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Over the last several years, Netflix has established itself as a top contender in the cutthroat business of holiday productions. This past year alone saw the release of highly-successful, viewership-drawing titles like Chad Michael Murray’s Magic Mike-esque Christmas flick, The Merry Gentleman, Lindsay Lohan’s latest themed project with the streamer, Our Little Secret and Simon Otto’s animated holiday comedy, That Christmas. With the 2024 holiday season now behind us, the platform is stepping up to the plate to remind us that 2025’s jolliest time of the year isn’t too far away by announcing the release window of their star-studded holiday feature, A Merry Little Ex-Mas. As a gift to subscribers everywhere, the streamer has revealed that the Alicia Silverstone (Clueless)-led rom-com is set to unwrap itself onto Netflix this Fall.

The Peacock Holiday 2024 lineup includes over 300 titles! Catch classics like Miracle on 34th Street, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and A Christmas Carol, as well as hits like Christmas at Dollywood and Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.

Peacock has the whole family covered with festive titles, like Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Peacock Original film Genie, and The Legend of Frosty the Snowman. Chilling thrillers like Krampus and Black Christmas are also available.

Stream into the spirit of the season with a wide array of holiday specials from familiar favorites like Parks and Recreation, New Girl, The Office and more to have you feeling merry and bright all month long. Peacock has an exclusive gift for fans of The Office when The Office Superfan Episodes Season 8 arrives on December 12.

Stuff your stocking with laughs before the New Year with a hilarious year-end recap when 2024 Back That...

Ryan Reynolds is bringing his own (grim) twist to the holiday season with a hilarious spoof of Netflix's hit film, Hot Frosty. In a new ad for his Aviation Gin, Reynolds voices a muscular snowman who bears a striking resemblance to himself. The commercial playfully parodies the Netflix holiday rom-com that follows a widow who brings a handsome snowman to life. While Hot Frosty focuses on said snowman finding love, Reynolds' ad takes a more comedic approach and sees a different outcome for its snowman. This time, the protagonist isn't interested in romance with a chiseled snowman, but rather a bottle of gin.

Reynolds and his Maximum Effort banner have a knack for creating clever ads for his gin brand. Last year, they delivered two memorable holiday ads. For Just Friendsgiving, Reynolds reunited with his Just Friends co-star Amy Smart; for the brand's Christmas ad, Gingle Bells, Reynolds taps...

The goofiest, strangest Christmas movie of 2024 has already taken over Netflix, but it seems that audiences are in the mood for more festive cheer. According to data obtained by FlixPatrol, "The Merry Gentlemen" is the latest holiday-themed caper to sleigh ride to the top of the charts in the United States. In the film, Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson play the lovestruck protagonists who are united by holiday magic, but there's more to this one than mushy, feel-good romance.

At first glance, "The Merry Gentleman" echoes the spotlight-obsessed ageism that informs "The Substance," aka this year's most bonkers and bloody body horror movie. Coralie Fargeat's splatterfest movie tells the story of a TV aerobics instructor who gets relieved of her duties as the network wants a younger star on its screens. Meanwhile, Peter Sullivan's "The Merry Gentlemen" sees Robertson's character, Ashley, get ousted from a Broadway...

In addition to Hot Frosty starring Lacey Chabert and Dustin Milligan, another Christmas film involving bare-chested men and rock-hard abs has arrived on Netflix ahead of the holidays.

The Merry Gentlemen, starring Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson, follows Robertson’s Ashley, a loyal Jingle Belles dancer who unexpectedly gets let go and goes home to her small town for the holidays, where she discovers that her parent’s local venue, The Rhythm Room, isn’t raking in the cash like it used to. Ashley combines a tangled garland meet cute with Murray’s Luke and a confession from her sister to brainstorm a way to get the town talking about the Rhythm Room once more: a Christmas-themed shirtless male revue comprised of dancers led by Luke.

Steamy dances and a genuine love story unfold to balance the film with both allure and classic Christmas romance. Murray and Robertson detailed their process making the film,...

Christmas movies are mostly known for celebrating romance. But Netflix wants to bring a little spice to everything nice. The streaming platform is dropping spicy holiday films for those who want to see more abs on the small screen. This is similar to the sultry scenes seen in your favorite soap operas. Think shirtless men and steamy kisses. Get the scoop on the new movies that will warm up the coldest nights.

Hot Frosty

The New York Times reported that Hot Frosty and The Merry Gentleman are two spicy movies that Netflix is bringing this holiday season. Hot Frosty stars Lacey Chabert, who’s considered the Queen of Christmas on The Hallmark Channel, but that may not last for long with the network’s changes.

She’s starring in a naughtier version of the classic Christmas film. She plays a widow named Kathy, who’s overwhelmed with running the diner.

It’s tough to critique a film like Netflix’s The Merry Gentlemen. This is Netflix’s take on the Hallmark-style holiday movie—a genre people eagerly consume during the festive season. Films like this are typically positive, warm, and unabashedly manipulative. In short, they go down like eggnog: light, comforting, and undeniably saccharine.

You can’t exactly tear The Merry Gentlemen to shreds because it’s not trying to compete with cinematic masterpieces like Oppenheimer. This movie is made for a specific audience: those who prefer their entertainment with minimal substance, filling a void during the holiday season.

While that doesn’t make this Chad Michael Murray-led film broadly recommendable, it certainly delivers for fans of the genre.

Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson in The Merry Gentlemen (2024) | Image via Netflix Related My Old Ass Review — A Hilarious and Tender Coming of Age Tale The Merry Gentlemen Review...

We are halfway through November, Thanksgiving is coming sooner rather than later, and Netflix has a bunch of new movies and shows coming to their lineup. It's a busy week! The new additions include a new Christmas movie, a based-on-a-true-story movie about IVF, and a movie based on an August Wilson play.

First up this week is The Merry Gentleman. It hits Netflix on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 and stars Britt Robertson, Chad Michael Murray, Marla Sokoloff, and Marc Anthony Samuel. The holiday movie tells the story of a young woman who stages an all-male Christmas-themed show in order to save her parent's small-town venue. You know... the usual tale. I cannot wait to watch this. It's like Christmas-themed Magic Mike!

Check out the trailer below:

Joy is also headed to Netflix this week! It hits the streaming service on Thursday, Nov. 21 and follows the story of the creation of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the UK.

‘Tis the season for Christmas movies, and as always, there are a lot of new options to choose from. The good news is, the offerings over at Netflix are more manageable to get through.

The streamer has five new original Christmas movies releasing this year, releasing weekly leading up to the beginning of December. That means you’ll be able to have a steady early diet if you so choose or the entire Christmas month to catch up.

Here are the options you’ll have to choose from this year.

“Meet Me Next Christmas” (Credit: Netflix) 1. Meet Me Next Christmas

“Meet Me Next Christmas” is the first of the five films, and it released on Nov. 6.

Starring Christina Milian and Devale Ellis, the film centers on a woman who seemingly meets the love of her life at the airport. They agree to meet up one year later at the Pentatonix Christmas Eve show,...

Netflix has taken to the stage to “drop” the trailer for their Christmas male stripper movie ‘The Merry Gentleman.’

To save her parents’ small-town performing venue, a former big-city dancer decides to stage an all-male, Christmas-themed revue.

Directed by Peter Sullivan, the cast includes Chad Michael Murray, Michael Gross, Maxwell Caulfield, Britt Robertson, Beth Broderick, Marc Anthony Samuel, Hector Rivera Jr., Colt Prattes.

Also in trailers – Trailer drops for part 2 of the sixth and final season of ‘Cobra Kai’

The movie hits Netflix on November 20th.

The post “Ready to make some Christmas magic?” Trailer drops its pants for ‘The Merry Gentleman’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Thumpety, thump, thump, Frosty returns like you’ve never seen him before in the new Netflix original “Hot Frosty.”

Lacey Chabert (“Mean Girls”) and Dustin Milligan (“Schitt’s Creek”) teased their unlikely romance in the first trailer for their Netflix holiday movie Wednesday.

Two years after the loss of her husband, Kathy (Chabert) struggles to enjoy the holiday season. But with the help of a magical scarf, she brings a handsome snowman to life. His innocence and wonder teach her to fall in love again just in time for the holiday season.

The real life Frosty named Jack (Milligan) streaks through the park and steals some clothes before bumping into love interest Kathy. Craig Robinson puts Jack on the hot seat in the sheriff’s office before Katy saves him from melting away.

Chabert is no stranger to the holiday rom-com genre, starring in over 30 Hallmark Channel movies. The Queen of...

Harvey Keitel and Britt Robertson have teamed for comedy-drama “The Letter,” now in its final week of filming in Buenos Aires, with Rodrigo H. Vila directing.

Written by Vila and Sebastián Meschengieser with script collaboration from Andy Weiss, the film follows Finn (Keitel), an old war veteran, who wants to write a goodbye letter to his only daughter. He decides to hire failed writer Julia (Robertson), who is desperate for money. The two, each feeling lost in their own ways, form an unusual yet endearing friendship that ultimately transforms both their lives.

“The Letter” marks the second collaboration between writer, director and producer Vila and Keitel. The two first worked together on the 2019 sci-fi thriller “The Last Man.”

“I’ve worked with Harvey in the past, and we promised to make another film together,” Vila said. “This film, crafted specifically for him, has the potential to be a small gem that moves,...

Mark Wahlberg in Arthur The King Photo: Carlow Rodriguez/Lionsgate SXSW review: The Fall GuyFresh off of his show-stopping performance of “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars, Ryan Gosling headed to South By Southwest to support his next project, The Fall Guy, where he introduced the film before its world premiere.

“Knox Goes Away” is the second feature film directed by Michael Keaton, following 2008’s “The Merry Gentleman,” and like that film, it’s a thoughtful character study with a restrained but expressive visual style. It’s also a more ambitious and varied piece of work that provides the audience with the pleasures of multiple movies in one: it’s suspenseful but also contemplative, tragic yet wryly funny, and it turns on several shifts in tone and plot that have to be carefully prepared for so that they remain unpredictable but exhibit the kind of subtle clarity that rewards repeat viewings. For Keaton, the challenge was both the appeal of the project and a source of mild trepidation. “It was both daunting and intriguing,” he told IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. “And challenging and exciting and kind of fun to see if could pull it off.”

In “Knox Goes Away,” Keaton plays the title character,...

Michael Keaton made himself a household name as an actor in the 1980s, but in 2008, he stepped behind the camera in The Merry Gentleman as his directorial debut. Keaton, originally only slated to play the lead role, took over as director after Ron Lazzeretti suffered a ruptured appendix requiring extensive surgery, according to court documents. The film is well within Keaton's wheelhouse, a drama about a woman who leaves her abusive relationship and then befriends a hitman who's undergoing his own emotional crisis. Keaton plays the lead, Frank Logan, alongside Kelly Mcdonald as Kate Frazier, the woman he befriends.

Michael Keaton in Knox Goes Away Image: Lionsgate What is it with Michael Keaton and hitmen? The first feature he directed—the little-seen The Merry Gentleman (2008)—is about a contract killer, and so is this week’s Knox Goes Away, his sophomore film. Both characters have moral dilemmas that reveal...

Michael Keaton in Knox Goes AwayImage: Lionsgate

What is it with Michael Keaton and hitmen? The first feature he directed—the little-seen The Merry Gentleman (2008)—is about a contract killer, and so is this week’s Knox Goes Away, his sophomore film. Both characters have moral dilemmas that reveal them...

Michael Keaton takes on another hitman role in his new directorial venture, Knox Goes Away. Keaton played a hitman in his directorial debut, The Merry Gentleman, in 2008. The Batman actor revealed that he wouldn’t have taken on the script by Gregory Poirier if he thought the film would not hold up. For Keaton, the film was like a game of Jenga, where every piece had to work for the movie to work.

Michael Keaton as John Knox in Knox Goes Away

Knox Goes Away also stars Al Pacino, James Marsden, Marcia Gay Harden, Suzy Nakamura, and John Hoogenakker among others. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023.

Michael Keaton Had One Condition For Working On Knox Goes Away

Michael Keaton in the trailer of Knox Goes Away

Michael Keaton‘s new thriller, Knox Goes Away, is set to hit theaters in the U.S. this week.

The role of Batman has been played by many different actors in diverse ways over the years. In 1989, Michael Keaton headlined the cinematic adaptation of the iconic DC superhero in Tim Burton’s Batman. The actor-director duo collaborated on two successful films before Keaton announced that he would step down from playing the character in the 3rd installment.

Michael Keaton in Batman

While Val Kilmer was chosen for the 1995 film Batman Forever, he was not the first choice to take on the role. Among the many potential celebrities who were considered, Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis was on top of the list. The method-acting genius though, turned down the coveted offer.

Daniel Day-Lewis Was In Line To Play Batman

In Tim Burton’s Batman, Michael Keaton gave audiences an impressive glimpse into the Caped Crusader who enlivened the pages of DC comics over many years. Both celebrities formed a memorable partnership...

Not only is entertainment industry icon Michael Keaton starring in a new action-thriller, he'll also be directing one with the star-studded high-concept drama Knox Goes Away. This marks the first time that the star behind Beetlejuice, Batman, and more has directed a feature film since the 2008 crime-drama, The Merry Gentleman. Keaton also stars in that film as a struggling assassin, so it's interesting that Knox Goes Away appears to be following a similar general concept.

You wanna get nuts? C’mon, let’s get nuts. Through no fault of his own, Michael Keaton’s fun, nostalgic return as Batman had imploded when The Flash would debut to disaster and his follow-up in Batgirl would equally become infamous by getting shelved and locked away. Keaton is bouncing back in a big way with his second directorial effort, Knox Goes Away. Keaton’s directorial debut came in 2008 with the crime thriller, The Merry Gentleman. The trailer for Knox Goes Away has dropped courtesy of Saban Films and features a quote from our own Chris Bumbray, which was also featured on the poster, which says Keaton gives “A career-best performance.”

Knox Goes Away revolves around a contract killer who, after being diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia, is presented with the opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son. But to do so,...

Michael Keaton is back, releasing the trailer for Knox Goes Away, the story of a principled hit man.

Saban Films has set the U.S. release date for Knox Goes Away, the thriller marking Michael Keaton’s second feature behind the camera, in which he also stars opposite Al Pacino, James Marsden, Marcia Gay Harden, and more. Pic will bow exclusively in theaters nationwide on March 15, having launched out of last year’s Toronto Film Festival.

Scripted by Gregory Poirier (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), Knox Goes Away has Keaton playing John Knox, a hit man attempting to make amends before his recently discovered dementia takes over. Aided by a trusted friend (Pacino) with his own shady past, Knox races against the police — and his own rapidly deteriorating mind — to save his estranged son (Marsden) from a vengeance-fueled mistake and “cash out” before it’s too late.

Also starring in the pic are Suzy Nakamura,...

Michael Keaton faces no shortage of obstacles as an aging assassin in the trailer for Knox Goes Away.

The trailer was released Wednesday for the thriller that features Keaton as director and star. The movie centers on Keaton as a hit man diagnosed with dementia who learns that his estranged son (James Marsden) needs help after committing a violent crime.

“I’ve never asked you for anything in my life,” Marsden says in the footage. “But I’m desperate.”

Later, Keaton acknowledges the reality of his deteriorating health: “It’s like a curtain coming down. I’m running out of time.”

Keaton directed the film from a script by Gregory Poirier. Marcia Gay Harden and Al Pacino co-star in the project that counts Nick Gordon, Trevor Matthews, Michael Sugar and Ashley Zalta as producers.

Knox Goes Away premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September, and Saban Films is set...

Michael Keaton returns to the director's chair with Knox Goes Away, a thriller where he also stars as a hitman with dementia trying to make amends with his son. He co-stars with Al Pacino, Marcia Gay Harden, and James Marsden. Knox Goes Away offers a more contained and personal take on the 'hitman with memory loss' concept compared to Liam Neeson's action-heavy film Memory. Michael Keaton's career renaissance began with Birdman and Spotlight and has since seen him deliver acclaimed performances in films like The Founder and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

The great Michael Keaton is set to return to the director’s chair after a decade with Knox Goes Away. Keaton will also star in the film as a contract killer with dementia trying to make amends with his son. Described as a noir thriller, Knox Goes Away is written by Gregory Poirier and will be...

Michael Keaton returns to the director's chair after a decade with "Knox Goes Away," a noir thriller where he also stars as a hitman with dementia trying to make amends with his son. "Knox Goes Away" offers a more contained and personal take on the hitman with memory loss concept compared to Liam Neeson's action-heavy film "Memory." Michael Keaton's career renaissance began with "Birdman" and "Spotlight" and has since seen him deliver acclaimed performances in films like "The Founder" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7," making "Knox Goes Away" a highly anticipated project.

The great Michael Keaton is set to return to the director’s chair after a decade with Knox Goes Away. Keaton will also star in the film as a contract killer with dementia trying to make amends with his son. Described as a noir thriller, Knox Goes Away is written by Gregory Poirier and will...

Exclusive: Saban Films has set the U.S. release date for Knox Goes Away, the thriller marking Michael Keaton’s second feature behind the camera, in which he also stars opposite Al Pacino, James Marsden, Marcia Gay Harden and more. Pic will bow exclusively in theaters nationwide on March 15, having launched out of last year’s Toronto Film Festival.

Scripted by Gregory Poirier (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), Knox Goes Away has Keaton playing John Knox, a hit man attempting to make amends before his recently discovered dementia takes over. Aided by a trusted friend (Pacino) with his own shady past, Knox races against the police — and his own rapidly deteriorating mind — to save his estranged son (Marsden) from a vengeance-fueled mistake and “cash out” before it’s too late.

Also starring in the pic are Suzy Nakamura, John Hoogenakker, Joanna Kulig, Ray McKinnon and Lela Loren. In addition to Keaton,...

Michael Keaton’s second film as director, Knox Goes Away, is heading to cinemas in 2024. More details here.

He’s been having fun of late in front of the camera, not least his cameo in this year’s The Flash, where he reprised the role of Batman. But Michael Keaton has also taken the opportunity to return to directing.

He first scratched the itch in 2008 with The Merry Gentleman. Now though, he’s wrapped filming on his latest film as director, which goes by the name of Knox Goes Away.

Keaton takes on the role of John Knox in the film, as well as stepping behind the camera. He’s attracted a good cast too, with Al Pacino, James Marsden and Marcia Gay Harden amongst the ensemble. The script has been penned by Gregory Poirier, who previously turned his hand to the likes of National Treasure: Book Of Secrets and...

Saban Films has nabbed the U.S. rights to Michael Keaton’s Knox Goes Away thriller, which also stars Al Pacino, James Marsden and Marcia Gay Harden. Saban is eyeing a 2024 first quarter theatrical release.

Keaton directs and stars in the neo-noir thriller as John Knox, a contract killer with a rapid onset of of dementia who is offered the chance to redeem himself by saving the life of the adult son played by Marsden with whom he had been estranged.

As the usually cold and calculating killer steadily loses his memory, Knox finds himself in a race against time as a lost and confused father tries help his son cover up a messy and violent crime. For direction, Knox turns to his friend Xavier (Al Pacino) to guide him forward as the clock ticks down.

Knox Goes Away also stars Suzy Nakamura as a tough-as-nails female detective, John Hoogenakker,...

The protagonist of Knox Goes Away, starring and directed by Michael Keaton, is one of the most low-energy hired killers in cinema history. There’s reason for this: early on audiences discover that John Knox is suffering from a form of dementia––one that moves much faster than Alzheimer’s, he is told––that will cause him to start losing his memory in a matter of “weeks, not months.” That news would be difficult for anyone, but it’s especially problematic for someone whose livelihood depends on his abilities to act decisively, move covertly, and always cover his tracks.

So it’s not going to be easy for Knox to finish off his career as a hitman and cash out. Worse yet it’s also not easy for audiences to become invested in that process. Knox Goes Away is a sub-par effort that may prove of interest to fans of the actor,...

Michael Keaton, after making his directorial debut with 2008’s The Merry Gentleman, steps behind the camera again with his latest film Knox Goes Away, in which he also delivers one of his finest and most poignant performances as a man facing a rare form of fast-moving dementia, but who is racing the clock to save his estranged son’s life before it is too late.

World premiering tonight at the Toronto Film Festival, Keaton directs an exceptionally fine cast in a terrific noirish drama in which he plays John Knox, a professional contract killer who finds his skills diminishing rapidly — including a hit job gone wrong in which his momentary confusion leads him to accidentally shooting and killing his partner Thomas Muncie (an excellent Ray McKinnon) and leaving behind three dead people and a bloody crime scene he tries to clean up. A medical diagnosis of a rare condition that...

It’s getting to be that I’m afraid to leave the house. I mean, you never know when you’re going to run into a hitman. If you see movies on a regular basis, you know what I’m talking about. They seem to be everywhere, and they’re often going through personal problems that affect their work. But few cinematic assassins have been quite as beleaguered as the one in Knox Goes Away, receiving its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Michael Keaton, who also directed the film, plays John Knox, a contract killer diagnosed with a rare disease causing full-onset dementia within a matter of weeks. And that’s only one of his problems.

Another is the sudden reappearance of his estranged adult son, Miles (James Marsden, not underplaying), who shows up at his home covered in blood and begging for help covering up the brutal murder he’s just committed.

Daddio, Lee, Boy Kills World, North Star, Woman Of The Hour, Hell Of A Summer among TIFF picks.

Kate Winslet as war photographer Lee Miller, Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn in a taxi cab, and Ewan McGregor in the story of estranged siblings trying to coax their mother out of a furniture store sofa are just some of the storylines of acquisition titles screening at 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

This year’s selection boasts a number of feature directorial debuts from Anna Kendrick, Kristin Scott Thomas, Chris Pine, and Finn Wolfhard, as well as sophomore outings by Michael Keaton and Viggo Mortensen.

Not even remotely interested in seeing Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or The Weeknd do their thing at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium?

We’ve got you. Instead of watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs go helmet-to-helmet for a shiny Vince Lombardi, head to these platforms and channels to get your Sunday evening fix of series and flicks.

All showtimes listed below are in Eastern Standard Time.

Streaming Alternatives Netflix

Shows: “Kid Cosmic,” “Firefly Lane,” “Hache” (Season 2), “Invisible City,” “The Sinner” (Season 3)

Films: “The Bank Job,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Zathura: A Space Adventure,” “Shutter Island,” “The Patriot,” “Little Big Women,” “Space Sweepers,” “Strip Down, Rise Up,” “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity”

Amazon Prime

Shows: “Little Coincidences,” “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?,” “Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men,” “The White Princess” (Season 1), “Billions” (Seasons 1-3), “Black in Latin America” (Season 1), “Finding Your Roots” (Season 1)

Films: “Kiki,” “Dazed and Confused,...

Exclusive: Mathilde Epstein joins as Film Mode COO.

Clay Epstein’s Los Angeles-based Film Mode Entertainment continues to ramp up a year after launch, partnering with James M. Vernon’s Screen Corporation on a slate of films and bringing on Mathilde Epstein [pictured] as COO.

Epstein kicks off with worldwide sales on The Ninth Passenger starring Jesse Metcalfe, Tom Maden, Alexia Fast and Timothy V. Murphy as students on a luxury yacht who fall prey to a mutant creature. Ian Pfaff directs and Corey Large and Felipe Dieppa are the producers.

Screen Corporation will develop and finance the roster, which includes The Girl Who Invented Kissing starring Suki Waterhouse as a seductive drifter who beguiles two small town brothers.

Vincent Piazza, Dash Mihok, Abbie Cornish and Luke Wilson star and Tom Sierchio directed. Large produced with George Zakk, while Joan LeSeur and Fliepe Dieppa served as executive producers.

Film Mode has also brought on sales veteran and former...

Michael Keaton turned in The Merry Gentleman, his 2008 directorial debut, and that's enough for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The production company behind the film about a young woman who escapes her abusive husband and then enters a complicated relationship with a suicidal hit man aimed to recover the $5.5 million that was spent on the film. Having allegedly botched the film, Keaton was taken to court with a claim he breached his directing contract by failing to submit the film on time, threatening to boycott the Sundance Film Festival if it didn't accept his cut, and

read more...

This just might be Michael Keaton's year, one in which artistic inspection leads to serendipity. He's sitting in a comfortable position ahead of the Academy Award nominations, with an acclaimed performance in Birdman, where he plays an actor attempting to revive his career on Broadway. Now, thanks to an Illinois federal court judge's summary judgment on Monday, he won't have to worry about the week after the Oscars, when a jury trial was scheduled to examine what went wrong on The Merry Gentleman, his 2008 directorial debut. Read more Benedict Cumberbatch, Channing Tatum and Actor A-List on Hollywood Fame,

read more...

Odd List Greg Foster 18 Oct 2013 - 06:16

We look at 20 former A-list actors, and the interesting film choices they've made...

There comes a time in every A-list actor's life when they gather their thoughts and take a step back into smaller budget or more leftfield fare - and for a variety of reasons. They may want to work with a certain director or an emerging directing talent. They might be taken by a fantastic script. They might fancy a new artistic direction. They may even have a spiritual epiphany and decide to eschew Hollywood and all its decadent trappings, or they may simply just not have a choice, since the big roles have long since dried up for them.

The reason for this list then, is to look at some of those shining lights, the household names, and at the films they took up as proof of their artistic integrity.

An Illinois federal judge won't allow Michael Keaton to escape a lawsuit over The Merry Gentleman, his 2008 directorial debut about a professional killer who develops an unlikely relationship. Merry Gentleman LLC, the production company, sued Keaton in April, alleging that he didn't live up to his contractual obligations. According to the complaint, among other acts, Keaton wouldn't hire an editor during the production of the film, abandoned the editing to go fly fishing and had a stand-off with producers at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival when it looked as though his cut of the film wouldn't be screened.

read more...

Michael Keaton has been sued by a production company over "diva" claims.

The Beetlejuice actor is said to have been difficult during the filming of Christmas movie The Merry Gentlemen, which he both directed and starred in.

Merry Gentleman, LLC alleges to have invested over $4 million to make the movie, reports TMZ.

The lawsuit claims that Keaton went on a fishing trip to Montana as soon as the company had finished building an editing facility for him in California.

The company states that Keaton then forced them to build another editing facility in Montana, in order for him to work in two different places.

Mg LLC also claims that Keaton did not work hard enough as a director at the beginning of the shoot, leading the producers to edit their own version of the film.

When the Batman star found that his version had been edited, he allegedly threatened to...

Michael Keaton's alter ego ain't Batman anymore ... it's Hollywood D-bag -- this according to movie producers who claim Keaton's diva antics torpedoed their Christmastime flick. Keaton is being sued by Merry Gentleman, LLC -- a production company that claims it sunk more than $4 million to make "The Merry Gentleman" ... which Keaton both directed and starred in. In the suit, filed in federal court in Illinois, M.G. claims Keaton was a total pain in...

Bruce Willis: Fresh off his acclaimed performance in Rian Johnson’s Looper, which opened the Toronto Film Festival last night, Bruce Willis is in talks to star in American Assassin, an action thriller based on a novel by Vince Flynn. Willis would play the mentor of the titular character, a young man trained to be a killer by the CIA. Jeffrey Nachmanoff (Traitor) is attached to direct. [Variety] Michael Keaton: Recently cast as a villain in RoboCop, Michael Keaton’s next turn will find him behind the camera. He is attached to direct Buttercup, an indie comedy-drama about a woman who must assume responsiblity for her elderly father. Keaton, who got his feet wet as a director with 2008’s The Merry Gentleman, next must find new lead actors, since the formerly...

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Nope, unfortunately this isn't a sequel to The Princess Bride. (Wait. Actually, that would probably be terrible. I'm glad that's not happening.) Variety reports that erstwhile Batman Michael Keaton is stepping behind the camera to direct Buttercup, a project once lined up for Away From Her director Sarah Polley.

Alice O'Neil wrote the screenplay, and Niki Caro had slipped into the director's chair before she had to bail and Keaton eventually took over. The story "follows an adult woman who is forced to assume responsibility for her elderly father after he is arrested for drunk driving again. In doing so, she learns to not only accept his faults, but finally trust the other men in her life."

Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin were once attached to appear, but now neither one is involved. (Man, what's with people dropping out or moving on from this movie?) The movie is casting now,...

Actor Michael Keaton has become attached to direct the indie dramedy "Buttercup" for Groundswell Productions says Variety.

Alice O'Neil's script follows an adult woman who is forced to assume responsibility for her elderly father after he is arrested for drunk driving again.

In doing so, she learns to not only accept his faults, but finally trust the other men in her life. Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin were previously attached to star but are both now out.

Niki Caro and Sarah Polley have previously been attached as directors. Michael London, Brian Koppelman and David Levien will produce.

The project would mark Keaton's second time at the helm following 2008's "The Merry Gentleman". The actor is expected to shoot his role in MGM's "RoboCop" remake first.

Less than a week after the big news that Michael Keaton would be playing the villain role in the upcoming remake of RoboCop, its now been announced that the actor is also preparing his next directorial effort. While Keaton hasn't been behind the camera since making his debut with the 2008 drama The Merry Gentleman, he is now attached to helm the indie dramedy Buttercup. According to Variety, Keaton is actually the third director that has been attached to the project. Previously both Niki Caro (Whale Rider, North Country) and Sarah Polley (Take This Waltz, Away From Her) were connected to the film - albeit at different times - but ended up having to drop it from their schedules. The story centers on a middle-aged woman who is forced to put her life on pause when her elderly father is arrested for drunk driving. In spending time with him, however, they...

Actor-turned-director story numero dos of the day: Although this won’t be his first stint behind the camera, Michael Keaton’s career is continuing to take interesting new twists and turns. Keaton is now lining up to take over directing duties on indie pic Buttercup.Alice O’Neil wrote the script, which sees a grown woman forced to take responsibility for her elderly father after his latest drunk driving arrest. Despite his obvious problems, being obliged to spend time with pop makes her appreciate him more than she has, and to finally trust the other men in her life. Apparently.This one has been through a bit of a search for talent on both sides of the camera. Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin were attached to the lead roles, but have since dropped out, while on the directing front, Sarah Polley and Niki Caro have both considered the gig.Now,...

Michael Keaton is jumping behind the camera to direct Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin in the family drama Buttercup. Keaton, who recently joined the RoboCop reboot, made his directing debut with 2008's The Merry Gentleman. Buttercup centers on an aging and grossly irresponsible father trying to pull his life back together with the help of his slight neurotic daughter following his wife's death. Keaton has been pretty quiet over the past few years, as far as movie work goes. He's stuck mainly to cameo appearances in TV shows and minor roles in films like The Other Guys along with voicing Ken in Toy Story 3. Aniston is enjoying somewhat of a career re-birth with roles in critic and audience hits Horrible Bosses and Wanderlust. And then there's Arkin, who in his...

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Actor Michael Keaton has signed on to direct his second feature with the dramatic comedy Buttercup. He made his directorial debut with the 2009 indie The Merry Gentleman.

The story centers on a woman who is forced to take care of her elderly father, after he is arrested yet again for drunken driving. She comes to terms with his issues, and slowly begins to trust the other men in her life. The title refers to her childhood nickname. The multi-hyphenate replaces Niki Caro at the helm. Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin were previously attached to star, although they are no longer involved, with casting currently under way.

Alice O'Neil wrote the screenplay, with Michael London producing through his Groundswell Pictures company, alongside Brian Koppelman and David Levien. No production schedule was given.

We reported last week that the actor joined the cast of MGM's RoboCop remake.

Buttercup is in development . The...

After replacing Hugh Laurie in the RoboCop remake, Michael Keaton has gone ahead and replaced another talent on the directorial side. Variety reports that the actor is lining up his sophomore directing gig after helming 2008′s The Merry Gentleman to little fanfare.

Keaton will remain on the independent side, taking over Buttercup from Whale Rider‘s Niki Caro, who initially came in to replace Take This Waltz‘s Sarah Polley. Written by Alice O’Neil, the film follows “an adult woman who is forced to assume responsibility for her elderly father after he is arrested for drunk driving again. In doing so, she learns to not only accept his faults, but finally trust the other men in her life.”

With casting underway, the previously attached Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin are now out of the running. Keaton, who has taken the better half of a decade pretty light, with recent...

Buttercup , a family drama from screenwriter Alice O'Neil, has a new director in actor Michael Keaton. Variety reports that the recent RoboCop cast addition will helm the Groundswell Productions project, currently seeking its principal cast (Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin were once attached). O'Neil's screenplay made the screenwriting "Black List" back in 2007 with the following official logline: In the wake of his wife's death, an aging - but grossly irresponsible - father puts his life back on track with the help of his slightly neurotic daughter. Buttercup marks Keaton's second foray into directing after 2008's The Merry Gentleman . (Photo Credit: Drew Altizer / WENN.com)...

Comedy is the hardest thing to pull off, despite what the Academy Awards would have you believe. If you want proof of that, think of how painful it is to watch an attempt at comedy that isn't actually funny. If a drama's not that good, and can still get a cheeky enjoyability by how seriously everybody takes it. If a comedy sucks, there's no saving it. Now, we all love "Anchorman" and "The Big Lebowski," but here's a quick list of undernoticed, underseen or underrated comedies that should not be dismissed just because they don't have huge cult followings.

1. "The Jerk" (1979)

One might argue that Steve Martin's classic can't be underrated, since Judd Apatow made the enjoyment of "The Jerk" the barometer about whether or not a girl is worth dating in "Freaks and Geeks," but it makes the list because it's impossible to overrate this absurd gem, and...