Thursday, September 25, 2025

Release: The Flintstones

 

The Flintstones
Genre: Comedy/Animation
Director: Chris Renaud
Writers: Lon Charles & Joshua Collins
Based on the animated series
Voice Cast: John C. Reilly, Andy Samberg, Kelly Reilly, Ellie Kemper, Aziz Ansari, Stephen Tobolowsky, John Mulaney, Tony Hale




Budget: $82,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $152,094,888
Foreign Box Office: $100,403,530
Total Profit: $64,909,375

Reaction: The first (and only) animated film of Season 34 plays it smart with a beloved IP, resulting in some strong box office numbers.





"The Flintstones is a delightfully stone-aged romp that captures the charm and chaos of the original series while giving it a fresh coat of prehistoric polish. With John C. Reilly lending warm-hearted goofiness to Fred and Andy Samberg providing just the right energy as Barney, the voice cast brings Bedrock back to life in a way that feels both nostalgic and revitalized. Directors Chris Renaud and writers Lon Charles & Joshua Collins smartly blend family-friendly hijinks with sly social commentary about labor, class, and community, all wrapped in foot-powered fun. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it rolls along smoothly with good gags, heartwarming moments, and a sweet final act that gives the story more weight than expected." - Francine Flatrock, The Quibbler Weekly


"This film is the quintessential Flinstones film. It doesn't really bring anything that new to the table, but it doesn't need to. It plays the greatest hits like it's nothing and it brings each character into the modern era in a way that is charming and a lot of fun. It helps that John C. Reilly is about as perfect a choice to play the bumblingly lovable Fred as you can get. Again, it's nothing new, but when you're The Flinstones, you're bound to have a yabba-dabba-doo time." - Mitchell Parker, New York Times



"While The Flintstones has the visual pop and vocal talent to charm younger audiences, its recycled plot and uneven pacing make this Bedrock reboot feel more fossilized than fresh. John C. Reilly and Andy Samberg are clearly having fun, but the script too often leans on sight gags and dino-puns rather than building real momentum. The bowling subplot is stretched thin, and even a well-placed Great Gazoo cameo can’t quite shake the sense that this story’s been dug up one too many times. It’s a safe, colorful effort that never quite finds a yabba-dabba-why." - Rocky Wrenchmire, Channel 62 News









Rated PG for rude humor, mild language, and cartoonish action.






Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Animation to Film: The Flintstones

 

Welcome to an all-new Animation to Film! This time we are taking a look at the voice cast for a new big-screen animated film based on The Flintstones. Chris Renaud (Despicable Me 4, The Secret Life of Pets) is directing the animation from a script by Lon Charles (Escape, Splendour) and Joshua Collins (Punch Buggy, Cedar Ridge).











Now Showing: The Flintstones

 

The Flintstones
Genre: Comedy/Animation
Director: Chris Renaud
Writers: Lon Charles & Joshua Collins
Based on the animated series
Voice Cast: John C. Reilly, Andy Samberg, Kelly Reilly, Ellie Kemper, Aziz Ansari, Stephen Tobolowsky, John Mulaney, Tony Hale

Plot: Bedrock - 10,000 B.C.
Fred Flintstone (John C. Reilly) works as a bronto-crane operator at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company. When 5PM comes around, the owner of the company Mr. Slate (Stephen Tobolowsky) pulls the tail of a dodo bird, who squawks, signaling the end of the workers' shift. Fred slides down the tail of the brontosaurus. Slate gives him a thumbs up for a job well done on the day, distracting Fred, and causing him to crash land next to his car. Fred nervously looks around to make sure nobody witnessed his wipeout before getting into his car and beginning his foot-powered drive home.

On the drive home, Fred stops by to place a bet on that night's big football game, picking the Redrock Stonebacks to win. When Fred arrives home, his wife Wilma (Kelly Reilly) is vacuuming the home, using a baby elephant to suck up the messes. Wilma pleads with Fred to spend some time with their daughter Pebbles before the game comes on TV. Fred plays fetch with Pebbles and the family "dog" Dino. The Flintstone's next door neighbors, Barney (Andy Samberg) and Betty Rubble (Ellie Kemper) arrive for a visit with their young son Bamm-Bamm, who coincidentally can only say his own name. Barney joins Fred to watch the game in the living room. Fred quickly becomes annoyed with Barney's attempts at friendly conversation as the Stonebacks fall behind in the game, putting Fred's bet in jeopardy. Meanwhile Wilma and Betty chat in the laundry room where Wilma shows off the family's new pelican washing machine. Betty asks how they can afford some a fancy machine. Wilma explains that Fred has assured her that he is in line for Employee of the Month at work and that it comes with a nice cash bonus. The Stonebacks lose their big game and Fred grumbles about his lost bet.

The next morning, Fred heads to work, only to find it deserted. He encounters Mr. Slate, who explains that the quarry is shutting down due to environmental concerns. When Fred asks about his job, Slate coldly suggests he could get a job flipping burgers over at Bronto-Burger, at least until they are allowed to re-open. Fred leaves, frustrated. On his way back home, a wheel breaks on Fred's car, forcing himself to walk the rest of the way home. Dejected, he walks home to break the news to Wilma. She tries to reassure him, suggesting that things ever get really bad she can always get a loan from her wealthy mother. Fred immediately rejects this out of pride and tells Wilma that he is determined to provide for the family.

Fred takes a job at Bronto-Burger, though he’s unhappy about flipping burgers. After his shift, Barney offers Fred a ride and tries to cheer him up by taking him bowling. The outing lifts Fred’s spirits, and while they bowl, he notices an ad for an upcoming bowling tournament with a $10,000 prize. Fred dreams of what the winnings could do for his family: a luxury fur coat for Wilma, a college fund for Pebbles, and more. Barney, however, reminds him that they’re not professional bowlers. Fred devises a plan for them to play poorly at first to throw off their competition, surprising everyone in the final rounds. Barney is skeptical, but Fred’s confidence convinces him. Returning home, Fred tells Wilma about his plan to win the bowling tournament is furious and accuses him of chasing another get-rich-quick scheme. Fred insists his plan will work, but Wilma is skeptical and plans to call her mother to ask for a loan.

The following day, Fred and Barney start practicing for the tournament, sticking to Fred’s strategy of deliberately bowling poorly to deceive their competitors before the important matches begin. Meanwhile, Wilma and Betty are out running errands and venting about their husbands’ latest scheme when they spot Mr. Slate at a cafe, meeting with two men who look strikingly similar to Fred and Barney. These men, named Ned (John Mulaney) and Marney (Tony Hale), are revealed to be another team in the tournament, backed by Mr. Slate. Listening in, Wilma and Betty overhear that Mr. Slate is sponsoring Ned and Marney to win the prize money, which he plans to use to fund a new quarry that would demolish Cobblestone Way—their neighborhood.

Shocked by this revelation, Wilma and Betty rush to inform Fred and Barney but decide not to distract them until after the game. Instead, they cheer them on with new intensity, knowing what’s at stake.

In the tournament, Fred and Barney advance through several rounds using their “bad bowling” tactic, which allows them to outplay overconfident opponents. Wilma and Betty continue to watch closely, aware that Mr. Slate’s team, the Rockville Rexes (Ned and Marney), are also progressing through the brackets with a similar strategy. Both teams make it to the final match, setting up a showdown between the Bedrock Rubblestones (Fred and Barney) and the Rockville Rexes.

Before the big game, Wilma and Betty confront Mr. Slate, calling out his plans to destroy their homes. Slate shrugs it off, arrogantly suggesting they can “just move somewhere else.” He leaves them with a chilling warning: they’d better hope Fred and Barney can pull off a win if they want to save their homes.

That night, Wilma expresses her worry to Betty, feeling frustrated that Fred doesn’t fully grasp the stakes. Betty reassures her that Fred’s carefree attitude comes from his confidence in her support. In a rare moment of reflection, Wilma realizes that Fred’s trust in her is part of why he can stay optimistic. She resolves to make sure Fred understands just how much depends on this game.

It’s the day of the final match, and Fred and Barney are ready to face off against the Rockville Rexes. At first, they stick to their strategy, bowling poorly to lull their opponents into a false sense of security. However, Wilma realizes that this tactic won’t work against Mr. Slate’s team, who are also holding back. She tries to alert Fred from the sidelines, but he’s convinced they’ve got it under control.

As the game progresses, Barney finally cracks under the pressure and confesses the truth to Fred: if they lose, Mr. Slate will tear down Cobblestone Way to build a new quarry. The revelation infuriates Fred, who realizes the stakes are much higher than he thought. Determined to protect his family’s home, he tells Barney it’s time to play for real.

Fred’s sudden focus results in a perfect strike, shocking everyone. Ned and Marney quickly respond by turning up their own game, leading to a nail-biting, back-and-forth match. As the game nears its end, it all comes down to Fred’s final throw. Just as he’s about to roll the ball, the Great Gazoo (Aziz Ansari) appears, offering to “help” Fred win. Fred is in such deep focus that he doesn't even notice the small green extraterrestrial floating next to him. Gazoo shakes his head, referring to Fred as a dumb-dumb. Barney, the only other person who can seemingly see Gazoo, is scared into silence. Fred tiptoes up to the line and lets go of the ball, needing to hit a difficult split to win. As the ball hits the lane, it splits in half, with each half knocking down a pin, giving Fred and Barney enough points to win the tournament. The crowd erupts in cheers as Fred shouts his iconic “Yabba Dabba Doo!” Fred celebrates, while Wilma and Betty embrace, relieved their homes are safe. Barney is still too stunned by the brief appearance of Gazoo to do anything. Bamm-Bamm celebrates by running around the bowling alley, smashing down pins with his bat, when Barney tries to stop him, Bamm-Bamm chases him around.

In the final scenes, the Flintstones, Rubbles, and their friends celebrate together, surrounded by the community they’ve fought to protect. As Fred attempts to lock up the house for the night, Baby Puss, the Flintstones’ saber-tooth cat, slips inside, leaving Fred hilariously locked out. Just as Fred bangs on the door, yelling for Wilma, Gazoo reappears, telling the audience to “scram.”


Tuesday, September 23, 2025

In Development

 
Nineteen Eighty-Four - Part Two: The second part of Darren Aronofsky and Meirad Tako's ambitious adaptation of George Orwell's prophetic novel, 1984, has rounded out its ensemble cast with the additions of Billy Nighy (Supercrooks, Nightcrawler: Demons of the Past), Diedrich Bader (Nineteen Eighty-Four - Part One, The 4:30 Movie), and David Morse (Revival, Captain Atom). Morse and Bader are reprising their roles from the first film as Emmanuel Goldstein and Mr. Parsons, respectively.

Heist Society: Yara Shahidi (Nobody, Sam), Finn Wolfhard (Gas Bar Blues, Gigantor), and Noah Jupe (Inner Demons, Camp Manhood) have joined the Kiernan Shipka-led heist comedy, Heist Society. The film, based on the YA book series by Ally Carter, is being directed by James Gunn from an adaptation by Dawson Edwards.

Convalescence: Anna Baryshnikov (Love Lies Bleeding, Idiotka), Alexandra Astor (Ethan Bloom), and Alycia Debnam-Carey (Wonder Woman, "Fear the Walking Dead") are set to join the cast of the modest drama, Convalescence, from indie darling director Robert Machoian. Baryshnikov plays the sister of Clayne Crawford's character, Astor plays the daughter of Toby Wallace's character, while Debnam Carey plays Astor's mother. The film, about a pair of men struggling with alcoholism, was penned by Jimmy Ellis.

Robopocalypse: The big budget film adaptation of Daniel H. Wilson's sci-fi novel, Robopocalypse, has added Omari Hardwick (Luke Cage: Power Man, D.I.C.K.), Rudy Pankow (Ecstacy, "Outer Banks"), Nina Dobrev (Zombieworld, Scarlet Witch), and Javier Bardem (Spider-Man: Requiem, L.A. Rex) to its cast. Pankow will play the brother of Glen Powell's main character, while Hardwick and Dobrev will play members of the human resistence fight against the robots. Bardem, meanwhile, will voice the manevolent AI villain of the film. Gareth Edwards directs from a script by Nic Suzuki.

Test of Time: Hot off last season's Power Rangers, Wyatt Oleff (Power Rangers, Phantasm: Awakening) is set to star alongside Bob Odenkirk (Broadway Joe, Wonder Bean) and Jade Pettyjohn (Escape, Guy on the Fly) in the coming-of-age high school film, Test of Time. Josh Boone (Regretting You, The New Mutants) has been tapped to direct the film based on an original script by Billy Cruder (Mirror's Curse, Terror of the Lost Time), taking a break from his usual horror output.

All the Fives: Wyatt Russell (Splendour, The Hippie Preacher), Ben Foster (Resident Evil 5, Task Force X: Chaos and Madness), and Wagner Moura (Civil War, The Secret Agent) are set to star in the intimate thriller, All the Fives. Russell will play a cab driver whose life and evening spiral out of control after a passenger dies and leaves behind a bag of cash. John Hillcoat (Lady Red, Blood on the Moon) directs from a script by Sammy-Jo Ellis (Wonder Bean, The Lights).

PREMIERE MAGAZINE #331

 

Monday, September 22, 2025

The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 34 Round 1)

 
 
 
Season 33 is finally here! Here's The Roundup....



3. N/A

2. Holden Abbott
While I had some issues with Exodus, it still served as a nice debut for new writer Holden Abbott. Welcome to LRF!

1. Sgt. Rock
I can't say I'm particularly familiar with this character from the DC Comics mythos, but the filmmakers turned it into a fun, old-school, Indiana Jones-esque adventure tale.


3. Exodus
Exodus feels like one of those films that was designed by AI to try to get Brad Pitt an award. It's certainly not a bad film, but it feels a bit hollow and predictable at times.

2. Mises
Who was this film for? Every character is unlikable and completely devoid of any arcs. While the filmmakers may have connected to the source material themselves, that connection did not translate into an interesting or coherent story.

1. Profits
Last season, profits hit an all-time low. The start of this season does not provide an optimistic outlook. Sgt. Rock was a big success, but it was immediately followed by two financial flops that almost canceled it out.

On Location (Season 34 Round 1)

 
Sgt. Rock
- Sofia, Bulgaria



Exodus
- Savannah, Georgia, USA



Mises
- Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Box Office Breakdown (Season 34 Round 1)

 




Sgt. Rock
Budget: $110,000,000
Total Box Office: $306,851,781
Total Profit: $91,848,399











Exodus
Budget: $49,000,000
Total Box Office: $76,164,182
Total Profit: -$18,100,200











Mises
Budget: $37,000,000
Total Box Office: $14,000,561
Total Profit: -$40,290,043








Box Office Facts
Sgt. Rock
Alan Ritchson has quietly built up a strong box office track record for LRF. He has now appeared in eight films for the studio, and just two - Sunny Days and The Oil Slick - failed to earn profits at the box office.

Exodus
Of the past ten writers to join LRF, just half have now managed a profitable film in their debut film for the studio.

Mises
Alex Conn's last eight films have all failed to break even at the box office, combining for a total loss of $270 million for the studio (an average loss of $33 million - mostly due to Watchmen). Conn's last profitable film was Slowly Dying in Season 30.





Genre Rankings
Sgt. Rock
Action: #151
War: #8
Superhero: #91

Exodus
Drama: #162

Mises
Comedy: #89
Drama: #364




Season 34 Round 1
Total Box Office: $397,016,524
Total Profit: $33,458,156

Season 34 Totals
Total Box Office: $397,016,524
Total Profit: $33,458,156





Season 33 Summary
1. Sgt. Rock : $306,851,781
2. Exodus : $76,164,182
3. Mises : $14,000,561

Release: Mises

 
Mises
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Todd Phillips
Writer: Alex Conn
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Bo Burnham, Ian McKellen, Kevin Pollak, Allison Janney, Annasophia Robb, Jenna Fischer, Brian Austin Green, Ali Fazal, Corey Stoll, Stephen Root





Budget: $37,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $11,093,559
Foreign Box Office: $2,907,002
Total Profit: -$40,290,043

Reaction: Mises clearly turned out to be a film without a target audience (and arguably questionable genre selections). It continues a rough box office track record for many involved - namely director Todd Phillips (Rookie's Road, Joker: Folie a Deux), star Lucas Hedges (Cedar Ridge, Written By Jason), and writer Alex Conn (who now has eight box office flops in a row).





"Mises is a miss. Who is this film for? If it's for libertarians, it paints them as whiny, socially inept, perpetually online losers obsessed with Ron Paul. If it's for general audiences, they won’t care about obscure inner-party politics and will struggle to follow the plot. If it’s meant to satirize the libertarian movement, the satire is weak, and the humor is basically non-existent (unless you find sad masturbation scenes funny - which some may). No character manages to come across as likable - the odd asides are some of the most baffling in recent memory, only rivaled by some of the bizarre casting choices." - Dave Manning, Ridgefield Press


"This isn't the bold, intense, and enthralling look at a bad guy doing something fascinating like 'The Social Network', no, this is the epitome of watching a car crash. I hate watched this by the time the third chapter arrived. While it barely skates the edges of parody, there's something real under the chaos that Hedges leads. But not enough." - Robert Avery, San Jose Mercury



"Mises attempts to chronicle the rise and fall of a young political organizer, but ultimately collapses under the weight of its own navel-gazing. The film never fully decides whether it’s a satirical take on online libertarian infighting, a genuine political drama, or a character study of a flawed but driven man. Instead, it lurches awkwardly between these tones, never offering enough depth to make its politics compelling nor enough self-awareness to be truly funny. Michael Heise’s arc is frustratingly static - he begins as a socially awkward ideologue, gains some influence, makes some mistakes, and ends as… a socially awkward ideologue. Without a clear emotional core or a reason for general audiences to care, Mises feels less like a thoughtful exploration of political ambition and more like a three-hour adaptation of niche Reddit discourse." - Cal Crowe, Washington Globe











Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content, crude humor, drug use, and thematic material






Saturday, September 20, 2025

Fact to Film: Mises

 

Welcome to Fact to Film! This time around we are going to take a look at the political film surrounding the founding of the Mises Caucus - Mises - from director Todd Phillips (Rookie's Road, Hated: The Ballad of GG Allin) and writer Alex Conn (Never Seeing Kristina Again, Watchmen).