The Trades with Reuben Schwartz (Season 37)

 

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.

Without a doubt, the story of this season has been the total takeover of video game movies. Genre popularity tends to work in cycles and this was evident by the high amount of superhero movies throughout the first few years of LRF. But now, just as in Hollywood, we see video games becoming a true content mine for multiple different writers at the studio.

This started off with a bang with Pokemon, the first release of Season 37. It’s a property that seemed prime for a big theatrical release and it paid off, resulting in what is still the highest grossing movie of the season. There have been a handful of sequels in the rounds since with Metroid Prime, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Mortal Kombat III, most recently. And then there’s even some more unexpected adaptations, like Astro Bot and Hay Day - a rare mobile game adaptation. Still on the horizon is a sequel to Season 33’s blockbuster The Legend of Zelda.

This trend has been the talk of the town over the last few months and has executives and industry insiders alike questioning what will come next. While it seems certain that we will get sequels to a lot of these releases, what big properties are still up for grabs to be adapted? I’m sure someone is out there trying to crack the formula of how to make a Fortnite movie. Could Disney be willing to loosen up the grip on some of their characters to make a Kingdom Hearts movie possible? Personally, I’d enjoy a Crash Bandicoot movie but I don’t know if anyone else is asking for that.

I usually also like to do a mid-season check in on awards races and there’s a lot unclear at the moment. The first half of the season has been a bit lacking on dramatic work and so really only Deadline feels like a Best Picture contender at this moment. That one also has a strong ensemble poised to make some noise in the acting categories but, outside of that, those also feel relatively thin at the moment. You have standout performances in films that were received timidly like Jon Bernthal in Below the Surface; it’s not unheard for those kind of roles to pop up at the GRAs, but typically a movie with a 70+ metascore is more likely to garner acting noms.

There does seem to be some contenders on the horizon, however. Watergate seems poised to make a splash as reports have recently come out about Tom Cruise going all in on the role of Richard Nixon. We don’t have much details about The Rosenbergs just yet, but if it is about the infamous 50s couple, this could really make Season 37 the season of political thrillers (and video games, of course). Outside of those, Jeff Daniels has been receiving some early buzz for his upcoming drama Simple Truths. As always, there is also the potential for an unexpected contender to swoop in and make a name for itself. I look forward to checking back in with you at season’s end!

GOSSIP RAG (SEASON 37)

 

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

The wait was worth it. After years of studio negotiations and online speculation, the Duffer Brothers finally brought the first true live-action Pokémon adventure to theaters earlier this season—and audiences responded with a staggering $722 million worldwide box office haul. Unlike Detective Pikachu, the blockbuster fully embraced the mythology of the anime and video games, with Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp leading the cast as a teenage Ash Ketchum. Ironically, one of the biggest reasons the film took so long to materialize was the Duffer Brothers' commitment to Stranger Things Season 5, which kept them tied up for years before finally freeing their schedules to tackle the project. Sources say the filmmakers pitched the film internally as "The Goonies meets The Fellowship of the Ring with Pokémon," emphasizing real-world stakes, emotional coming-of-age storytelling, and a sense of cinematic wonder. Judging by the box office, fans were more than ready to catch 'em all.

Devery Jacobs may have landed a powerful role in Bloodsong - Issa López’s period horror-fantasy exploring Native American folklore - but sources say her on-set energy wasn’t always so harmonious. While the film has drawn early praise for its bold concept and cultural depth, Jacobs reportedly rubbed cast and crew the wrong way with what one insider described as “diva behavior from someone who hasn't earned it.” Her frequent, impassioned lectures about Indigenous rights and historical injustice - while undeniably rooted in some truth - were said to slow production and create tension, especially when delivered mid-scene or between setups. Things apparently reached a boiling point when co-stars Martin Sensmeier and screen legend Wes Studi pulled her aside for a candid chat. “They respect her fire,” said one crew member. “But they told her - there is a time for your causes, but now is the time to shut up and make the movie.” Despite the drama, the film wrapped, and Jacobs’ performance was well-received.

Tom Cruise traded stunts for scandal in Steven Spielberg’s Watergate, portraying none other than Richard Nixon under layers of prosthetics, jowls, and paranoia. After years of sprinting across rooftops, clinging to aircraft, and battling death-defying odds in action blockbusters, Cruise reportedly had “a blast” sinking his teeth back into serious dramatic territory - a return to form reminiscent of his Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July days. Sources say the actor embraced the transformation process, spending hours in the makeup chair and obsessing over Nixon’s speech patterns and posture. Whether this marks a new era of prestige performances or just a temporary detour from the adrenaline circuit remains to be seen, but one crew member noted, “He didn’t miss the harnesses or the wire rigs—just the spotlight.”

Eugenio Derbez has been racing toward this moment for years—and now he’s finally getting his chance. After tirelessly lobbying to bring Speedy Gonzales back to the big screen, the beloved Mexican actor is not only voicing the iconic mouse but also serving as a producer on the long-awaited animated feature. Derbez has repeatedly pushed back against critics who label Speedy a racist stereotype, arguing that the character has always been embraced in Mexico as a clever, quick-witted hero and one of the smartest characters in the entire Looney Tunes lineup. “He’s not the joke,” Derbez has often said. “He’s the one outsmarting everyone else.” Sources say Derbez has been heavily involved in shaping the film's tone, determined to celebrate Speedy's status as a Mexican cultural icon while introducing him to a new generation. With controversy still swirling online, all eyes will be on whether audiences embrace Derbez's vision—or whether Speedy will once again find himself outrunning the critics.

Vince Vaughn is stepping into some iconic shoes this season—those of private investigator Jim Rockford. The Swingers star is headlining The Rockford Files, a feature adaptation of the beloved TV series due out later this season, and insiders say this isn’t just another paycheck role. Vaughn has long considered the late James Garner both a mentor and personal hero, and has described the film as a tribute to the man who made Rockford an icon. “This one’s for Jimmy,” he’s reportedly said more than once on set. The project was so personal to Vaughn, he not only helped shepherd the script but also hand-picked director S. Craig Zahler—his favorite new collaborator—to bring a darker, more grounded tone to the adaptation. With Zahler’s gritty touch and Vaughn’s full investment, fans can expect something far more faithful than flashy.

PREMIERE MAGAZINE #365

 

THE ROUNDUP WITH JEFF STOCKTON (SEASON 37 ROUND 5)

 

Halfway through Season 37, and one thing is becoming pretty obvious: LRF really likes video games right now. Here's The Roundup....

SOUNDTRACKS

Five soundtracks through fifteen films. That’s already enough to make Best Soundtrack one of the more interesting Golden Reel categories this season. And I have it on pretty good authority that we’re not done yet. Three more soundtrack-heavy films are still coming in the second half, which means voters should actually have to make some choices instead of desperately searching for five eligible nominees. Will I personally be voting for all of these Absolutely not. The Silver Swan already tested the limits of how much a cappella I can tolerate in one sitting, and Space Sheriff Helios wasn’t exactly something I’ll be blasting in the car. But that’s almost beside the point. A good awards race should have variety. Different styles. Different genres. Different approaches. Season 37 is definitely giving us that. Now we just need to figure out which ones are actually good.

VIDEO GAME FILMS

Depending on how seriously you want to argue about whether Pokémon counts, we’ve already had three or four video game adaptations this season. And we’re only halfway finished. That’s kind of remarkable. Pokémon was enormous. Metroid Prime made money. Grand Theft Auto IV was respectable. Astro Bot was messy but entertaining. And now Mortal Kombat III has turned into one of the season’s biggest success stories. Oh, and there’s still another Legend of Zelda movie coming.

At this point, video games aren’t some experimental corner of the slate anymore. They’re practically carrying the season. Hollywood spent years trying to figure out how to adapt games without embarrassing itself. LRF seems to have decided the answer was simply: “Make a lot of them.”

MORTAL KOMBAT III

Talk about an unlikely blockbuster franchise. Think about what Mortal Kombat is working with here. An R rating. Extreme violence. A cast filled with martial arts stars rather than traditional A-listers. A brand that has had a pretty uneven history outside the games. And somehow, three films into LRF’s version, the franchise is bigger than ever. Even better? This is probably the best one.

Gareth Evans understands that nobody buys a ticket to Mortal Kombat hoping for restraint. The action is brutal, the fights are inventive, and the movie embraces the ridiculous mythology instead of acting embarrassed by it. That matters. Too many adaptations spend half their runtime apologizing for the thing they’re adapting.

FEMALE LRF STARS

LRF has done a pretty good job developing male movie stars. Alden Ehrenreich. Toby Wallace. Joe Keery. There are several actors who arrived as promising talents and gradually became legitimate leading men within the studio. The female side? Much thinner.

Sydney Sweeney is obviously the major success story, and LRF deserves some credit there because it treated her like an A-list star before the rest of Hollywood really did. But after her? The list gets surprisingly short. LRF has certainly tried. Jessie Buckley has gotten opportunities. Chloe Grace Moretz has had major roles. Plenty of talented actresses have been positioned for bigger things. But there haven’t been many cases where the studio clearly created a new female box office draw from the ground up. And The Righteous Path isn’t changing that. Buckley is excellent. She should absolutely keep getting leading roles. But this wasn’t the movie that suddenly turns her into someone audiences rush out to see. The studio needs more than one Sydney Sweeney.

THE RIGHTEOUS PATH

I kept having one thought while watching The Righteous Path: Haven’t I already seen this? Not literally, obviously. But spiritually? Absolutely. Religious community. Woman trapped inside it. Increasing realization that she needs to escape. Oppressive authority figures. A difficult journey toward freedom. We’ve been here before. And LRF itself did it better with Escape back in Season 32. That film, based on Carolyn Jessop’s life, had more urgency, more specificity, and more emotional weight.

The Righteous Path isn’t terrible. That almost makes it more frustrating. Jessie Buckley is good. The movie is competently made. The story functions. It just never gives me a reason why this version needed to exist. If you’re going to revisit familiar material, you need to bring something new. A different perspective. A different structure. A different emotional angle. Something. Instead, this felt like the cinematic equivalent of reheating leftovers. Perfectly edible. Not exactly exciting.

SPACE SHERIFF HELIOS

Who exactly was this movie for? That’s the question I kept coming back to. Space Sheriff has a cult following in Japan. Fine. That could be interesting. But then the movie barely uses the mythology that made the original property distinctive in the first place. So why adapt it? For the title? For the name recognition that most of the target audience probably doesn’t have? Then you build a major release around performers who are talented but largely unknown to Western audiences and expect people to show up based on.... What, exactly? The brand? The cast? The concept? None of them were strong enough selling points. And even if I ignore the commercial side, the movie itself needed far more energy.

This is called Space Sheriff Helios. That title sounds like I should be getting laser guns, ridiculous villains, giant sci-fi spectacle and enough pulp insanity to melt my brain. Instead, I kept waiting for the movie to kick into another gear. It never really did. So yes, the box office failure was predictable. What disappoints me more is that the movie wasn’t weird or exciting enough to become the kind of glorious failure you defend afterward. It just.... flopped.

ON LOCATION (SEASON 37 ROUND 5)

 

Space Sheriff Helios

- Tokyo, Japan

The Righteous Path 

- Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Mortal Kombat III

- Gold Coast, Australia

BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN (SEASON 37 ROUND 5)

 

THE RIGHTEOUS PATH

Budget: $20,000,000

Total Box Office: $20,740,272

Total Profit: -$16,297,513

The modestly budgeted drama failed to find enough of an audience to cover its costs, extending a difficult commercial stretch for writer Andrew Doster. While the loss was relatively contained compared with some of the season’s larger failures, the broader trend is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Make it four consecutive box office flops for writer Andrew Doster, with The Righteous Path joining The Letter Never Sent, Rise Again, and The Eye of History. Together, the four films have now lost $80 million for LRF.

GENRE RANKINGS

Drama: #371

SPACE SHERIFF HELIOS

Budget: $70,000,000

Total Box Office: $69,587,380

Total Profit: -$65,290,017

Space Sheriff Helios became the clear financial low point of Round 5, losing more than $65 million despite a production budget of only $70 million. The result places the ambitious sci-fi action film among the largest losses of Season 37 — though remarkably, not even among the very worst of writer Meirad Tako’s long LRF career.

BOX OFFICE FACT

As bad as the numbers are for Space Sheriff Helios, it is only the fourth-largest loss attached to a Meirad Tako screenplay. His biggest financial failure remains Season 9’s Alternative, which lost $124 million for the studio.

GENRE RANKINGS

Action: #293

Sci-Fi: #142

MORTAL KOMBAT III

Budget: $90,000,000

Total Box Office: $322,069,713

Total Profit: $99,912,824

The third Mortal Kombat film became the franchise’s strongest financial performer yet, pushing past $320 million worldwide and delivering nearly $100 million in profit. The result continues to validate the series as one of LRF’s more dependable video game properties.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Across three films, LRF’s Mortal Kombat franchise has now generated over  $820 million worldwide and a combined $250 million in profit.

GENRE RANKINGS

Action: #160

Fantasy: #50

Season 37 Round 5 Total Box Office:

$412,397,365

Season 37 Round 5 Total Profit:

$18,325,294

Round 5 stayed in the black almost entirely because of Mortal Kombat III. Its nearly $100 million profit was forced to offset more than $81 million in combined losses from The Righteous Path and Space Sheriff Helios, leaving very little of the round’s upside intact.

Season 37 Total Box Office:

$2,880,583,117

Season 37 Total Profit:

$505,730,495

At the halfway point, Season 37 has generated nearly $2.9 billion worldwide and just over $505 million in profit. That puts the season on pace to finish at only around $1 billion in total profit, which would represent a fairly mediocre financial year by modern LRF standards. Pokémon has provided an enormous foundation, but too many bombs and disasters elsewhere on the slate have prevented the season from building much momentum around it.

SEASON 37 BOX OFFICE STANDINGS

1. Pokémon — $776,788,299 👑

2. Metroid Prime — $338,796,929 💰

3. Nightwing: Bloodhunt — $336,402,669 🔥

4. Mortal Kombat III — $322,069,713 🔥

5. X-Force — $310,807,346 🔥

6. Grand Theft Auto IV — $202,571,839 💰

7. Astro Bot — $200,216,109 💰

8. Deadline — $112,721,449 ⚖️

9. Space Sheriff Helios — $69,587,380 ☠️

10. Hay Day — $59,532,823 💣

11. The Passageway — $47,062,055 💣

12. Bloodsong — $37,158,143 💣

13. The Silver Swan — $28,002,086 💣

14. The Righteous Path — $20,740,272 💣

15. Below the Surface — $18,126,005 💣

LRF TRIVIA TIDBITS (SEASON 37 ROUND 5)

 

Round 5 of Season 37 was relatively smooth behind the scenes, but still offered a few notable wrinkles—a last-minute casting change, another reunion between longtime collaborators, and a closely contested battle to land one of Mortal Kombat’s most important new characters.

THE RIGHTEOUS PATH

The Righteous Path encountered few major production issues, though one significant casting change came just before cameras rolled. Odessa Young had originally been cast as Mary, but she was replaced at the last minute by Amy Forsyth, who ultimately stepped into the role for production.

SPACE SHERIFF HELIOS

While Space Sheriff Helios draws heavily from the mythology and style of Japan’s Space Sheriff franchise, it does so without directly adapting any of its established characters. The film also marks the fourth collaboration between director Takashi Miike and Tadanobu Asano, following Ichi the Killer, Izo, and LRF’s own The Crow: Yomi.

MORTAL KOMBAT III

The biggest new hero introduced in the third Mortal Kombat film is Cassie Cage, the future daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. The coveted role came down to two rising stars, with Isabel May ultimately winning a heated casting battle over Emily Alyn Lind.