Movies
Wagner Moura Joins Kristen Stewart in Panos Cosmatos’ ‘Flesh of the Gods,’ A24 to Distribute
Wagner Moura (“Narcos,” Civil War) will star opposite Kristen Stewart in Flesh of the Gods, with A24 set to distribute in the US, Deadline reports.
The vampire thriller is directed by Panos Cosmatos (Mandy) and written by Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, Sleepy Hollow).
It follows Raoul (Moura) and Alex (Stewart), a married couple in glittering ’80s Los Angeles who descend each evening from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into an electric nighttime realm.
When they cross paths with the mysterious and enigmatic Nameless and her hard-partying cabal, Raoul and Alex are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills and violence.
Oscar Isaac was originally set to play Raoul but had to exit due to scheduling conflicts. Elizabeth Olsen was previously announced to play Nameless; her current involvement is unknown.
Producers include Adam McKay & Betsy Koch for Hyperobject Industries (Don’t Look Up, The Menu), Stewart & Maggie McLean for Nevermind Pictures (The Chronology of Water), and Jonas Katzenstein & Maximilian Leo for Augenschein Filmproduktion (Stowaway).
XYZ Films is handling international sales and financing the project in association with IPR.VC.
Moura is fresh off The Secret Agent, which earned him the distinction of being the first Brazilian nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor — although Michael B. Jordan ultimately won for Sinners.
Kristen Stewart in ‘Love Lies Bleeding’
The Evil Dead franchise is alive and well these days, with brand new installment Evil Dead Burn arriving in theaters this summer and Evil Dead Wrath already set for release in 2028.
But one person you shouldn’t expect to see in either movie is Bruce Campbell, who made it clear back when “Ash vs. Evil Dead” was cancelled that his days of playing Evil Dead hero Ash Williams are very much over. Sure, he made a very small vocal cameo in Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, but Campbell is still sticking to his vow of being retired from playing Ash.
In a new chat with Detroit Free Press, Bruce Campbell again makes it clear that he’s moved on from Ash Williams and the Evil Dead franchise has moved on from Bruce Campbell.
Campbell explains, “We’ve done three things: We moved away from the cabin, we’ve moved away from Sam Raimi, we’ve moved away from Ash and Bruce Campbell.”
“Thankfully, Evil Dead Rise made the most of any money we’ve made from any Evil Dead, so far, and it validated the fact that we can get away from those main elements,” Campbell continues. “You’ve got to find a new audience, because the original Evil Dead fans, you get some of them, you’re not going to get all of them, because they like those original elements.”
“They’re Hollywood, they’re studio movies now,” Campbell says of the franchise today. “They’re not indie movies anymore. And that’s where I found that my use has just phased out.”
Bruce Campbell’s hands-on involvement with the Evil Dead movies has come to an end both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Campbell told Forbes this year, “We had a meeting a couple of years ago and the French director of Evil Dead Burn was there to experience his first script development meeting. He turned in a 10-page treatment to say, “Here’s my rough idea. Here’s what I’m thinking, A to Z’ and I think he got 20 pages of notes back.”
“That’s when I said to myself, ‘You guys got this. I think you guys got this.’ I got tired of arguing points with someone who’s 26 years old about story and structure, and all that sort of stuff, and what matters and what doesn’t,” Campbell explained. “So, I just found out it’s way better to just step back. I’m partners with the guys. Nothing else has changed. I just told them, ‘Guys. I’m actually doing my own thing now, and it takes a lot of time and attention. If I can get fewer emails for approvals not clogging my timeline, that’s good for me at this point.'”
Up next from Bruce Campbell? He directed and stars in the indie comedy Ernie & Emma, which follows a pear salesman who embarks on a journey following the death of his wife.
After 25 years as an executive secretary, Emma leaves behind a detailed list of instructions regarding her ashes, which leads Ernie on a series of challenging and reflective escapades.
Campbell is hitting the road with Ernie & Emma. Follow him on Twitter for updates.