Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for one of the year’s most critically-admired films. Directed by Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez is a crime musical starring Zoe Saldaña as a lawyer in Mexico who is hire by a cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) to help fake her death so that she can finally embrace her true gender identity. The film, which earned an 11-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, also stars Selena Gomez.
“I was very nervous because this is a project that is unlike anything I’ve ever done before,” the singer and Only Murders In The Building star told The Hollywood Reporter. “Even though I have such a small part, it’s such a big and special project that I feel so lucky that I was able to be a part of it. I felt better after the premiere, less nervous.”
You can watch the teaser above.
The female leads of Emilia Pérez — Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldaña, and Gomez — shared Best Actress at Cannes, with Gascón also becoming the first trans performer to win the award at the festival. “Women together — that’s something we wanted to honor when we made this award,” Barbie director and 2024 Cannes jury president Greta Gerwig said of the split honor. “Each of them is a standout, but together transcendent.”
Emilia Pérez comes to select theaters on November 1 and begins streaming on Netflix on November 13.
Paul Mescal‘s muscles. Pedro Pascal in a fighting pit. Denzel Washington’s laugh. Director Ridley Scott still killing it at 86 years old. The Roman Colosseum being filled with water (!) and sharks (!!!). And — if you’re a normal person — the anachronistic use of “No Church In The Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West, ft. Frank Ocean and The-Dream.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of not-normal people out there, and they’re having a bit of a meltdown over the Watch The Throne single. There are many good reasons to object to Kanye; this is not one of them.
Here are some comments on the Gladiator II trailer on YouTube:
These are the same people who still think “rap? more like crap” is the peak of comedy (something tells me they didn’t have any issues with the Queen-heavy soundtrack to A Knight’s Tale). But instead of focusing on them, let’s turn our attention to what really matters: a great f*cking trailer.
I think the song choice for the GLADIATOR II trailer is great, but even if I didn’t, I’d still take it over the plague of slow piano cover vomit any day of the week https://t.co/ehdgbAFixU
— madeline muad’dib atreides (@madeline_kel4) July 9, 2024
Seeing some white people get fake mad about the Gladiator 2 trailer using rap music will always been funny considering the original used fuckin KID ROCK.
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Gladiator II comes out in theaters on November 22.
It looks as if Kobi Libii’s upcoming satirical film has ruffled a few feathers. The recently released trailer for The American Society of Magical Negroes has tongues wagging on social media. Libii, who wears both the writer’s and director’s hats, is taking a critical look at a long-standing Hollywood cliché: the portrayal of a Black character existing primarily to assist and soothe the white protagonist in their cinematic journey. Though this narrative pattern has been a regular feature in films, it wasn’t officially named until renowned filmmaker Spike Lee coined the term “Magical Negro.”
Satire (noun): a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn.
Hollywood is overflowing with examples of “Magical Negroes” who have made cinematic history. Take, for example, The Shining‘s Dick Hallorann, who was also later portrayed by both Scatman Crothers and Melvin Van Peebles in the 1980 film and 1997 television series adaptations, respectively. There is also Whoopi Goldberg as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost, Chris Rock in Dogma, and Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile. Kobi Libii and Sight Unseen’s Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev shone a satirical spotlight on the cliché. However, not everyone was laughing, and even those aware of the film’s purpose questioned if it was executed in a way that would resonate with Black audiences.
The American Society Of Magical Negroes Delivers Its Trailer
After the trailer for The American Society of Magical Negroes hit the internet, some weren’t pleased. The teaser quickly made its way through several social media platforms, and soon, the commentary was plentiful. From the title alone, some users, many Black creators, expressed they expected Harry Potter-meets-Black-Culture. However, the synopsis clearly caught them off guard.
The main character, Aren (Justice Smith), a young Black man, “is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people’s lives easier.” Multihyphenate Hollywood titan David Alan Grier joins the cast as Aren’s mentor, guiding him through his new reality.
A pivotal scene teased in the trailer lays the film’s groundwork. Aren is asked, “What’s the most dangerous animal on the planet?” The response: “White people when they feel uncomfortable.” The dialogue continues, “That’s why we fight white discomfort every day. Because the happier they are, the safer we are.” Additionally, the film incorporates romantic comedy elements, with Aren falling for a white woman named Lizzie (An-Li Bogan). This storyline became a critical talking point. Some viewers argued that it diluted the film’s broader message into merely an interracial romance.
Libii Described The Film As “Comic Exaggeration”
The development of this film has been in the works for some time. Four years ago, in an interview with Eric Lavallée for IonCinema at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, Libii explained that Magical Negroes is set in our current political climate and addresses controversial topics with comedic nuances that aren’t as aggressive as politically-centered movies.
“The film is set right now. It’s definitely going to be a growth from my background in comedy,” Libii said at the time. The Indiana-born and bred actor and writer has worked extensively in television and the theater. This includes the satirical news show Opposition with Jordan Klepper on Comedy Central. “To me, comic exaggeration is one of the cleanest, most evocative ways to talk about some of the harder-to-talk-about elements of being a Person of Color in America. And so, that’s very much this script’s placement. And it’s explicitly political in that it’s not talking about policy or laws or anything like that. But any time you’re messing around with those themes, it ends up being political.”
“It’s very much a comedy; it’s a heartwarming comedy in a lot of ways,” the filmmaker continued. “And I think people will feel energized and uplifted by it at the end. But it is also a racial satire with some real teeth to it. So, it’s not afraid to bite, while at the same time, it will pour something nice on the wound before you leave.”
Honestly, We Won’t Know Anything Until We See The Movie
If we’re taking things at face value, it isn’t difficult to pinpoint the reason for unrest, even if it’s all made with purpose. Reactions have been scathing, to say the least—especially on TikTok, where popular Black creators give the film critical hot takes. There are promises of boycotting purely based on this trailer alone. These criticisms aren’t new in thought or execution, which begs the question of why, with satirical releases of this nature, we’re faced with the same judgmental conversations before dissecting the intentionality in the screenwriting itself.
Perhaps, as some critics have suggested, audiences are used to having the rug pulled from under them. Possibly, as others stated, they’ve grown disheartened with opportunities to creatively express Black culture without feeling like filmmakers are playing them for fools. Or, Black audiences are exhausted with stereotypes altogether, from Black struggles to “white saviors.” We won’t truly know what The American Society of Magical Negroes is trying to communicate until March 2024, when it hits theaters.
As a frontrunning star at next year’s Sundance Film Festival, cinephiles, even the backbiters, are sitting with curious excitement for Magical Negroes‘s global arrival. As we grow closer to the date, conversations surrounding the film and Lee’s term are only expected to increase.
Social Media’s Mixed Reactions To The Trailer
yall hearing “magical negroes” & thinking hogwarts & not the spike lee coined archetype was your first problem lol https://t.co/Zq73NrJtyY
Specifically the yt love interest. The trope feels like satire. But the love interest isn’t meant to be funny. There’s zero reason to make the love interest white
Here I thought The American Society of Magical Negroes was gonna be smart, satirical, social commentary about the magical negro trope and Black-white power dynamics in social settings.
John Wick is back as Keanu Reeves returns to the role in the franchise’s fourth film, John Wick: Chapter 4. Lionsgate dropped the final trailer on Thursday during “Wick Week.” In John Wick: Chapter 4, Wick has retired from his assassin ways and travels the world. He has gone from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin. In those locations, he fights against some of the most powerful individuals in the criminal underground. John Wick will fight with new enemies and reconnect with friends. He will discover that old pals have turned into enemies. In the end, he won’t stop until he is finally free, once again.
Chad Stahelski, the director of the film, has teased that the franchise’s fourth installment is its longest. Additionally, Stahelski shared that John Wick: Chapter 4 will delve deep into the mythology and history of the Continental Hotel. The Continental hotel is a refugee location for assassins John Wick. It is also a major focal point for the other three John Wick films. There are Continental Hotel locations across the world, from New York to Rome to Casablanca. The chain’s New York City location is owned by Winston, John Wick’s friend.
“John Wick: Chapter 4” Trailer
Alongside Reeves in the cast is Bill Skarsgård (It, Barbarian) as Marquis. Donnie Yen (Ip Man, Mulan) will play Canine and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, Contagion) will play Bowery King. Lance Reddick (The Legend of Vox Machina, White House Down) will play Charon, Rina Sawayama (Turn Up Charlie) will play Akira, and Shamier Anderson (Race, Bruiser) will play Tracker. With them, Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, The Twilight Samurai) will play Shimazu, Scott Adkins (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday, Boyka: Undisputed) will play Killa, and Ian McShane (Deadwood, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) will play Winston.
Since “John Wick: Chapter 3,” Reeves and Stahelski have announced they will reunite for the “Ballerina” spinoff starring Ana de Armas (Knives Out, Blonde) and Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family), as well as Reddick and McShane. With Ballerina in development, Lionsgate has announced that the John Wick universe will be expanding. There is a prequel series in the works, titled The Continental. The series will have three parts. It will explore the origin story of the Continental Hotel from the perspective of Winston. While McShane plays the character in the films, Colin Woodell (The Flight Attendant) will play the character in the prequel. The series will air on Peacock in 2023. John Wick: Chapter 4‘s theatrical release will take place on March 24, 2023.
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