Comedian Ron Funches has a memorable role as an announcer in Golden Arm, a new road tripping buddy comedy starring Mary Holland and Betsy Sodaro that dives into the dysfunctional world of women’s arm wrestling. To promote the film, which is out today on video on demand services, Funches spoke with ComingSoon.net Managing Editor Tyler Treese about his experience shooting the film, his love of professional wrestling, and how All Elite Wrestling’s Justin Roberts saved his performance.
Check out our Ron Funches interview below!
Tyler Treese: One thing I found interesting in Golden Arm was that so much of the cast has comedy and improv backgrounds. Can you talk me through how much of the final product was riffing and improvising for your scenes?
Ron Funches: I mean, a lot of it was. I think that was [what] Maureen had in mind when she hired most of us. [It] was to take the script that they had and just look at it as a baseline. You could not only improvise joke-wise but to go ahead and shape our characters. Mary [Holland], Betsy [Sodaro], Eugene [Cordero], and all the wrestlers, they had some input on the characters they wanted to play. A lot of the character names were just names that I made up on the fly when I was announcing, they just didn’t have names yet, or we just asked the wrestlers what name they wanted to be. Even my character itself was really originally written more as a general just kind of sleazeball. Then when talking with Maureen, we just came up together with more of a character who was just in love with strong, powerful women. There’s a scene where he’s like all over Betsy’s character, but he doesn’t give Mary’s baker character the time of day because he doesn’t know that she’s strong or not. So, it just became what all of us kind of taking ownership and agency of our characters and improvising quite a bit. It’s because we’ve all worked together before, and she trusts us.
Getting that personal touch, it really shines through in the film. Having that amount of freedom, that’s not something you always have, but can you tell me the unique challenge that is? Obviously, with your comedy background, you’re probably very well suited to it, but not having a direct script and having so much freedom in your character, is that daunting in any way?
It can be. I think the two worst-case scenarios for me is one when someone just wants me to completely follow that script and that they don’t want me to play at all or add to it, and that feels so restrictive to me. Or if they’re just like, “We don’t know, we just think you’re funny! Just make it up.” And that, that is a lot of pressure. Fortunately, with this, it was more of the in-between where they had a good idea of what they wanted. They had a good idea of the script. It was funny as it was. So it’s more like, let’s do a pass as we have written, and then also go ahead and just do what you want.
For me as an entertainer, as a comedian, as someone who likes to think about the jokes and who also does the jokes… If you’re going to find someone who you just need to be a great actor, there’s probably above a long line of people you’d consider it before me. I’m good at problem-solving. I’m good at like seeing the direction of a scene and kind of seeing what I can add to it. And when someone wants me to do that, I think that doesn’t make me feel pressured. It makes me feel like we’re all in it together. We’re all problem-solving together.
Like you mentioned earlier, you have great chemistry with Betsy in the film. Can you just speak to how it was working with her? I really love how you mentioned that your character is not really a sleazeball, just really attracted to powerful women. I like that distinction.
Yeah. It’s not too different than me in my own life. And I just also thought, you know, as the guy who ran this event and takes care of these women, it’s kind of one-note to be like, “Oh, he’s just after all these women…” It became a lot more fun. It’s like, yeah, sure. He’s attracted to some of these women, but it’s also like, to him, these are the greatest athletes in the world, and they should be celebrated like [Michael] Jordan or [John] Elway or whoever. Patrick Mahomes or whoever. That’s what I liked about that character.
As far as working with Betsy, she’s just freaking hilarious and a force of nature and so fun to be around. Her and Mary, both, they both just kind of ran that set, and it was one of my first experiences where after [recording] like we called cut and everybody could go [get] martinis. We’d all hang out and eat dinner together. Going out to clubs together at night, it was really a good bonding experience. I was a big fan of Eugene Cordero, which is one of the reasons I took the job in the first place, a lot of my scenes were at him, and I think he’s just one of the most underrated comedic performers out, and I wanted to work with him and learn from him.
The film has so many hilarious women in it. We’re seeing a real emergence in the general comedy scene of more women. There have always been some amazing female comedians, but the comedy scene has always had a bit of the reputation of a boy’s club. So how great is it to see so many women finding success and really having their own road along with all the men in comedy,
I think it’s been great. It’s what you want. That’s what true equality is. It’s not like seeing one type of woman, one type of person of color, one type of anything. Everybody’s kind of starting to achieve on their own merit and not just because they fit a current mold. So to see a movie full of very funny women, I just love it. Aparna Nancherla, I got to work with her on The Great North, and to see her as a spokesperson for like Bubly and stuff like that, I get a kick out of that. It becomes more personal for me than just, “Look at all these women shine.” Like these are my friends, I grew up doing not necessarily mics with, but doing early festivals with, doing these small shows with, and then now still be working with them and see them own TV and movies. All of us are getting better and better. It’s amazing. I think it’s a true renaissance for the last few years, especially for black women and women of color. There have been so many great unique voices to where like Nicole Byer does not sound like Punkie Johnson, who does not sound like Wanda Sykes, who is kind of a godmother of all of that.
You’ve done a lot of voice acting in the past as well. In Golden Arm, you’re so physical with your performance, and the body language is so funny. Can you discuss how your acting approach changes depending on the medium?
Yeah, of course. I mean, actually, the main thing is that it doesn’t change that much. Like I treat most of my animated stuff like I do regular acting things, and they’re all about like breaking down the scene, breaking down what my characters wants are, and what changes from the beginning of the scene to the end of the scene. That doesn’t change, whether that’s animated or live-action. Sometimes I’m just as animated in a booth as I am in regular acting. I think different parts of myself and then dig them up or enlarge them or make them small for different parts. For this one, I just took my love of women, my love of professional wrestling, and just kind of added the two together. I’ve always liked a lot of pro wrestling and things like that, but it was the first time where I really started watching a lot of the announcers in wrestling and how they can sell a show. I was like, this is the biggest thing in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s a smokey bar with like 50 people or a hundred people to him. He sells it and treats it like it’s Madison Square Garden, you know?
You mentioned that you did a lot of like film prep of watching different announcers. Did you reach out to any professional announcers for any tips?
Yeah, I did. Actually, I reached out to my friend, Justin Roberts, who works at All Elite Wrestling, because the very first day, I blew out my voice completely. Like I couldn’t speak at all. After the first day, I did a lot of screaming and the line to do. I was like, “Man, I don’t know how you do your job. I did this for one day and blew my entire voice out.” He just gave me some tips on how to control it a little better and some tips on what to buy to rest my throat. So it was very helpful. It got me back to back in the game. So I appreciate it.
Now that you’ve had a taste of doing announcing and obviously, you know how demanding that work is, would you be interested in doing like actual events? I know you’ve done commentary for pro wrestling, so is announcing for pro wrestling something you’d be interested in or something even ridiculous, like the slap fighting we saw on pay-per-view recently.
Well, I mean, I saw Pete Davidson and Ric Flair and a lot of people there. So I’m assuming the slap fight checks are pretty good. If the check is good, I will think about it for the slap fighting, but for the pro wrestling, yes, right away. All day, any day, if they want me to announce I’m in. Want me to take a chokeslam from someone? I’m open. I love it. I’d love to do something in the ring on television. I’ve been fortunate enough. I did a scene in the show, A.P. Bio on Peacock, where I got to be a wrestler. I got to be announced by Lilian Garcia, who was the WWE announcer for a long time. So I was like, “Oh, maybe this is the closest I’ll ever get it.” But hopefully, one day, I can do it in the ring on an actual WWE or AEW [show] or whoever. That’d be great.
What female wrestlers do you think would do well in arm wrestling in something like Golden Arm?
Oh, women with good, big arms that are strong. Piper Niven from WWE NXT UK. Charlotte Flair, she’s extremely strong in the arms for sure. She would be great. I think, Awesome Kong who was in AEW and then also in the GLOW show, she’s built very strong up top. I think any of them will be great. I would like to see that. I was going to say Sasha Banks. She probably has stronger arms than she looks. Even though she is a tiny, tiny woman, let’s put her in there. See what she can do.
Yeah. I think like Mary [Holland] in the film, I think Sasha would be a surprise to a lot of people. Finally, you got to work with Ric Flair in the past, which was amazing. I’m sure. Are there any wrestlers you’d love to act with in the future?
Oh, The Rock! Because that means I’m in it big! So that would be the easiest one for me. The Rock! But if it’s like an active wrestler, I love Big E, and he’s got a great personality. I think something with him would be fun. Or just Toni Storm or any other female wrestlers because I just love to be around them anytime.
Without Remorse centers on Sr. Chief John Kelly pursuing a squad of Russian soldiers who assassinated his family in retaliation for his role in a top-secret operation and joins forces with a fellow SEAL and shadowy CIA agent, though his personal mission leads to him stumbling upon a cover plot threatening to plunge the U.S. and Russia into all-out war. As he finds himself torn between personal honor and loyalty to his country, Kelly must fight his enemies without remorse if he hopes to avert disaster and reveal the powerful figures behind the conspiracy.
Check out our interview with Without Remorse director Stefano Sollima below:
Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) stars in the film alongside Jamie Bell (King Kong), Luke Mitchell (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Cam Gigandet (Dangerous Lies), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Jacob Scipio (Bad Boys for Life), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Jack Kesy (12 Strong), Colman Domingo (Lincoln), Lauren London (Always and Forever), Todd Lasance (Terminus) and Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3).
WithoutRemorse, the explosive origin story of Clancy’s iconic action hero John Clark, is directed by Stefano Sollima from a script by Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) and Will Staples (The Right Stuff) and produced by Jordan, Akiva Goldsman (Transformers), Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec.
John Clark has appeared in a number of Tom Clancy’s novels dating back to 1988’s The Cardinal and the Kremlin, as the darker side of the Jack Ryan character who works primarily in the field and typically operates by his own personal brand of ethics. The character was played by Willem Dafoe in Clear and Present Danger, starring Harrison Ford, and by Liev Schreiber in The Sum of All Fears starring Ben Affleck.
Children of the Corn is a long-running series of films all stemming from a well-received Steven King adaption in 1984. Almost a decade after that original release, it became a direct-to-video staple, producing seven sequels, a TV film adaption, a reboot, and now a nostalgic prequel/remake in 2021.
Said prequel, also entitled Children of the Corn and directed by Kurt Wimmer, premiered in a limited theatrical run this past October, but didn’t generate too much buzz at the time. The film is now headed to home media for a wider audience, and producers ANVL Entertainment have seen fit to release a series of new screenshots from the film to tease that eventual release.
If the movie gained any notoriety, it’s the headlines it got from continuing filming in 2020 despite the global pandemic. Wimmer and his crew captured the final shots of the film on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia late last year, taking great precaution because of the health risk to everyone involved.
Producer Lucas Foster expanded on this in talks with Deadline when production wrapped. “We ended up taking hundreds of measures. We did not trust the whole. Instead, we broke down every scene separately. Night. Day. Crowds. Interiors. And so on, assessing different levels of risk.”
The new Children of the Corn stars young actors Elena Kampouris (Before I Fall), Kate Moyer (When Hope Calls), Callan Mulvey (Avengers: Endgame) and Bruce Spence (The Road Warrior). It will be the eleventh entry in the series.
One of the world’s most charismatic actors has proven that he can indeed bring his proven talents to scripted television. Former WWE Champion and acclaimed action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will once again be the face of comedy on NBC, helming Young Rock, a sitcom about how he grew into the most electrifying man in entertainment.
NBC has announced that both Young Rock and fellow freshman sitcom Kenan will get second seasons in the coming year, continuing a successful block of television that loomed large on Tuesday nights for most of early 2021. Young Rock was ranked as the number 2 comedy of the season in 18-49 and picked up critical acclaim along the way.
Kenan, a single-camera comedy starring SNL star Kenan Thompson and Don Johnson as a widowed father and his father-in-law joining forces to make a home, will also return to the NBC schedule in the coming season. The show made waves on NBC’s digital platforms and garnered similar praise for its comedic chops.
In a statement to Hollywood Reporter, NBCUniversal President of Scripted Programming Lisa Katz had this to say about the renewals:
“It has been a true joy to watch Dwayne Johnson and Kenan Thompson on NBC every week and see families connect with their relatable, entertaining and heartwarming stories. We’re thrilled to renew both of these shows for another season and can’t wait to see more from Dwayne, Kenan and the incredibly talented casts and producing teams behind each of them.”
Both Young Rock and Kenan join a strong roster of veteran shows heading into NBC’s next season. New comedy Mr. Mayor previously gained a second season alongside longtime drama like Law & Order: SVU, the Chicago franchise and The Blacklist.
Welcome to a special edition of CS Score, soundtrack lovers! This week we’re jumping right to the chase to get to our amazing interviews with Jeff Russo, composer of hit shows such as Fargo, Star Trek: Picard, Lucifer, For All Mankind and Clarice, among many others. We also got a chance to speak with composer Osei Essed, who has worked on the documentaries Accept the Call, True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality and the recently release Amend: Fight for America.
Let’s get to it!
NEWS
We’re excited to announce seven amazing soundtrack LPs for @recordstoreday‘s 2021 drops: The Matrix 3-LP set, Village of the Damned deluxe-edition double LP, The Iron Giant and The Goonies picture discs, and Shrek, Ghosts of Mars, and Aliens limited-edition color LPs. pic.twitter.com/mOoL3apSKA
— Varèse Sarabande Records (@VareseSarabande) April 7, 2021
Here are your two clues for the CD Club titles coming this Friday. Who will be brave enough to take a bold step with their guesses and compete for the chance of getting the highly coveted “good job” reply from the Varèse admin? pic.twitter.com/jB0wkqCOOb
— Varèse Sarabande Records (@VareseSarabande) April 28, 2021
Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer, Jeff Russo is creating some of the most varied and compelling music for television, film and video games. Russo earned an Emmy Award, and two additional nominations, for his score on FX’s Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-winning series Fargo. His music can be heard on CBS’s Star Trek: Picard; Star Trek: Discovery; and Clarice; Netflix’s Cursed; Altered Carbon; The Umbrella Academy; Apple TV+’s For All Mankind and Starz’s Power. Past credits include Hulu’s The Act, FX’s Legion, Starz’s Counterpart, Noah Hawley’s feature film Lucy in the Sky, Mark Wahlberg’s action-thriller film Mile 22, Craig Macneill’s Lizzie and more. Russo also received a BAFTA nomination for Best Music for Annapurna Interactive’s video game, What Remains of Edith Finch.
Jeff Ames: You are the renowned composer of shows like Fargo, Star Trek: Picard, Lucifer, For All Mankind … how did you get to where you are today?
Jeff Russo: [Laughs] Oh, boy. What a long road! Well, it’s hard to answer that question because so much of any success at anything is being in the right place at the right time and being prepared for an opportunity; and an amount of luck. What I mean by luck is, you know, happenstance — I know, so many people who are really great at what they do and haven’t had as much success as I think that they should! There’s so much of that involved. There’s so much in the right place at the right time with the right music and the right personalities in the right room, and the right project for everything to sort of come together. And then for that to actually become something successful, that leads to something else successful, it’s such a domino effect. The circumstances of anybody’s life lead up to the moment that you have when you sort of stepped into a new chapter. Nothing I ever did as a teenager, nothing I ever did, as even a young adult, would prepare me directly for what I’m doing now. And I never expected to do what I do now.
So, speaking on that, how did you get involved with TV and film composing?
So first, there’s a moment where you become interested in something. And I sort of credit that to, I was asked to act in a movie and play the guitar player/roommate of some other person who lived upstairs. And I did that, and the composer of the movie and the director asked me, knowing that I was a guitar player — which is how I got hired for the job — to come into the composer studio and play guitar on the score. Now, that composer’s name is Ben Dector, and he became one of my best and dearest friends. And as I did that, I thought, “This is kind of fun and kind of cool.” Like, you know, maybe one day I’ll play again on a score — that would be fun. My band then went back and toured and made more records, and five years later, I ended up talking with a very good friend of mine — her name is Wendy Melvoin of the duo, Wendy and Lisa. And they suggested that I come to the studio and watch them do what they do. They were working on a number of shows at the time. I hung out with them in their studio, watched what they did, and then eventually, they asked me if I would want it to work at all with them as an assistant — and I did! I got coffee and did all kinds of stuff, set up studio, set up sessions and edited stuff. And then finally, they asked me if I wanted to write a cue or two for something, and I did, and that’s where I sort of got a start at writing music for television.
After that, it was three years before I actually got a job on my own. It was literally being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right person who could then introduce me to the right person. I have a very good friend — he’s an actor, his name is Jeremy Renner — and I ran into him accidentally — I haven’t seen him in like a year and a half. I ran into him at a restaurant, and I said, “What are you doing?” And he’s like, “Oh, you know, shooting a pilot right now.” And I happened to ask, “Do you guys know anything about whether or not they have a composer?” And he did. He called me the next day and said, “Hey, we talked to the producer. Go ahead and send in a demo.” So, I did. They liked the demo. And then I had a meeting with the showrunner, and they hired me. And that person was Noah Hawley. The show [The Unusuals] only lasted for one season, but then we did another show. And then that same showrunner did Fargo, and then that turned into many other things.
So, I guess my point here is that there isn’t a real answer to that question. I wish there was. It would be very easy if there was. So many things go into what happens in the long-term part of someone’s career. I’ve been doing this for 12 years, and it’s hard for me to draw a line from where I am now, back to that moment I walked into that restaurant.
And, as you mentioned, while there is luck, you still had to have the talent to land the job.
Yes, of course. So, the point I was making is, it’s not just about having the opportunity. It’s about being ready for the opportunity when it presents itself. Right? And so all of those things need to line up — you have to have the right music, you have to have the right thing altogether. You know?
Now, you’re the composer on all of these cool projects. Was there a moment where you stopped and realized that you made it?
I mean, every time I look around, and I’m writing on some cool project, I pinch myself. So, Star Trek and The Umbrella Academy, and, you know, one thing leads to another thing leads to another thing … Every time I sit down in front of my workstation and I start to write something, and I look up at the screen — it’s never feeling like, “Oh, my God, I’ve made it here!” It’s always like, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m sitting here working on this great thing!” It’s unbelievable to me that I continue to be able to do this for a living and to make music, and to work on great projects. So, there’s never a moment where I’m like, “Wow, I’m here!” I think the moment you think that, I think you’re done.
What is the scoring process that you go through to find a show’s musical identity?
It’s different for everything. There isn’t a single process. You know, I read a script. I sort of sit around and try to envision what that script sounds like. I try to envision what a particular character feels like, and what I would like to convey, and how I want to support the storytelling.
Finding the right sounds or finding the right melody, that’s, I think, something I just don’t know how to describe. It just happens. I just find something, I find a little melody or find a cool sound or a cool instrument, or I try to create something new or try to build a new instrument or try to make a sound on an instrument that I’ve never done before; and see if that inspires an idea. For music, you know, it’s really about finding the inspiration to write something. It’s not just about sitting around and writing something. You have to have the inspiration to write something. Sometimes it’s about finding what that inspiration is. And I can spend a week, a month, three months trying to find something. On something like Fargo, I have a good amount of time because I usually get scripts very early in the process. So, I have time to sit down and think about something and then put it away for a minute, then come back to it, and then put it away for a minute, and then come back to it with the hopes that at some point, I’ll sit down and go, “Oh, yeah, this is cool. Let me show this to Noah and see what he thinks.” That’s happened on pretty much all the projects that we’ve worked on. And I try to do that with every project. Not every project allows that. So, in that case, sometimes you literally sit back on things that you know, sounds that you know, and ideas that you’ve already had. I don’t mean musical ideas. I mean process ideas.
For a series like Fargo, how do you keep the music fresh for not only the audience but yourself as well?
Each season is definitely its own musical challenge. I’ve had to basically abandon all themes, except for the main title theme, for every season. And the idea was, it’s a new story, it’s new characters. The only time I’m able to utilize themes from other seasons is when the characters actually crossover. And except for the one theme, the bad guy theme, which is this drumbeat that I did in season one called “Wrench and Numbers” for those two characters in season one and season two, I used it as a means to convey the bad guy strut, basically. In season three, I used it because one of those two characters appears in that season. So, I was able to bring it back in that way. And in season four, I used it in a very subtle, subverted way because I just wanted to have fun with it.
The Emmys are right around the corner. You’ve won before, but what’s it like to win?
Winning is an incredible feeling. To know that your peers really think that this is work that is worthwhile of their accolades. You know, it’s a really wonderful feeling to have your peers say, “Yeah, this is good work. And we think this is among the best work of the year.” I feel like there’s so much good music on television nowadays. It really has risen to a level of real art. It’s really, really great. And, you know, all of the people who are involved in the television Academy — having those people stand in judgment of your work and to all agree that this is worthy of being in the top of the field … maybe not the top top, but just to think it’s risen to this level is a really, really incredible feeling.
How do you feel you have evolved as an artist over the years?
You know, it’s funny. I feel like the longer you do something, the more confident you get. But what I’ve realized is everything is new every time. And that’s something that I really cherish is the ability to make art and use that to help further a story and have it be something that I can do on an ongoing basis. So, I think that, as I’ve done this for a while, I’ve become more confident in myself, and yet I’m always trying to regain that feeling of new. So, every time you do something, it’s like a weight. You know? Yes, I’m confident in the way I feel about this, but is it gonna work? What’s the director gonna think? What’s the producer gonna think? What’s the studio going to say? You know, it becomes less about what they’re going to think and more about whether or not it’s going to work.
You know, you definitely start out a career fending off rejection, which happens at all levels — rejection happens at all levels. The top composers have been fired. The top composers have been passed over for jobs so that that never stops. But what I think happens, as you get more and more into doing it again and again, you become a little more self-confident in your own work — about how you feel about it — so that rejection, or that note, doesn’t actually make you feel bad about yourself. It makes you understand that it’s not about you, it’s about the work, and that it’s not necessarily a direct reflection of a person. But you get a little more confident in, “Well, I made this decision because I made this decision. It’s okay for you to not think that it’s the right decision, and I’ll fix it to make it more of what would you want it to be,” because I do this in service of someone else’s art, right? So, you just become more accustomed to that and more okay with that. And that a level of confidence that you can only gain by doing it again and again and again. And I think that’s what I gained a lot of in the last 12 years. It’s not about I’m right, and you’re wrong, and what I think is the right thing and what you think isn’t the right decision. It’s just more about being able to be collaborative in that way and understand that it isn’t directly related to my person. So, I don’t take anything personally.
OSEI ESSED INTERVIEW
Osei Essed is the composer behind the new Netflix documentary series Amend: The Fight for America, executive produced and hosted by Will Smith and featuring a number of luminaries including Mahershala Ali, Diane Lane, Samuel L. Jackson, Pedro Pascal, and Yara Shahidi, among others. The six-part series explores the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution—which, in 1868, promised liberty and equal protection for all persons—as America’s most enduring hallmark of democracy.
Amend has wall-to-wall music, including Osei’s score, which is intermixed with inspiring pop hits throughout. Osei knew the music had to be able to travel across time—starting from when the 14th Amendment was ratified 153 years ago. Given that this amendment is central to the everyday lives of Americans, he felt it was especially important for him to find the right tone musically.
Osei describes the score as “modern minimalist, meets orchestral Americana.” The composer is a lover of simplistic music and making textures interact with harmony and various instruments. English horn, bass clarinet, and electric guitar are some of the most prevalent featured in the music. [Adrianna Perez]
Jeff Ames: What drew you initially drew you to this particular project?
Osei Essed: Well, you know, there’s always a bunch of things working at once. So, the idea being that I could tell a long-form story — it was sort of my first run diving into that form of storytelling. And then, of course, the subject matter itself was really intriguing. The idea of this single amendment affecting so many different parts of our everyday lives and so many different kinds of people that I know — all of our lives, daily.
Ames: How does your approach to this style of storytelling differ from other, more traditional styles? And was there a particular episode that you started with that helped inform your score?
Essed: Well, firstly, you want kind of a unified color and set of themes — that solution throughout the series — so finding those elements, it turns out, is somewhat similar to scoring a documentary. But because of television, there’s a lot of fast cuts. So at the same time, it’s long-form, because it’s more than one episode, or it’s more than one two hour set of stories, it’s also really kind of these little tiny worlds that you have to craft fully before moving on to next and sort of make them feel as if they can move seamlessly through 45 minutes or an hour. And then, across a six-part series, those moments have to speak to one another, have corollary moments so that it feels like you’re watching a cohesive piece of piece of work. Obviously, directors and animators and producers … everyone has their part, and I play mine.
I did start with one episode. I started with the “Love Episode,” episode five. And that one really turned out in many ways to be the most personal story of the series. So, and because of that, it allowed for more intimate, emotional cues to be written. And then, it was easier to cross apply those ideas in small form throughout the rest of the series. Not necessarily, you know, wholesale, but certainly finding inspiration from those moments in the love episodes.
Ames: How much freedom do you have when producing a score? Are you given a certain amount of direction from the producers and directors? Or is it a blank slate? Bring us some music, and then we’ll work from there?
Essed: It really is a combination of both of those things. I mean, there was music temped in, so there was a guide there for pacing and such, but there was a lot of freedom and trust from the producing team and the producing partners and from the directors; and everyone in terms of music. We talked about things, and that kind of communication made it so that there could be trust.
Ames: Were you able to integrate new music or instruments that you hadn’t used before?
Essed: I got to use woodwinds a little bit more than I have in the past and in these interesting new ways. That was really exciting to me. And it’s sort of combining woodwinds at times with electric guitars or with synth set — those sounds together are a sonic universe that I haven’t yet explored. So, it was exciting for me to really — I mean, I got to use voices in combination with one another that I hadn’t been able to use before. And I got to use a more expressive form of musical storytelling because that’s what was required in this circumstance. I think there were so many dynamic moments and so many opportunities to really stand out a little bit frequently in documentary. Even when we’re pushing, which I have been fortunate enough to get to do quite a bit in a documentary, but, you know, to do it across six episodes gives you a little bit more leeway.
Ames: What was the initial reaction to your musical cues when you first wrote them?
Essed: It was generally positive throughout, all around. And, you know, most of the time, when there was anything that needed to be redone — you know, the edit went a lot of different ways. The series is pretty forward-looking in terms of documentary format. So, there were a lot of different approaches that were tried. And then when we settled on something, on a voice obviously, I had to amend cues for that. But also, you know, sometimes the pacing wouldn’t be exactly what we were looking for. And so, you have to sort of find the way forward together. And we really, really did, and it was pretty gentle all around, you know? There wasn’t a whole lot of push. There was very open and honest [discussion], like, “Hey, this one isn’t working,” and, “Can you go and do it again?” I never take for granted that my first one or two tries are going to be the thing. It’s nice when it is, obviously. We’re all hoping to sharpen our ears with each new project. But I don’t ever expect that everything’s gonna be right on the first try.
Ames: Where does your inspiration hit you? I’ve read interviews where composers say they discover a theme walking through the supermarket. Is that the case with you?
Essed: You know, I just generally have some sounds happening in my head most of the time. And as soon as I start realizing those sounds on any given instrument, or in any form, usually, they change. And I try to respond to that. And sometimes the sound, whatever it is that I’m hearing at any moment, I can just say, “Okay, well here, this is what’s going to happen.” And then, as soon as I explore that, I discover, “Well, maybe it’s actually not that. Maybe it’s something that responds to that that was actually happening in my head, and I just haven’t heard it yet.” So, I don’t really have a clear response. I come from songwriting, and I remember when I would write songs every day, there would be maybe a lyric in my head or a small melody. I don’t really work where there’s a sudden realization. I think it comes, and it grows, and it changes and I try to react to it and stay open.
Ames: What drew you to the world of film scoring?
Essed: The first films that I was asked to work on were documentaries. I’m really excited to tell stories with music. The music that I wrote as a songwriter, I always saw as functional music. So, I would always try to use folk music from different parts of the world; and then just blending into the way that society functioned. And just being a part of everyday life and storytelling, in film, at this point is really a part of our everyday life. We watch television, we watch movies, and it’s an integral way of storytelling and the way that we see ourselves and understand each other and understand one another. So being able to tell stories alongside filmmakers is really exciting.
Ames: How would you say your process has evolved over the years?
Essed: When I first started, I only wrote for instruments that I could play, or nearly play; and occasionally instruments that I knew folks who could play because I played with them in bands or in a group. So, it really started with the familiar and has sort of grown from my comfort zone to like, well, how far from what I know can I go? Before, I had to ask questions.
Ames: Do you have any other projects that you’re working on?
Essed: Oh, boy, well, I just finished a wonderful documentary — Dear Mr. Brody. I’m really excited about and am always excited to be working with Keith Maitland. So that was a great project to work on. I just finished a really deeply moving film called And So I Stayed, which is yet to find a home. We’re just wrapping up; we’re going into the sound mix. And that one is a very exciting film. I got to write for synth and strings for that project, which is a lot of fun. The story itself is not fun. It’s a story about women incarcerated for killing their abusive partners and sentencing guidelines. And it’s told in a very in a very different form. So, it’s not talking heads. It’s not just information, but it’s walking through lives of people affected by these stories. I can’t say enough about how effective it was to see these stories every day for a few months.
Ames: A lot of the films that you tackle are very heavy-handed. How much of your personal life experience do you bring into these projects? And does the work have an emotional impact on you in any way?
Essed: I try to be empathetic, and I’ve used the word a few times. I try to be open and allow people’s experiences to move me. There are historical narratives sometimes, and sometimes there are present-day narratives, and I just try to make sure that I’m open to how people might experience them. And I try to carry that into an oral world.
Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay took to Twitter to share the first official image from The CW’s upcoming series adaptation of DC Comics’ Naomi, featuring our first look at lead star Kaci Walfall as the titular teen hero. The photo obviously pays homage to the character’s first comic book cover in 2019, which was illustrated by artist Jamal Campbell. The network hasn’t given the project an official series order yet, but production on its pilot is still currently underway.
The Naomi pilot centers on the titular character in her teenage years as she journeys from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse. Still, when a supernatural event rattles her hometown, she must set out to uncover its origins, discovering something that will challenge everything people believe about superheroes.
The pilot is being led by Kaci Walfall (Army Wives, Power) in her first major TV role as the titular DC hero. Joining her are Alexander Wraith (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) as Dee, Cranston Johnson (Filthy Rich, P-Valley) as Zumbado, and newcomer Camila Moreno as Lourdes have also been cast as series regulars.
Based on Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker’s DC comic series, Walfall’s Naomi is described as an effortlessly cool and confident high school student who is the adopted daughter of doting parents. Popular with all the kids in her military town, Naomi is unafraid to embrace her AP-student, comic book–loving nerdiness. After a supernatural event leads to the discovery of her powers within, Naomi pursues her hidden destiny.
The potential series is written and executive produced by the Selma director Ava DuVernay and Arrow alum Jill Blankenship. Executive producers are Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes. It will be co-produced by Warner Bros. Television and DuVernay’s Array Filmworks, which currently has a rich overall deal.
As announced by a new trailer today, Japanese import The Great War of Archimedes will land on Western shores very soon. The film will release via DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital distribution with a new English dub on June 15, just in time for Father’s Day.
The film, which is based on the popular manga series Archimedes no Taisen, fictionalizes the struggle to build the historically large battleship Yamato during World War II. The film is directed by Takashi Yamazaki (The Eternal Zero) and stars Suda Masaki (Drowning Love), Emoto Tasuku (And Your Bird Can Sing), Hamabe Minami (The Promised Neverland), Shofukutei Tsurube (Family of Strangers) and Kobayashi Katsuya (The Crazy Family).
The release comes from Well Go USA, a known importer of independent action and other genre films from around the world. They are also currently preparing to distribute action/comedy The Paper Tigers to theaters this May and boast a back catalog of releases stretching from the esteemed martial arts flicks in the IP Man series to more specialized films like Strippers vs. Werewolves.
Well Go is also behind the martial arts and action movie app Hi-Yah!, which is available as an app on all forms of Android, Apple, and Roku devices. Fans of the niche can dive into decades-old classics or a hand-picked selection of releases from the company for a $3 a month subscription fee.
Oscar-winner Taika Waititi, who is currently shooting Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated Thor: Love and Thunder, has been set to portray the role of Blackbeard in HBO Max’s upcoming period comedy series titled Our Flag Means Death. Blackbeard was one of history’s most famous and feared pirates.
“Our Blackbeard is a legend, a lover, a fighter, a tactical genius, a poetic soul, and quite possibly insane,” series creator David Jenkins said in a statement. “Only one man could play this role, and that is the great Taika Waititi. We’re thrilled beyond measure he’s decided to don the beard.”
When the project secured an official series order from the streamer, Waititi was only attached to executive produce and direct the pilot. However, it looks like the New Zealand filmmaker decided to take on more responsibilities and has also joined the cast, which will be led by Rhys Darby.
Our Flag Means Death is loosely based on the real-life adventures of Stede Bonnet (Darby), a well-to-do gentleman farmer from a wealthy family who, after undergoing a midlife crisis, elects to leave and become the captain of Revenge, a pirate ship in the early 18th century.
The period comedy series is created, written, and executive produced by David Jenkins (People of Earth), who is also serving as showrunner. Executive producers are Waititi, Garrett Basch and Dan Halsted.
The series marks the fifth collaboration between Darby and Waititi, which began when the former starred in the cult-favorite HBO series Flight of the Conchords, on which Waititi was a writer/director, and followed by the mockumentary film What We Do in the Shadows. Their next project together in Searchlight Pictures’ sports comedy film Next Goal Wins, starring Michael Fassbender (Dark Phoenix) and Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man).
Netflix has finally released the new Lucifer Season 5 trailer for the upcoming eight new episodes of their hit supernatural series, which will be available for streaming on Friday, May 28. The video highlights the arrival of Lucifer, Amenadiel and Michael’s all-knowing father, God, as he tries to mend his relationship with his devil son while also announcing his impending retirement. Because of this, it will trigger a celestial war between twins Lucifer and Michael as they fight each other for God’s throne. Check out the video in the player below, along with the first-look photos!
Based very loosely on the Vertigo comic, Lucifer tells the story of the original fallen angel. Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar abandoned his throne. He then retired to Los Angeles, where he has teamed up with LAPD detective Chloe Decker to take down criminals.
Season 5 is divided into two parts, with Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (24, Major League) signing on for the role of God. The latest season stars Tom Ellis as the titular devil, Lauren German as Chloe, Kevin Alejandro as Dan, Lesley-Ann Brandt as Mazikeen, D.B. Woodside as Amenadiel, Rachel Harris as Linda, Scarlett Estevez as Trixie, and Aimee Garcia as Ella Lopez.
The fifth season was originally going to be the final season for the fan-favorite series. However, Netflix decided to surprise fans and renew it for a sixth and final season last year, which will consist of 10 episodes.
Lucifer is vaguely based on characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg for Vertigo, from DC Entertainment. Executive producers are Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson, with Len Wiseman as director and executive producer, while Kapinos serves as an executive consultant on the series. Warner Bros. Television produces the series in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Aggressive Mediocrity.
The first eight episodes of Lucifer Season 5 are already available for streaming on Netflix.
Developer Toys for Bob recently caused a stir on social media by tweeting out that they’re starting work helping with the development of Call of Duty: Warzone, a popular battle royale shooter that has quickly become the centerpiece of publisher Activision’s gaming efforts.
Toys for Bob released Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time in 2020, a platformer that was highly regarded by fans of the Crash Bandicoot franchise and critics. Coming after excellent remasters of the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy alongside redos of the PS1 Spyro games and Crash Team Racing, many had hoped that Activision would continue to supplement their Call of Duty machine with new games in their platforming franchises.
Instead, it seems like Activision is doubling down on its premier service game. The announcement comes alongside social media posts from Toys for Bob employees that they’re no longer with the company, a situation that eerily mirrors Activision studio Vicarious Visions and their move to a support studio following the successful release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2.
While there’s no official word from Activision regarding their future plans (and there likely will not be until June), insiders have heard rumblings that every developer under the Activision umbrella is working on the Call of Duty franchise in some capacity. The publisher has been laser-focused on that franchise for years, only offering a few scattered releases outside of the first-person shooter series.
Of course, from a business point of view, Activision has a lot of reasons to focus on Call of Duty and Warzone. The free-to-play battle royale reportedly pulled in $3 billion for the company in 2020, making it a success that dwarfs the traditional $60 or $70 boxed release. Many fans of Crash and other Toys for Bob releases may be hurting at this news, but that won’t affect Activision’s pocketbook in the slightest.
Following an intense bidding competition, Netflix has successfully won the U.S. distribution rights to STXfilms‘ highly-anticipated action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake, which features an all-star female cast led by Avengers: Endgame star Karen Gillan. According to Deadline, the streamer acquired the upcoming film in an 8-figure acquisition deal with STX. Studiocanal will retain international distribution rights. Netflix is reportedly planning to release Gunpowder Milkshake this summer as part of their recently unveiled movie lineup.
In addition, it has also been confirmed that Studiocanal and The Picture Company are already planning to produce a second installment to the female assassins-centered action film and is currently in the early stages of development.
In Gunpowder Milkshake, Sam was only 12 years old when her mother, an elite assassin named Scarlet, was forced to abandon her. Sam was raised by The Firm, the ruthless crime syndicate her mother worked for. Now, 15 years later, Sam has followed in her mother’s footsteps and grown into a fierce hit-woman. She uses her “talents” to clean up The Firm’s most dangerous messes. She’s as efficient as she is loyal.
But when a high-risk job goes wrong, Sam must choose between serving The Firm and protecting the life of an innocent 8-year-old girl – Emily. With a target on her back, Sam has only one chance to survive: Reunite with her mother and her lethal associates: The Librarians. These three generations of women must now learn to trust each other, stand up to The Firm and their army of henchmen, and raise hell against those who could take everything from them.
The film stars Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Michelle Yeoh, Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett, and Chloe Coleman. It will also feature Paul Giamatti and Adam Nagaitis.
Gunpowder Milkshake is being likened to Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver. Israeli filmmaker Navot Papushado is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ehud Lavski. Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman of The Picture Company are producing as part of their overall deal with Studiocanal.
Following the recent addition of Domhnall Gleeson as John Dean, Deadline brings word that Game of Thrones vet Lena Headey has signed on for a leading role in the upcoming limited series titled The White House Plumbers, which is centered around the Watergate scandal. This project will also reunite Headey with HBO, who is co-producing with wiip. Gleeson and Headey will be joining previously announced cast members Woody Harrelson (Zombieland: Double Tap) and Justin Theroux (Maniac), who both previously worked with the premium network in their respective acclaimed dramas True Detective and The Leftovers.
The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress is set to portray the role of Dorothy Hunt, a mother of four and an active CIA asset. Dorothy tries to hold her family together while entangling herself in her husband’s catastrophic misadventures. The series also marks Headey’s return to TV acting after two years since Game of Thrones had wrapped up its eight-season run in 2019.
The White House Plumbers will center on E. Howard Hunt (Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Theroux), who planned the Watergate burglary that brought down Nixon’s presidency and will explore the former president’s political saboteurs and how the duo toppled the presidency they were trying to protect. It is considered one of the biggest political scandals in American history.
The 5-episode series is created and executive produced by Veep alums Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, with David Mandel set to direct. Executive producers are Harrelson, Theroux, Mandel, Ruben Fleischer, Gregg Fienberg, The District’s David Bernad, and Frank Rich, along with wiip’s Paul Lee, Nne Ebong and Mark Roybal and Crash&Salvage’s Len Amato.
Interestingly, Matt Ross, Sam Esmail, and Robbie Pickering are also currently developing a limited series based on the Watergate scandal, which is set up at Starz. Sean Pean, Julia Roberts, and Dan Steven are attached to lead the Starz project.
After securing an official series order from HBO Max two months ago, Greg Berlanti’s newest DC series Green Lantern has finally found its first hero in the form of American Horror Story alum Finn Wittrock. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wittrock has successfully landed the leading role of Guy Gardner, one of the many Green Lanterns that will be featured in the upcoming superhero series. The outlet also notes that the casting for Alan Scott is expected to be revealed soon as the undisclosed actor is already in the final stages of negotiations.
Wittrock’s character is being described as a hulking mass of masculinity and, as rendered in the comics, an embodiment of 1980s hyper-patriotism. And yet, Guy is somehow likable. This marks the official live-action debut of Guy Gardner, who was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in 1968.
The Green Lantern series will depict the adventures of a multitude of Lanterns, including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, and Alan Scott — Earth’s first Green Lantern, who, true to the comics, is a gay man — and many more. The series will also include fan favorites such as Sinestro and Kilowog, and will also introduce new heroes to the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps.
The show’s official synopsis reads: “Green Lantern reinvents the classic DC property through a story spanning decades and galaxies, beginning on Earth in 1941 with the very first Green Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott, and 1984, with cocky alpha male Guy Gardner and half-alien Bree Jarta. They’ll be joined by a multitude of other Lanterns — from comic book favorites to never-before-seen heroes.”
Based on the character created by Alan Scott and Martin Nodell, the 10-episode series will be written and executive produced by Seth Grahame-Smith and Marc Guggenheim (Arrow) with Grahame-Smith also set as the showrunner. Executive producers are Geoff Johns, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, David Katzenberg, Elizabeth Hunter and Sara Saedi.
Green Lantern’s first live-action adaptation was Martin Campbell’s 2011 film where it starred Ryan Reynolds as the titular hero. However, the film was poorly received by critics and fans and was a box-office failure after only bringing in just $220 million worldwide on a $200 million budget.
Berlanti is also an executive producer on The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Black Lightning for The CW. For DC Universe, he produces Titans, Doom Patrol, and Stargirl.
Netflix has finally released the official trailer for the upcoming third and final season of Chuck Lorre’s acclaimed comedy-drama series The Kominsky Method, teasing the surprise appearances of Morgan Freeman and Barry Levinson. The video also confirmed the fate of Alan Arkin’s Norman Newlander, who decided to exit the series after the second season, as he winds up leaving a bunch of money to Michael Douglas’ Sandy. The series is scheduled to make its return on May 28.
The trailer also highlights the reunion between long-time collaborators Douglas and Oscar nominee Kathleen Turner, who have previously starred together in classic 80s movies like Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, and The War of the Roses. Turner first appeared as Sandy’s ex-wife in the second episode of Season 2, and now she is expected to have a much important role in the final season.
Check out The Kominsky MethodFinal Season trailer in the player below!
The Kominsky Method is a half-hour single-camera comedy about an actor and his agent as they continue their journey as two friends tackling life’s inevitable curveballs as they navigate their later years in Los Angeles, a city that, above all else, values youth. In Season 3, Sandy Kominsky has to navigate what aging looks like without his longtime friend Norman Newlander by his side. Life only becomes more complicated with the arrival of Sandy’s ex-wife Roz Volander. The pair’s famously volatile relationship is further inflamed when she comes to LA to spend time with their daughter Mindy and her boyfriend Martin.
Joining Michael Douglas in the final season are Kathleen Turner, Nancy Travis, Sarah Baker and guest stars including Lisa Edelstein, Emily Osment, Graham Rogers, Ann-Margret, Jay Leno, Patti LaBelle, Ashleigh LaThorpe and more. Season 3 will also feature Jane Seymour (Wedding Crashers) and Paul Reiser (Stranger Things).
The Kominsky Method is created and produced by 8-time Emmy Award Nominee Chuck Lorre, with Al Higgins and Michael Douglas serving as co-executive producers on the series.
The first two seasons of The Kominsky Method are available to stream on Netflix now!
Hey there, fellow couch potatoes! This week on DEG’s Watched at Home Top 20, Nomadland finally turned enough heads to land at No. 11 thanks to Oscar wins for Best Picture, Director and Actress. Fellow winner (for Best Original Screenplay) Promising Young Woman also made a move up to No. 2 and bumping Tom Hanks’ News of the World to No. 3. Otherwise, Wonder Woman 1984 took the crown once more as it has for the last month or so, though its grasp seems a little shakier given the latest competition.
In terms of new releases, the crime drama The Little Things made its debut at No. 9, while Yellowstone Season 2 snuck back into the bottom half after a few weeks missing in action.
What are the odds Willy’s Wonderland cracks the Top 5 at some point? Come on, Nicolas Cage fans! You can do better!
1. Wonder Woman 1984 (Warner Bros.)
2. Promising Young Woman (Universal)
3. News of the World (Universal)
4. The Croods: A New Age (Universal)
5. City of Lies (Film Nation Entertainment)
6. Monster Hunter (Sony Pictures)
7. Willy’s Wonderland (Screen Media Films)
8. Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection (Warner Bros)
9. The Little Things (Warner Bros.)
10. The Vault (2021, Paramount)
11. Nomadland (Disney)
12. Greenland (Universal STX)
13. Girl in the Basement (A+E)
14. Soul (Disney)
15. Barb and Star Go to (Lionsgate)
16. Yellowstone: S3 (Paramount)
17. Yellowstone: S1 (Paramount)
18. Tenet (Warner Bros.)
19. Yellowstone: S2 (Paramount)
20. Wrong Turn: The Foundation (Lionsgate)
