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One of the most talented names in Hollywood, Adrien Brody most recently made headlines for his win at the Oscars. Brody nabbed the Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in The Brutalist,making the award his second Oscar win. Competing for the award were Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), all of whom Brody successfully beat out.

Although now hailed as one of the best actors in film, a lesser popularized fact about Adrien Brody is that he has starred in some major box office flops over the years. One which takes the cake is Brody's 2018 film Air Strike. Given that he made a brief appearance alongside Bruce Willis and teamed up with Mel Gibson (a producer on the film) for the project, it was likely that Brody did not dream of the work going up in flames.

Mel Gibson WWII Film Shelved ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Mel Gibson teamed up with Bruce Willis and Adrien Brody for a $65 million WWII epic that promised action, drama, and heart—until it all went up in flames. Air Strike, or The Bombing, was supposed to be a cinematic salute to wartime resilience. Instead, it got buried under tax scandals, overblown budgets, and canceled screenings. It was like a blockbuster that self-destructed before even hitting the runway.

The film, directed by Xiao Feng, dove into Chongqing’s courageous stand against nonstop Japanese air raids during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Starring Liu Ye, Nicholas Tse, and even a cameo from Fan Bingbing, it had all the makings of a war drama knockout. The star power was off the charts with Mel Gibson as the production designer. But behind the camera? Chaos.

Production began in May 2015 and wrapped up by November of the same year,...

A Precision Airstrike is one of the Killstreaks players can earn in the free-to-play battle-royale game Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. Using Killstreaks is a great way to turn the tide of battle during Warzone 2 matches, and the Precision Airstrike is undoubtedly deadly. The Precision Airstrike calls twin jets to strafe a location designated by the player, raining down fire on the enemy team from above.

The Precision Airstrike is optimal for giving players an advantage in combat, although many players have voiced their frustration with the Killstreak's ability to eliminate them through walls. Although Warzone 2 offers unlockable battle pass sectors, players must level up to obtain different Killstreaks. Players can also complete the "Death from Above" mission in Warzone 2 by using a Precision Airstrike to kill 10 enemies, so knowing where to get this Killstreak is a must.

Related: How to Unlock Room 302 in Warzone 2.0 (& What’s Inside)

Where To Buy...

The cast for HBO’s upcoming drama series about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers NBA team is coming together.

Variety reported on Tuesday that Adrien Brody, who starred in films such “The Pianist,” “The Thin Red Line,” and “The Village,” will portray legendary Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley in the upcoming show.

Brody is among several high-profile talents who will appear in the series. Others include Jason Clarke as Jerry West, a 14-time NBA All-Star, John C. Reilly (“Step Brothers”) as Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Quincy Isaiah as point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Solomon Hughes as center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Molly Gordon as Linda Zafrani, DeVaughn Nixon as point guard Norm Nixon (DeVaugn is Norm’s son), Rob Morgan as Earvin Johnson Sr., Spencer Garrett as announcer Chick Hearn, Kirk Bovill as former owner Donald Sterling, and Delante Desouza as shooting guard Michael Cooper.

HBO’s untitled Lakers series was...

Joseph Baxter Dec 19, 2019

Jerusalem’s Lot, based on a Stephen King story, is in the works as an Epix TV series starring Oscar winner Adrien Brody.

Epix is getting into the ever-thriving Stephen King adaptation game with a 10-episode series order for Jerusalem’s Lot, adapting the author’s 1978 follow-up short story to his novel, Salem’s Lot. Moreover, the premium cable channel has already tapped a headliner for the series in Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody.

Siblings Jason and Peter Filardi will serve as executive producers and showrunners for Jerusalem’s Lot, which will be a franchise return of sorts for the former, who wrote the two-part teleplay for the 2004 TNT Salem’s Lot reboot, which starred Rob Lowe. The Filardis will be joined by executive producer Donald De Line. The series will notably serve as the first offering from the cable channel’s in-house shingle, Epix Productions.

As Epix President Michael...

Keep in mind that we haven’t seen “Cats.” Or a single one of the half-dozen Nicolas Cage movies released “on demand” (to zero demand?) this past year. Still, in the ongoing quest to find the next masterpiece, film critics inevitably have to sit through a lot more turkeys than your typical moviegoer. Rather than let all that “cinemasochism” go to waste, we might as well amuse you with the fruits of our suffering. Below, Variety taste-makers Peter Debruge and Owen Gleiberman name — and shame — the most ill-conceived, ineptly executed, and all-around disappointing films of 2019.

Peter Debruge’s Five Worst Movies:

1. “Dumbo”

In a decade or two, we’ll look back at this period as the moment that Disney went through its archive, identified its most beloved classics, and rebooted them all as bombastic CG eyesores. Whereas the re-imagineering process has yielded mostly charming results on stage and ice (e.

Hulu’s list of comings and goings for the month of April is out, and the roster for new content on the streaming service includes two Hulu Originals — the first season premiere of “Ramy,” and the seventh episode of “Into The Dark: I’m Just F*cking With You,” with other highlights including Season 3 of Freeform’s “The Bold Type” and John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place.”

“Ramy,” debuting April 19, tells the story of first generation Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan as he finds himself in his New Jersey neighborhood, stuck at a crossroads between the morals of his Muslim community and the moral ambiguity of his millennial generation. “Into The Dark: I’m Just F*cking With You,” coming April 1, finds two siblings in a secluded motel, where they become subject to practical jokes of an increasingly frightening nature.

Also Read: Oscar-Winning Documentary 'Free Solo' Now Available for Streaming on Hulu...

Few films can claim a bumpier, more public production ride or worse crash landing than “Air Strike,” purportedly the most costly Chinese feature ever when it was shot — which was three years ago. Since then, it’s undergone several title changes, delays, and most cripplingly become part of a wide-ranging tax evasion scandal in which actress Fan Bingbing was convicted for financial fraud. As a result, the film’s Chinese release was canceled outright. In the U.S., Lionsgate scaled its primary distribution plans back to on demand, with subsidiary Grindstone handling a much-reduced theatrical launch. Oh, and a movie shot in 3D now appears to be showing nowhere in that format.

Of course, most viewers roped in by the promise of Bruce Willis in a WW2 combat movie (with Mel Gibson conspicuously listed as production “consultant”) will be oblivious to all that offscreen drama. What’s onscreen, however, is...

Normally, we probably wouldn’t have paid much attention to Air Strike, a small World War II thriller starring Bruce Willis. But the film was supposed to receive a theatrical release in China next week, and that has now been scrapped in the wake of the recent Fan Bingbing scandal, which we haven’t really covered yet on […]

The post China Won’t Release ‘Air Strike’ Theatrically After Fan Bingbing Scandal appeared first on /Film.

World War II thriller “Air Strike” has been canceled after Chinese actress Fan Bingbing went missing amid with tax evasion charges.

According to the Associated Press, “Air Strike” director Xiao Feng posted on his Weibo miniblog on Wednesday that although he worked on the film for eight years, it was “time to let go.”

The thriller (also known as “Unbreakable Spirit” in China) that also stars Bruce Willis and Adrien Brody, was set to have an Oct. 26 release in both China and the United States.

Also Read: China Orders Fan Bingbing to Pay $70 Million Over Tax Evasion

Earlier this month, Fan Bingbing has been ordered to pay the equivalent of more than $100 million in taxes and fines. One of the most popular actresses in China, Fan hasn’t been seen in public or heard from since an early June visit to a children’s hospital in Tibet. Her absence prompted...

The planned theatrical release of big-budget Chinese war movie “Unbreakable Spirit,” has been scrapped following allegations of money laundering. The film had earlier been at the center of the tax avoidance allegations involving actress Fan Bingbing.

The film, previously known as “The Bombing,” was originally set for an August release. That was rescheduled to Oct. 26 after the Fan affair became major news. But Chinese media now report the release as cancelled.

Aside from Fan, the film has a stellar cast that includes Bruce Willis, Liu Ye, and Nicholas Tse. Director, Xiao Feng said the film had taken eight years to make.

“It is time to let it go,” Xiao Feng wrote on social media. “My sincere apologies to my crew, the distribution team, and all audiences who had high expectations of the film.” The film’s distributors, Beijing United Exhibition Partners, and Qi Tai Culture did not respond to Variety’s inquiries.

Sometimes trailers slip through the cracks, ready to be lost in the digital ether like tears in rain. But not on our watch – not today. We’ve rounded up a few recent trailers for you to check out below: a Bruce Willis/Adrian Brody joint called Air Strike, Peter Dinklage in an HBO original called My Dinner […]

The post Trailer Round-Up: ‘Air Strike,’ ‘My Dinner With Hervé’, ‘Await Further Instructions’, and More appeared first on /Film.

Sneak Peek the new Ww II action adventure "Air Strike", directed by Xiao Feng, starring Bruce Willis, Adrien Brody, Ye Liu and Seung-heon Song, opening October 26, 2018:

"...in 1940, during the height of World War II, five different people fight their way through 'Japanese Air Force' attacks to protect an important military machine in Chongqing..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Air Strike"...

China has tapped Bruce Willis and Adrien Brody for an upcoming war film called Air Strike, and they're both front and center as the first American trailer for the film is released. Check out the synopsis for Air Strike, watch the trailer, and continue on below:

During World War II, five different Chinese people fight their way through Japanese Air Force attacks to protect an important military machine in Chongqing, 1940. The project was filmed as a memorial for the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in WWII.

There appears to be some decent action moments in this film, although I can't say I'm all that impressed with the acting seen in this trailer. What are your thoughts? Is this a film you'll check out when it comes to the States?...

The Bruce Willis Roast really went after the acting icon for all the lousy action movies he makes, especially here in his later years. There's no arguing that the guy has put out some garbage lately. A lot of it straight to DVD dreck that's almost unwatchable. Death Wish was supposed to mark his big screen comeback, but fans should have been banking on Air Strike instead. The first trailer for this WWII epic has arrived, and it looks like an action-packed good time that flies high above his more recent VOD efforts.

Air Strike is actually coming to theaters. Lionsgate will release the war drama on October 26, with the film also getting a simultaneous release On Demand. Bruce Willis stars alongside Adrien Brody, another actor who has been shuffled off to the VOD dumping grounds. Ye Liu is also in Air Strike.

Bruce Willis headlines this pulse-pounding epic about...

"Can't just send these kids up there to get shot down." United Entertainment + Lionsgate have debuted a full-length official trailer for the film Air Strike, a Chinese production about WWII, which has gone under different titles including The Bombing and Unbreakable Spirit. The film is about five Chinese people who fight their way through intense Japanese Air Force attacks to protect an important military machine in Chongqing. In addition to the Chinese cast, the film also stars Bruce Willis and Adrien Brody, who are being put front and center for the Us release. The cast also includes Ye Liu, Song Seung-heon, William Wai-Ting Chan, Nicholas Tse, Janine Chun-Ning Chang, Fan Wei, and Fan Bingbing. This film features seriously epic CGI sequences of WWII bombings and air attacks, along with all the impassioned performances from the cast. It looks fairly entertaining, but also looks extremely cheesy and very jingoistic. Here's the...

In the wake of a government clampdown on financial misdeeds in the film industry, the production team behind Chinese wartime action drama “Unbreakable Spirit,” featuring actor Bruce Willis, has defended the movie from accusations of tax evasion and money laundering.

An unusual public statement signed by the film’s key crew members was released shortly after Chinese authorities issued rules on actors’ pay following revelations of “yin-yang contracts” – double contracts for a single job – used to hide income. The authorities warned Wednesday that dubious practices risked undermining “the health and ecology of the film and television industry.”

The statement by “Unbreakable Spirit’s” production team declared that the movie’s budget did not exceed the original estimate, stars were not overpaid and production crew members would not receive a cut of the box office. Among the statement’s signatories was director Xiao Feng.

“Unbreakable Spirit” (called “The Bombing” in Chinese...

China’s tax authorities have launched a probe into the fiscal affairs of the film and TV industries, following allegations that leading actress Fan Bingbing engaged in contract chicanery to hide a massive payday.

China’s State Authority of Taxation announced the industry-wide move Sunday. It ordered local tax bureaus to investigate so-called Yin-Yang contracts – in essence, double contracts for the same work.

Fan, China’s biggest celebrity and co-star of Jessica Chastain’s forthcoming action film “355,” reacted furiously last week when details of a contract were leaked online by TV anchor Cui Yongyuan. His initial disclosure showed Fan being paid $1.56 million (RMB10 million) for four days’ work on Feng Xiaogang-directed “Cell Phone 2.” Cui followed up by releasing a second contract worth $7.8 million (RMB50 million) for the same work. He suggested that the intent was to allow Fan to declare only the smaller contract to tax authorities, rather than...

Bruce Willis is leading the troops in The Hollywood Reporter's exclusive first look at The Bombing.

The action-drama is based on the infamous attacks on Chongqing during WWII, which included a total of 268 air raids from 1938 to 1943. Willis stars as U.S. Air Force Commander Jack Johnson, who trains the Chinese people under harrowing conditions to battle against the Japanese and leads his own aviation squadron against the trained Japanese Air Force.

Fan Bingbing and Nicholas Tse are also among the cast of the movie from director Xiao Feng. Currently in postproduction, it features a script by Ping Chen and...

The stars of yesterday now are making three films a year you never knew existed until they show up on Netflix.^ Real Movie ^

In my prior life as a script reader, I certainly read a lot of bad scripts, but at times, an even more common occurrence was a script that seemed to do a great many things right, but somehow fell just short of being something you wanted to champion as a movie. As draining as the terrible scripts were, there’s something pure about clear-cut bad. It takes little effort to explain why they’re unfit.

The real challenges were the scripts that had kind of a decent premise, kind of an okay twist or two, and a lead character who wasn’t bad so much as he or she was just… there. The raw materials are there for what Could be a script. They just happen to be assembled in the least compelling way...

Mel Gibson’s next war movie, “Hacksaw Ridge,” has secured Chinese distribution. YooZoo Pictures, the new motion picture division of parent company Youzu Interactive, announced on Monday it acquired the rights from Im Global, along with a presentation credit in other international territories. The deal, negotiated by Wei Han on behalf of YooZoo and David Jourdan on behalf of Im Global, marks the company’s first high-profile buy. Also read: Mel Gibson to Serve as Art Director on Bruce Willis' Chinese War Movie 'The Bombing' Gibson is directing Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington in the...

The actor is to join 3D Chinese epic The Bombing, which stars Bruce Willis as a Us fighter pilot protecting Chongqing against Japanese attack

Mel Gibson has been employed as a consultant on The Bombing, a 3D Chinese blockbuster set during the second world war, according to Variety.

“Mel is interested in what happened during that period of time, and provided relevant suggestions on how to make the movie,” said Shi Jianxiang, founder and CEO of Shanghai Kuailu Investment Group, the company funding the $65m project. “He is very insightful.”

Continue reading...

Oscar winner Mel Gibson is tackling a new role overeas as art director of Xiao Feng’s 3D war movie “The Bombing,” a $65 million Chinese production that stars Bruce Willis, it was announced at a press conference in Xiangshan last week. Gibson was invited to join the production by Chinese producer Dr. Shi Jianxiang, founder and CEO of Shanghai Kuailu Investment Group. “Mel is interested in what happened during that period of time, and provided relevant suggestions on how to make the movie. He is very insightful,” said Dr. Shi. It has been 20 years since Gibson’s last visit to China,...

Mel Gibson has been confirmed to be serving as art director on the $65 million budget, 3D Chinese film "The Bombing" for Shanghai Kuailu Investment Group.

Xiao Feng ("Hushed Road") helms the film which focuses on the World War II bombing of the city of Chongquing by Japanese forces. The city served as the provisional capital of forces commanded by Chiang Kai-Shek.

Song Seung-heon, Nicholas Tse and Liu Ye star in the film which also has a role for Bruce Willis. Production will take place in Xiangshan.

Source: Variety...

Stars including Mike Tyson, Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan walked the red carpet at the opening of the Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff) last night, along with three Korean jury members who are attending the festival despite the controversy surrounding Mers.

Many Koreans cancelled their trip to Shanghai earlier this week after the festival sent out letters advising them to stay away due to concerns over the Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus that has hit South Korea. Cj Entertainment, Showbox and Finecut are among the companies that decided not to show, along with Busan International Film Festival (Biff) director Lee Yong-kwan.

However the three Korean jury members – Kim Hee-jae (Golden Goblet competition), Kim Han-min (Asian New Talent) and Kim Dong-won (Documentary) – attended the opening ceremony, as did Korean actor Song Seung-heon who is shooting The Bombing, also starring Bruce Willis, Liu Ye and Nicholas Tse, in China.

Yen and Tyson put in an appearance to promote...