The Trades with Reuben Schwartz (Season 36)

 

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Trades! My name is Reuben Schwartz and this is my annual look at the news, casting, rumors, and general happenings at the studio each season.

There’s no better place to start than Gray, seemingly the talk of the town these days. Roy Horne re-teamed with Luca Guadagnino for this visceral re-telling of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Some box office insiders claim the film’s controversial NC-17 rating put a natural cap on its earning potential, leading some to question Phil Dolan’s decision to keep that rating. Was the economic sacrifice worth it for a bet on creativity? There’s a few things to discuss here:

-A resounding success for Alfie Ellison and the International Development team at LRF. These projects take time and Gray shows that it was well worth the wait. This shows the promise of the premise, where it’s all about getting the right idea in front of the writer who knows how to make it come to life.

-Chalamet has had a bit of a whirlwind career at LRF. After a fairly prolific first ten seasons, he certainly hit a rough patch in the teens and twenties and had lost claim to status of most talented leading man of his generation. Don’t look know, but the combination of Roy Horne and Luca Guadagnino have slowly helped Timothee rehabilitate that stardom. He finally earned his first Best Actor nom in Season 31 with Hideaway and now seems likely to land a second for Gray. Multiple sources I talked to are eager to see what his next moves are as he continues to reshape this next phase of his career.

-Is horror about to finally have its moment? In 35 seasons, the genre has been a steady presence in LRF’s release schedule but has never won Best Picture. At the halfway point in the season, Gray has firmly taken the front-runner mantle and buzz is growing among the horror community.

But that doesn’t mean any of the races are uninteresting at this point. The pairings of John Malone and Jimmy Ellis have proved very successful in the past and Pirouette continues that tradition. Outside of Picture and Director, their biggest site of competition at this point may be in the Best Supporting Actress category, where the likes of Uma Thurman, Emma Mackey, and Bella Heathcote have been drawing up buzz.

We already have two strong contenders for Best Actress in Monica Barbaro and Cate Blanchett. Cate has one Best Actress trophy already for Guilt in Season 4, written by James Morgan. There is something poetic about her being in contention again, now with a different member of Mo Buck’s Writers Association.

The box office, as always, could use a little work. The massive flop of Stretch Armstrong was particularly disappointing, especially considering the pedigree of directors and star. On the bright side, the success of things like Donkey Kong Country and Boba Fett show promise—the former solidifying Nintendo as a brand to be reckoned with and the latter cementing Jason Momoa as an A-list star.

It will be exciting to see if the second half of the season can match the twist and turns of the first. The slate seems balanced in terms of familiar adaptations and based-on-true-stories with high potential. If we return here after Round 10 and there are more serious contenders in the Best Picture race, I would take that as a sign that we're in for a good season.

GOSSIP RAG (SEASON 36)

 

In this segment, we will delve into the inside dirt on some of the latest and upcoming LRF releases and the studio's stars....

FINN WOLFHARD

Finn Wolfhard took a big swing this season - and it might’ve missed the page entirely. When approached to star in the R-rated, adult-targeted adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (yes, really), Wolfhard wasn’t sold on the idea.... unless he could also direct. Fresh off his co-directing debut with Hell of a Summer, the young actor-turned-filmmaker reportedly offered to take a pay cut on his starring fee if allowed to continue developing his directorial skills on the project. The studio agreed, and the result was a raunchy stoner comedy about Greg Heffley as a disillusioned twenty-something - a film that baffled longtime fans and never found its audience. Though the project bombed at the box office and was savaged for its concept and script, critics were oddly kind to Wolfhard himself. “The movie’s bad, but not his fault,” one review read. “He directed the hell out of a terrible idea.”

MONICA BARBARO

Monica Barbaro went back to her roots - en pointe. The Top Gun: Maverick headlined Pirouette, a Paris-set ballet drama from French director Maïwenn, and sources say the role felt like a full-circle moment. Before she was an actress, Barbaro trained in ballet and dance, and while she’s no stranger to the barre, she reportedly pushed herself harder than ever to meet the film’s exacting demands. Working with elite choreographers and shadowing real dancers inside the Paris Opera Ballet, Barbaro trained daily to capture the physical toll and artistic rigor of the role. 

TIMOTHEE CHALAMET & LUCA GUADAGNINO

When Timothée Chalamet and Luca Guadagnino reunite, expect beauty, desire… and apparently, chaos. Their latest collaboration, Gray - a sleek, modern reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray set in present-day New York - has already become one of the most talked-about films of the season, for all the right and wrong reasons. With the duo’s indie prestige and creative clout, Last Resort Films reportedly gave the team near-total freedom - only to be blindsided when the final cut arrived drenched in graphic violence, explicit sexuality, and scenes that made multiple executives audibly gasp in the screening room. Still, LRF president Phil Dolan chose to stand by his artists, greenlighting a wide release for the version that the MPAA slapped an NC-17 rating on. One insider put it bluntly: “It’s not for the faint of heart, but it might be a masterpiece." Predictably, the rating was a box office handicap, but even with limited marketing and theater access, Gray became one of the highest-grossing NC-17 films ever, falling just short of Lust, Caution's long-held record. 

JAMIE FOXX

Jamie Foxx isn’t just playing President Barack Obama - he’s becoming him. In the upcoming political thriller Kill Bin Laden, which chronicles the tense behind-the-scenes planning of the 2011 raid that brought down Osama Bin Laden, Foxx reportedly dove headfirst into the role with the kind of dedication he brought to Ray. Despite the cloud of mystery still surrounding his recent medical scare last year, sources say Foxx’s commitment never wavered. He worked with dialect coaches to master Obama’s calm, measured delivery, studied hours of archival footage and press conferences, and even consulted former White House staffers. “He came back focused, sharp, and totally locked in,” one crew member shared. “Whatever happened health-wise, it didn’t slow him down for a second.”

SYDNEY SWEENEY

Sydney Sweeney is stepping out of her comfort zone and into rock legend territory, taking on the role of Stevie Nicks in the hotly anticipated Fleetwood Mac biopic The Chain. Known for her seductive screen presence and emotionally raw performances, Sweeney is reportedly going all-in to portray the witchy, tambourine-toting icon - studying old concert footage, perfecting Nicks’ smoky vocals, and even working with a dialect coach to master her breathy, ethereal tone. Sources say Sweeney has been spotted around L.A. in flowing shawls and platform boots, staying in character between rehearsals and music sessions. “She’s not doing a parody - she’s trying to become Stevie,” one crew member shared. With vocal training, live performance scenes, and plenty of backstage drama on deck, The Chain could be Sweeney’s biggest artistic gamble yet. We won't know until the end of the season as The Chain is set to close out Season 36.

PREMIERE MAGAZINE #355

 

The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (SEASON 36 ROUND 5)

 

We're officially at the halfway point of Season 36, but the season still all over the place. There have been enough quality films to keep me engaged, but the box office has been living paycheck to paycheck. Here's The Roundup....

LUKE CAGE: THE PURPLE MAN

This is how you make a sequel. One of the easiest mistakes filmmakers make is simply trying to recreate what worked the first time. Dwight Gallo, Jimmy Ellis, and George Tillman Jr. wisely avoided that trap. The first Luke Cage embraced the gritty blaxploitation feel of early-'70s Harlem. Instead of repeating themselves, Luke Cage: The Purple Man shifts into the flashier disco era, and the movie's entire personality changes with it.

That's a risky move.

Change too much and audiences reject it. Change too little and they accuse you of making the same movie twice. Somehow this team threaded the needle. The new aesthetic feels fresh without abandoning what made the original work, and the Purple Man himself gives the sequel a completely different type of threat. It's a sequel that evolves instead of imitates, and that's exactly what franchise filmmaking should strive for.

ECHOES OF RED

Here's the frustrating thing about Echoes of Red: It's so close. The foundation is incredibly strong. The cast is loaded with talent, the central mystery keeps you invested, and Cate Blanchett finally gets an LRF role worthy of an actress of her caliber. It's been several seasons since she's had material this substantial, and she absolutely takes advantage of it. This feels like one of those performances that's going to linger in the awards conversation all season.

I have my issues with the movie—and we'll get to those in a minute—but when a film gives an actor like Blanchett room to really work, that's worth celebrating. Sometimes a movie doesn't have to be perfect to remind you why certain performers remain among the best in the business.

PROFITS

Now let's talk about the elephant in the room.

Less than half a billion dollars in total profits through fifteen releases. That's... concerning.

Season 36 still has time to recover, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to imagine this slate reaching the billion-dollar profit mark unless the back half catches absolute fire. The problem isn't the blockbusters—they've done their job. The problem is that too many films are merely breaking even or losing money outright.

This season has produced enough quality movies. It just hasn't produced enough profitable ones.

1016 WEST MONROE

Jazz is fertile ground for drama. Chicago is fertile ground for drama. Put those elements together and you should have something rich, emotional, and alive. Instead, 1016 West Monroe never seemed to figure out exactly what story it wanted to tell.

Quitessa Swindell simply wasn't able to carry the weight of the film for me, and while Lewis Pullman and Diana Silvers both have talent, neither performance provided the spark necessary to elevate the material. More importantly, the screenplay itself felt oddly small. Not intimate—small. The story drifted from idea to idea without ever building much momentum, leaving the entire experience feeling unfocused and strangely underdeveloped.

Honestly, when the box office numbers came in, I wasn't surprised.

ECHOES OF RED

Yes...

It somehow lands in both columns.

Because this is exactly the kind of movie that frustrates me. The story is good. Cate Blanchett is excellent. Most of the cast works. The atmosphere is terrific. But then the screenplay occasionally gets... sloppy.

Whether those rough edges were intentional or not, there were moments where the mystery seemed less interested in logical progression than in simply arriving at its next twist. It's never enough to derail the movie, but it's noticeable.

And then there's Jessica Barden. I like Jessica Barden as an actress. I did not buy Jessica Barden as a detective for one second.

Maybe that's superficial, but casting is about credibility. The second she appeared in that role, I found myself questioning it instead of believing it. Does she even meet the police department's height requirement? I'm only half joking.

ON LOCATION (SEASON 36 ROUND 5)

 

1016 West Monroe

- Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Echoes of Red

- Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Luke Cage: The Purple Man

- New York, New York, USA

BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN (SEASON 36 ROUND 5)

 

1016 WEST MONROE

Budget: $18,000,000

Total Box Office: $12,992,089

Total Profit: -$22,124,357

While commercially disappointing, the result is hardly surprising given the film's challenging subject matter and niche appeal.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Never one to shy away from unconventional stories, Meirad Tako sees 1016 West Monroe finish 42nd out of the 47 films he has written for LRF in terms of worldwide box office gross.

GENRE RANKINGS

Drama: #396

Music: #25

ECHOES OF RED

Budget: $42,000,000

Total Box Office: $82,814,137

Total Profit: $10,590,000

Emerald Fennell continued her impressive start at LRF with another profitable theatrical release. While nowhere near the commercial heights of her debut, Echoes of Red demonstrated that the director's success wasn't solely tied to franchise filmmaking.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Through just two LRF films, director Emerald Fennell has now accumulated $886 million worldwide at the box office. While Supergirl: Power accounts for the lion's share with $804 million, Echoes of Red gives the filmmaker back-to-back commercial successes.

GENRE RANKINGS

Crime: #45

Thriller: #81

LUKE CAGE: THE PURPLE MAN

Budget: $81,000,000

Total Box Office: $249,978,106

Total Profit: $72,115,611

Marvel's street-level corner of the LRF universe remained a dependable financial performer as Luke Cage: The Purple Man comfortably entered profitability. While it didn't approach the studio's biggest superhero blockbusters, the sequel reinforced the strength of Marvel's R-rated strategy.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Among the 12 R-rated entries in LRF's Marvel Universe, Luke Cage: The Purple Man ranks 7th all-time in worldwide box office gross.

GENRE RANKINGS

Action: #186

Superhero: #108

Crime: #6

Season 36 Round 5 Total Box Office:

$345,784,332

Season 36 Round 5 Total Profit:

$60,581,254

Round 5 marked another profitable outing for the studio, with Luke Cage: The Purple Man accounting for over 72% of the round's total profit and leading a balanced slate anchored by two successful mid-budget releases.

Season 36 Total Box Office:

$2,781,001,751

Season 36 Total Profit:

$495,357,892

Five rounds into the season, LRF sits just shy of the half-billion-dollar profit mark, with blockbuster franchise films continuing to offset losses from more experimental prestige projects.

SEASON 36 BOX OFFICE STANDINGS

1. Boba Fett — $763,673,771 👑

2. Donkey Kong Country — $720,434,668 👑

3. Lobo — $480,893,956 🔥

4. Luke Cage: The Purple Man — $249,978,106 💰

5. Stretch Armstrong — $144,189,611 ☠️

6. Echoes of Red — $82,814,137 💰

7. Double Date — $80,369,160 💰

8. Gray — $62,441,218 💣

9. 1995 — $40,003,252 💰

10. Pirouette — $39,100,555 📉

11. Three Rounds — $34,386,590 💣

12. The Quiet Between Us — $26,319,562 📉

13. Heartbeat — $25,404,407 💣

14. Diary of a Wimpy Kid — $18,000,669 💣

15. 1016 West Monroe — $12,992,089 💣

LRF TRIVIA TIDBITS (SEASON 36 ROUND 5)

 

Round 5 of Season 36 shines a spotlight on long-term careers and expanding cinematic worlds. Whether it's an actor finally stepping outside a signature franchise role, a legendary performer reaching another career milestone, or Marvel continuing to flesh out its period storytelling, each film adds another layer to LRF history.

1016 West Monroe

1016 West Monroe marks a significant first for Diana Silvers. In her fifth LRF appearance, she finally plays a character outside of Marvel's Rogue, having previously portrayed the X-Men fan-favorite in Gambit and Rogue (Season 16), X-Men: The Cure (Season 20), X-Men: Sinister (Season 24), and X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (Season 24).

Echoes of Red

Cate Blanchett’s LRF career has been remarkably consistent, if surprisingly unrewarded by the Golden Reel Awards after an explosive start. She debuted back in Season 4, earning two GRA nominations and winning Best Actress in her very first season. Echoes of Red marks her eleventh LRF film, though she has yet to receive another acting nomination since that early triumph.

Luke Cage: The Power Man

Luke Cage: The Power Man becomes just the third 1970s-set film in LRF’s sprawling 51-film Marvel Universe. It joins the original Luke Cage: Power Man from Season 24 and The Immortal Iron Fist from Season 28, continuing the studio’s occasional exploration of Marvel history outside its contemporary timeline.