Movies
‘Hunger Games’ Takes on Battle Royale, Running Man Feel
All it took were two titles to get me beyond excited. Being pitched as Battle Royale meets Running Man is Suzanne Collins’ futuristic young adult novel Hunger Games, which is being adapted for the big screen by Nina Jacobson and her Color Force shingle. You can read all about it inside.
The Scholastic book, the first of a trilogy, has a “Battle Royale” meets “Running Man” feel to it, tackling contemporary culture by telling the story of an America where the subjugated districts must pay tribute in the form of a boy and a girl who are forced to participate in a televised battle to the death.
The book, which was released last year to solid reviews and even made the lists of top children’s literature, flew past most execs until “Twilight” author Stephanie Meyer raved about it on her blog. Stephen King also praised the book.
That put development execs at Scott Free, Spyglass, Warners and Lionsgate on the case, though Jacobson’s tenacity won out. Her intent is to quickly incubate the project before taking it to studios.
The former studio exec is in preproduction on “Diary of Wimpy Kid,” the adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s popular book series that Thor Freudenthal is directing. Brad Simpson is also producing.
After pulling in $28 million at the worldwide box office this month, director (and star) Dev Patel’s critically acclaimed action-thriller Monkey Man is now available to watch at home.
You can rent Monkey Man for $19.99 or digitally purchase the film for $24.99!
Monkey Man is currently 88% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with Bloody Disgusting’s head critic Meagan Navarro awarding the film 4.5/5 stars in her review out of SXSW back in March.
Meagan raves, “While the violence onscreen is palpable and painful, it’s not just the exquisite fight choreography and thrilling action set pieces that set Monkey Man apart but also its political consciousness, unique narrative structure, and myth-making scale.”
“While Monkey Man pays tribute to all of the action genre’s greats, from the Indonesian action classics to Korean revenge cinema and even a John Wick joke or two, Dev Patel’s cultural spin and unique narrative structure leave behind all influences in the dust for new terrain,” Meagan’s review continues.
She adds, “Monkey Man presents Dev Patel as a new action hero, a tenacious underdog with a penetrating stare who bites, bludgeons, and stabs his way through bodies to gloriously bloody excess. More excitingly, the film introduces Patel as a strong visionary right out of the gate.”
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Monkey Man is produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Mountain Man’ – Joe Manganiello Will Battle Zombies in Upcoming Horror Movie
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
‘Trap’ – Official Trailer Previews a Wild New Horror Experience from M. Night Shyamalan
‘The Exorcism’ – Russell Crowe Stars in Horror Movie Formerly Titled ‘The Georgetown Project’
You must be logged in to post a comment.