Daily Archives: December 4, 2024

The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie Wraps Filming, Receives Exciting Grogu Update

Filming for The Mandalorian & Grogu has officially wrapped and Dave Filoni is hyped about Grogu’s evolution. Confirmed as the next Star Wars movie on the docket, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a continuation of the hit Disney+ series starring the galaxy’s favorite father-and-son duo and is well on its way to theaters in 2026. Dave Filoni Talks The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Headlining “Star” 
The DirectAt the premiere of Skeleton Crew, Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni confirmed filming has wrapped on The Mandalorian & Grogu and teased what to expect from Grogu’s big screen debut. When asked by Extra TV about what he could share about the film, in true Filoni fashion, he first answered, “Nothing.”Yet, he couldn’t help but praise the franchise’s biggest pint-sized star, Grogu, and the exciting advanced puppetry for the character, saying, “It’s amazing how it’s evolved:””Nothing. Nothing, of course. I’m very excited about it as well. John [Favreau] and I had a great time working on that as we always do. It was great seeing Grogu. He’s become such a star. It’s amazing how it’s evolved, what we can do now with the puppetry compared to Season 1, and where we are today in a film working with the team, which I worked quite a bit with them on the puppetry. Legacy Effects. Fantastic job. What a wonderful little creation Grogu is.”A New and Improved Grogu for The Mandalorian Movie?Not only has Grogu’s puppetry improved since The Mandalorian debuted in 2019, but the series has shown that Grogu himself is growing up. In Season 1, he was introduced as an infant. But throughout Season 2 and Season 3, Grogu has become progressively more active and independent, as well as stronger with the Force. Knowing that the puppetry and effects have improved for the film is exciting as audiences may see more of action hero Grogu than ever before when the film debuts (check out a description of The Mandalorian & Grogu D23 trailer here). But now that The Mandalorian & Grogu is officially in the can, more news about the film and its cast are surely on the way. Lucasfilm has already unveiled The Mandalorian & Grogu’s new updated logo, and Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025 is a good bet for when fans will see the film’s official trailer. The Mandalorian & Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22, 2026. 

Local Christmas movie podcasters to host first live show in Crystal Lake

Local podcasters Mark Chandler and Bob Baker will host their first live show of the podcast “Festive Foreign Film Fans” next week at Duke’s Alehouse in Crystal Lake.Baker, the Trout Valley village president, and Chandler, a Cary resident, host the bimonthly podcast that explores festive films, music, food and customs from around the world. Each episode, described as a “global Christmas party,” covers a Christmas movie from a different country that they review and discuss.“What has been amazing to me is … how much we have in common as a people,” Baker said. “It’s kind of nice to see that especially under the guise of Christmas.”The idea came to Baker when he was at his peak of podcast listening during the pandemic. He was looking at Christmas-themed ones and decided he could bring something new and niche to the market.“I started thinking, ‘Well, I could do that,’” he said. “There’s like 800,000 podcasts and I am the only one covering foreign Christmas movies.”Baker asked Chandler, who has been his friend for years, to be the cohost because of his love for movies.“I thought he was just kidding me, but he convinced me to give it a try,” Chandler said. “It’s been a blast.”The duo has recorded at Waysound Recording Studio in Fox River Grove ever since they started in June 2023. They have covered countries like Taiwan, Poland, Ireland, Slovenia and Lebanon. Their favorite part of the podcast is learning about different perspectives and exploring places they never been to.“In some of these movies, there’s a lot of heartache that is occurring, but it shows how Christmas brings a little bit of light and laughter or joy in some dark times,” Chandler said.Sometimes, it can be a challenge to find Christmas movies in countries that don’t have a predominantly Christian population. Baker said if he looks hard enough, he can find something, like the time he has discovered Native American and Algerian Christmas films. At other times, the pair will find Christmas-related films like a documentary that covered a city in China that produces the majority of Christmas lights for the world.“We’ve tackled really happy, fun movies and some serious sides of the Christmas season,” Chandler said.The first live show of “Festive Foreign Film Fans” will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12 at Duke’s Alehouse, located at 110 N. Main St., Crystal Lake. The free-entry event will have trivia and special guests including Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian.“We’re bringing elements of our podcast, but trying to make it more interactive and fun,” Baker said.They will also have international desserts from KD Market, Anna’s Bakery and Pots and Pies Bakery at the show so people can get a taste of Christmas from around the world. Both hosts hope to have more live shows in the future.“I think they will laugh, I think they will enjoy our perspective of these movies,” Chandler said. “I just hope it snows ever so lightly that it gives us this feel for the holiday season.”The podcast can be found at 4fpodcast.buzzsprout.com and on iTunes, Google, Spotify and other places where podcasts are found.

New Sylvester Stallone Movie Splattered With 0% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Rotten Tomatoes critics are showing no mercy in their reviews of Sylvester Stallone’s latest movie.

Armor—starring Stallone and Jason Patric—was quietly released on digital streaming via premium video on demand on November 22.

The logline for the film reads, “A father and son working as security guards for an armored truck company encounter a team of would-be robbers while on a bridge. They become trapped and must come up with a plan to escape and ensure their survival.”

To date, Rotten Tomatoes critics have collectively given Armor a 0% rating based on 20 reviews. Since less than 50 verified user ratings have been submitted to RT by viewers, Armor still does not have a rating on the site’s Popcornmeter.

Prior to the release of Armor, Stallone’s lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes was the 2014 drama Reach Me, which had a 4% “rotten” rating based on 23 reviews.

Stallone’s lowest-rated film on RT as a director only is 1983’s Staying Alive—the sequel to John Travolta’s 1977 blockbuster Saturday Night Fever—which earned a 0% “rotten” rating based on 30 reviews.

On the flip side, Stallone’s highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is the 1976 classic boxing drama Rocky, which earned a 93% “fresh” rating based on 73 reviews.

What Are Individual Critics Saying About Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Armor’?
Dennis Harvey is among the top critics on Rotten Tomatoes giving Sylvester Stallone’s Armor a “rotten” review.
In his takedown of the film for Variety, Harvey writes, “Neither its staging nor its performances transcend the limitations of Adrian Speckert and Cory Todd Hughes’ script, leaving mediocre material unredeemed by any special thrills, style, or character detailing.”
Also, in his “rotten” review of the film, Glenn Kenny of Roger Ebert online writes, “Even at its relatively trim 89-minute runtime, Armorfeels padded.”
Aiden Kelly took the opportunity in his Collider review to point out a couple other of Lionsgate’s recent movie failures, writing, “Where Lionsgate’s other ill-fated action ventures like Borderlands and The Crow might be remembered as examples of what not to do for an action film, Armor may not even be remembered at all.”
Stallone, 78, has been keeping himself busy in the past couple of years with the Paramount+ crime drama Tulsa King, which recently wrapped up its second season.
Rated R, Armor is directed by Justin Routt and in addition to Sylvester Stallone and Jason Patric stars Dash Mihok and Josh Wiggins. The film is currently available for purchase or rent on PVOD.

Nicole Kidman blushes over orgasm question about ‘disturbing’ new film: ‘I’m very interested in exploring those things’

Even Nicole Kidman gets embarrassed talking about sex.

The actress, 57, covered her face with both hands when asked how she was able to portray different types of orgasms in her new erotic movie “Babygirl.”

“I blush, still! That’s insane,” Kidman told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday.

Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl.” A24 / YouTube

“But that’s a good thing, I suppose,” she added. “I’m very interested in exploring those things, but I’m not that extroverted. I was so in character. To pull the curtain back on all of it, it’s too sacred.”

In the Halina Reijn-directed film, Kidman plays a powerful businesswoman who risks her career and family life to have a passionate affair with her much younger intern.

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Harris Dickinson, 28, from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” plays said intern.

Nicole Kidman for the Hollywood Reporter. Alique

Nicole Kidman for the Hollywood Reporter. Alique

As the interviewer pointed out, Kidman’s character has an orgasm with her husband (played by Antonio Banderas) in the beginning of the film that differs from her later orgasms, that she seemingly has with her intern, “where she she’s not worried what anyone thinks of her.”

Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson in “Babygirl.” Courtesy Everett Collection

“Those ones may not look pretty or sound pretty,” Kidman explained. “Or be what we think is pretty. Halina has always wanted to do something like this. That’s probably why we constantly say we need women in all areas of filmmaking, telling different stories. It’s not just to be more fair. It’s actually because it’s kind of fascinating.”

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in “Babygirl.” Courtesy Everett Collection

“And for people to feel, ‘I can be who I am.’ I want people to go see this in the cinema, not just clicking on this at home, secretly, watching it in their own little secret way. There’s something extraordinary about seeing it with a group of people,” she continued.

Considering the sexual nature of the film, Kidman acknowledged that at least one of her scenes will become a meme on the internet — and that doesn’t completely bother her.

Nicole Kidman for the Hollywood Reporter. Alique

“You’ve got to let go and be able to make fun of yourself,” she shared. “It’s very much an Australian trait, but I think it’s a necessary trait for life. I know who I am. I try to stay deeply focused on my authentic self and stay with that. Everything else is beyond my control.”

Kidman added, “But let’s wait and see what happens with the [memes from] Babygirl. I may be terribly upset the next time you talk to me.”

The “Big Little Lies” star also said that her role in “Babygirl” made her feel “beautiful” since “a lot of times women are discarded at a certain period of their career as a sexual being.”

Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl.” Courtesy Everett Collection

Antonio Banderas, Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl.” Courtesy Everett Collection

“My character has reached a stage where she’s got all this power, but she’s not sure who she is, what she wants, what she desires, even though she seems to have it all. And I think that’s really relatable,” Kidman explained. “There are many women who are going, ‘Well, I’ve done this, I’ve got children, I’ve got this husband, and what do I actually want? Who am I and what are my desires? Do I have to pretend to be something else for people to love me?’”

“I think it’s very releasing, this film. I hope it is,” she went on. “I’ve had some people say it’s the most disturbing film they’ve ever seen, which I’m like, ‘Oh no, I’m so sorry.’”

Nicole Kidman at the Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Gala on Dec. 4. REUTERS

Kidman is receiving high praise for her performance in the forthcoming film.

At the Venice Film Festival in August, she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.

Meanwhile, the National Board of Review named Kidman the 2024 Best Actress for her performance.

“Babygirl” comes out in theaters on Christmas Day.