In Development

 

The Thin Man: Rounding out the Golden Age Hollywood remake The Thin Man will be Nell Tiger Free (The Beauty, Forever Hold the Peace), Peter Jacobson (Smile 2, Fly Me to the Moon), and Stephen Graham (The Omen, Fragments of Heart). Richard Linklater is directed the remake, which is also based on the source novel by Dashiell Hammett. Carl Flimmer penned the adaptation.

Cleveland: The crime drama from director Edgar Wright is also filling out its cast with the additions of Pablo Schreiber (Den of Thieves, "Halo"), Manny Jacinto (What We Were Promised, Top Gun: Maverick), Ben Schwartz (Renfield, Sonic the Hedgehog), and Thomas Middleditch (Red Lantern Corps, Splinter Cell: Blacklist). Schreiber and Jacinto will play a pair of hitmen, while Schwartz and Middleditch will play a pair of bumbling police officers. Jimmy Ellis is the writer behind the screenplay.

The Hammer of Thor: The Frost War: Several more familiar faces are set to return for the sequel to The Hammer of Thor Mark Hamill (The Hammer of Thor, Skyrim III: Dovakhiin) is back as Odin, Sophie Lowe (The Hammer of Thor, Poison Ivy: Mind Games) is back as Lady Sif, Laurie Davidson (The Hammer of Thor, Cats) is back as Fandral the Dashing, and Denis Menochet (The Hammer of Thor, The Beasts) is back as Volstagg the Valiant. Roar Uthaug is directing the film once again. The Marvel Universe film was written by Roy Horne. 

Splendour: The fact-based drama about the death of Natalie Wood has added more to its cast. Michael Pitt (Resident Evil 5, Grayson) will play Christopher Walken, Wyatt Russell (Phantasm: Awakening, The Hippie Preacher) will play the captain of the yacht, and Ron Livingston (El Dorado, Thrill of the Kill) will play a detective. Brady Corbert is directing the film.

Danya: Danya has added more talents to its voice cast the hirings of Nick Offerman (Gas Bar Blues, Nick Fury and His Howling Commandos) as a Russian police officer, Sarah Silverman (Spider-Man: Requiem, Maestro) as the manager of a successful rapper who will in turn be voiced by Riz Ahmed (Paki, Sherwood). Genndy Tartakovsky is directing from an original story by Jacob Jones.

The Legend of Zelda: The Legend of Zelda Nintendo video game franchise is finally on its way to the big screen in the form of an animated film from director Jon Watts (Duel, Inner Demons) and writer Dawson Edwards (Metroid, Before Love Came to Kill Us). Noah Schnapp (Police Story: Brother, The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass) and Florence Pugh (Beasts, Eye of the Scarecrow) are set to lead the voice cast as Link and Zelda, respectively.

From the Desk of Alfie Ellison, VP of International Development: Forbidden Planet

 

In a groundbreaking move that promises to redefine the science fiction genre, actor and producer Glen Powell has announced that his production company, Barnstorm, will partner with Last Resort Films Studio to develop an ambitious adaptation and remake of the iconic 1956 film Forbidden Planet.

The project, which will combine Powell's bold vision for modern storytelling with the rich legacy of the original, aims to reimagine the story for a new generation while staying true to the groundbreaking themes that made Forbidden Planet a beloved classic.

Forbidden Planet was originally inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest and set on the distant planet of Altair IV. The story follows a futuristic crew who discover a lost, technologically advanced civilization, only to encounter a terrifying, unseen force that threatens their survival. With groundbreaking special effects for its time and a haunting score, the film became a touchstone for sci-fi fans and filmmakers alike.

“Forbidden Planet is one of those films that has had a profound influence on the sci-fi genre, inspiring everything from Star Trek to Star Wars,” said Glen Powell. “When I first saw it, I was captivated by its world-building, its philosophical themes, and its timeless questions about humanity. It’s an honor to be part of the team that will bring this story back to life and reimagine it for today’s audience.”

The new adaptation will be a mix of cutting-edge visual effects, innovative world-building, and deeper character-driven storytelling, exploring the dangers of unchecked technological power, the complexity of human emotion, and the mystery of the unknown in space. The project will also feature an ensemble cast of rising stars, with Powell himself set to play a leading role alongside other major names still to be announced.

“We’ve assembled a talented team of filmmakers, writers, and designers to ensure this remake honors the spirit of the original while pushing the boundaries of what audiences can expect from a modern sci-fi epic,” said Powell. “We’re working closely with Last Resort Films, whose track record of producing boundary-pushing films aligns perfectly with our goals for Forbidden Planet.”

The remake of Forbidden Planet will be the first project under the new partnership between Barnstorm and Last Resort Films, which plans to produce a slate of ambitious, genre-defining films over the next several years.

“We’re incredibly excited to work with Glen and the Barnstorm team,” said Phil Dolan, CEO of Last Resort Films. “Forbidden Planet is a cultural touchstone, and together, we are going to craft a version that both honors the original’s legacy and provides a fresh, thrilling experience for audiences worldwide.”

For any inquiries please contact LRF Vice President of International Development Alfie Ellison

Forbidden Planet
Project Details:
Based on the novel and film from 1956
Attached Talent:
Star Glen Powell

Release: Sniper

 

Sniper

Genre: Action/Thriller

Director: Jose Padilha

Writer: Nic Suzuki

Based on the 1993 film

Cast: Josh Brolin, Michael Pena, Demian Bichir, Adria Arjona, Ed Harris

Budget: $40,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $40,013,108

Foreign Box Office: $46,583,005

Total Profit: $13,500,236

Reaction: This one turned out to be a smartly conceived, moderate grossing film at the box office. With a $40 million budget, the studio wasn't expecting a $1 billion grosser - a solid profit is plenty at these costs.

“Sniper is a taut, brooding update of the 1993 cult favorite, transformed here into a morally complex slow-burn thriller about conscience in a world that doesn’t reward it. Josh Brolin is in peak form in a role that could’ve easily defaulted to cliché. Director José Padilha drenches the film in tension and murky geopolitics, delivering action that’s visceral but never showy, always grounded in the weight of decisions that can’t be undone. Michael Peña plays against type and Ed Harris’s late-game appearance crackles. While the plot hits familiar beats — ‘one last job,’ a betrayal, a chase — it does so with skill.” - Evelyn Shadwell, The Lexington Herald

"Sniper sticks to familiar territory but executes it with pinpoint accuracy. Between its striking cinematography and edge-of-your-seat pacing, it’s another win for writer Nic Suzuki, who’s quickly showing he can bring his A-game to any genre he touches. Sniper is further proof that Suzuki’s star is only getting brighter." - Dexter Quinn, Cinematic Observer Newsletter

"Sniper is a gritty, morally charged thriller that turns a familiar premise into something more reflective and unsettling - a far cry from the mediocre original. Josh Brolin delivers a weary, nuanced performance as a marksman questioning the meaning of his service, while Michael Peña is chillingly pragmatic as his handler. Director José Padilha brings a harsh realism to both the action and the politics, balancing brutal, grounded shootouts with tense character moments and ethical murk. The Colombian setting feels alive, and the story’s final act smartly pivots from assassination plot to personal reckoning. It’s a film that fires with precision — and leaves its impact long after the shot." - Vince DeSalvo, Empire State Tribune

Rated R for violence and language

Top 10 Wyatt Allen Films

 

Sherman J. Pearson here for another Top 10. Boys from the Forest is Wyatt Allen's 13th film as a writer with Last Resort Films, which means he's overdue as the subject of a Top 10 list.

Top 10 Wyatt Allen Films

10. A German Tragedy

9. The Untitled Paul Nichols Project

8. Boys from the Forest

7. Mr. Happy

6. Antarctica

5. The Life Survey

4. Tamahagane

3. Ruthersville, Brazil

2. Shoe Dog

1. Whaling

Now Showing: Sniper

 

Sniper

Genre: Action/Thriller

Director: Jose Padilha

Writer: Nic Suzuki

Based on the 1993 film

Cast: Josh Brolin, Michael Pena, Demian Bichir, Adria Arjona, Ed Harris

Plot: Tom Beckett (Josh Brolin) lies prone on a jagged, snow-covered rock ledge in a mountain range in an undisclosed Eastern European county. His breath is controlled as he dials in the scope of his sniper rifle. He watches a heavily guarded mountain villa below where a high-value target - a military arms dealer - is hosting a meeting. Beckett makes adjustments for wind and elevation. In his earpiece, Richard Miller (Michael Pena), overseeing from a nearby outpost, checks in. After hours of silence, the target steps outside for a smoke, flanked by guards. Beckett breathes in, exhaling slowly as he takes the shot. The man collapses without a sound as a mist of blood splatters on the snow. Chaos breaks out below, but Beckett is already on the move as he dismantles his rifle. He meets Miller at an extraction helicopter, and they fly away.

Beckett is back in the United States, sitting alone in a bar off some dusty rural highway. While nursing a drink, he stares at a real estate pamphlet in front of him advertising acreage in Montana. His phone vibrates. It's Miller, asking for a sit-down. Beckett knows before the call ends that there's another mission - one final job they always say. At a clandestine CIA safehouse, Miller lays out the assignment. The target is President Miguel Alvarez (Demian Bichir) of Colombia. Beckett bristles - he doesn't like political jobs. Miller sidesteps Beckett's moral protest, assuring him that this one is sanctioned at the highest levels as Alvarez is too idealistic and looking to disrupt cartel and drug control in Colombia, while the CIA wants to maintain the status quo. Beckett doesn't respond.

At a bar off a narrow street in Bogota, Colombia, Beckett sits alone, drink in hand, watching a grainy television bolted above the counter. President Miguel Alvarez is giving a speech—promising to dismantle cartel influence, push out foreign interference, and rebuild Colombia for its people. The locals mostly tune it out. Beckett, half-watching, mutters something dismissive under his breath about how politicians love to talk. A woman at the bar, Maria (Adria Arjona), asks if he always sneers at hope or just when it doesn’t come wrapped in a foreign flag. Beckett gives her a tired shrug, calling it nothing personal. But she doesn’t back off. She launches into a quiet but cutting monologue—about how men like him have judged her country for decades, how her family has lived through the violence and corruption he likely only reads about in reports. Then, she reveals that President Alvarez is her father. She tells him her father’s not perfect, but he’s the first leader in a generation to challenge the cartels and the foreign powers that helped create them. She doesn’t know who Beckett is or why he’s here, but she leaves him with a warning: if he thinks Alvarez is just another corrupt politician, he’s either misinformed—or willfully blind. Then she walks out, leaving Beckett staring at the TV in silence, the speech still playing.

Later that night, Beckett finds Miller alone on the rooftop of their safehouse, overlooking the lights of Bogotá. Beckett asks why they were really sent here. Miller doesn’t look surprised. Becket mentions what Maria told him - that Alvarez is trying to end cartel power, that he’s pushing out foreign contractors, that his government refuses to play by U.S. rules. He wants to know if it’s true. Miller doesn’t flinch. He admits that Alvarez is doing everything he promised, and that’s exactly why they’ve been sent to eliminate him. But Miller makes it clear: their job isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about maintaining the balance of power. Miller reminds him that it's nothing personal - it never is. 

The next morning, Bogotá is buzzing with celebration for the country's Unity Day. Parades roll through the city, fireworks echo in the distance, and in the main plaza, a massive stage has been set for President Alvarez to deliver his keynote address. From a half-crumbled, abandoned apartment building across the square, Beckett lies prone behind his scope. Miller sits nearby, casually checking comms and sipping coffee like it’s any other job. Beckett lines up his shot. The range is perfect. Alvarez is moments from stepping up to the podium. Through the scope, Beckett sees both President Alvarez and his daughter Maria.  Beckett breathes in. Then he lifts his finger from the trigger. He tells Miller quietly that he’s not doing it. He’s out. Miller doesn’t argue. He just rises, grabs his own rifle, and moves toward the window. That’s when Beckett stops him—grabbing his arm. For a moment, it’s still. Then the fight explodes. It’s sudden, savage, and without words. Two trained killers go at each other inside the decaying room, using fists, elbows, broken furniture, anything within reach. Miller slams Beckett into a wall and reaches for his sidearm, but Beckett kicks it away. Beckett pins Miller and drives a broken shard of wood into his gut. Miller gasps, bleeding out, muttering something about how Beckett never understood how the world works. Beckett holds his stare but says nothing. He leaves him slumped in the corner, grabs his pack, and vanishes down the stairwell.

Beckett exits the building and enters the crowded plaza mid parade. Beckett slips into the maze of side streets and alleyways, shedding pieces of gear, scanning constantly. He knows the CIA has contingencies, and Miller wasn’t their only move. Blending into the edge of the crowd, Beckett spots Maria in the front rows, waving a small Colombian flag. He pushes forward through the crowd toward her, brushing past families, vendors, and bodyguards. Once he reaches her, Beckett tells Maria that she and her father are not safe. She sees men in suits closing in through the crowd. Beckett realizes they've been watching him, waiting to see what he would do. Now they know. He makes a quick decision—splits away from Maria, drawing the attention to himself while she moves toward the stage to warn her father. Sirens begin to blare. Security tightens. In seconds, Bogotá erupts from celebration into confusion. Maria tells her father that a foreign operative has warned her that they need to leave the area. Alvarez's aides are wary of her information, but Alvarez believes his daughter. He quickly calls off the public address, retreating behind a wall of security. 

Meanwhile, Beckett is already blocks away, ducking into alleyways, hopping fences, and blending into the city's underbelly. He knows they won’t arrest him—they’ll kill him on sight. The agency can't afford to let a sniper with knowledge of an unsanctioned hit walk around with a conscience. Through his earpiece, still tuned to the CIA's frequency, he hears a voice he recognizes: William Long (Ed Harris), the deputy director, ordering his men to bring Beckett in — and if that’s not possible, to leave nothing behind.

By dusk, the city is locked down. Beckett has made it to a vantage point on a hillside outside Bogotá — an old, half-demolished lookout used during the guerrilla conflicts decades ago. From here, he watches a private airstrip tucked beyond the edge of the city where armored SUVs have pulled up. It’s not government security. It’s CIA. In the scope of his rifle, Beckett spots William Long stepping out of a black vehicle. Long's expression says he already knows what happened. The mission failed. Miller’s dead. Beckett’s gone rogue. He’s here to clean it up. Beckett breathes steadily, crosshairs resting between Long’s eyes. His finger touches the trigger but doesn’t squeeze. Not yet. He flips the safety, shifts slightly, and fires — not at Long, but at the vehicle inches from his head. Long hits the ground for cover. Beckett speaks into his radio. He tells Long he could’ve ended him right now. That he won’t... yet. He informs the deputy director that President Alvarez knows about the assassination attempt. Beckett warns Long that if he or his men come for him or Alvarez again, the next shot won’t miss. Long scans the ridge, looking for Beckett's location. But Beckett’s already gone. 

The next day, Colombian news outlets are ablaze. President Alvarez holds a press conference. He tells the public of an attempt on his life by a foreign agency known for meddling in the region - implying but not directly naming the CIA. Maria stands beside him. Leaked footage begins circulating online - clips of the disrupted Unity Day speech, photos of Miller taken by local civilians just before the chaos. The CIA issues public denials, but behind closed doors, the operation is burned, records erased, loose ends quietly tied.

Far from the city, in the green hush of the Andes, Beckett arrives at a house nestled on a hillside overlooking a river bend. Waiting for him is an envelope - no name, just a national seal. Inside is a deed to the property - a gift from the President Alvarez for saving his life - and maybe a nation. 

Weeks pass. Beckett rises with the sun and feeds the chickens that came with the land. His rifle, once always within reach, now sits locked in a wooden chest.

Resume: Josh Brolin

 

For this edition of Resume, we will take a look at the filmography of the first Best Actor GRA Winner in the studio's history.... Josh Brolin!

Season 1

The Dead Zone

Director: Vincenzo Natali

Writer: Matt Parker

Budget: $61,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $84,952,039

Foreign Box Office: $83,620,080

Total Profit: $83,790,345

Brolin debuted in LRF's 5th film, a new adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone. He played the charismatic villain of the film, which turned out to be pretty big box office hit.

Jonestown

Director: Oliver Stone

Writer: D.R. Cobb

Budget: $42,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $56,245,027

Foreign Box Office: $55,732,146

Total Profit: -$5,899,735

While Jonestown was not a success at the box office initially, it has gone down in history as one of the studio's most acclaimed films. The film went on to win the very first Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor GRA trophies.



Season 3

Inferno

Director: Tom Tykwer

Writer: Mo Buck

Budget: $121,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $153,964,034

Foreign Box Office: $292,834,669

Total Profit: $81,670,433

Brolin next appeared in Season 3 in a supporting capacity as Julius Caesar in one of the circles of Hell in Inferno. The film won the first ever Most Wanted Sequel GRA trophy in addition to its financial success. 



Season 15

Pirate Latitudes

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: Matt Parker

Budget: $125,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $122,579,990

Foreign Box Office: $203,668,906

Total Profit: $26,053,532

After a full dozen seasons away from the studio, Brolin returned as the lead in Ridley Scott's big budget pirate film. It was another hit for Brolin at LRF - but it had no awards love despite pretty good reviews.



Season 21

The Void

Director: Jeff Nichols

Writer: Jimmy Ellis

Budget: $74,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $146,111,095

Foreign Box Office: $135,073,023

Total Profit: $75,765,440​

For the second time in his LRF career, Josh Brolin has found himself the leading man in a film that went on to win the GRA trophies for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy are the only other actors to accomplish this feat more than once.



Season 26

Miracles

Director: Sean Baker

Writer: Chad Taylor

Budget: $47,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $36,920,494

Foreign Box Office: $29,041,002

Total Profit: -$18,004,060

A rare box office mix for Brolin with LRF, but it still wound up with seven GRA nominations - none for his supporting performance though.

Up Next:

Following his role in Sniper, he has lined up a crime drama with director James Mangold - probably due out for release in Season 35. 

Review:

Highest Grossing Film: Inferno ($446,798,703)

Most Profitable Film: Inferno ($81,670,433)

Most Awarded Film: The Void (4 wins + 1 nomination)

Best Reviewed Film: Jonestown (Metascore: 97)

HISTORY LESSON (SEASON 5)

 

Welcome to History Lesson, where we take a closer look at the movies that dare to tackle real-life events with varying levels of accuracy, drama, and WTF casting choices. These films promise to educate and entertain, but more often than not, they rewrite history with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. We’ll be your guide through the land of miscast biopics, dramatic embellishments, and historical “inspired-by” liberties, breaking down whether these flicks are Golden Reel Award-worthy masterpieces or just a big-budget Wikipedia summary. Either way, it’s more fun than your high school history class—and there’s popcorn.

This time around we will take a look at Season 5's fact-based slate....

HISTORY LESSON: Hated: The Ballad of GG Allin

In Hated: The Ballad of GG Allin, Tom Hardy fully embraces the punk icon’s filthy, feral persona with the kind of energy that screams, “What if Mad Max had diarrhea?” Directed by Todd Phillips — yes, the guy behind The Hangover — this biopic is less “inspirational journey” and more “can you believe this guy was a real person?” Hardy stomps around naked, smearing himself in bodily fluids like he’s auditioning for a particularly disturbing art installation. If nothing else, this film is a testament to Hardy’s dedication to roles no one else in Hollywood would touch with a ten-foot pole.... for hygiene reasons.

The movie dives headfirst into GG’s deranged life, starting with his father (Michael Shannon) naming him Jesus Christ and ending with a funeral where the only thing more offensive than the smell was the playlist. Phillips manages to capture the nihilistic punk vibe, though you’re never quite sure if you’re watching a deep character study or an extended dare to the audience. Between the onstage mayhem, heroin-fueled rants, and literal crap-throwing, Hated delivers a biopic so wild it makes Johnny Knoxville look like a model of restraint. It's a surprisingly accurate biopic - just don’t watch it while eating.

HISTORY LESSON: The Life of the Party

The Life of the Party dives headfirst into the glitz, glam, and downfall of silent film star Fatty Arbuckle, with Eric Stonestreet delivering a career-defining performance. Stonestreet captures Arbuckle’s charm and vulnerability, from his meteoric rise as a comedic icon to his catastrophic tumble into scandal. Spielberg recreates the infamous St. Francis Hotel party with the kind of precision that makes you wonder if he’s got a time machine. Between Lara Jean Chorostecki’s conniving Maude Delmont and the absurd courtroom drama led by Richard Dreyfuss as an opportunistic DA, it’s clear the legal system was less about facts and more about headlines. And let’s not forget Rhys Darby as Buster Keaton, loyally defending Arbuckle while trying not to trip over the film’s own melodrama.

The film’s sharpest edge comes in its critique of tabloid-fueled justice, where facts were as flexible as the comedy routines Arbuckle was famous for. Arbuckle is acquitted after three trials, but not before his career and reputation are obliterated. Spielberg gives us the bleak irony of Arbuckle’s brief comeback — he signs a new film contract, only to die of a heart attack that same night. It’s tragic, yes, but Spielberg’s penchant for over-the-top dramatics ensures you’re left both moved and vaguely annoyed at the cosmic unfairness of it all. If nothing else, this film proves Hollywood’s taste for scandal hasn’t changed a bit in a hundred years.

HISTORY LESSON: The Beatles

The Beatles offers a sprawling, time-hopping journey through the lives of the Fab Four, framed by George Harrison’s final days. Ron Howard directs with an earnestness that’s part homage, part docudrama. The cast? It’s eclectic. Daniel Radcliffe as John Lennon is surprisingly intense, while Harry Styles as Paul McCartney straddles the line between dreamy and daft. Fionn Whitehead’s George anchors the story, but Craig Roberts as Ringo seems more like a mate who wandered onto set and stuck around. The film ping-pongs from iconic moments like the Ed Sullivan Show to the rooftop concert, all the while documenting the escalating chaos that tore the band apart. And yes, Yoko’s here (Karen Fukuhara) in all her divisive glory.

The film’s biggest flaw? It tries to do everything — from Beatlemania to Maharishi-fueled spiritual crises — with the subtlety of a Beatles Greatest Hits album commercial. The pacing is as uneven as John and Paul’s friendship by 1969, with moments of genius interspersed with melodrama. Still, Liam Neeson as elder George is quietly affecting, and the final reunion between Paul, Ringo, and George provides some genuine feels. While the movie might stumble under the weight of its own ambition, it’s hard not to hum along as history’s greatest band takes one last bow.