Entertainment News

'John Wick' series director Chad Stahelski talks friendship with "older brother" Keanu Reeves

Lionsgate/Eric Charbonneau

John Wick: Chapter 4 killed it at the box office the world over this weekend, with an estimated $137.5 million debut.

To Good Morning America, franchise director Chad Stahelski looked back at his earliest days with the dude in the bulletproof suit, Keanu Reeves.

The former stuntman turned filmmaker was Keanu's stunt double – Brad Pitt's, too, hence his cameo in Deadpool 2 and his leading role in Brad's recent hit Bullet Train. He and Keanu first met around 1999, Stahelski recalled. "I got the job thinking it was this little sci-fi action movie — and it was not. It's The Matrix.'"

The now-54-year-old director went on to work with Keanu for Constantine, and they stayed close; Chad even helped Reeves with his directorial debut, 2013's Man of Tai Chi.

"There was a massive mentorship going on there, like learning and growing and becoming a better performer, a better stunt person, better stunt coordinator, better choreographer," Stahelski said, seeing Keanu, now 58, as an "older brother" figure.

It was Reeves who brought Stahelski the first John Wick script.

"It was a bit of an odd script. Puppy dies and this guy goes on a rampage," Stahelski recalled. "And he's like, 'Do you have a take on this? We can't quite crack it.'"

Chad said, "I had this take on Greek mythology and how to blow it out and be this surreal love letter to action movies, embracing the idea, 'don't worry about making a movie, but make a myth and make a legend.'"

The rest, as they say, is history: By comparison to Chapter 4's $75.3 domestic opening, 2014's original John Wick opened to just $14 million.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Vincent D'Onofrio spotted in NYC as Kingpin; says second season of 'Daredevil: Born Again' being planned

Netflix

Daredevil fans have been freaking out thanks to Vincent D'Onofrio being snapped on the streets of New York City once again portraying Wilson Fisk/Kingpin on the set of Daredevil: Born Again.

What's more, the celebrated actor — who was brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney+ series Hawkeye after playing him in the acclaimed "Netflix Marvel" shows — tells Newsweek that Born Again is being developed with a second season already in mind. The show is bound for Disney+.

Once again, Charlie Cox returns as blind lawyer turned vigilante Matt Murdock for the show, after appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law; Jon Bernthal also reprises from the Netflix days as Frank Castle/The Punisher.

D'Onofrio explains, "I think we're [only] a couple weeks in, and the show is going to be very, very different than the Netflix show, and it's so exciting because ... I think it's something that people are not going to expect."

The Godfather of Harlem star adds, "But ... the main thing is to answer the fans. To give them what they want but try to be original in some way at the same time, and so that's what we're doing on the show."

He calls it "really deep, really emotional," and noted that "by the second season, there are gigantic, gigantic payoffs — in the first season, too, but I can't say much about that — but the fans are gonna really get what they want. It's really quite cool to be doing it."

It remains to be seen how different Born Again will be from its Netflix predecessors, which can be seen on family-friendly Disney+ in spite of their mature rating.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Indiana Jones and the Golden Palm: Fifth Indy film will reportedly debut at Cannes Film Festival

Lucasfilm

Indiana Jones' fifth cinematic adventure, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, will reportedly debut this spring at the historic Cannes Film Festival.

That's according to Variety, which is reporting "Indy 5" will follow Top Gun: Maverick's takeoff from the famed fest last year, the start of the Tom Cruise blockbuster's more than $1.4 billion strafing run on theaters worldwide.

While the official lineup for this year's event won't be revealed until April 13, the trade speculates that the James Mangold-directed, Steven Spielberg/George Lucas-produced movie starring Harrison Ford will screen on the second or third day of the festival, either May 17 or May 18. The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival runs May 16-27.

Like Maverick, Dial of Destiny won't be in contention for Cannes' coveted top prize, the Palme D'or.

Also starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, John Rhys-Davies and Boyd Holbrook, Lucasfilm's fifth Indy adventure comes to theaters worldwide on June 30.

Lucasfilm is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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Daniel Radcliffe and girlfriend Erin Darke expecting their first baby

Araya Doheny/Getty Images

Daniel Radcliffe and longtime girlfriend girlfriend Erin Darke are expecting their first child, a rep for the Harry Potter alum tells People.

Radcliffe, 33, and Darke, 38, started dating after playing love interests in the 2013 movie Kill Your Darlings. They worked together again on the 2016 movie Don't Think Twice and season three of Radcliffe's TBS series Miracle Workers.

Radcliffe told People last year that he and Darke, 38, were "really happy" together, adding, "I've got a really nice life. I've been with my girlfriend for a decade, pretty much."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Jeremy Renner seen walking on specialized treadmill as part of his recovery

Marvel Studios

In an update to fans on his Instagram stories on Sunday, Marvel movies star Jeremy Renner proved he's back at it, getting in a walking working out on a specialized treadmill following his near-fatal snowplow accident.

Renner, 52, is seen conversing with a person about the so-called anti-gravity treadmill, which secures the user's pelvis and provides weight relief, allowing them to walk normally but with less of their body weight on their legs as they recover.

The Mayor of Kingstown actor explains he's walking using "40% of my weight" as he puts in the work.

He captioned the snippet, "Now is the time for my body to rest and recover from my will."

Renner was seriously injured when he was pulled under the tracks of his snowcat snowplow machine on January 1. He suffered more than 30 broken bones and blunt force trauma in the accident.

The Avengers and Hawkeye star was airlifted from the scene and underwent emergency surgery, then spent weeks in intensive care before continuing his recovery at his home outside Reno, Nevada.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


In Brief: 'Grey's Anatomy' renewed for season 20, and more

Nicholas Lloyd Webber, son of musical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, died in Basingstoke, England on March 25, after an 18-month-long battle with gastric cancer, Lloyd Webber announced on Saturday. He was 43. “I am shattered to have to announce that my beloved elder son Nick died a few hours ago in Basingstoke Hospital,” the elder Lloyd Webber shared Saturday on Twitter. “His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft." Nicholas Lloyd Webber followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, becoming a Grammy-nominated composer as well as a record producer. Nick worked on feature films, short films, television and theater projects, most recently the 2021 Bad Cinderella original cast album, along with his father...

Jon Hamm is joining the cast of Paramount+'s Mean Girls Musical in the role of Coach Carr, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He joins previously announced cast members Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey and Reneé Rapp. Along with original star and writer Tina Fey, Tim Meadows will also be returning to the screen. Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps, Avantika, Mahi Alam, Christopher Briney, Bebe Wood, Ashley Park and Connor Ratliff also star in the movie, an adaptation the Broadway musical that itself is an adaptation of the original 2004 teen comedy film...

Following Trevor Noah’s exit from The Daily Show back in December, Comedy Central has set dates for the next five guest hosts. Former Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. will sit in the anchor chair the week of April 3, followed by Jordan Klepper the week of the April 17, Desi Lydic the week of April 24, Dulcé Sloan the week of May 1 and Michael Kosta the week of May 8. Ronny Chieng and Lewis Black are also set to guest host, with their dates to be announced. The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central...

Variety reports Grey’s Anatomy, already the longest running primetime medical drama in TV history, has been renewed for season 20 at ABC. After 19 seasons, Grey's Anatomy ranks as the network’s number-one show among adults 18-49, averaging 10.7 million viewers per episode in Live+35 viewing across all platforms, per ABC. The season 19 finale of Grey’s Anatomy will air on May 18...

Schitt's Creek alum Eugene Levy has been tapped to star in the upcoming feature comedy Summer Camp, joining Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, according to Deadline. The movie follows three childhood friends who spent their childhood summers together at sleepaway camp. After drifting apart they attend a camp reunion, where they're reminded of how much they need each other. The film is set to begin shooting in April...

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'John Wick: Chapter 4' tops the box office with franchise record $73.5 million debut

Lionsgate

John Wick: Chapter 4 blew away the competition at the North American box office, opening with an estimated $73.5 million. The latest chapter in the action series, led by Keanu Reeves, recorded a franchise-best debut, topping the previous series high of $56.8 million set by John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Internationally, John Wick: Chapter 4 collected an estimated $64 million, bringing its global tally to $137.5 million.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods dipped to second place, with an estimated $9.7 million, bringing its current domestic total to $46 million.

Third place belonged to Scream VI, delivering an estimated $8.4 million. The latest installment in the slasher franchise has grossed $89.8 million in North America and another $49.4 million internationally after three weeks.

Creed III landed in fourth place with an estimated $8.36 million at the domestic box office, bringing its four-week tally to $140.8 million. The third Creed movie added another $105 million at the international box office for a global haul of $245.8 million..

Rounding out the top five was the prehistoric thriller 65, grabbing an estimated $3.2 million in its third week of release. Its domestic tally now stands at $27.8 million.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Jonathan Majors' attorney says actor is "completely innocent" following assault arrest

ABC

Following his arrest in an alleged domestic assault incident Saturday, Jonathan Majors’ attorney released a statement denying allegations of wrongdoing.

"Jonathan Majors is completely innocent ... We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently," Priya Chaudhry, Majors' attorney, said in a statement Sunday.

Chaudhry said the evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where the alleged assault occurred, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the alleged incident, "and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations."

"The NYPD is required to make an arrest in these situations, and this is the only reason Mr. Majors was arrested. We expect these charges to be dropped soon," Chaudhry's statement said.

Police officers initially responded to a 911 call Majors made himself, purportedly over concerns about his girlfriend, with whom he lives in a penthouse apartment in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, police sources told ABC News.

The girlfriend, whose name was not released, told officers she and Majors were in a taxi on their way home from a bar in Brooklyn when, she alleged, he physically attacked her, the sources said.

Majors was charged with two misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault, second-degree aggravated harassment, second-degree harassment and third-degree attempted assault.

He appeared briefly in court, and a judge released him on his own recognizance. His next court date is May 8.

Repercussions over the Creed III actor's arrest have already started. The U.S. Army Enterprise Marketing Office announced Sunday that it is pulling two advertisements Majors appears in as part of the army's "Be All You Can Be" recruitment campaign.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Jonathan Majors arrested on assault charges; rep denies wrongdoing

ABC

Jonathan Majors was arrested Saturday following an alleged domestic dispute in New York City, ABC News has confirmed.

According to a statement from an NYPD spokesperson, a 911 call was made from a Chelsea apartment Saturday morning. The 30-year-old female victim told police she had been assaulted. Police said the victim “sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition.”

Majors was taken into custody on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment.

A representative for the 33-year-old actor told ABC News that Majors “has done nothing wrong.”  “We look forward to clearing his name and clearing this up,” the rep said.

Majors most recently appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski crash trial

ABC/Christopher Willard

Gwyneth Paltrow has taken the stand in the civil trial for a ski accident that occurred on February 26, 2016.

Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, filed a lawsuit in January 2019 accusing Paltrow of crashing into him on the slopes at Deer Valley Ski Resort in Utah, claiming he was left "seriously injured" as a result.

Sanderson's original complaint claims that Paltrow allegedly "skied out of control and hit the back of Terry Sanderson, another skier, who was downhill, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries."

In an amended complaint filed in February 2019, Sanderson changed the value of damages he is seeking in the lawsuit from $3.1 million to $300,000.

Paltrow filed a countersuit in which she claimed it was Sanderson who crashed into her, delivering a "full 'body blow'" when he "plowed into her back."

The award-winning actress called Sanderson's lawsuit an "attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth."

Paltrow said her injuries were "relatively minor" and that she is only seeking "symbolic damages" of $1 plus costs for lawyers fees from Sanderson for defending herself against "this meritless claim."

So far in the trial, the jury has heard opening remarks from both Paltrow's and Sanderson's attorneys, as well as testimony from a slew of doctors and a person Sanderson's defense claims is the sole witness of the crash.

Sanderson's ex-girlfriend and two of his daughters have also taken the stand, as did the brother of Sanderson's son-in-law.

Paltrow's attorney said the Goop CEO's husband, Brad Falchuk, who was her boyfriend at the time of the accident, and her two children, daughter Apple and son Moses, will take the stand in the trial.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'John Wick: Chapter 4' already killing it at the box office

Lionsgate

Fans are apparently ready for John Wick to be back. The fourth chapter of the hit franchise has already broken a series record, and it only officially hit theaters on Friday.

Variety reports John Wick: Chapter 4 snagged some $8.9 million in sneak preview ticket sales in this country on Thursday alone.

By comparison, the last film in the series, Chapter 3: Parabellum, earned $5.9 million in its domestic sneaks, John Wick 2 earned $2.2 million and the original made $950,000 during its Thursday night screenings, according to the trade.

The latest installment's huge sneaks have put Keanu Reeves' latest adventure as Baba Yaga on track for not only a record opening for the series, but an impressive weekend open overall, with an expected take of up to $70 million.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Adam McKay arrests Robert Downey Jr., Robert Pattinson, Amy Adams and more for serial killer satire

Netflix/Dimitrios Kambouris

Director-writer Adam McKay, who recently called the shots on Netflix's environmental disaster movie Don't Look Up, starring Oscar winners Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, has lined up some major stars for his next big comedy.

Deadline reports Oscar-nominated screenwriter McKay has netted Robert Downey Jr., The Batman's Robert Pattinson, Till's Danielle Deadwyler, and Oscar winners Amy Adams and Forest Whitaker for a dark comedy centering on a serial killer.

The trade reports Average Height, Average Build will have Pattinson playing a killer who turns to a Washington DC lobbyist, played by Adams, in an effort to help change the laws so that he could literally get away with murder.

Deadline says Downey will play a retired cop who still wants to bring the killer to justice. The film will reportedly start production later this year, bound for either theaters or streaming.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth divorcing after 12 years of marriage

Presley Ann/Getty Images for Icelandic Glacial

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth are divorcing after 12 years of marriage.

The Legally Blonde actress took to Instagram on Friday, March 24, to share a joint statement from herself and Toth announcing the split, which comes days before their 12th anniversary on March 26.

"We have some personal news to share," the statement began. "It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce. We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness, and mutual respect for everything we have created together.

"Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter," the statement continued. "These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone's respect for our family's privacy at this time."

Witherspoon and Toth married in March 2011 and share son Tennessee, who turned 10 last year.

Prior to Toth, Witherspoon was married to her Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Phillippe from 1999 to 2008. She and Phillippe share two children, daughter Ava, 23, and son Deacon, 19.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


James Cameron is concerned AI "could be the end of the world"

20th Century Studios

Oscar-winning director James Cameron knows a thing or two about artificial intelligence — after all, he conceived of Skynet, the AI system that tried to end humanity in the Terminator films.

However, in real life, he tells Sean Hayes, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman's SmartLess podcast that we also have something to fear about the technology.

"I'm not afraid but I'm certainly pretty concerned about the potential of misuse of AI,'' the Avatar director said. "I think AI can be pretty great. I think it could also literally be the end of the world."

He agreed that experts in the field "start laughing" at him when he brings it up, given his Terminator bona fides, but he clarifies, "The point is that no technology has ever not been weaponized."

Cameron asks, "And do we really want to be fighting something smarter than us that isn't us? On our own world? I don't think so."

He also added, "Look, an AI could have taken over the world and already be manipulating it but we just don't know because it would have total control over all the media and everything. And what better explanation is there for how absurd everything is right now?" he said. "Because nothing makes a damn bit of sense to me, I don't know about you guys," he said to his hosts.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Going down the 'Rabbit Hole' with Kiefer Sutherland's new Paramount+ series

Paramount+/Michael Gibson

On Sunday, Kiefer Sutherland returns to TV with Paramount+'s new thriller series Rabbit Hole. The 24 veteran executive produces and stars as John Weir, an expert in corporate espionage, who takes on a routine job that lands him in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. 

The show touches on some ripped-from-the-headlines topics, from fragile digital banking systems to an omnipresent security state and deepfake tech. Sutherland tells ABC Audio, "It's alarming. But the truth is we're in the middle of a technological revolution ... our capabilities of manipulating information, manipulating other people's images and voice imaging is changing dynamically by the week."

He adds, "And, you know, and some of it can be used for good and some of it can be used for bad. We do a bit of both in the context of our show."

His character is a master of this bleeding edge tech and its uses, but Sutherland explains even he gets in over his head. "The duality of that is what really attracted me to the character. He's incredibly smart, easy, he's sophisticated, he's witty ... he's got a sense of humor, but he's also incredibly vulnerable."

Kiefer continues, "With every gift comes, you know, your Achilles heel. And he has a ... finite gift with numbers where he can use numbers very fast in his brain to predict probabilities and likely outcomes. But if he runs into a situation that's so complicated that he can't round out that number, he starts to go down what we call the proverbial rabbit hole and starts to emotionally come undone." 

The series kicks off Sunday night on Paramount+. 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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