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If you had run into the brothers Joe and Anthony Russo as 20-somethings circa 1994, they probably wouldn’t have seemed like guys who’d become two of the biggest directors of all time. Both were living in their native Cleveland, where Anthony was a law student, and Joe, 17 months his junior, was attending drama school. Neither felt quite satisfied with their chosen path, so they both dropped out and pivoted to filmmaking, maxing out their credit cards to fund their $30,000 debut feature, Pieces, which has never been released but nonetheless caught the eye of a notable mentor, Steven Soderbergh, when it screened at Slamdance in 1997.

From there, they took a winding road that led them to directing and executive producing critically adored (but ultimately canceled) shows such as Arrested Development, Happy Endings and Community, before landing a meeting at Marvel Studios. (Studio chief Kevin Feige was a Community fanatic.) Against the odds,...

For years, the Slamdance Film Festival has existed in the shadow of Sundance. Founded in 1995, Slamdance always been a parallel (but unrelated) event that ran in Park City at the same time as Sundance, providing a platform to outsider artists making fringe cinema not showcased at the bigger festival. It helped launch the careers of A-listers like Christopher Nolan (“Following”) and the Russo Brothers (“Welcome to Collinwood”), proving itself to be a vital piece of the indie film ecosystem.

With Sundance considering a move to Cincinnati or Boulder, Park City’s future as a film festival destination is in flux. Slamdance ended up being the first domino to fall, relocating to Los Angeles and moving to a February calendar spot. This year’s festival will be the first in its new L.A. home and the beginning of an era where Slamdance can have the spotlight to itself — and potentially...

These days, it feels like George Clooney is known more for his political opinions than his acting career. Billions earned at the box office? Meh. Billions more raised in advocacy, humanitarian efforts, and charity? Yawn. Two-time People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive? Getting closer, but nah. Donald Trump calls you a “rat” on Truth Social? That’s when you know you’ve made it.

Believe it or not, George Clooney used to be famous for something other than his political flip-flops. Well, hold onto your hats because there was actually a time before Clooney’s latest head-scratcher: penning a New York Times op-ed calling Joe Biden unfit for office mere weeks after throwing him the mother of all fundraisers. Yes, you heard that right – he hosted a record-breaking cash bash for Biden, the biggest ever for a Democrat candidate, then declared to the world that the guy shouldn’t run.

Exclusive: The ancient Scottish town of St Andrews was hit with a heavy bout of Spidey fever this past weekend as the third annual Sands International Film Festival opened, pulling in an eclectic set of films, filmmakers, and speakers alongside one popular guest of honor.

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, also known for The Impossible, Cherry, and The Devil All the Time passed through the fest, which opened with a screening of Last Call, a short project he leads with Lindsay Duncan (Blackbird) that was co-written and directed by his brother, Harry Holland. The Holland brothers also took part in the first annual Sands golf tournament, which will continue as part of the festival’s wider activities. It was on the pristine golfing greens where Tom linked up with Deadline to discuss his career so far and plans for future projects, including whether he will return for a fourth Spider-Man movie.

A small piece of contemporary cinema history was written last night in St Andrews, Scotland when Steven Soderbergh sat down with Joe and Anthony Russo on stage at the Sands International Film Festival to discuss their 2002 collaboration Welcome to Collinwood.

Produced by Soderbergh and George Clooney who also stars alongside William H. Macy, Isaiah Washington, Sam Rockwell, Luis Guzmán, and Patricia Clarkson, Welcome to Collinwood was the second feature from the Russos following their debut feature Pieces, which bombed out of Slamdance in 1997.

“There was zero interest in the film from anybody but this man over here,” Anthony said of Pieces, pointing towards Soderbergh. The sex, lies and videotape filmmaker had been present at the doomed Pieces screening at Slamdance and reached out to the directing duo to impart some wisdom.

“It was insanely ambitious and dense,” Soderbergh told Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr, who moderated the talk, of Pieces.

Ania Trzebiatowska has compiled an eclectic selection of fiction and non-fiction titles for the third annual Sands International Film Festival, which kicked off Friday evening in St Andrews, Scotland.

Mounted across this weekend in the ancient university town, Trzebiatowska — also a full-time programmer at Sundance — runs the festival with an impressive gang of part-time student programmers from the University of St. Andrews, a partner on the festival alongside Joe and Anthony Russo’s Agbo. The Avengers: Endgame filmmakers are connected to the town through Joe’s eldest daughter, who studied at St Andrews. The two Russos were in the building this evening.

“I love the energy of this town. I love how warm everyone is and how enthusiastic the students are,” Joe Russo said opening the event. “It permeates the experience of being here. And it’s such an incredible backdrop for the festival for those reasons. It’s great...

The third installment of the Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews has set its slate, and that will include director Steven Soderbergh engaging in a conversation with directors Anthony and Joe Russo. I will moderate that discussion, which will touch on the preposterously unlikely way that Soderbergh discovered and godfathered the career of the duo that directed Hollywood’s all-time highest grossing film, Avengers: Endgame. The festival runs next month from April 19-21.

Soderbergh’s own career took off with sex, lies, and videotape, the film that just celebrated 35 years since the filmmaker turned Sundance into a lucrative independent film hatchery. It went on to win the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, followed by Soderbergh’s first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He has gone on to direct films as diverse as Traffic, for which he received the 2000 Academy Award for Directing—the...

Hello, and welcome to the Scene to Seen Podcast!

I am Valerie Complex Associate editor and film writer at Deadline. On today’s episode, we’re talking to director, writer, producers, and actress Jennifer Esposito, where we talk about her career and her directorial debut Fresh Kills.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Jennifer Esposito is a Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice and Hollywood Foreign Press award recipient. She has appeared in over 60 films and television productions. She’s appeared in Crash by Paul Haggis, Summer of Sam by Spike Lee and Welcome To Collinwood, directed by The Russo Brothers. Her television work includes Spin City, Samantha Who, Blue Bloods, The Affair, The Boys, and Nora From Queens.

Jennifer makes her writing and directing debut with Fresh Kills, in which she also produced and plays a supporting role. She was also the first to incorporate NFTs as a fundraising tool for independent films.

Patton Oswalt once sagely joked that science is "all about coulda, not about shoulda." History is riddled with examples confirming his premise: the development of the A-bomb, Project MKUltra, and the advent of biological warfare. The worst of these achievements are irrevocable threats to humankind; the threat of nuclear war — which, if waged at full scale, would likely render most of the planet uninhabitable — will always be with us. Other thresholds, once passed, would render life barely worth living.

The growing popularity of ChatGPT has been a societal litmus test. People are understandably curious about the hot new technology. Goldbrickers at the professional and academic levels are downright ecstatic about its effort-saving applications. As the Artificial Intelligence model becomes more sophisticated, it will likely be able to churn out A-level analyses and essays. In time, ChatGPT and AI programs like it will be capable of generating novels, screenplays and, most chillingly,...

Joe and Anthony Russo's path to becoming the kingpins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was neither direct nor likely. Prior to taking on "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," the brothers had been most successful as single-camera sitcom directors; they won an Emmy for their work on the pilot of "Arrested Development," and shot some of the most beloved episodes of "Community." They were far less successful as filmmakers. Their first feature, "Welcome to Collinwood," a remake of Mario Monicelli's delightful heist flick "Big Deal on Madonna Street" starring William H. Macy, Sam Rockwell and George Clooney, fell flat with critics and audiences. Their second effort,...

The post How Steven Soderbergh Shaped The Russo Brothers' Filmmaking Style appeared first on /Film.

In what can be called movie geek comfort food, Battle: Los Angeles and Krull have become cult favorites over the years. Why? You can watch either movie while doing other things keeping an extra eye on the screen, have devout fans who can recite the dialogue verbatim and will defend both movies to the end. Guilty pleasures, yes, cult status, definitely.

Even HBO Max has it listed as such.

The 2011 sci-fi and 1982 fantasy films have come to HBO Max and are available to stream now.

“Marines don’t quit.”

Battle: Los Angeles, starring Aaron Eckhart, and from director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath Of The Titans), is the exciting story of a squad of U.S. Marines who become the last line of defense against a global invasion. It gets the military right than most war movies. Numerous Marine units assisted in filming and the movie contains some awesome scenes with Black Hawks,...

The return of fan-favorite shows, auteurs tackling new original series, new documentaries and more headline what’s new on HBO Max in April 2022.

Top of the list is the HBO Max original series “The Flight Attendant,” which returns for its second season on April 21. Then there’s the long-awaited return of Bill Hader’s “Barry” on April 24 on HBO and HBO Max, as well as Season 3 of “The Black Lady Sketch Show” on April 8.

In terms of new originals, “The Wire” and “The Deuce” creator David Simon is back with the new series “We Own This City” on April 25, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. Michael Mann executive produces and directs the first episode of the neo-noir “Tokyo Vice,” which premieres on April 7. And Ben Foster stars as Holocaust survivor Harry Haft in the HBO Original Film “The Survivor,” which...

April is about to be a good month for returning HBO and HBO Max properties.

HBO Max’s list of releases for April 2022 features three hotly anticipated seasons of television. The Flight Attendant, which helped launch HBO Max as a viable spot for good dramedy in 2020, premieres its second season on April 21. That will be followed by another go-around for the sci-fi comedy Made for Love on April 28. Of course, the big ticket item this month is something that HBO Max inherited from its cable cousin. Barry season 3 will continue the story of hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) on April 24.

The TV offerings run much deeper than just returning shows this month. April 7 sees the arrival of Tokyo Vice, a sprawling crime drama with some episodes directed by Michael Mann. The series stars Ansel Elgort as an American journalist embedding himself in Tokyo’s criminal underground in the late ’90s.

When do today’s top directors know that they have gotten the perfect shot? What do they wish they knew when they first started out as filmmakers about the ups and downs of directing a film that they know now? And which classic films do they revisit and love the most?

These were just some of the questions answered by four top helmers during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts directors Q&a panel. Watch our full group chat with Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (“Cherry”), Rod Lurie (“The Outpost”), Ramin Bahrani (“The White Tiger”) and Robert Jury (“Working Man”) above. Click on each name above to view each person’s individual interview.

See Meet the Experts Directors panel: ‘The Father,’ ‘Greyhound,’ ‘I’m No Longer Here,’ ‘Sound of Metal’

“I miss those moments from my first films where I knew nothing,” admits Bahrani when asked what advice he would give his younger self.

“Joe and I have always thrived on working with complicated tones. We like shifting gears a lot in our storytelling,” admits Anthony Russo, who directed “Cherry” with brother Joe Russo.

“It is about heavy subject matter and because it touches on important human experiences, we wanted the movie to be seen by people,” he explains. “We didn’t want the movie to feel like ‘here, take your medicine,’ so we wanted to make the film entertaining and fun and engaging and thrilling and exhilarating and give the audience a reason to be there and reason to want to watch.”

We talked with the Russo Brothers as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders. Watch our interview above.

See ‘Cherry’ star Tom Holland on playing a heroin addict: ‘I felt a level of responsibility’

“Cherry” was adapted by writers Jessica Goldberg...

Chris Hemsworth’s new action movie Extraction only dropped on Netflix yesterday, but it already seems to have grabbed the public’s imagination in a big way. Fans have been giving it huge praise on social media, and with millions of people around the world still facing restrictions on movement due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it looks set to rack up a massive number of viewers and become another huge hit for the streaming platform.

While there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking or original about Extraction from a narrative standpoint, with the script marking both Joe Russo’s first solo screenplay credit and the first for either of the brothers since 2002’s Welcome to Collinwood, the movie lives and breathes by the action sequences, with director Sam Hargrave following in the footsteps of John Wick’s David Leitch and Chad Stahelski by making the transition from stunt coordinator to orchestrator of expertly-choreographed set-pieces look easy.

Don Kaye Nov 20, 2019

Avengers: Endgame's Russo Brothers launch Agbo with the crime thriller starring Chadwick Boseman. They also talk Martin Scorsese.

It was roughly 20 years ago when Steven Soderbergh viewed a film called Pieces at the Slamdance Film Festival and offered to produce the next project by its directors. Those filmmakers were Cleveland-born brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, and the picture Soderbergh helped shepherd for them was a comedy called Welcome to Collinwood.

One thing led to another, and the Russos were soon major producers and directors on television, working on shows like Arrested Development and Community. But it was in 2012 that their careers changed forever, as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige picked them to direct 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a film that was a turning point for all involved--including the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Russos returned for 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, the brothers’ first billion-dollar grosser,...

Joe and Anthony Russo are riding high—about as high as it’s possible to get—as their superhero showdown Avengers: Endgame surpassed $2.5B in global gross to sink Titanic and take second place with Avatar in sight for the all time top grossing film. The brothers have spent the last seven years at Marvel working with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely on two Captain America films and two Avengers films, which, by the time the latest is done, will have grossed in excess of $6 billion.

So what a time it is for the Russos to jump out of their safety zone by launching full steam ahead with their monied production company Agbo, through which they’ll develop, produce and co-finance films, TV series and other projects—including remakes of certain MGM properties such as The Thomas Crown Affair, which is being developed as a vehicle for Michael B. Jordan.

Over the past quarter century, the Slamdance Film Festival has served as a launchpad for a number of now high profile filmmakers at the very start of their careers. Here is a baker’s dozen of some of the festival’s greatest discoveries.

Marc Forster

“Loungers”

Forster premiered his $10,000 debut in 1995 and grabbed the Audience Award, and has become one of the most versatile directors working, with other credits including “Monster’s Ball,” “Finding Neverland,” “Stay,” “The Kite Runner,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Quantum of Solace,” “World War Z” and “Christopher Robin.”

Rian Johnson

“Evil Demon Golfball from Hell!!!”

Johnson’s irreverent short film played the festival in 1996, launching a career that has dabbled in artistic indies and big-budget franchise blockbusters (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”).

Greg Mottola

“The Daytrippers”

The writer-director’s 1996 feature debut was produced by Steven Soderbergh and got Mottola work on cult-classic television series “Undeclared,” “Arrested Development,...

Filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo may be the directors behind some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest blockbusters — including their most recent release, “Avengers: Infinity War,” which has made over $1 billion in global ticket sales after less than two weeks in release — but they still remember what it’s like to be indie outsiders hoping for a chance to break out. Twenty years ago, they got that chance, care of one of Hollywood’s most enduring and inventive auteurs.

“We can never forget that the pivotal moment in our careers as filmmakers came when we were just these obscure weirdo filmmakers from Cleveland making a movie that nobody really wanted to see, except for one guy: Steven Soderbergh,” Anthony said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “He appreciated something of value in it, which, by the way, almost nobody else did. He was the only person of any consequence that said,...

If you didn't see your favorite Avenger in the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War don't worry too much because according to director Joe Russo you will see plenty of them in Avengers 4.  In a recent interview with Fandago, Russo talked about how he and his brother balanced all of the characters in the next two Avengers films, drawing on their previous experiences with ensembles:

"You know, we've had a lot of experience balancing ensembles. Our first film 'Welcome to Collinwood' was an ensemble, 'Arrested Development' was an ensemble, 'Community' was an ensemble, 'Happy Endings' was an ensemble. We had a lot of experience working with and telling stories with a lot of characters and making sure that each of those characters was serviced either in an A story, a B story or C story in some regard - either driving the plot, or they're driving their own personal story.

Barring some unforeseen hiccup, Avengers: Infinity War is about to become a global box office phenomenon.

It is, after all, building on a superpowered legacy stretching all the way back to 2008, when Jon Favreau and the fresh-faced Robert Downey Jr. defied all odds and transformed Tony Stark (Aka Iron Man) into a household name. A full ten years have passed since that historic feat, and in that time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ballooned into an industry of its own, replete with A-list stars, a seasoned architect in Kevin Feige and many, many characters.

Yes, if there’s one element of Infinity War that continues to fuel debate online, it’s who exactly we can expect to see in the film. At this point, it really does sound like everyone who’s still breathing in the McU will be involved and as such, it’d be foolish to think that...

It's been an exciting few weeks for Marvel fans. First there was the announcement that the release date for Avengers: Infinity War had been bumped up one week, then there was the behind-the scenes featurette that popped up earlier this week, followed by a new TV spot that featured a tiny bit of new footage. However, it was the release of the highly anticipated second trailer and the announcement of pre-sale tickets that set everybody into Infinity overload. Now that we're getting closer to the release of Infinity War, the Russo Brothers have revealed who has the most screen time in the epic movie.

In various interviews over the course of the last week, the Russo Brothers have stated that Thor will have a very important story arc in Infinity War. The directing duo have also said that Thanos will have a very large part to play in the movie.

Another weekend, another blockbuster Marvel opening at the box office. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the latest episode in the company's cosmic-mercenaries saga, predictably crushed the competition, grossing an estimated $425 million globally and perpetuating the studio's multiplex dominance. If you're looking for a secret to the company's success, we'll direct you to a 2014 comment from GotG director James Gunn. "I made a decision early on that I wanted it to be a hundred percent a James Gunn movie and a hundred percent a Marvel movie," he said after the first film's release.

In a plot twist worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, Marvel filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo have signed on to join forces with the Daniels – the creative duo behind 2016’s Swiss Army Man. Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan will deliver a science fiction movie, which represents the first major film deal for the Russo Brothers and their fledgling production company.

The film currently remains untitled, but will be written, directed, and co-produced by the Daniels. As such, it is expected to feature their very specific, now legendary brand of comedy and drama. Swiss Army Man was their first feature length theatrical film, and quickly stirred up interest on the film festival circuit, with its unusual tale of a man’s bond with a flatulent corpse. The story of loneliness, obsession and connection was striking enough to attract the talents of Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead to the cast...

A lot of people were surprised when Joe and Anthony Russo were hired to direct Captain America: Winter Soldier. Understandably so, considering at the time the Russo brothers were mainly known for TV shows like Arrested Development, Happy Endings and Community. They had directed a few movies, but Welcome to Collinwood and You, Me and Dupree aren't exactly $100+ million action movies.  So how did the Russo brothers end up becoming the directors of some of Marvel's biggest movies to date? When we spoke to the Russos recently ahead of the Captain America: Civil War home video release, we asked about the process of landing a Marvel movie. As you can expect, it's not easy. Anthony Russo explained, "We did have a very long courtship with Marvel. We...

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Our perception of the Forest City having only seen it on screen.

All this week, Cleveland, Ohio, is being overrun with politicians, their supporters, and protestors of their platforms as the Republican National Convention is being held at the Quicken Loans Arena through Thursday. To help get a better sense of this “Cleve-Land,” as Howard the Duck calls it, we’re looking to entertainment, specifically movies and television, for what it can tell us about this city. If there’s anything we miss or misunderstand, blame Hollywood.

Cleveland Rocks

It’s the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so it’s not surprising that, to an outsider, Cleveland primarily looks like a city where music reigns. You could make a nice concert with all the fictional bands based there, including Cherry Bomb from Howard the Duck, The Barbusters from Light of Day, the...

A decade ago, the two films Anthony and Joe Russo had under their belts were Welcome to Collinwood and You, Me and Dupree. Now they’re the filmmakers behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. The Russo brothers were initially a surprising choice to direct The Winter Soldier for some Marvel fans, in particular for those unfamiliar with their background in television, but […]

The post Interview: Why Directors Anthony and Joe Russo Wanted to Deconstruct the Superhero Genre with ‘Captain America: Civil War’ appeared first on /Film.

'Captain America: Civil War': Chris Evans as rogue military leader of sorts. 'Captain America: Civil War' review: So good it made film critic and Prince fan forget pop icon had died April 21, '16, 9:53 a.m. – I was sitting down to watch an early screening of Captain America: Civil War on the Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California. I received a text inquiring if I'd heard the news. As a number of noted critics and studio types filed in – all immersed in their devices, we confirmed the news for each other – Prince was dead. One noted critic, whose name I will not mention because she may not want you to know she cusses like a sailor, posed the question aloud, “How the fuck are we supposed to pay attention to this now!?” It was a goddamn good question. I said in response, voice cracking, “No shit, I'm all fucked up!

Anthony and Joe Russo, collectively known as the Russo brothers, have made a name for themselves by directing Marvel big-budget films like “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and the upcoming “Captain America: Civil War.” As the filmmakers get ready to dive deeper into the comic-book universe, they talked to New York Magazine about how Marvel makes it possible for indie directors to helm big box-office superhero pictures. The duo started off when they self-financed the crime film “Pieces” for $35,000 and caught the attention of Steven Soderbergh at the Slamdance Film Festival in 1997. After 2002’s “Welcome to Collinwood,” “You, Me and Dupree” and a couple of episodes of “Arrested Development” and “Community,” the brothers also garnered attention from Marvel president Kevin Feige. “They are equal parts visionaries and pragmatists,” says Feige of the Russos. “In my opinion, that’s a high compliment.” Read More: Review: 'Captain America: Civil War' Shows the.

Failure is the name of the game here. This is an in-depth look at some of the most common reasons that heists in films go wrong.

Heists in films rarely go right. In fact, the heist gone bad is a plot device that has been used over and over for decades. It adds drama. It adds tension. It adds excitement as the crooks run from the law. Often times, that’s what makes a heist movie so fun to watch, seeing how the characters get themselves out of a tight situation. A perfect heist can be interesting to watch, but doesn’t really enhance or create much conflict between characters by itself. That’s why heists gone wrong are much more frequent in film than heists which go off without a flaw.

There are many ways a heist can go wrong. This is an overview of some of the most common reasons,...

As anticipation and excitement build to a fever pitch for Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, the blockbuster sequel to the third-largest movie of all time, Marvel is proud to announce Joe Russo and Anthony Russo will join the franchise as the directors of Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and Avengers: Infinity War Part 2.

The Russo brothers first entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier one of the top-grossing film's from 2014, and are currently preparing to shoot Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. The third film in the Captain America franchise will bring the classic storyline from the comics to life pitting Cap (Chris Evans) against Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), as well as introducing Black Panther to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with actor Chadwick Boseman ahead of his own film later in Phase 3.

Before stepping behind the camera for Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War,...

It came as quite a surprise to fans two years ago when Marvel Studios hired directors Anthony and Joe Russo to direct the highly-anticipated "Captain America" sequel. Sporting a resume that included the feature films Welcome to Collinwood and You, Me and Dupree as well as television series like "Arrested Development," "Community" and "Happy Endings," it was a choice that may not have seemed ideal to many, but following the reception to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it's hard to imagine a different team bringing that story to life.

So far, Mark Greaney’s novel The Gray Man has had a tortuous journey toward the silver screen. Way back in 2011, an adaptation by Adam Cozad (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) had achieved inclusion on the Black List – at which point James Grey (The Immigrant) signed on to direct it. By 2012, things were looking up when Brad Pitt began seriously considering the high profile lead role. Grey and Pitt were unable to pull it together, though, and the rights to the property lapsed – leaving the way clear for a new creative team to take a crack at it. Enter powerhouse producers Joe Roth and Palak Patel (Maleficent), who snapped up the rights for Sony Pictures, and quickly sought the agreement of writing-directing team Joe and Anthony Russo to add the project to their ever-growing slate.

The Gray Man is the story of an assassin and former CIA operative, who finds himself...

If you were a Hollywood studio, who would you hire to direct your $170 million action tentpole? A director with two blockbuster action hits to their name, or the team behind the commercial flop “Welcome to Collinwood” and the critical flop “You, Me & Dupree”. The answer, for Marvel Studios and their recent Captain America sequel, was the latter. By all accounts, Anthony and Joe Russo did a great job directing “The Winter Soldier”. But the duo’s feature film track record was not evidence of this potential. I am certain that had a woman directed “Welcome to Collinwood” and “You, Me & Dupree”, she would not have been in the running to direct a major Marvel film. And the name that makes me confident of this? Mimi Leder. Mimi Leder is a true trailblazer. The first ever woman accepted onto AFI’s cinematography course, she discovered a passion for directing during her...

Six years don’t seem like that long a stretch of a time, but it’s long enough to create a universe. I should clarify, I mean a cinematic universe. You see, that’s just what they’ve done at Marvel Studios. And what a wondrous place it is! And movie-goers are now able to visit there more than once a year. Hard to believe, but it was back in 2008 that the famed comic book company (lovingly named “The House of Ideas” by Stan Lee himself almost fifty years ago) decided that they should have a more active role in bringing their characters to the silver screen. Media pundits scoffed since several of their biggest properties, namely Spider-Man and the X-Men, were locked down in movie deals with Sony and Fox. But Marvel (with Paramount) initiated their big screen dreams with Iron Man, and they’ve not looked back. That...

When you look back at it, Marvel Studios has almost always taken the unconventional route when it comes to picking the directors for their movies. When most Hollywood studios would select the proven blockbuster director, indie darling or recent Oscar nominee looking for a payday Marvel has always gone in a different, um, direction. It started with Jon Favreau on "Iron Man." The former "Swingers" star and "Elf" helmer was coming off "Zathura," a critically lauded kids flick that was a bomb at the box office. Kenneth Branagh, on the other hand, had been in director's jail following four misfires in 10 years. "Thor" turned out to be his best film since 1996's "Hamlet." Joss Whedon was a geek icon for his legendary TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and had major comic book cred after dabbling in writing Astonishing X-Men," but studios weren't banging down his door after "Serenity" fizzled in theaters.

With each of Marvel's Phase One movies, the fans got directors no one was expecting, like the guy who made Elf (Jon Favreau) and the guy behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon). Those choices were largely met with confusion by the fans, until, naturally, they saw the finished product. That trend continues with Marvel's Phase Two sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier, under the direction of Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, whose only feature directorial credits are the 2002 indie Welcome To Collinwood and the 2006 comedy You, Me and Dupree.

Of course, they've been keeping plenty busy on the small screen for several years, serving as writers, directors and producers on shows such as Arrested Development, Community and Happy Endings, but to say these filmmakers were an unexpected choice is somewhat of an understatement. Still, Marvel has managed to pull off yet another cinematic triumph with Captain America: The Winter Soldier...

Looking at the filmographies of filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo you wouldn.t necessarily predict that they would be cut out for blockbuster filmmaking. The brothers made their feature debut in 2002 directing the small crime comedy Welcome To Collinwood, followed that up with the 2006 Owen Wilson vehicle You, Me and Dupree, and spent the time in-between and since working on various critically-acclaimed television shows like Community and Arrested Development. They had us all scratching our heads when they were hired by Marvel Studios back in 2012 to make Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but the reality is that they have pulled off something spectacular. The brand new Marvel Studios film is heading to theaters this Friday, but it was a couple weeks back that I had the chance to sit down with the Russo brothers to discuss their new film. As you can see in the video above, we touched on...

Captain America, Thor and Iron Man may be the names you see in the titles, but the real hero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- including the upcoming "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" -- is Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige. I was among a group of journalists who sat down with Feige on the set of the super-sequel last year, where he discussed how it fits into Marvel's big picture, and how it differs from 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger" and 2012's "The Avengers." Chris Evans plays the hero in all three films, with Marvel vets Sanuel L. Jackson (as Nicky Fury) and Scarlett Johansson (as Black Widow) being joined by newcomers Robert Redford (as a top S.H.I.E.L.D. exec) and Anthony Mackie (as Falcon) joining them in "Winter Soldier." "First Avenger" took place mostly in WWII, when the titular super soldier (Chris Evans) was frozen,...

"Community" and "Arrested Development" may seem like a far cry from the souped-up blockbuster action of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but for the sibling directing team of Mark and Anthony Russo, there's less of a difference that you might think. The duo -- best known for directing and producing those aforementioned TV comedies -- called the shots on the upcoming "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." The Russos discussed the Marvel sequel on a visit to the film's L.A. set last fall, where they were directing a piece of a big action scene featuring Cap (Chris Evans) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie). As comic book fans themselves, getting the call from Marvel exec Kevin Feige was a dream come true. "Winter Soldier" departs from 2011's "Captain America" The First Avenger" in several significant ways, especially its darker tone, inspired by '70s political thrillers. After directing the George Clooney indie comedy...

Marvel have done it again. Last year, it was an awesome new tease for Iron Man 3. This year, it’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, raising the anticipation that much higher.

Marking the third instalment in Phase Two, following on from Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, the blockbuster sees Chris Evans return in the eponymous lead, with Sebastian Stan back from the dead as The Winter Soldier.

Following the new character posters in the week, the studio launched a brilliant preview of their Super Bowl TV spot before the weekend, alongside the film’s main two theatrical posters, and the full spot definitely lives up to expectations.

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack,...

Marvel launched the first teaser trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier way back in October last year, so we’re definitely due a new look at the upcoming spring blockbuster.

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long. Ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl, the studio have released a preview for their Big Game Spot, along with two new posters, following the four character posters that surfaced yesterday.

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent...

You might think, ‘What difference does two days make?’ But when it comes to a movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the answer is of course, ‘Everything.’ On the new character posters for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the studio has revealed that they will be releasing the film two days earlier than expected on our shores.

The franchise is one of the very few to launch earlier in the UK than America; often, we’re lucky if they arrive on the same day, if not the same month. So it’s always nice to see Marvel consistently releasing the movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe early here.

The studio launched an epic first teaser trailer before the end of last year, raising the anticipation that much further for the third instalment in Phase Two. And with the Super Bowl right around the corner, it will be interesting to see...

We bet even directors Anthony and Joe Russo, back in their "Welcome To Collinwood" days, couldn't have imagined that a decade later, they'd be behind the camera of the one of the biggest franchises going. Yup, the pair are delivering "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" to cinemas this spring, and clearly, Marvel like what they've done with their first tentpole because they want more. Variety reports that the Russos will be back for the inevitable "Captain America 3." Of course, there are no details beyond that, but the trade notes that test screenings on 'Winter Soldier' have gone so well, Marvel wants to get a third installment with these guys going as fast as possible. And while there is no screenwriter just yet, the Russos are apparently already putting together a story arc for the third movie. And although there's no official release date, Marvel is currently sitting on...

The first "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" footage had its Hall H Comic-Con premiere on Saturday night and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. What's already apparent is that this 'Cap will be heavy on S.H.I.E.L.D. and, as co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo explain, will bridge the two Avengers movies, creating a "very strong hand off."

I met with the Russo brothers here in San Diego shortly before their Hall H panel to talk about their highly anticipated sequel and just how two directors who are best known for their work on "Community," "Arrested Development" and the Owen Wilson movie "You, Me and Dupree" found themselves in the directors' chairs for a big budget Captain America movie.

I have to admit, after watching "You, Me, and Dupree," I didn't think a future step would be a Captain America movie.

Anthony: Our pitch was basically "Captain America: The Winter Soldier...

Marvel Studios released new images today at Comic-Con 2013 from their upcoming films.

The much anticipated sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers will be called Avengers: Age Of Ultron! Check out the new logo above and watch today’s panel here: http://bit.ly/15ny0Y2.

Below is Captain America: The Winter Soldier Conceptual Poster Artwork.

Directing the film is the team of Anthony and Joe Russo (“Welcome to Collinwood”) from a screenplay written by Christopher Markus (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) & Stephen McFeely (“Captain America: The First Avenger”). Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” returns Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America, along with Scarlett Johansson (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man 2”) as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man 2”) as Nick Fury. In addition, film icon Robert Redford...

With Comic-Con very much on the horizon next weekend in the Us, Marvel have already begun teasing a few things they’ll be taking with them to the convention, and one of those things is naturally Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Their Hall H panel is expected to feature some early footage from the film, which is still shooting. And following the first teaser poster we’ve seen this week, EW have debuted a brilliant new piece of concept art by Ryan Meinerding, featuring two past friends now going head-to-head, adding to the brilliant concept art we’ve already seen.

Chris Evans is of course front and centre once more, reprising his role as Steve Rogers / Captain America. And returning alongside him will be Sebastian Stan, who played Bucky Barnes in the first film, and will now be starring on opposing sides as the Winter Soldier.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier...

Disney has sent us the new teaser poster for Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and by the looks of it – a tad battle-scarred.

For those headed to San Diego for Comic-Con, prepare for even more Cap in Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation Saturday, July 20.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier will pick-up where “Marvel’s The Avengers” left off, as Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and teams up with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C.

Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) returns as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America, along with Scarlett Johansson (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man 2”) as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man 2”) as Nick Fury.

Robert Redford will play Agent Alexander Pierce,...

Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release, “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated release, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has commenced in Los Angeles, Calif., with production also including locations in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington D.C. Directing the film is the team of Anthony and Joe Russo (“Welcome to Collinwood”) from a screenplay written by Christopher Markus (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) & Stephen McFeely (“Captain America: The … Continue reading →...