Golden Globes 2020: '1917' & 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Win Best Picture , Awkwafina Makes History For 'The Farewell'

It was a big night for Sam Mendes' WWI film 1917 at the Golden Globes. The acclaimed war drama, based on stories told by Mendes' grandfather, won Best Picture Drama, beating out Netflix's The Irishman, The Two Popes, and Marriage Story. Joker was also a contender in the category.

Mendes also came away with a win for Best Director, besting Martin Scorsese, Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, Quentin Tarantino, and Todd Phillips. Joon-ho's South Korean thriller would be honored later in the night with a film for Best Foreign Language Film.  Joaquin Phoenix's twisted performance as Batman's future nemesis in Joker would earn him Best Actor-Drama, while Renee Zellweger's performance as Hollywood royalty in Judy won her Best Actress-Drama.

History was made when Awkwafina became the first Asian-American to win Best Actress-Musical or Comedy for The Farewell. Brad Pitt. Taron Egerton's song and dance act as Elton John in Rocketman won him Best Actor-Musical or Comedy. Quentin Tarantino's '60s-era Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won Best Picture-Musical or Comedy, as well as Best Screenplay.

The full list of winners is below!

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”
Olivia Colman, “The Crown” – WINNER
Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”
Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies”
Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” – WINNER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Annette Bening, “The Report”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story” – WINNER
Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”
Margot Robbie, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”
Roman Griffin Davis, “Jojo Rabbit”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Taron Egerton, “Rocketman” – WINNER
Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name”

BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED
“Frozen II”
“How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
“The Lion King”
“Missing Link” – WINNER
“Toy Story 4”

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Bong Jong Hoo, “Parasite”
Sam Mendes, “1917” – WINNER
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Christian Bale, “Ford v. Ferrari”
Antonio Banderas, “Pain & Glory”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” – WINNER
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Ana De Armas, “Knives Out”
Awkwafina, “The Farewell” – WINNER
Cate Blanchett, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”
Beanie Feldstein, “Booksmart”
Emma Thompson, “Late Night”

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
“Big Little Lies”
“The Crown”
“Killing Eve”
“The Morning Show”
“Succession” – WINNER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Cynthia Erivio, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy” – WINNER

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“Dolemite Is My Name”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Knives Out”
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” – WINNER
“Rocketman”
BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
“1917” – WINNER
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Marriage Story”
“The Two Popes”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Christopher Abbott, “Catch-22”
Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Spy”
Russell Crowe, “The Loudest Voice” – WINNER
Jared Harris, “Chernobyl”
Sam Rockwell, “Fosse/Verdon”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kaitlyn Dever, “Unbelievable”
Joey King, “The Act”
Helen Mirren, “Catherine The Great”
Merritt Wever, “Unbelievable”
Michelle Williams, “Fosse/Verdon” – WINNER

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
“Catch-22”
“Chernobyl” – WINNER
“Fosse/Verdon”
“The Loudest Voice”
“Unbelievable”

BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE
“The Farewell”
“Les Miserables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Parasite” – WINNER
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Alan Arkin, “The Kominsky Method”
Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
Andrew Scott “Fleabag”
Stellan Skarsgard, “Chernobyl” – WINNER
Henry Winkler, “Barry”

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“Barry”
“Fleabag” – WINNER
“The Kominsky Method”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“The Politician”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Alexandre Desplat, “Little Women”
Hildur Gudnadottir, “Joker” – WINNER
Randy Newman, “Marriage Story”
Thomas Newman, “1917”
Daniel Pemberton, “Motherless Brooklyn”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Beautiful Ghosts,” “Cats”
Music and Lyrics by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Taylor Swift
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman”
Music by: Elton John Lyrics by: Bernie Taupin – WINNER
“Into the Unknown,” “Frozen 2”
Music and Lyrics by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez Lyrics
“Spirit, “The Lion King”
Music and Lyrics by: Timothy McKenzie, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Beyoncé
“Stand Up,” “Harriet”
Music and Lyrics by: Joshuah Brian Campbell, Cynthia Erivo

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Patricia Arquette, “The Act” – WINNER
Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown”
Toni Collette, “Unbelievable”
Meryl Streep, “Big Little Lies”
Emily Watson, “Chernobyl”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”
Bill Hader, “Barry”
Ben Platt, “The Politician”
Paul Rudd, “Living With Yourself”
Ramy Youssef, “Ramy” – WINNER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me”
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Kirsten Dunst, “On Becoming A God In Central Florida”
Natasha Lyonne, “Russian Doll”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Fleabag” – WINNER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Brian Cox, “Succession” – WINNER
Kit Harrington, “Game of Thrones”
Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot”
Tobias Menzies, “The Crown”
Billy Porter, “Pose”

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, “Parasite”
Anthony McCarten, “The Two Popes”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” – WINNER
Steven Zaillian, “The Irishman”

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Awkwafina Developing Film On Chinatown Restaurants And The California Punk Scene

It's been a banner year for Awkwafina, earning accolades for her starring role in The Farewell, and joining the blockbuster sequel Jumanji: The Next Level. And now she's flexing her newfound muscle to develop a new film about a little-known influence of Chinese-American culture.

Awkwafina will produce and star in a feature film about the impact of Chinatown restaurants on the west coast punk scene. Madeline Leung Coleman wrote the script, which his based on the Topic.com article  “How Chinese Food Fueled the Rise of California Punk".

Here's how Deadline describes it: "the article explores how, during the recession of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chinatown restaurants from Sacramento to San Francisco started renting their banquet halls for rehearsal space and booking the young bands of nascent West Coast punk as dinner entertainment to bring in additional business. The article puts shine on these Chinese and Filipino restaurants and how they became some of California’s most important venues and the focal point of the seminal West Coast punk music scene."

No director is attached at this point, but this is likely to be a sought-after project. It wouldn't be surprising to see Awkwafina select an Asian filmmaker to more authentically bring this story to life.

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Review: ‘Jumanji: The Next Level', An Effective Sequel To The Smash Jungle Hit

Way back in 2017, it was considered an unnecessary cash grab to do a “legacy sequel” to the classic 1995 hit Jumanji, especially since Robin Williams’ charm was no longer around for us to enjoy.  The idea of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart headlining a Jumanji movie just sounded insane.  However, everyone was proven wrong as Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was funny, action-packed, fun, as it spun the video game movie genre on its head (and is probably the best video game movie made to date) and ended up clearing $962 million worldwide.  It’s almost a no brainer that a sequel would be greenlit.  But since we got everything we needed out of the first Jumanji sequel film, what new could they bring to the table, or would it suffer from Sequelitis?  With Jumanji: The Next Level, the series managed to once again reinvent itself and deliver a very fun movie while continuing to honor the groundwork laid previously.

A year has passed for the gang after they experienced the events of the first film.  They have graduated high school and are all now in college, but because of their experience being inside a video game, they all remain tight, they even have a WhatsApp group chat.  While everything seems to be going good for the group, things aren’t so good for Spencer (Alex Wolff) as he’s suffering a case of the Holiday Blue after breaking up with Martha (Morgan Turner) as he returns home for the holidays.  To make matters worse, he has to share his room with his crotchety grandfather Eddie (the always awesome Danny DeVito).  He basically realizes that his time in the game was better than in the real world, rebuilds the game (the group destroyed), and goes in to play once again.  That leaves Martha, Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), and Bethany (Madison Iseman) to come to his house when he’s a no-show for their planned group brunch.  After they all meet Grandpa Eddie and his uninvited friend Milo (Danny Glover), they hear the drums and realize Spencer’s in the game.  They decide they have to once again go in and rescue their friend.

However, things are a little different.  The game as glitched as a result of the team destroying the game before, and they aren’t using the same avatars they did last time, except Martha who luckily ends up as game character Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan) again.  Everyone else, it’s all different.  Grandpa Eddie ends up getting sucked into the game and is in Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), who was Spencer’s previous avatar.  Grandpa Eddie’s friend Milo is also involuntary brought in the game and goes into "Mouse" Finbar (Kevin Hart), Fridge’s previous avatar.  Fridge ends up in Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Jack Black), who was Bethany's previous avatar.  They are now in the game trying to find Spencer, who is now a new character Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina) Are we confused yet?  Speaking of Bethany, where is she?

The body-switching makes the film very interesting as now the actors are acting in completely new roles. Dwayne Johnson is having a ball doing his best Danny DeVito impression as he lays it on thick. Kevin Hart is incredibly hilarious as he does his best Danny Glover “old black man” impression, complete with long-winded conversations that he takes at ill-opportune times. The MVP however, is Jack Black, who does his absolute best Kevin Hart impersonation. While it may feel like he’s going for “black voice,” he’s swinging for the fences and is completely hilarious. Half the time Johnson and Hart are playing old people who not only don’t understand the concept of a video game, but they have to repeatedly be told that they are in a video game and not dead or “in Florida.”

Even though their main objective is to try and find Spencer, this is Jumanji, and they have to win the game.  Nigel Billingsley (Rhys Darby) is back as the NPC guide and gives them a mission to save Jumanji from Jurgen the Brutal (Rory McCann- good to see a GOT alum getting some work after Westeros).  So off they go on their quest, which of course Spencer is bound to show up to help.  Also helping is Alex (Colin Hanks) who after hearing of their predicament goes back into the game as "Seaplane" McDonough Nick Jonas.  Once again, everyone has special abilities (although they are a little different this time with different strengths and weaknesses) and they have three lives or else will die in the real world as well.

The film does try to veer into drama territory as there’s a conflict between Grandpa Eddie and Milo that goes through its combative-to-happily friends cycle of conflict, it feels clunked in and the resolution at the ends of the film “sorta” works.  The same does for Spencer and Martha as they deal with their breakup.  However, the exploration that Spencer’s life in the real world sucking and him wanting to go back to the video game is an interesting parable for how many people live their lives on social media.  But let’s keep it real, the comedy and the spectacle, is what makes this movie work.  As stated before, the actors playing against their previous roles (except Karen Gillan) and how they have to do a different type of acting and improvisation than they did in the first film and it completely works.  There’s a moment that involves body-swapping and the characters and their avatars are changed once again, which allows the actors to once again flex their muscles, especially Awkwafina who is hilarious in the third act.  While a small bit of the magic from the first film (as it was a completely new concept) has faded a little, the decision for the film to remix itself makes it a funny and worthwhile experience.

3.5 out of 5

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'Jumanji: The Next Level' Trailer: Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart Are Glitched Into Grumpy Old Men

When Sony set out to do a sequel to Robin Williams' 1995 film Jumanji, it was a risk they couldn't predict would pay off the way it did. $962M later and it was one of the biggest hits in the company's long history, and of course has led to another film, Jumanji: The Next Level, which does as the title promises by adding a pair of screen greats in Danny Glover and Danny DeVito.

Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black return as video game avatars, only this time a pair of grumpy old men have been sucked into the game world. Unfortunately for Johnson and Hart, they're forced to play hosts to Glover and DeVito, which from a visual standpoint is just terrific.

Pretty much everybody is coming back for this one, too, and why wouldn't they? Jake Kasdan is back behind the camera, with young stars Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Ser’Darius Blain, and Morgan Turner back in their previous roles. Nick Jonas and Colin Hanks are back, as well, while Awkwafina is a new addition.

SYNOPSIS: In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

Jumanji: The Next Level opens December 13th.

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Disney Reveals Animated 'Raya And The Last Dragon' Starring Awkwafina And Cassie Steele

Disney is staying firmly in the Awkwafina business. With the Crazy Rich Asians breakout already set to join the Mouse House for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and their live-action The Little Mermaid, she has now been announced as leading their upcoming animated movie, Raya and the Last Dragon.

The reveal was made at D23 this weekend, with Awkwafina joined in the cast by singer/actress Cassie Steele, probably best known for her years on Degrassi: The Next Generation and voicing Tammy in Rick & Morty. Awkwafina will be voicing the magical dragon, which you can see in the below image.

The cast of @DisneyAnimation’s new film Raya and the Last Dragon, @CassandraSteele and @Awkwafina join the filmmakers on stage at #D23Expo. pic.twitter.com/2J9um56pwU

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

The heavily Asian-influenced fantasy tale follows "a lone warrior from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra teams up with a crew of misfits in her quest to find the Last Dragon and bring light and unity back to their world."

Directing are the duo of Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins with Crazy Rich Asians co-writer Adele Lim on the screenplay.

Raya and the Last Dragon hits theaters on November 25th 2020.

Just Announced: Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, starring @cassandrasteele (Raya) and @Awkwafina (Sisu, the Last Dragon). Check out all-new concept art, and see the film in theaters November 2020. #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/V40bv64IIp

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

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Comic-Con: 'Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings' Confirmed For February 2021, Tony Leung And Awkwafina Join Cast

Marvel just kept the big reveals coming, as they just laid out all of their Phase 4 plan for the eager fans in Hall H. One of the brand new characters we knew was entering the MCU was Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu. Not only was the film confirmed, with a release date of February 12th 2021, but we now know the title and it's a doozy:  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. 

Before we get to the implications of that title, let's talk about the cast. While a number of names have been floated to play Shang-Chi, Feige brought on stage actor Simu Liu, who will play the legendary martial artist. Liu is virtually unknown as an actor but has had small roles on a variety of TV shows. This is his first major film work.

So the Ten Rings might be familiar to those who remember Iron Man 3, as they are the terrorist organization run by the villainous Mandarin. While Ben Kingsley's character proved to be a fraud, it was later revealed that the real Mandarin does exist and wasn't happy over the charade. The real Mandarin will be played by Chinese superstar Tony Leung. This is HUGE, and I'm betting this quickly becomes Marvel's highest-grossing film in China just because of his casting. Also on board, in another major coup, is Awkwafina in an undisclosed role. She's been earning raves all year for her performance in The Farewell, so now's the time to cash in by joining the Marvel juggernaut. 

Shang-Chi will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) with a script by Dave Callaham. 

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'Paradise Hills' Trailer: Emma Roberts, Awkwafina, And Milla Jojovich Are Trapped In A Mysterious Utopia

I don't recall a damn thing about Paradise Hills. It was apparently at Sundance this year...? And somehow it slipped my attention, which is weird because it stars Emma Roberts. And Awkwafina. And Danielle Macdonald. And Milla Jojovich. And Eiza Gonzalez. They're all pretty high on my list of favorite actresses. So the movie, which looks like a weird puzzle box of a thriller, must not have made many waves, which by no means lessens my interest in it now.

In Paradise Hills, Roberts stars as a woman who awakens on a mysterious island resembling something out of Alice in Wonderland. She soon learns this place is a boarding school where women like her go to be perfected, but beyond the island's beauty is something sinister. Shocker!

Making her directorial debut is Alice Waddington, known for her acclaimed short Disco Inferno. She's assembled quite a cast for this one, with many of her stars on the verge of new phases in their career. Roberts has been in a rut of late but looks to break out of that with this and the mysterious Blumhouse thriller The Hunt; Awkwafina is being talked about for awards due to her dramatic breakthrough in The Farewell, while Macdonald is coming off roles in Dumplin' and Bird Box.

Paradise Hills hits theaters and digital on November 1st.

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Review: 'The Farewell', Bittersweet Cultural Comedy Is Awkwafina's Dramatic Breakthrough

Within the first few minutes of Lulu Wang's The Farewell, you start to realize how special this movie could be.  Billi (Awkwafina, a revelation here) walks the busy Manhattan streets while chatting with her grandmother Nai Nai (the charming Shuzhen Zhou) who lives halfway across the globe in China. Nai Nai is focusing all of her energy on Billi, while trying to hide that she's actually in a doctor's office for an MRI. The one who actually hears from the doctor first is her sister, Little Nai Nai (Lu Hong), who learns the diagnosis is inoperable lung cancer.

Chinese law doesn't require doctors to give such news directly, and culture actually encourages family not disclose that kind of information to the patient. Thus begins a bittersweet, but mostly sweetly hilarious, web of lies to keep Nai Nai, the family matriarch, in the dark while giving everyone a chance to say their goodbyes.

The Farewell is a movie full of unique insights on family and what it means in different parts of the world. At the same time, it feels like a story that's universal and yet very personal to Wang. The remarkable tale first gaining attention in a 2016 episode of This American Life, and the film adaptation is just as rich in humor, touching moments, and revelations.

Billi is particularly close to Nai Nai, and as her parents (played exquisitely by Tzi Ma and Diana Lin) prepare to fly off to attend a phony wedding concocted so the family has a reason to get together in China, she's warned not to come. Billi wears her feelings on her sleeve, she'll never be able to keep the secret from Nai Nai. But Billi flies there on her own, reconnecting with the birth country she left as a child.

While the central focus of Wang's film is the big lie everyone is telling to spare Nai Nai, beneath the surface is this current of sadness for those in the family who have struck out on their own. Billi and her parents flew off to America years before and we can sense the disconnect. Billi's uncle journeyed to Japan where he found success as a businessman; another aunt plans on sending her young son away to learn in America. Chinese culture teaches that no one person's life is simply their own, it is just a small part of the whole. In geek terms, Billi and others in her family have been separated from the Borg collective, and now they're trying to learn how to fit back into it, which causes all sorts of family conflict, which Wang handles with nuance, deft insights, and comedy that could only come from her own life. These aren't people who hate one another; they just don't know how to relate after so long apart. A particularly awkward dinner scene mines comedy gold as everyone tries to prove how Chinese they still are, regardless of what it says on their passport.

The Farewell is another look into the Chinese way of life, but don't expect another Crazy Rich Asians. While everyone in the family appears to be doing well, Nai Nai lives in a part of town that is a little bit sketchy, and certainly, nobody is flaunting their wealth or living in a McMansion. But Wang acknowledges the shifting economic landscape. The places Billi remembers as a child, including Nai Nai's old home, have been bulldozed and replaced by larger, less distinctive structures. It mirrors in some ways the destruction of Billi's connection to China, and the loss of her beloved Nai Nai is another.

Wang gets a ton of comic mileage out of the family's many squabbles, which are always out of love or a cross-cultural misunderstanding. Awkwafina is one of the film's many revelations as she proves more than just than just the comic relief. The dramatic weight is mostly put on her shoulders and she proves more than capable. But the entire ensemble is terrific, with Wang gathering together some truly great, and mostly underappreciated, Chinese actors. Each gets their moment to shine, as one-by-one everyone in the family must come to grips with what the loss of Nai Nai will mean to them personally. Of course, the morality of keeping such a secret is explored; doing such a thing would be illegal in America, for instance, but Wang never passes judgement. By the time the big wedding event actually occurs, your view on the lie they've told may have changed three or four different times. The Farewell is brilliant that way, revealing truths we may have never considered, and doing it with a light-heartedness that cuts through the heavy subject matter.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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'Jumanji: The Next Level' Trailer: Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart Play Grumpy Old Men

When Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opened in 2017, just days after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the expectations were pretty low. While there was still a great deal of affection for the 1995 movie that starred Robin Williams, that it would carry over to a sequel/reboot more than 20 years later was a shock to everyone. But the film went on to be Sony's highest-grossing domestic release ever, earning $404M here and a whopping $962M worldwide. With numbers like that, a franchise was reborn and now the first trailer for the sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level is here.

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black return, but the rules have changed this time. Think about when your grandparents try to play video games (Mine always called it"Nintendoo") and inept they were at understanding any facet of it...well, that's sorta what's happening here. When the teens from the previous film return to the video game world of Jumanji, not only does one of them go missing, but two old guys played by Danny DeVito and Danny Glover have made the trip. DeVito got the lucky bounce and landed in the avatar of Johnson, while Glover is being channeled by Hart.

It's kinda funny to see Johnson and Hart do their version of Grumpy Old Men, and there's no reason to think audiences won't love it, too.  Pretty much the entire cast of the previous film return, while Awkwafina is glimpsed in a brand new role of some mystery.

Once again directed by Jake Kasdan, Jumanji: The Next Level opens December 10th.

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Rumor: Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' Adds Awkwafina And Jacob Tremblay In Key Roles

Fresh off the news Melissa McCarthy is in talks for Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid, a new rumor claims Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay could be joining her as two of Ariel's pals.

Awkwafina, who is on fire right now after Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean's 8, and The Farewell, is said to be up for the role of Scuttle, the eccentric seagull voiced by Buddy Hackett in the 1989 classic. Tremblay, best known for his roles in Room, Wonder, and The Predator, would be voicing Flounder, Ariel's closest friend.  McCarthy is negotiating for the role of evil sea witch Ursula, but nobody is officially on board

With the McCarthy news in, I’ve also heard Jacob Tremblay for Flounder and Awkwafina for Scuttle. #TheLittleMermaid

— Kris Tapley (@kristapley) June 29, 2019

Take this with a grain of salt until Disney or a more solid source chimes in, of course.

The Little Mermaid will be directed by Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns) with new music by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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Sony Inflicts One Final Trailer For 'The Angry Birds Movie 2' On Us

I never played Angry Birds. Never saw the movie. I have friends who were addicted to the game and did pay for the movie. Assuming it wasn't personally offensive they'll probably see The Angry Birds Movie 2. Is there anybody who doesn't give a crap about Angry Birds who will be convinced to see it by yet another damn trailer? Probably not. But here one is anyway. Maybe there's a different colored pig in it or something.

The sequel features more angry birds and their rival pigs, only now they've discovered a common foe on an icy new land. That's all I got. My interest in this is purely to see the box office compared to the prior movie and see how long Sony runs with this. It strikes me this is their replacement for the genuinely good Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies. I wish they'd do another one of those.

The voice cast includes Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage, Zach Woods, Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, and Beck Bennett. Pretty damn good. It's not enough.

Here's the synopsis: The flightless angry birds and the scheming green piggies take their beef to the next level in The Angry Birds Movie 2! When a new threat emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) recruit Chuck’s sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), and techpig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely superteam to save their homes.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 opens August 14th.

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Allison Janney, Mila Kunis, Regina Hall, Awkwafina And More Join Tate Taylor's 'Breaking News In Yuba County'

The Help director Tate Taylor is putting together an ensemble that may be even better than his acclaimed Oscar-winning film.  Deadline reports Mila Kunis, Allison Janney, Regina Hall, Awkwafina, and Samira Wiley have joined the cast of Breaking News in Yuba County, a dramedy that Taylor is expected to write and direct.

Janney takes the lead, presumably from Laura Dern who had been attached but dropped out. She'll play a pencil-pusher whose husband has a heart attack after being caught in bed with another woman. After burying his body, she enjoys a little bit of local celebrity, but struggles to hide the truth from cops and criminals. Kunis plays her half-sister, a local news anchor sniffing around for a story, while Hall is a detective investigating the case.

Also joining Taylor's cast are Bridget Everett, Jimmi Simpson, and Dead To Me's Keong Sim, while Juliette Lewis, Ellen Barkin, and Wanda Sykes are expected to sign on.  Damn, this may be the best cast of the year if everything comes together.

Next week will see the release of Taylor's latest film, Ma, a horror led by his longtime friend Octavia Spencer. He'll then finish up on the action flick Eve starring Jessica Chastain.

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'The Farewell' Trailer: Awkwafina Shines In One Of The Year's Best Comedies

It's perfect that Lulu Wang's breakout Sundance fave The Farewell should arrive just before Mother's Day. The film, which received some of the best reviews from Park City, including a glowing one from yours truly, is all about family and the burdens we shoulder to protect the people we love. However, family means different things in different parts of the world, and the way those differences are portrayed here are what make this movie great.

Oh, and it has Awkwafina. That helps.

"Based on a true lie" is an accurate description for The Farewell, which is based on a story that first appeared on This American Life. In her first major dramatic role, Awkwafina plays Billi, a Chinese-American who learns that her beloved Nai-Nai is dying back home in China with only a little time left to live. However, her family has decided to keep the truth from her, a decision Billie doesn't agree with and struggles to contain when she flies to China to be with Nai-Nai over the family's objections.

While the somber subject of death is ever-present, Wang injects a fair amount of humor while giving a terrific cast plenty of moments to shine. This is Awkwafina's coming out moment, though, and I think by the time people have seen her in this we'll be talking about her as a sleeper awards contender.  She's truly fantastic, and so is this movie.

The Farewell opens in theaters on July 12th.

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True Crime Podcast Comedy 'Crime After Crime' To Star Awkwafina And Ike Barinholtz

It was only a matter of time before somebody made a comedy out of true crime podcasts, and hopefully it makes fun of those people who claim to be such huge fans and listen to them all. Deadline reports the dark comedy Crime After Crime will be headlined by Crazy Rich Asians' Awkwafina and Blockers star Ike Barinholtz. And that's all I need to know to be interested.

Points on the title, too.

The film will be produced by Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors), as well as Awkwafina and Barinholtz. The story follows a true crime podcast host who tries to help the subject of her show prove his innocence after he escapes prison and shows up at her. This would be made better if Awkwafina's character actually thinks he's guilty, but I suspect there will be plenty of comic misunderstandings as the pair try to uncover the truth while fleeing from justice.

No director is attached at this point but I suspect that will change very soon. This has Jonathan Levine or Seth Gordon written all over it, doesn't it?  Awkwafina will be seen next in the genuinely-terrific family comedy The Farewell, while Barinholtz recently wrote, directed, and starred in the political comedy The Oath.

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Sundance Review: 'The Farewell', Bittersweet Cultural Comedy Is Awkwafina's Dramatic Breakthrough

Within the first few minutes of Lulu Wang's The Farewell you start to realize how special this movie could be.  Billi (Awkwafina, a revelation here) walks the busy Manhattan streets while chatting with her grandmother Nai Nai (the charming Shuzhen Zhou) who lives halfway across the globe in China. Nai Nai is focusing all of her energy on Billi, while trying to hide that she's actually in a doctor's office for an MRI. The one who actually hears from the doctor first is her sister, Little Nai Nai (Lu Hong), who learns the diagnosis is inoperable lung cancer.

Chinese law doesn't require doctors to give such news directly, and culture actually encourages family not disclose that kind of information to the patient. Thus begins a bittersweet, but mostly sweetly hilarious, web of lies to keep Nai Nai, the family matriarch, in the dark while giving everyone a chance to say their goodbyes.

The Farewell is a movie full of unique insights on family and what it means in different parts of the world. At the same time, it feels like a story that's universal and yet very personal to Wang. The remarkable tale first gaining attention in a 2016 episode of This American Life, and the film adaptation is just as rich in humor, touching moments, and revelations. 

Billi is particularly close to Nai Nai, and as her parents (played exquisitely by Tzi Ma and Diana Lin) prepare to fly off to attend a phony wedding concocted so the family has a reason to get together in China, she's warned not to come. Billi wears her feelings on her sleeve, she'll never be able to keep the secret from Nai Nai. But Billi flies there on her own, reconnecting with the birth country she left as a child.

While the central focus of Wang's film is the big lie everyone is telling to spare Nai Nai, beneath the surface is this current of sadness for those in the family who have struck out on their own. Billi and her parents flew off to America years before and we can sense the disconnect. Billi's uncle journeyed to Japan where he found success as a businessman; another aunt plans on sending her young son away to learn in America. Chinese culture teaches that no one person's life is simply their own, it is just a small part of the whole. In geek terms, Billi and others in her family have been separated from the Borg collective, and now they're trying to learn how to fit back into it, which causes all sorts of family conflict, which Wang handles with nuance, deft insights, and comedy that could only come from her own life. These aren't people who hate one another; they just don't know how to relate after so long apart. A particularly awkward dinner scene mines comedy gold as everyone tries to prove how Chinese they still are, regardless of what it says on their passport.

The Farewell is another look into the Chinese way of life, but don't expect another Crazy Rich Asians. While everyone in the family appears to be doing well, Nai Nai lives in a part of town that is a little bit sketchy, and certainly nobody is flaunting their wealth or living in a McMansion. But Wang acknowledges the shifting economic landscape. The places Billi remembers as a child, including Nai Nai's old home, have been bulldozed and replaced by larger, less distinctive structures. It mirrors in some ways the destruction of Billi's connection to China, and the loss of her beloved Nai Nai is another.

Wang gets a ton of comic mileage out of the family's many squabbles, which are always out of love or a cross-cultural misunderstanding. Awkwafina is one of the film's many revelations as she proves more than just than just the comic relief. The dramatic weight is mostly put on her shoulders and she proves more than capable. But the entire ensemble is terrific, with Wang gathering together some truly great, and mostly underappreciated, Chinese actors. Each gets their moment to shine, as one-by-one everyone in the family must come to grips with what the loss of Nai Nai will mean to them personally. Of course, the morality of keeping such a secret is explored; doing such a thing would be illegal in America, for instance, but Wang never passes judgement. By the time the big wedding event actually occurs, your view on the lie they've told may have changed three or four different times. The Farewell is brilliant that way, revealing truths we may have never considered, and doing it with a light-heartedness that cuts through the heavy subject matter.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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'Jumanji' Sequel Casts Awkwafina In A "Significant" Role

With scene-stealing roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean's Eight, 2018 was a huge year for Awkwafina. Only a few short days into 2019 it's already shaping up to be even bigger, as she'll join the star-studded sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, in what THR calls a "significant" role.

Awkwafina will be accompanying Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan in the Jumanji sequel, although her role remains a mystery. There's still a lot we don't know about the film, but we can assume somebody will find a way to get themselves sucked into the Jumanji game. In Welcome to the Jungle it was a group of teens trapped in a video game, so what will it be this time? A Jumanji smartphone app? Can't we just go back to board games like in the 1995 original?

There's a lot potentially on Awkwafina's plate in the coming months. She'll reportedly rejoin Michelle Yeoh for a sci-fi film from the directors of Swiss Army Man, and there's a chance of teaming with Tiffany Haddish on a 21 Jump Street spinoff.  Of course, a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians is definitely happening, too.

Jumanji 3 opens on December 19th.

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Tiffany Haddish And Awkwafina Eyed For '21 Jump Street' Spinoff

So the 21 Jump Street crossover with Men in Black is thankfully dead and buried, but plans for a female-led spinoff are moving forward. And it's just taken a very interesting turn, as Collider reports Tiffany Haddish and Awkwafina, two of the hottest actresses in the biz today, could potentially star in the comedy.

Haddish is said to be in talks to star in the 21 Jump Street spinoff, while Awkwafina is Sony's top choice to join her. So how is this going to work, especially given Haddish's age? Surely she won't be going undercover in a high school the way Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill did? Well...what if she's playing a teacher who is also an undercover cop? That's the plan, with Awkwafina as one of her students who is undercover, too. I can dig it. Nice twist on the familiar formula. Haddish can put that Night School experience to good use.

I'm a big fan of both Haddish and Awkwafina, although I'll admit they can be a bit much in large doses. That said, the combination has a ton of potential, both are expert comediennes who can steal a scene like nobody's business. Together they could be great, but it all depends on what writer/director Rodney Rothman comes up with for them. He previously worked on 22 Jump Street and knows the franchise well, and he's currently reworking a script originally written by the writers of Broad City.

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Michelle Yeoh And Awkwafina Are Starring In A Sci-Fi Film From 'Swiss Army Man' Directors

Crazy Rich Asians' battle of old money vs. new will continue, albeit in a way nobody expected. Two of the hit film's stars, Michelle Yeoh and the red-hot Awkwafina, are reuniting on a very different film, one that will see them directed by the Swiss Army Man duo known collectively as Daniels. 

Yeoh and Awkwafina will star in Everything Everywhere All At Once, a sci-fi action film that, if the bizarre Swiss Army Man is any indication, will be as far from Crazy Rich Asians as they could possibly get. Here's the info courtesy of Deadline:

Their very first major deal was to buy the next film by the directing team known as The Daniels — Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert — after seeing their offbeat directing debut Swiss Army Man. That project, an inter-dimension action film, now has a title, Everything Everywhere All At Once, with talks underway with Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh, both coming off the hit Crazy Rich Asians, for a spring start.

I wasn't a huge fan of Swiss Army Man, finding it to be pointlessly weird despite the game performance by Daniel Radcliffe as a magical corpse. Daniels, aka Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, have a unique visual eye and a twisted sense of humor that could be very interesting through the talents of Yeoh and Awkwafina. Can't wait to see how this develops, and hopefully we get more details soon.

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Review: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Is Worth Falling Crazy In Love With

I went into Crazy Rich Asians thinking it looked like a Chinese version of The Prince and Me, and came away thinking I'd just seen one of the freshest romantic comedies in years. The amount of pressure on this film, an adaptation of Kevin Kwan's smash novel, can't be overstated. As the first major Hollywood movie with an all-Asian cast in more than two decades, Crazy Rich Asians is being seen as a litmus test for diversity. Sad as that may be, it's just a fact that movies which look like this simply don't get made. Fortunately, there is now a reason to expect and demand that there will be a lot more.

Crazy Rich Asians works even though my initial fear of its formulaic nature is totally true. What is so special about the script by Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli is how the familiar elements, the Cinderella love story, the fish out of water aspects, are presented through a Chinese culture most of us are unfamiliar with. But you don't have to be Asian to find so much of this story relatable, funny, and gorgeous to watch unfold.

Constance Wu (from ABC's Fresh Off the Boat) plays Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American economics professor at NYU and the daughter of a single mom. We see Rachel's got some street smarts, too, as she bluffs one of her students in a hand of poker, teaching him a lesson about playing the opponent and not the hand he's dealt. We get it; that lesson is one she's going to have to remember herself at some point, but that's okay. A little foreshadowing never hurt.  Rachel is dating the handsome Nick Young (Henry Golding, a Brit-Malaysian actor who will also star in A Simple Favor this year), and for over a year things have been going well. He seems normal and down to Earth, stealing bites of her meal at a local diner. But little do they know, his being seen out in public with Rachel is a big deal. Director Jon M. Chu (he of the Step Up and GI Joe flicks) cleverly and quickly whisks us through social media as this little date cracks a certain segment of the Internet. Within moments it's like the world knows Nick has a girlfriend. But who is he that anybody would care?

Nick wants to take Rachel back home to Singapore to attend his best friend's wedding. She agrees, but when he escorts her into the luxury-class private suite aboard the flight, it's the first time she figures out that Nick's family may have some money. Turns out, the Youngs have what is called "old money". They are the richest of the richest, the elite, and a family dynasty that Nick has chosen to avoid in New York. For him, coming home means dealing with his mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), a firm believer in the old traditions that have kept them thriving for generations. She instantly disapproves of Rachel, who she perceives as an American commoner unfit to be with her son, and incapable of handling the thankless life of a woman in their ruthless world.

Crazy Rich Asians has a lot going on, and I was taken aback by how easily it juggles numerous storylines and themes while plunging us feet first in the culture of China's rich and famous.  While the Youngs show off their wealth with a regal flair, the "new money" families, like that of Rachel's filter-less college friend Peik Lin (the terrific Awkwafina, last seen in Ocean's 8), are loud with it, drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. Peik's parents, including a hilarious Ken Jeong as her father, live in a home so big and tacky it looks like it ought to be bulldozed as a crime against architecture. But Jeong also has some of the film's best lines. When one of their many kids refuses to eat, he says “Eat. There are a lot of children starving in America." Peik thinks Eleanor sees Rachel as a banana, "Yellow on the outside, white on the inside."

The love story between Rachel and Nick is sweet but not without its difficulties. She has to deal with more than just Eleanor, but also Nick's jealous ex-girlfriend relishing in making her life miserable. Yes, it's a classic story of a plucky girl winning over the rich snobs, but there's more to it than that. Crazy Rich Asians is a film about lineage and history, something Eleanor wears as a badge of honor one moment, then uses as a bludgeon the next. It's up to Rachel to take charge of who she wants to be, and to accept where she comes from. Strip down all of the gloss, and there is certainly a lot of that in this extravagant feature, and you have an empowering story of a woman coming into her own. That idea is mirrored in a subplot involving Nick's sister, Astrid (Gemma Chan), and her marriage to a man uncomfortable with having his wife as the breadwinner.

There's so much to look at here that sometimes it's hard to decide where to focus. The cast itself is stunning, and Mary Vogt's costume designs accentuate while informing us of each character's personality. We know Peik Lin the instant we see her rockin' her first pair of Jimmy Choos and Stella McCartney pajamas. The locations are breath-taking; gigantic neon mansions lighting up the Botanical Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, the stunning Marina Bay Sands casino hotel, and an impressive array of floral arrangements, including the rare Tan Hua plant which blooms only at night and wilts before dawn. The decadence is so thorough that it becomes laughable during the silly underwater-style wedding for Nick's closest friends, Colin (Chris Pang) and Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno).

Predictable? Yes, but Crazy Rich Asians definitely isn't your typical Hollywood rom-com. With lack of representation on the big screen such a major issue right now, we may finally have the film that swings the pendulum in the opposite direction. No matter who you are or where you're from, you might just fall crazy in love with Crazy Rich Asians.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Review: 'Ocean's 8', Sandra Bullock And Co. Pull Off An Entertaining Heist With Few Imperfections

You don't need a jeweler's loupe to see the similarities between Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 films and Gary Ross's breezy, female-led Ocean's 8. The surface pleasures are largely the same, and so are the imperfections. The heist is, by and large, the least interesting thing about these movies. We show up to see beautiful all-star casts mingling in designer outfits, and Ocean's 8, which must have a costume budget bigger than some entire productions, delivers on everything we hoped for, just from a female perspective.

It was a savvy move extending the popular Ocean's franchise in this way, but the brightest decision of all was the casting of Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, equally criminal sister to George Clooney's thieving Danny Ocean. Bullock, whose career has been marked by roles that emphasize the clash between her physical beauty and manly abrasiveness, is a perfect face for a film that looks to appeal to new and old audiences alike.

Everything will feel familiar right from the jump, with the film even opening in a parole hearing just like Ocean's 11 did. That's where Debbie, forever the con, fools her way to freedom with some bunk about wanting to live "the simple life." Within moments of being released, in a swanky low cut dress I might add, she's off and planning her next big job; stealing a jewel worth $150M from the Met Gala, right off the perfect neck of ditzy actress/socialite Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway).

The best part of these movies is, of course, assembling the team, and Debbie first calls out to her former partner Lou (Cate Blanchett), who is reluctant but clearly interested.  It's here that costume designer Sarah Edwards clearly defines each character's personality through their individual style. Lou rocks out in a collection of slick Burberry suits (that powder blue joint!!); Rihanna gets grungy as hacker Nine Ball; Awkwafina goes skate-style as pickpocket Constance; the reliably quirky Helena Bonham Carter as disgraced fashion designer Rose Weil; a slightly conservative style for Mindy Kaling as jeweler Amita; and Sarah Paulson decked out in suburban wear as Tammy, a fence and stay-at-home mommy.

These movies are meant to be glamorous, stylish affairs that leave the audience swooning at the latest fashion trends on display and the beautiful celebs wearing them. It's perfectly alright and expected, but the script co-written by director Gary Ross and Olivia Milch also recognizes the world we live in now. "A Him gets noticed, a Her gets ignored" Debbie replies when asked why no men are allowed on the team, a snappy and timely line that drew applause from the crowd at the screening I attended. There isn't much in the way of conflict among the team, or in the crime itself, choosing instead to celebrate female camaraderie rather than turn this into a lazy cat fight. Men get short shrift, of course, including a former flame (Richard Armitage) just asking for a comeuppance of some sort, and you wish there was someone who could pose a threat Debbie's team. While never boring, the film doesn't give you any reason to think the job will be unsuccessful, either by internal or external forces.

Ross does a pretty good job mimicking Soderbergh's stylish cinematic cues. Montages, slick editing, screen wipes, nostalgic musical notes...they're all in here and you'd never know Soderbergh was only listed as a producer. If the film is a hit and he sticks around, one has to wonder if he'll recruit his Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence into the fold. She'd fit in perfectly with this group, especially alongside Bullock and Blanchett. They don't quite have the same chemistry as Clooney and Pitt, but that would be tough for any duo to achieve. Hathaway is having way too much fun playing the airhead, while Rihanna has what I think is her strongest role in a major film yet.

Ironically, Ocean's 8 isn't here to con anybody. It is here simply to entertain, to dazzle us with pithy jokes and an excess of eye candy. On that all-important score, these ladies have proveb they are just as capable of getting the job done as any man.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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