February
11
2023
Press/Video: Fast X: Jason Momoa’s Dante and the Other New Characters In the Trailer

The Fast family is getting even bigger.

The new Fast X trailer gives fans their first look at the beginning of “the end of the road” for the franchise. The latest sequel brings back all our surviving favorites, from Vin Diesel’s fearless Dom Toretto to Sung Kang’s beloved Han Lue. But as is only fitting for the tenth main entry in this long-running series, there are quite a few new faces in the mix.

Who are these new characters? How does Jason Momoa’s villain tie back to the events of Fast Five? Is Brie Larson’s Tess friend or foe? And who is Rita Moreno playing? Let’s break down all the new additions to Dom’s ever-growing family.

Jason Momoa as Dante

Aquaman star Jason Momoa is undoubtedly the biggest addition to the ensemble cast this time around. Unsurprisingly, Momoa is playing the latest villain to threaten the Toretto clan. Equally unsurprising, he’s a character with close ties to another villain from earlier in the series. It really is all about family in this universe.

Momoa’s character is named Dante, and he’s the son of Joaquim de Almeida’s Fast Five character Hernan Reyes. As the trailer reminds us, Dom and Brian stole Reyes’ money by driving a bank vault through the streets of Rio de Janeiro (causing what we can only imagine was hundreds of millions of dollars in damage). That act robbed Dante of both his family fortune and his father, and it seems he’s been plotting against Dom ever since.

“He’s very sadistic and androgynous and he’s a bit of a peacock,” Momoa told Variety. “He’s got a lot of issues, this guy. He’s definitely got some daddy issues.”

It’s probably safe to assume he’s colluding with Charlize Theron’s hacker villain Cipher, as we briefly see her in the trailer, too. Though director Louis Leterrier teased that Cipher may have finally found the one partner too much even for her to handle.

“They are bad news, but one is more afraid than the other,” Leterrier told Empire Online. “One is worse news than the other.”

Fast X is where Dante’s plans come to fruition. He doesn’t want to kill Dom, but make him suffer in the same way Dante has suffered for the past 12 years. Given the ominous way the trailer is framed and the fact that the series is rapidly nearing its endpoint, there’s a good chance at least one of our heroes will meet their end against Dante. After all, we need a good cliffhanger leading into Fast 11.

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May
24
2022
Press: Jason Momoa to Star in Universal’s Action-Comedy ‘Shots! Shots! Shots!’

The studio picked up the adventure package from writers Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Universal is taking a triple shot of Jason Momoa.

The studio has picked up Shots! Shots! Shots!, an action-comedy from scribes Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows that has Momoa attached to star.

Momoa will also produce the feature project with partner Jeff Fierson along with Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback, the banner behind the billion-dollar-grossing live-action Aladdin and Oscar-nominated drama The Two Popes.

The story details are being kept under the umbrella, but the project is described as a family-centric adventure that has tones of James Cameron’s True Lies, Liam Neeson’s Taken franchise and recent Paramount hit The Lost City.

Mider and Burrows will executive produce as will Rideback’s Ryan Halprin.

Universal Pictures executive vp Matt Reilly and creative development executive Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.

Rideback is in post on Haunted Mansion, starring Owen Wilson and Rosario Dawson and set for a March 10, 2023, release. The company also produced Easter Sunday, Amblin and Universal’s comedy starring comedian Jo Koy, which opens Aug. 5.

Mider and Burrows previously wrote about a vacation gone wrong in the 2018 Netflix comedy The Package. They are developing the comedy Stoned Alone, a Home Alone reimagining about a 20-something stoner, for Ryan Reynolds and his Maximum Effort banner. The duo is repped by WME and Silver Lake Entertainment.

Momoa, repped by WME, is currently shooting Fast X, the latest Fast and Furious installment, in London. He also has Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in postproduction for a March 17, 2023, release. Momoa’s Netflix fantasy Slumberland, based on the Winsor McKay comic strips, is set for streaming debut later this year.

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May
08
2022
Press: ‘The Executioner’: Jason Momoa Murder Mystery Lands at Warner Bros.

The film is being written by ‘Eternals’’ Kaz and Ryan Firpo.

COLLIDER: Jason Momoa has become one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. His role as Aquaman in particular has stolen the hearts of many genre fans and Momoa’s next project is staying in the family. Reported exclusively by Deadline, Momoa’s murder mystery tentatively titled The Executioner has landed at Warner Brothers after an intense bidding war. The screenplay for the project was written by Eternals‘ writers Kaz and Ryan Firpo.

The film’s plot is under wraps, but it is being pegged as “a fun action murder mystery in the spirit of Knives Out meets The Lord of the Rings”. Peter Safran will be producing for WB. He should be a familiar name for genre fans as he has been a part of some of WB’s biggest franchise successes, producing The Conjuring, The Suicide Squad, Shazam!, and Aquaman.. The producer was also a part of The Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker for HBO Max. The Conjuring and DC have both been franchises that have passed the $2 billion mark for Safran.

One of those billion dollar films was the Momoa starring Aquaman. That film’s highly anticipated sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to hit theaters next March. However, beyond just Aquaman, Momoa his shown he can be more than just a broody superhero with films like Dune and Sweet Girl. He also starred in hit shows Game of Thrones, See, and he is currently working on a new Apple TV+ series Chief of War. The actor will be seen in upcoming films like Fast X and the Minecraft film as well, the latter of which will also be a WB produced project.

On the writing side of things, the Firpos put a great blend of humor, heart, and drama into Eternals. The emotional scope of that superhero epic is severely underrated. This all bodes well for a film that is trying to smash together two wildly different genres. There is so much talent behind this project and the concept sounds really fun. It is easy to see why there was a bidding war over this project. The murder mystery genre has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years with the previously mentioned Knives Out, Kennth Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptations, and the revival of Scream. It will be exciting to see Momoa in this kind of heightened environment and how the “Lord of the Rings scope” will be applied to the story.

The Executioner does not have a director attached to the project or a release date yet, but we are sure to uncover more about this mysterious film as it gets closer to its production.

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April
01
2022
Gallery/Video: 92nd Academy Awards

 

 



Gallery Links:
[Public Appearances] > 2022 Appearances > Mar 1: “The Batman” World Premiere – New York
[Public Appearances] > 2022 Appearances > Mar 27: 94th Academy Awards – Arrival
[Public Appearances] > 2022 Appearances > Mar 27: 94th Academy Awards – Inside
[Public Appearances] > 2022 Appearances > Mar 27: 94th Academy Awards – Stage
[Public Appearances] > 2022 Appearances > Mar 27: 94th Academy Awards – Vanity Fair After Party

PEOPLE: Jason Momoa Attends the 2022 Oscars One Day After Hernia Surgery, Jokes He’s ‘Getting Old’

“Throwing bodies around … getting old, bro,” Jason Momoa joked at the 2022 Oscars of getting hernia surgery after finishing production on Aquaman 2

A surgery didn’t stop Jason Momoa from attending the 2022 Academy Awards!

The Aquaman 2 actor revealed at the 94th Oscars in a conversation with Extra ahead of the show on Sunday that he “just finished filming” the sequel to 2018’s Aquaman, and “had a hernia surgery yesterday.”

“Throwing bodies around … getting old, bro,” joked Momoa, 42.

The Dune actor, who is presenting at the ceremony, added of his sunglasses, “I got to read tonight. I can’t see far away … they are prescription.”

Momoa went on to tell Extra that he was “excited for Dune” — which is up in 10 categories, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography — “to win some awards.”

“[I’m] excited to see my friends and my [step]daughter [Zoë Kravitz],” he continued. “And I’m excited to announce these eight very important awards.”

The eight awards Momoa is referring to are the categories that will be presented in the hour before the live broadcast begins, with their wins edited into the live broadcast for viewers at home.

The categories are Best Documentary Short Subject, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Animated Short Film, Best Live-Action Short Film, and Best Sound.

Momoa is among several previously announced Oscars presenters including Lady Gaga, Kevin Costner, Anthony Hopkins, Lily James, Zoë Kravitz, John Leguizamo, Simu Liu, Rami Malek, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock, Uma Thurman, Ruth E. Carter, Yuh-Jung Youn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Woody Harrelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Halle Bailey, Daniel Kaluuya, Mila Kunis, Shawn Mendes, Lupita Nyong’o, Tyler Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross, Naomi Scott, Wesley Snipes and John Travolta.

Joining the latter list are Elliot Page, Jennifer Garner, Tiffany Haddish, Bill Murray, Encanto’s Stephanie Beatriz, DJ Khaled, H.E.R., Shaun White, Tony Hawk and Kelly Slater.

Most recently, the presenters list was also revealed to include Rachel Zegler, Josh Brolin, Jacob Elordi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jill Scott, J.K. Simmons, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

The 2022 Oscars are airing Sunday from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on ABC.



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March
02
2022
Press: Jason Momoa Is Officially Playing the Villain in ‘Fast & Furious 10’

Momoa hasn’t played a villain in years.
 

It seems the Fast & Furious franchise is trading out one big star for another. Confirmed to be joining the franchise, Aquaman star Jason Momoa will be taking up a more villainous role in the franchises’ newest iteration Fast 10. Now fans are getting more details about Momoa’s big bad personality.

Momoa was seen walking the red carpet for the premiere of the upcoming film The Batman, starring his stepdaughter Zoë Kravitz. While talking to Entertainment Tonight about his upcoming projects, Momoa confirmed his role on Fast 10, stating, “It’s fun, I get to play the bad guy, which I haven’t gotten to do for a while. Now, I get to be the bad boy. A very flamboyant bad boy. A little panache!” The actor’s shift to crime is highly anticipated as the actor has made a name for himself playing more heroic, protagonist-centered roles in Aquaman, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, and Game of Thrones.

Fast 10, a working title expected to change, is rumored to be the last film in the franchise. Like many popular film series, the last installment will be split into two parts to tell a longer, more detailed narrative that will bring the franchise to a satisfying close. It is expected to see the return of many stars including Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Charlize Theron. Franchise star Dwayne Johnson and John Cena, who appeared in F9, have confirmed to not be returning for the last installment. It is unknown if Jordana Brewster will return.

Production is expected to begin this spring with Justin Lin returning to direct. Lin has directed previous Fast & Furious projects including the standalone sequel The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, along with the fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth installments in the main franchise. Previous writer Chris Morgan returns to pen the script for the final chapters. Diesel is confirmed to produce as well.

Momoa’s last strictly villainous role came in 2017’s Once Upon a Time in Venice opposite of Bruce Willis. The film was poorly received with critics berating Willis’s performance. Seeing Momoa trade in his superhero costume for something with more wicked flair is an interesting choice and one that will be interestingly received. Fast 10 is expected to hit theaters on May 19, 2023, giving the studio enough time to tease the highly anticipated character. Until then, you can catch Momoa as the King of the Seas in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom set to premiere on December 16, 2022.

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October
08
2021
Press: Jason Momoa dedicated his big ‘Dune’ fight scene to ‘Khaleesi,’ Emilia Clarke

INSIDER: Jason Momoa dedicated one of his biggest fight scenes in the upcoming epic movie “Dune” to his former “Game of Thrones” Khaleesi, Emilia Clarke.

Momoa posted a behind-the-scenes video to his YouTube channel, detailing how he prepared to play his “Dune” character Duncan Idaho, the swordmaster of House Atreides and one of the mentors to Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides.

In the video, Momoa was seen being taken through the choreography of one of his biggest fights and then practicing the routine over and over again. The video also showed Momoa on set preparing to shoot the fight scene after plenty of practice.

However, “Dune” was filmed some time ago and Momoa dated the video with a cute throwaway line to Daenerys Targaryen actress Clarke.

“I just saw the season finale of ‘Game of Thrones’ last night. This fight is for you Khaleesi,” Momoa said in full “Dune” costume before filming the scene.

In “Game of Thrones,” Momoa played Khal Drogo, the lover of Clarke’s Daenerys. Although the two only worked together for one season of the 8-season HBO series, Clarke and Momoa formed a special bond that they still share to this day.

Recently, Clarke said that Momoa got her “as drunk as humanly possible” at a “Game of Thrones” reunion when they celebrated the birthday of the show’s co-creator, David Benioff.

Momoa and Clarke both posted photos of the two of them at the event to their Instagrams, with Momoa captioning his picture: “MOON OF MY LIFE. you are wonderful love u forever.”

In the video, Momoa said he was nervous before filming his big fight scene.

“Three weeks of training. You’re a little nervous before you do the big fight. Don’t want to get hurt, don’t want to hurt anybody. It’s also pretty exciting,” Momoa said.

“We got to learn this massive fight we broke into five sections, and then three other fights. It’s really, really cool. I just tried to find Duncan’s style.”

Later on in the “Dune” video, Momoa could be seen talking to the director of the movie, Denis Villeneuve, who recently said that Marvel makes “cut and paste” movies.

“Perhaps these types of movies have turned us into zombies a bit,” Villeneuve said of the MCU. “But big and expensive movies of great value there are many today. I don’t feel capable of being pessimistic at all.”

“Dune” features many prominent MCU actors, including MJ actress Zendaya, Thanos actor Josh Brolin, Drax actor Dave Bautista, Kurt actor David Dastmalchian, and Erik Selvig actor Stellan Skarsgård.

The movie comes out on October 22 in the US and stars Timothée Chalamet as the movie’s lead.

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August
19
2021
Press: Jason Momoa wants to see the Denis Villeneuve cut of Dune

“They need to make the four-to-six hour version of the first half”


TOTAL FILM: Move over, Snyder Cut – Dune star Jason Momoa wants to see the Villeneuve Cut. Based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, Villeneuve had over 400 pages of complex source material to adapt, and Momoa would like to see it in all its glory.

“It was a cool movie. You know what they need to do? They need to make the four-to-six hour version of the first half,” Momoa told The New York Times. “It’s like, ‘Let’s watch the four-to-five-hour movie like a TV show; I can choose when I want to watch the whole thing.’ I want to see Denis’s whole vision. I don’t want it to be trimmed.”

The movie focuses on a planet called Arrakis (also known as Dune), the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe – a drug called ‘the spice’ that extends human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes faster-than-light travel possible.

Oscar Isaac plays Duke Leto Atreides, the man in control of Arrakis, while Timothée Chalamet is his son Paul. Momoa plays Duncan Idaho, one of Duke Leto’s right-hand men. After a bitter betrayal, Paul must seek refuge among the Fremen, the native people of the planet who live in the desert – one of these people is Chani, played by Zendaya. Oh, and throw some dangerous giant sandworms into the mix, too. Alongside Momoa, the all-star cast also includes Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, and Javier Bardem.

Dune is released in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22. In the meantime, check out our list of the best sci-fi movies of all time.

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