“Animal Farm” opened in theaters on May 1. It is an animated film based on the famous 1945 novella written by George Orwell. Orwell took on Stalin’s horrors after Stalin became the dictator of the Soviet Union. Animal characters stood in for Stalin, TROTSKY, etc.
NICHOLAS STOLLER, 50, wrote this film’s screenplay. He has written and/or directed many good films (most are comedies or drama-comedies).
SETH ROGEN, 43, has a star voice role in “Animal Farm” as Napoleon, a boar pig, who leads a revolution and becomes a harsh ruler.
I had so much “stuff” to write about last week that I am reporting “Animal Farm” a week after its May 1 opening. My sense is that “Animal Farm” will only become a popular film if the animal characters relate much more to current political figures than relating to the animal (political) characters in the Stalin era (1924–53).
Check out the reviews when you read this and see if the film relates to our very trying times. I hope we get a character that is Trump-esque, Putin-ish, and Bernie Sander-ish (and more!).
“Sheep Detectives” opens in theaters on May 8. It is a mystery-comedy. The sheep are animated and they interact with “real” humans. The official premise is that “a flock of sheep set off to solve the mystery of who murdered George, their beloved [human] shepherd.”
CRAIG MAZIN, 55, wrote the screenplay (which was based on a 2005 novel). MOLLY GORDON, 32 (“The Bear”), plays George’s daughter — and BRETT GOLDSTEIN, 45 (“Ted Lasso”) — voices a Norfolk Hom Sheep.
It’s hard to know all the many Marvel comic characters and where they have appeared. “The Punisher,” a.k.a. Frank Castle, has floated from Netflix (A “Punisher” series from 2017–2019) to “Daredevil Born Again” (2025 to date. A Disney+, Punisher series).
JON BERNTHAL, 49, has played Castle in both series. Now Castle (Bernthal) stars in a Marvel Television 60 Minute “Special Presentation.” Its entitled “One Last Kill.” Bernthal also co-wrote this special. It premieres on May 12 on Disney+. Premise: Castle attempts to live a life beyond revenge but is drawn back into conflict by an unexpected force.
The Disney+ special is set concurrently with the second season of “Daredevil Born Again.” As I said, it features Frank Castle and streams on Disney+ too.
I’ll write more about Bernthal’s theater work next week. He, and EBON MOSS-BACHRACH, co-star now in a Broadway play entitled “Dog Day Afternoon.” The reviews are great. It is based on the hit 1975 movie of the same name. (Bernthal and Moss-Bachrach, 49, play important characters in “The Bear,” a hit Hulu series).
JONAH HILL, 42, had a long hiatus from acting, directing, and writing for films and TV series. On April 25, Hill was a surprise guest on SiriusXM “SmartLess Live” program. He was interviewed on the stage of Hollywood theater. The program hosts were Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes.
Hill broke out 20 years ago with roles in “Knocked Up”, “Superbad,” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” He was overweight, but that didn’t stop him from becoming an in-demand comedy star. He was nominated for two Oscars (“Moneyball” and “The Wolf of Wall Street”).
In recent years, his appearances became very rare. His last major film was “Don’t Look Back” (2021). He told the Smartless audience: “I’ve been gone for a while, and I’m kind of excited about coming back.”
He explained that he took three years to build his family and that that worked-out. Now he has time to go back to ‘being funny.’ By the way, Hill has been slim for the last five years.
Hill revealed that Olivia Millar his “long-time girlfriend” has been his wife for four years. They now have a 3-year-old and a newborn baby.
Millar’s mother is Esmé Marshall, a top model in the ‘80s. Every source says little is known about Marshall’s background (including religion). Even less is known about Olivia’s father.
Hill, a native from L.A., moved to a small town near San Diego. He said his new neighbors are “incredible people.” He explained: “I wanted to leave L.A. and raise a family outside of Los Angeles.”
Time will tell whether Judaism will have a role in his home. Hill went to Hebrew school and had a bar mitzvah.
As I noted last week, Hill directed and co-wrote “Outcome,” a new, original Apple film. His next film “Cut-Off,” a comedy he wrote, and starred-in, was set to be released on July 17. But, on May 2, that date was scratched. A new opening date will be announced soon.
