, and Ani injures both Garnick and Igor before being subdued. Toros arrives soon after and demands an annulment of the marriage, but Ani refuses, claiming that she and Vanya are in love.

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STOLEN TIME

STOLEN TIME

Documentary

As her firm receives more and more complaints against Canadian for-profit senior care homes, attorney Melissa Miller builds a case to sue facilities for neglect and expose a system wrought with abuse.

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10/15/2024 #Goodrich #ARealPain #Anora #StolenTime

NEW MOVIES: Oct 10-16, 2024, “We Live in Time,” “10 Lives,” “The Apprentice,” “Daytime Revolution”

WE LIVE IN TIME

WE LIVE IN TIME

We Live in Time is a 2024 romantic drama film directed by John Crowley from a screenplay by Nick Payne. It follows the relationship of a couple (Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh) over the course of a decade.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024, and is scheduled to be released by StudioCanal in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2025.

Plot

The film is presented in a nonlinear narrative. The following is a linear summary of the plot.

Weetabix representative Tobias Durand, while out purchasing a pen to sign divorce papers served to him by his wife, wanders into the road and is struck by a car driven by Almut Brühl, a former figure skater turned Bavarian-fusion chef. At the hospital, Almut offers to treat Tobias and his wife to a meal at the restaurant she works at, though Tobias does not disclose his divorce to her. On the night of his dinner, Tobias, now separated, goes to the restaurant alone, informing Almut about his divorce. The two have sex and begin living with each other soon after.

Months later, Tobias expresses to Almut his desire to start a family with her and that he’s begun to fall in love with her. Almut viciously rebuffs him, and Tobias leaves without saying a word. Later, at a baby shower for one of Almut’s co-workers, Tobias sneaks in and apologizes to Almut for his hastiness while criticizing the way she responded to him in front of all the guests. Tobias once again professes his love to her and they reconcile.

Cast

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10 LIVES

10 LIVES

10 Lives is a 2024 animated comedy film directed by Chris Jenkins from a screenplay by Jenkins, Karen Wengrod and Ken Cinnamon. The film features the voices of Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Sophie Okonedo, Zayn Malik, Dylan Llewellyn, Jeremy Swift, Tabitha Cross and Bill Nighy. The story follows a pampered housecat named Beckett who totally takes for granted the lucky hand he has been dealt; rescued and loved by Rose, a kind-hearted and passionate student focused on saving the world’s bee population after she looses his ninth life.

10 Lives had its world premiere on January 20, 2024, at the Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah.[1] In the United Kingdom, the film classes as a Sky Original, where it became available to watch on Sky Cinema and streaming on Sky’s streaming service NOW. Briarcliff Entertainment acquired the North American distribution rights to the film, and it is set to be released on an underdetermined date in the United States.[2]

Plot

As a kitten, Beckett is adopted by Rose, a student specialised in bees. Later, Rose receives the visit of Larry, her ex-boyfriend, who helps her find a solution to the problem of the recent death of numerous bees. Beckett is jealous and tries to make Larry leave the house but the cat loses his ninth life. Beckett pleads Grace, responsible for the afterlife of animals, to be allowed to return to his former life: the Gatekeeper allows him to return to earth with a new set of lives, but in a variety of different forms: badger, rat, cockroach, parrot, fish, dog and horse.

Cast

  • Mo Gilligan as Beckett, a pampered and selfish housecat. His fur is entirely gray and white and his eyes are yellow and blue with are odd-eyed. He is rescued and loved by Rose.
  • Simone Ashley as Rose, a kind-hearted and passionate student.
  • Sophie Okonedo as Grace, an ethereal, no-nonsense woman with the power to grant Beckett the cat his new lives.
  • Bill Nighy as Professor Craven, Rose’s superior and the main antagonist.
  • Dylan Llewellyn as Larry, Rose’s socially discomfited lab partner.
  • Zayn Malik as Kirk and Cameron, a bee pair of tough-acting twins.
  • Jeremy Swift as Happy, a wisecracking American Pit Bull Terrier.
  • Tabitha Cross as Beatrice

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THE APPRENTICE

THE APPRENTICE

The Apprentice is a 2024 biographical drama film directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman. The film stars Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Martin Donovan, and Maria Bakalova. Its plot examines Donald Trump‘s career as a real estate businessman in New York in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Apprentice had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 11, 2024.[4]

Premise

Set during the early years of Trump’s business career, the film focuses on the relationship of Trump and Roy Cohn, a New York City prosecutor known for working with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare.[5]

Cast

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DAYTIME REVOLUTION

DAYTIME REVOLUTION

Documentary

 It may sound hard to believe, but John Lennon and Yoko Ono became daytime talk show hosts more than 50 years ago–For one week only.

The new documentary Daytime Revolution, directed by Erik Nelson, chronicles that pop culture moment in February 1972 when John and Yoko took over The Mike Douglas Show, producing and co-hosting the afternoon talker. Kino Lorber plans to release the film on more than 50 screens across the country on October 9 — what would have been Lennon’s 84th birthday.

“Daytime Revolution takes us back in time, as we observe John and Yoko interacting with a transfixed studio audience in revealing Q and A sessions where John Lennon was astonishingly candid about his life after the Beatles,” notes a release. “John and Yoko also got to pick the guests, some very controversial at the time, like [anti-war activist and Yippie] Jerry Rubin and Black Panther Bobby Seale, as well as Ralph Nader and George Carlin. In addition, the shows featured blazing musical performances, including an epic duet with Chuck Berry, and a poignant rendition of the now classic ‘Imagine.’ Conceptual art events and even cooking segments were woven into the crazy fabric of the format.”

Yoko Ono explained at a press conference in 1972, “We wanted to do the shows to show that we are working for peace and love, and also to change the world, not with violence, but with love. And everybody that we selected is participating in efforts to change the world.”

1972, of course, was a presidential election year (and the year of the Watergate break-in), when incumbent Pres. Richard Nixon would face off against the eventual Democratic presidential nominee, George McGovern. Fifty-two years later, we’re in another momentous presidential election cycle. The timing didn’t escape director Erik Nelson.

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1/8/2024 #WeLiveinTime #10lives #TheApprentice #DaytimeRevolution

 

NEW MOVIES: Oct 3-9, 2024, “White Bird: A Wonder Story,” “Leap of Faith,” “Blink,” “Joker: Folie a Deux”

WHITE BIRD: A WONDER STORY

WHITE BIRD: A WONDER STORY

White Bird (marketed with the subtitle A Wonder Story) is a 2024 American coming-of-age period drama film directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Mark Bomback, based on the 2019 graphic novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio. Serving as both a prequel and sequel to Wonder (2017), the film stars Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Gheisar, Gillian Anderson, and Helen Mirren, with Gheisar reprising his role as Julian from Wonder.

White Bird was released in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia on January 4, 2024; it is scheduled to be released in the United States by Lionsgate on October 4, 2024.[3]

Plot

After the events of Wonder, Julian has left Beecher Prep for good. He is visited by his grandmother, Sara, from Paris, who, in response to Julian’s reflection about his need to be socially passive in order to fit in at his new school, tells him about her childhood as a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

In 1942, Sara evades being rounded up by the German troops and spends more than one year being hidden by her classmate Julien (one of whose legs is congenitally paralysed by poliomyelitis) in a barn of the house where he lives with his parents. She is instructed never to leave the barn so as not to be discovered by the neighbours suspected of being informants for the Germans. At night, Julien teaches Sara what he has learned at school during the day. Affection between them eventually grows into love.

In 1944 after the liberation of Monte Cassino, Julien is stopped on his way to school at a German checkpoint by the Milice and thrown into the back of a lorry for transportation to a remote camp in the mountains. During an escape attempt by the other prisoners, he is shot dead. At the end of the war, Sara is reunited with her father, but she finds out that her mother has been killed at KZ Auschwitz.

Cast

  • Ariella Glaser as Sara Blum, a Jewish girl living in Nazi-occupied France
  • Orlando Schwerdt as Julien Beaumier, Sara’s polio-lamed classmate, in the barn of whose family Sara hides from the Germans
  • Bryce Gheisar as Julian Albans
  • Gillian Anderson as Vivienne Beaumier, Julien’s mother
  • Helen Mirren as Grandmère, a renowned artist
  • Patsy Ferran as Mlle Petitjean, Sara and Julien’s teacher
  • Ishai Golan as Max Blum, Sara’s father
  • Jem Matthews as Vincent
  • Stuart McQuarrie as Pastor Luc, the headmaster of Sara and Julien’s school
  • Olivia Ross as Rose Blum, Sara’s mother
  • Jo Stone-Fewings as Jean Paul Beaumier, Julien’s father

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LEAP OF FAITH

LEAP OF FAITH

Documentary –

Over a year, 12 diverse Christian leaders explore contentious issues and seek fellowship at retreats in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They navigate divisions while holding onto their shared belief in love, testing the bonds they build.

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BLINK

BLINK

Blink is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Edmund Stenson and Daniel Roher. It follows a family who journey around the world prior to their children losing their vision to a rare genetic disorder, in order to experiences the world’s beauty while they still can.

It had its world premiere at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, and is scheduled to be released on October 4, 2024, by National Geographic Documentary Films through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Premise

A family journeys around the world prior to their children losing their vision to a rare genetic disorder, in order to experiences the world’s beauty while they still can.

Production

Edmund Stenson and Daniel Roher co-directed the film, with Stenson primarily involved in the production of the film, due to Roher’s commitments to Navalny and the birth of his child.[2]

In September 2023, it was announced Stenson and Roher would direct the film, with National Geographic Documentary Films, MRC and Fishbowl Films set to produce.[3

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JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX

Joker: Folie à Deux[a] is a 2024 American musical psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay co-written with Scott Silver. It is the sequel to Joker (2019), loosely based on DC Comics characters, and stars Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as the Joker with Lady Gaga joining the cast as his love interest Harley Quinn. Zazie Beetz also reprises her role from the previous film, while Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener join the cast. It is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios in association with Joint Effort.

Joker was conceived as a standalone film, although Warner Bros. intended for the film to launch a DC Black film series. Phillips expressed interest in making a sequel but confirmed that Joker was not set up to have one. The sequel entered development in June 2022, with Gaga and Beetz joining later that year. Principal photography took place in New York City, Los Angeles, and Belleville, New Jersey, from December 2022 to April 2023.

Joker: Folie à Deux premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2024,[6] and is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 4, 2024. It has received mixed reviews from critics.

Cast

[edit]

Joaquin Phoenix.
Joaquin Phoenix
Lady Gaga .
Lady Gaga
  • Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck / Joker, a mentally ill, nihilistic criminal with a clown-inspired persona, formerly an impoverished party clown and aspiring stand-up comedian. Director Todd Phillips assured that while the sequel will venture further into Fleck’s psyche, he would not become the “Clown Prince of Crime”, as his “Joker” persona is an unwilling symbol to people who give him the love he always wanted.[7]
  • Lady Gaga as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel / Harley Quinn, a patient at Arkham State Hospital who meets Arthur; her curiosity eventually turns to obsession, and she forms a deadly romantic relationship with him.[8][9] Describing Quinzel, Phillips noted how this version of the character is manipulative, amoral and “more grounded”, with the film deliberately ignoring much of the character’s classic mannerisms and style to fit into the world created in Joker (2019).[10]
  • Brendan Gleeson as Jackie Sullivan, a guard at Arkham State Hospital.
  • Catherine Keener as Maryanne Stewart, Arthur’s lawyer.[11]
  • Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, a single mother and Arthur’s former neighbor, who Arthur imagined being in a romantic relationship with.[12]
  • Steve Coogan as Paddy Meyers, a popular TV personality who interviews Arthur in Arkham.[13]
  • Harry Lawtey as Harvey Dent, the newly elected assistant district attorney who plans to bring Arthur to justice for his crimes.[14] Lawtey developed his own backstory for the character in order to accurately play the role, with Phillips instilling in him the idea that, in the dawn of televised trials, Dent has his eyes on the prize and is cynically willing to put Arthur on trial for his own gain. To prepare for the role, Lawtey avoided watching the versions of Harvey Dent in Batman (1989), The Dark Knight (2008) and Batman vs. Two-Face (2017) portrayed by Billy Dee Williams, Aaron Eckhart and William Shatner respectively. Despite his character being a courtroom showman, Lawtey never sings in the film, being grateful at not singing in front of Gaga.[15]

Leigh Gill and Sharon Washington reprise their roles as Arthur’s former co-worker Gary and Arthur’s social worker, respectively.[16][17][18] Jacob Lofland, Ken Leung and Bill Smitrovich have been cast in undetermined roles.[16][18]

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10/1/2024 #White Bird: A Wonder Story #Leap of Faith #Blink #Joker: Folie a Deux

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