On October 1st, HBO debuted the long awaited prequel to The Sopranos, called The Many Saints Of Newark. While the production is well shot and somewhat well cast, The Sopranos it ain’t.
Perhaps not since the Star Trek franchise recast characters from the original series run, have the stakes been as high. Michael Gandolfini took the brunt of that scrutiny by stepping into the role of Tony Soprano, made famous by his late father, James Gandolfini. As a young teenaged Tony, Michael Gandolfini essentially nails the character with nuance rather than the bombast his father demonstrated after Tony had made his bones in later years. Other standouts include Jon Bernthal (who isn’t given much to do), Vera Farmiga (as Tony’s volatile mother), and John Magaro (as Silvio).
Leslie Odom Jr. has a somewhat meaty role here and he does everything he can with it. The fact that his character comes off as a pivot point for the storyline makes his effort seem like it is held back. Odom’s character could have filled a movie of his own without being relegated to a background character who seems to live to facilitate the story which is set in Newark amidst racial hostilities in a crime-riddled community.
Dickie Moltisanti is the protagonist here. He’s the father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli portrayed Christopher in the series and also provides some voiceover in this film). Dickie also serves as a surrogate father to young Tony Soprano while his own father is unavailable. Alessandro Nivola has a lot of gravitas in this role. He isn’t lacking for personality but his mannerisms feel a bit out of place and at times, too cartoonish for the subtlety of The Sopranos. His portrayal seems more Andrew “Dice” Clay than it does Sopranos-esque especially in the 1960-70s setting.
Junior Soprano is portrayed by the always standout, Corey Stoll. He lays the groundwork for much of the angst his character later (?) demonstrates in the series. Stoll’s Junior has a “who me?” quality in a crowded room only to show hair trigger anger a split second later. The actor even throws in some laughable moments in an otherwise dark story.
Michela De Rossi as Giussepina shows more evolution than most of the characters in the film. She immigrates from Italy hoping for a storybook life in America. Instead, she settles into a life of broken promises and physical abuse at the hands of Aldo Moltisanti and later, his son. She moves from wide-eyed beauty queen to a calculated and conniving existence simply trying to survive.
Ray Liotta is underutilized and makes a confusing and poorly explained reappearance after disappearing early in the film. His role almost feels like an afterthought.
Saints misses plenty of opportunities to further develop characters who are unavoidably known to fans of The Sopranos. Setting the storyline against the fiery backdrop of race riots in Newark only serves to distract from the stories each of the characters brings to the mix. The Sopranos was always about the interaction between the key players. It didn’t need to feature historic eras to attract attention. Perhaps those character stories weren’t what the filmmakers wanted to tell? Fair enough. It just isn’t clear if they succeeded in telling the other stories they began telling here either.
Expectations are astronomical when you associate a film with an established brand like The Sopranos. Maybe there is no way to satisfy the appetite of someone coming to The Many Saints Of Newark who is invested in the core Sopranos brand? I’m just not sure that the story would stand up independently without that star to hitch itself to. Hopefully some of this serves as a nucleus for another story (or stories) to be told in this time and place.
by Emily Nagle
Johnny Depp’s daughter Lily-Rose Depp, best known for her roles in “A Faithful Man” and Invincible’s “Yoga Hosers”, has been casted in HBO’s upcoming drama “The Idol.” Depp will star as the female lead alongside series co-creator The Weeknd (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye).
Created by Tesfaye and “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson, “The Idol” is about “a female pop singer who starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult”, according to Deadline.
Other confirmed crew members include Joseph Epstein of “Health and Wellness” for writer and showrunner, in addition to Mary Laws of “Succession” and the Weeknd’s manager Wassim Slaiby as co-executive producers. HBO has not commented regarding details on the upcoming series.
This news was first reported by Deadline on Wednesday afternoon.
Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
By Dana Foster
So it’s been rather dissatisfying “Lady Action-flick Summer”… we were inundated with marketing for that dynamite milk-shake misstep (“Gunpowder Milk-Shake”), let down in the opening 10 minutes… We were upset by the audacity of “Jolt”… and we haven’t viewed “The Protégé,” but we have hope because we like Maggie Q and adore Michael Keaton…
but so far “Kate” is the one 
Hot-wiring elements from similarly successful narratives, Hit-Woman-For-Hire, trained from childhood, “Kate” finds herself poisoned with a day to live at most… the plot is structured into 5 parts mirroring the 5 doses of stimulant “Kate” uses to keep her body from shutting down before righteously ending things with those responsible for her condition.
We’ve always been enamored by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and thought she’d make an incredible action performer. “Kate” is your typical derivative revenge fair that, with style and charisma, raises the bar if ever so slightly within the genre, in a visceral and tight 90 minutes of the level of action choreography the mainstream audience has come to expect from “John Wick” producer David Leitch. We would’ve paid full price to this in theaters…
by Emily Nagle
The release date for the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel “Furiosa” has been delayed a year, and is now set to premiere on Memorial Day 2024 instead of June 23, 2023.
While little is known about the film’s story, the cast has been confirmed to star Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of Furiosa, as well as Tom Hardy, Chris Hemsworth, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Also delayed by the studio is upcoming horror film “Salem’s Lot”, based on Stephen King’s best-selling vampire novel. Its release date has been shifted forward from this winter to September 2022.
By the time “Furiosa” speeds into theaters, the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger that began over the summer will be completed. The media conglomerate will soon be known as Warner Bros. Discovery.
Documentary Aims to Raise Awareness of The Veteran Suicide Epidemic
LOS ANGELES, CA (August 30, 2021) – In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, another epidemic is raging—the high suicide rates among veterans. But independent distributor Invincible Entertainment is attempting to raise awareness of this problem through an epic film, Hell or High Seas.
A new report by Boston University reveals that military suicides are four times higher than deaths in war operations. The report estimates that 30,177 active duty personnel and veterans of post 9/11 wars have died by suicide compared to the 7,057 service members killed in post 9/11 war operations. The report cites several factors that have influenced this high rate of suicide, such as difficulty reintegrating into civilian life, high exposure to trauma, and stress.
Hell or High Seas is a true story of a Navy Vet’s struggle with PTSD after re-entering civilian life, and his quest to sail around Cape Horn to calm the storms within. The film follows former Navy rescue swimmer Taylor Grieger and writer Stephen O’Shea on the adventure of a lifetime. As the two sail the world’s most treacherous ocean waters to raise awareness about veteran suicide, Grieger finds healing from his own painful journey with PTSD.
From director Glenn Holsten, producer Chayne Gregg and executive producer, TV Personality and Founder of the Robert Irvine Foundation, Robert Irvine, Hell or High Seas presents a gripping emotional and physical journey. Grieger and O’Shea were able to capture hundreds of hours of footage over months at sea, including the team’s battle with Hurricane Harvey.This footage was combined with other key footage and interviews shot by Holsten with director of photography John Pope. Working with a team of post-production professionals, Holsten and Gregg have crafted an adventure film with an important message that feels both organic and highly polished.
Commenting on the upcoming launch of the film, Irvine said: “Taylor Grieger’s story is an honorable one, and I hope eye opening for all who watch Hell or High Seas. Through the Robert Irvine Foundation, I’ve dedicated much of my life to raising awareness around the sacrifices that active and retired military members have made on behalf of this great country. To be a part of showcasing this incredible story is an absolute privilege. I am immensely grateful to Taylor for sharing his journey with us.”
Like so many other veterans, Grieger was diagnosed with complex PTSD after his discharge from the military. Sadly, he was given little-to-no guidance on how to cope with his condition, and suffered in silence. At his lowest point, he tried to take his life. Thankfully the universe had other plans and a failed suicide attempt sparked a life-changing mission: conquer Cape Horn to raise awareness about the veteran suicide epidemic, and help pave a smoother path for veterans returning to civilian life.
Hell or High Seas sheds light on a subject that is often considered taboo; however, Grieger is changing the tide through his bravery and honesty in sharing his struggles and charting a path to overcome them. When asked to share his motivation for documenting his experiences of living with PTSD, he explained: “Stephen and I decided to document this because too many of my buddies were leaving the military and killing themselves shortly after. We thought that maybe if we let as many veterans as we could know that they weren’t alone in this fight, that with time your mind can heal, we might be able to turn the tide in the veteran suicide epidemic. We also figured we couldn’t just film ourselves sitting in a room talking about these things, we’d have to do something big and bad enough to grab people’s attention. Hence using this planet’s deadliest waters as the backdrop for our mission, Cape Horn.”
Through this gruelling expedition, Grieger found healing in what could be described as an adventure of therapy. His dream is to get a boat big enough to start running expeditions for vets battling the same issue. He said: “If I could get those guys on the water and show them what it’s like to just be in glass water and a purple sunset, I think it’d give them a different perspective. It gave me a different perspective.”
Founder and CEO of Invincible Entertainment Thomas Ashley is excited about the upcoming launch of the film. Ashley states, “Hell or High Seas is Invincible’s first post COVID theatrical release and we could not think of a better cause to bring people together for. We are truly inspired by the message of hope this film portrays and we know that message will resonate with audiences everywhere.”
Through a series of pre-screenings, Hell or High Seas has already sparked a fresh debate on veteran suicides and what can be done to prevent them. One previewer who saw the film was inspired to contribute to the change. He said: “Most eye-opening documentary I’ve ever seen. Truly amazing what these guys have accomplished and are doing for our veterans. I will definitely join the fight and help raise awareness for this physical and mental struggle that nobody should have to go through alone. One team one fight!”
Set to premiere in theaters on October 8th, Hell or High Seas’ debut follows September’s Suicide Prevention and Awareness month. For further information or to watch a trailer of the film, visit: https://www.invincibleent.com/hell-or-high-seas.
About Invincible Entertainment Partners
Invincible is an established entertainment production and distribution company based in Philadelphia, PA, with diverse operations in OTT, streaming and technology. Invincible manages a massive content catalog of nearly 5,000 assets including major brands such as “The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Kong,” “Double Dragon,” “Highlander” and many others. Invincible operates 12 FAST, Free Ad-supported Streaming TV, networks with channels including FrightFlix, Watch it Kid, Watch it Scream, Cinepride, Dungeon TV, XFC TV, Slopes, El Conflicto and our flagship Galxy TV—a free television streaming service that gives audiences access to great programming from multiple providers. For more information, visit https://www.invincibleent.com/.
About Director Glenn Holsten
Glenn is a documentary storyteller who creates human-driven films from the arts to the sciences with an emphasis on mental health. Long-form documentary credits include WYETH (2018, American Masters/PBS); Hollywood Beauty Salon (2016); The Barefoot Artist (2014); OC87: The Obsessive-Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger’s Movie (2012, Netflix) and Saint of 9/11 (2006, Tribeca Film Festival, Netflix, Amazon).
About FreshFly
FreshFly is a collective of creative storytellers who use imagery to inspire human connections, engage diverse audiences, and captivate the curious.
About The WorkShop
The WorkShop Content Studios is an award-winning production company that produces compelling documentaries and unscripted original content. They bring stories that matter to life and are a turnkey production partner for the biggest names in the industry.
by Emily Nagle
This morning, Netflix revealed the main cast list for its live-action version of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Starring as Aang, the last surviving Airbender, will be Gordon Cormier. Siblings Katara and Sokka will be respectively portrayed by Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley. Dallas Liu is on board to play Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation.
Also confirmed as part of the team as writer, show runner, and executive producer Albert Kim. In a blog post on the Netflix website, he discussed the importance of casting AAPI and Indigenous actors in the series, explaining that it adds a layer of authenticity to the story.
“A live-action version would establish a new benchmark in representation and bring in a whole new generation of fans,” Kim wrote. “This was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly exists, very similar to the one we live in.”
After airing on Nickelodeon for three seasons from 2005 to 2008, “Avatar: The Last Airbender”’s popularity only skyrocketed over the years. The critically acclaimed show even received a sequel, “The Legend of Korra”, which ran from 2012 to 2014 for four seasons.
The creators of the original series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, will not be attached to the upcoming revival. Although they exited the project last summer, the duo established Nickelodeon’s Avatar Studios, which will create all kinds of content set in the “A:TLA” universe.
Get Some Strange!
