Michael B Jordan says Denzel Washington helped him direct Creed III
Michael B Jordan has revealed how Denzel Washington helped him direct Creed III.
The Rocky spin-off will be Jordan’s first time behind the camera after Ryan Coogler directed the first film in the series and Steven Caple Jr the second.
In an interview with AP Entertainment, Jordan revealed that Washington, who directed him on A Journal for Jordan, gave him a lot of help: “He literally called up a friend of his who’s a storyboard artist — and dialed him up right there, pitched him [and] me in the project and put me on the phone.”
Jordan, who also stars in the Creed franchise as the boxer Adonis Creed, added: “I talked to him and that’s how I got one of my storyboard artists. Right there on the spot at rehearsal.”
Jordan praised Washington’s kindness and willingness to help on his first directing project: “That’s D, man. He’s willing to do anything to help. He wants to pass on knowledge and make art a little easier in however he can help.”
The Fantastic Four star has previously talked about his ambition to direct films: “Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right. Creed III is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally and learning from the greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment.”
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Creed III will be the first film in the series not to feature Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa but Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad are returning and Jonathan Majors is an addition to the cast.
The first two installments were released in 2015 and 2018 to critical and commercial acclaim.
As well as directing The Journal of Jordan, Washington can also be seen in Apple’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, which is directed by Joel Coen and also stars Frances McDormand and Brendan Gleeson.
Grotz: Despite Rocky prep, Eagles get flattened by knock-out Bucs
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To connect with the guys before their most formidable challenge of the season, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni showed clips of “Rocky.”
Faster than you could hum, “Dah, dah, dahhhhh … Dah, dah, dahhhhhh!,” the Eagles were down one touchdown, then two, until it was 31-0 and they were in danger of being not just knocked out but shut out.
Sirianni said his players related to Rocky as the underdog regaining his feet after getting decked by the champ, Apollo Creed. Too much, apparently. They lived the script in their 31-15 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at windy Raymond James Stadium.
There was no quit in the Eagles. But two meaningless fourth-quarter touchdowns — a 34-yard run by Boston Scott and a 16-yard reception by Kenneth Gainwell — basically were it for the highlights unless, you’re a fan of those two sacks by Ryan “Thanks For Stopping By” Kerrigan.
The Eagles (9-9) averted the humiliation of being just the second team in franchise history to get blanked in the postseason. They are, however, only the second Eagles team to go scoreless in the first half of a playoff game. It was that kind of a game, and that kind of a season.
When Apollo Creed … um, Tom Brady and the Bucs … got tired of raining blows on the Eagles, the questions you had about them going into the game were still there. The 2021 Eagles were good against bad teams, bad against good teams and delusional if they think they don’t need another overhaul.
The way the Eagles lost — committing three turnovers, two on Jalen Hurts interceptions — you better have questions about Sirianni and his staff. Maybe they believed too much of the positive press they got for prefacing answers at press conferences with “good question.”When the dust settles, Sirianni and the Eagles proved they were who we thought they were when they started 2-5.
It all showed up in the first half on the national stage. Bumbling penalties, including two on the defense before on one red-zone play. Dropped passes by Dallas Goedert, Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor. Unscripted, inaccurate throws by Hurts. A punter so “shanky” that Sirianni felt more comfortable trying convert on fourth down.
The Eagles proved they were less a legit playoff team than a squad that beat seven of nine substandard foes with quarterbacks who didn’t deserve to start. Ascending team? They finished 0-7 against playoff teams, two of the losses to the Bucs, who didn’t play particularly well and won’t repeat as champs if they don’t get Leonard Fournette and his problematic ankle back on the field.
Some of Sirianni’s play calls had no chance from the get-go. Didn’t he learn weeks ago it’s not a good idea to throw to Reagor? Even the Bucs didn’t expect it because they’d seen how ineffective the overmatched receiver has been.
The Bucs knew Hurts couldn’t beat them with his arm, so they stopped the run and got him to hold the ball by mixing coverages. When Hurts launched it, defenders were there to bat it away or bump his targets. DeVonta Smith had two targets and one catch in the first half, then 11 targets in the second half when the game was basically over. He made four catches for 60 yards.
The vaunted run game the Eagles rode into the playoffs was so predictable that the Bucs were waiting for Miles Sanders. Same with the short passing game to the backs. It was like the Eagles were telegraphing their intentions.
There still are questions about Hurts, who was overwhelmed in his first playoff start. He had 88 passing yards in the first half, the Eagles digging a 17-0 hole, because the Bucs read Sirianni and his game plan like an unprotected tweet.
It’s time to reassess the mentorship of Sirianni by Frank Reich, the Colts’ head coach who found just the right plays for Nick Foles to beat Tom Brady in the Super Bowl LII shootout.
Reich and Sirianni have only this in common this season: Both rallied their teams from awful starts only to fall flat on their faces when the games really counted. Reich didn’t reach the playoffs thanks to Carson Wentz’s swan dive against the Jaguars in Week 18. Sirianni clearly had no chance to take down the Bucs when they took away his run game. How can you trust their evaluations of quarterbacks?
Management didn’t do Sirianni any favors either. It proved to be insane to rest starters in the last game when most teams in the playoffs declined to do so for more than a half.
In the coming weeks, we shall see how the Eagles really feel about Sirianni and Hurts. From Hurts’ first throw, a one-yard gain by Scott, to his last impression, exiting the podium in a walking cast, he did nothing to imply that he is the team’s quarterback of the future. You paying attention, Gardner Minshew?
“He didn’t play his best game, as we all know,” Sirianni said. “But you don’t take the body of work that he had for 17 weeks and put everything on this game. I know we’re all judged on the last game we play. I full get that. But I felt like Jalen grew throughout the year and he got better as a passer. … I feel really good about what we have in place right here at the quarterback position.”
Contact Bob Grotz at rgrotz@delcotimes.com or @bobgrotz on Twitter.
What a ‘Scream’! New No. 1 at Domestic Box Office – Media Play News
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Courteney Cox in Paramount Pictures’ Scream
What a ‘Scream’! New No. 1 at Domestic Box Office
Erik Gruenwedel
Paramount Pictures’ Scream, the fifth installment in the slasher franchise, exceeded the studio’s projections to generate more than $35 million in estimated North American theatrical revenue through Jan. 16. Paramount had expected a conservative $20 million opening weekend.
The movie — the first since 2011 and without original director Wes Craven, who died in 2015 — reunited original stars Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Skeet Ulrich — to jumpstart a new storyline around nemesis Ghostface terrorizing a group of teenagers.
“This opening has reinvigorated the franchise for fans, while simultaneously introducing it to a whole new generation of Scream fans,” Chris Aronson, president of domestic theatrical distribution at Paramount, said in a statement.
The tally was enough to unseat the longtime box office polesitter, Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: No Way Home, which had around $26 million over the four-day period. The latest webslinger superhero movie will soon top the $700.4 million made in North America by Disney/Marvel’s Black Panther to take over the No. 4 spot on the all-time domestic earners list.
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Universal Pictures’ animated musical sequel Sing 2 generated an estimated $11 million over four days, to run its domestic box haul past $122 million.
Overall, the pre-Martin Luther King Jr. weekend box office is projected to top $92.3 million over four days, which would be down 55% from pre-pandemic 2020 when Sony’s Bad Boys for Life helped deliver a $205.3 million weekend, including a $73 million debut.
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection gets stabby on Switch next month
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A Presto, Ezio
Ubisoft has announced that perhaps the greatest of all assassins is getting set to make their return on the Switch platform next month, as Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection comes wall-climbing its way onto the Nintendo console February 17, priced at around $39.99 USD.
As the title suggests, Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection is comprised of the three Assassin’s Creed titles that feature the personable and noble protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze. These three games chart the young warrior’s fall and rise from an aimless, trouble-making rich kid to one of the most notable and legendary figures of the notorious Assassin’s Guild.
The Ezio Collection includes three titles: Assassin’s Creed II (2009), Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010), and Assassin’s Creed Revelations (2011), as well as two short films looking further into Ezio’s backstory — Assassin’s Creed Lineage and Assassin’s Creed Embers. All three games have been re-optimized for the Switch hardware, utilizing touchscreen support and HD Rumble while also featuring an overhauled HUD.
While the Assassin’s Creed series has come on in leaps and bounds since its earliest iterations, there’s no denying that Assassin’s Creed II is a high point of the franchise. Thanks to its enjoyable cast of characters, high-action setpieces, and intriguing plotline following the creation of civilization itself, Ezio’s journey is one I remember well, despite having played an abundance of hefty adventure titles since. It could be worth a punt for those who missed out the first time around.
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection is available to pre-order now on Nintendo Switch. It is noted that only Assassin’s Creed II will be included on the cartridge. The other games and the two short films will require downloading to the MicroSD card.
Father Brown season 9 episode 9 cast: ‘The Enigma of Antigonish’
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Father Brown has always livened up our dark winter days with its bright and breezy murder mysteries.
In episode 9, the action is centred on a local health spa and while it may seem like an ideal spot for some rest and relaxation, the sky-high murder rate in Kembleford would suggest otherwise.
But just who is set to join Father Brown in the cast of season 9, episode 9?
The Tourist | Trailer | BBC BridTV 6980 The Tourist | Trailer | BBC https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oIjbxpFvAzs/hqdefault.jpg 911629 911629 center 13872
Father Brown season 9 episode 9 release date and plot
The ninth episode of Father Brown series 9 arrives on BBC One and iPlayer at 1:45pm on Thursday, January 13th, 2022.
Titled The Enigma of Antigonish, the episode sees Father Brown and the gang pay a visit to the local health spa.
However, there is no rest or relaxation on the agenda after an ex-employee is found murdered.
BBC
Father Brown season 9 episode 9 cast
As ever in Father Brown, the priestly murder mystery welcomes back its main cast of characters while also introducing us to some new faces.
Starring in episode 9 of Father Brown season 9 are:
Main cast
Mark Williams as Father Brown
Sorcha Cusack as Mrs McCarthy
Jack Deam as Inspector Mallory
John Burton as Sergeant Goodfellow
Alex Price as Sid Carter
Guest stars
Ryan Gage as Finbar Finch
Jennifer Hyde as Lola Briggit
Robyn Addison as Elsie Peters
Peter Singh as Captain Peters
Camille Mallet de Chauny as Serge Duras
BBC
Guest star spotlight
Ryan Gage as Finbar Finch
The most notable guest star to appear in episode 9 is Ryan Gage who takes on the role of the sinister-looking Finbar Finch.
Fans will know Ryan Gage best from his appearance as Alfred Lickspittle in The Hobbit films while the 38-year-old actor has also appeared in the likes of Endeavour, The Musketeers, Red Dwarf and Sky’s I Hate Suzie.
Jennifer Hyde as Lola Briggit
Playing a big part in episode 9 is Jennifer Hyde who takes on the role of Lola Briggit.
The actress may not be too well known to English-speaking audiences as Jennifer has spent much of her career in Colombia, appearing in Spanish-language films and series such as Crónicas de un sueño, Wild District, The Banished and Netflix’s Bolívar.
Robyn Addison as Elsie Peters
A more familiar face to UK viewers will be Robyn Addison who plays Elsie Peters in episode 9.
The Derbyshire-born actress is arguably best known for her role as Janice in ITV’s Doc Martin while she’s also appeared in Waterloo Road, Survivors, Casualty and a host of video games including Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Dragon: Age Inquisition and Final Fantasy XIV.
BBC
Peter Singh as Captain Peters
Peter Singh is the next guest star on our list as he takes on the role of Captain Peters.
The actor has over 35 credits to his name, with notable roles coming in The Capture, Three Girls, Coronation Street and the films Hampstead and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.
Camille Mallet de Chauny as Serge Duras
And finally, we come to Serge Duras who is played by the least-experienced actor in the cast, Camille Mallet de Chauny.
The London-based actor only made his debut in 2018’s Bulletproof and only has two other credits to his name, coming in the short film Femme and as a soldier in Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
BBC
Father Brown season 9 continues on weekdays at 1:45pm on BBC One until Friday, January 14th, 2022.
In other news, What are ‘The Paths’ in Attack on Titan and how do they work?