Bring your pink suit to the dry cleaners because Legally Blonde is making a comeback, and you’ll want to dress to impress! According to Deadline, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company will partner with Amazon MGM Studios for a Legally Blonde spinoff TV series. The long-anticipated project comes from Gossip Girl writers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who will also produce through their Fake Empire studio. Plot details remain a mystery, though Witherspoon’s involvement with the project gives me good vibes.

Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter will produce the Legally Blonde spinoff TV series via Hello Sunshine alongside Legally Blonde film producer Marc Platt. Deadline says there’s a chance we could get more than one spinoff series inspired by Legally Blonde, but details are fuzzier than the eraser toppers Elle Woods keeps in her purse.

Released in 2001, Legally Blonde stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, a fashionable sorority queen whom her boyfriend dumps. She decides to follow him to law school. While there, she discovers that there is more to her than looks. Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, and Ali Larter also star as primary cast members in the laugh-out-loud comedy.

A sequel directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld followed in 2003 with Witherspoon back in her pink pumps. In the follow-up film, Elle Woods heads to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of a Representative to pass a bill to ban animal testing. Sally Field, Regina King, Bob Newhart, and Bruce McGill join Witherspoon in the sequel.

A third film in the Legally Blonde series is said to be in the works, but things have been quiet on that front for a while. In May 2020, Never Have I Ever‘s Mindy Kaling and Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Dan Goor were announced as screenwriters. Again, there’s no telling if this is still the case or if the spinoff series will put the threequel on ice. Witherspoon says she’d return to star and produce the film, but no official announcements have been made.

Are you a fan of Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde series? Would you watch a Legally Blonde spinoff? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Start stamping your Prada shoes in celebration! A Legally Blonde spinoff series is in development with Reese Withspoon’s Hello Sunshine appeared first on JoBlo.

Let me give you my thoughts about love. I tend to side with famous Irish poet Oscar Wilde, when he says, “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.” This is the basis for any successful relationship between lovers, most importantly during the honeymoon phase. Love sure makes us do crazy things for the people we care for most. But what is that limitation of crazy? And how far can it get before the significant others realizes this and wants to cut the cord for good? Sadly, cutting the cord may mean dire consequences for those that wish to end it. Let’s put that to the test and revisit two star-crossed lovers which is something out of any teenage girl’s dreams. But what if that dream soon warps into a twisted tale of horrific obsession, stalking, and manipulation? We’re talking about 1996’s Fear which is directed by James Foley and features two present day A-listers, at a time when they were just starting to make an impact in the Hollywood circuit. Fear is a movie that fits perfectly within that coming-of-age, teenage culture which was so prevalent during 90’s horror. It’s also been subject of much heated debates, if it’s a true horror film or not. But today, I’m here to tell you my two cents and why it belongs in in this coveted genre especially after a recent rewatch. Yes, today we’re hanging out with Calvin Klein sensation turned hip-hop rapper, Marky Mark, and the always sweet, girl next door, Reese Witherspoon as we revisit 1996’s Fear (watch it HERE).

Fear first became a concept back in 1994, when writer, Christopher Crowe originally titled the movie, “No Fear,” with director James Foley set to direct. The film was picked up by Imagine Entertainment, and Universal Pictures. It went into an eleven-week production mainly in the Seattle, Washington area for the city elements. The Walker residence scenes including that amazing climactic ending, were filmed in Vancouver due to the script’s description of where Nicole and her family resided. The Walker residence was a sophisticated hi-tech establishment which was surrounded by water, and impenetrable to outside dangers. The filmmakers were extremely thrilled that the script’s settings matched the Vancouver residence to a t. Originally, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio was chosen to be the main star David, but he backed out, citing the material wasn’t for him. However, Leo did pitch his friend Mark Wahlberg to take the spot as David. Both Leo and Mark recently collaborated on the 1995 teenage coming-of-age tale, The Basketball Diaries, so Wahlberg was given the chance to shine. Director James Foley was so impressed with Wahlberg’s audition, that he said he would back out of directing duties if Wahlberg wasn’t cast as the lead star. And truthfully, the movie wouldn’t have had much of an impact if Wahlberg wasn’t cast due to his perfect “wolf in sheep’s clothing” portrayal of David.

Fear centers on 16-year-old Nicole Walker, played by Reese Witherspoon who, like all her other films plays the sweet and innocent do-gooder who lives with her dad Steven, played by William Petersen, and stepmother Laura, played by the always beautiful Amy Brenneman, as well as her stepbrother, Toby. Nicole and her best friend Margo, played by Alyssa Milano, visit a downtown café, and both fall for two edgy, older men, one of them being Mark Wahlberg’s David. David takes a liking to Nicole, as they meet up at a club, their intrigue for each other blossoms into a steady relationship, or in Dane Cook’s terms, a RELATIONSHIT. After some shady and downright disturbing actions from David, Nicole starts to contemplate whether David is her real true love, or one of hell’s own angels brought forth to latch onto her with sinister intentions. It really brings the phrase, “Till Death Do Us Part” into consideration from David’s own psyche as his over-obsessive, psychotic tendencies start taking over, which spill into Nicole’s family and friends being put in harm’s way.

There are some truly memorable and intense moments from Fear that categorize it as a horror. I mean what’s more frightening than a girl not being able to escape the evil clutches of a psychotic boyfriend; let alone the failures of a parent not being able to protect their own child from it? But let’s observe why this is a horror film, as my favorite scenes provide the context. David has a liking to lurking about Nicole’s whereabouts. He’s an infection that has spread and latched itself onto Nicole, and although it may look cute at first, it starts to become a catalyst for what’s to come. Right out of Michael Myers playbook, David is everywhere, just waiting to pounce at a moment’s notice. Hell, he even infiltrates Nicole’s school and stalks the hallways looking at what she does, and who she interacts with. He even lets himself enter a women’s bathroom at a local mall. He also chases down Nicole’s best fried Margo in an intense car chase sequence. If that wasn’t enough, he would even show up in a deserted backwoods area to twist the head off of Nicole’s best friend, Gary.

There’s also a great sequence between Nicole’s dad, Steven, and David. When Steven, who also possesses a little of that overbearing, masochistic edge to him, in all honestly what dad doesn’t with a daughter like Nicole? Steven confronts David in a neighboring street telling him to stay away and threatens him. David reacts with abusing himself when Steven drives away. You’d think a father’s love for his daughter, as well as some intimidation tactics, would stray David, but It only creates more trouble in the process for Nicole and her loved ones. David tells Nicole he was shoved violently and pushed by her father during a confrontation. We know David is not just brawns, but he also has manipulative tendencies as well, outsmarting people in the process. When Steven breaks into David’s home, he finds his room to be enshrined with Nicole’s photos, a mantle dedicated to her, as well as some stolen jewelry which has a new engraving called “David’s girl,” instead of “Daddy’s girl.” Let’s also not forget the self-inflicted chest tattoo showing off David’s artistic skills and devotion to poor Nicole.

And lastly, there is the icing on the cake that makes it a horror movie on its own. I guess you can say the horror really starts when Gary gets his neck twisted like a can of jarred pickles, but the siege on the Walker residence has tons of horror movie moments which states my case. The demise of the family dog. The lights and security going out making it dark and ominous. The poor security guard getting a taste of his own medicine, or even the stalking and lurking around the windows by David, and his drugged-up hooligans make for some borderline Straw Dogs or The Strangers callbacks. Once they break into the house, the fight is on, and Fear brings some slasher cat and mouse moments into the mix. Director James Foley even wanted to have that infamous Shining, axe-to-door scene homage in there for good measure. The movie does a fine job at letting the viewer know how much of a whirlwind David can be, and the dangers he possesses if he doesn’t get his way. Besides the self-abuse, and inflicted tattoo wounds, he brings a believable psychotic nature, with that infamous line as he’s about to break into the Walker home and tells Steven Walker, “Let Me In The Fucking House!” It’s a great spine-tingling moment that people remember Mark Wahlberg for. The way his face contorts, and eye’s pop out bring about the nightmare fuel to women all over the world watching this flick.

This brings me to our two main stars, Marky Mark and Reese Witherspoon. While both go on to become Hollywood A-listers later in their careers, in Fear they’re both exceptionally devoted to the characterizations of David and Nicole. Mark Wahlberg plays the perfect incarnation of a batshit, jealous, downright nutty boyfriend in David. David is three sheets to the wind, making Nicole a possession of his own, and trust me, once she becomes part of that entrapment, there is no getting out. When Nicole’s friend Gary hugs Nicole goodbye after school, Gary gets an absolute ass-kicking in front of the student body by David. Then for good measure backhands Nicole as she tries to pull David off. Big red flags for David right there. Mark Wahlberg plays the role with such malice and vitriol that he is enshrined in the crazy movie boyfriend department for generations to come. 

Then there is Nicole Walker played by Reese Witherspoon who you can say has almost played the same kind of character in her films, notably just like Cruel Intentions; where she plays the innocent, reserved type that falls for the asshole and cues some good ol’ fashion heartbreak. In Fear, Reese does an amazing job at displaying innocence lost, being forcefully taken advantage of and letting it happen, due to how head over heels she is for David. During that infamous rollercoaster scene, director James Foley and Reese Witherspoon were at odds with the actions displayed to the viewer, as Foley added the third base component as an idea showing how fast the relationship was heading. Reese wasn’t comfortable with the idea at all, due to the explicit nature of it, and in all honesty, makes the character Nicole a little too easy when her guard should be up. Apparently when you’re Marky Mark those rules don’t apply here. It does, however, make for a steamy dynamic between Nicole and David’s relationship.

The movie has an excellent cast besides Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg as the lead roles. You have William Petersen who you may all know as the main man of CSI, but he’s also just as great in Michael Mann’s Mindhunter, as Will Graham. William Petersen plays the protective, overbearing, sometimes a loose cannon father in Fear. Let’s be honest, who would mess with this guy as a young adult? Not only was he physically fit in the role, but they established Steve Walker as someone with hot-headed tendencies and could run a mean sprint, which is beneficial to being David’s foil by the end of the film.

Then there’s the stepmother, garden enthusiast Laura, played Amy Brenneman who tries to parent Nicole. She comes off a little too aggressive like calling her stepdaughter slutty with what Nicole’s wearing when she goes out on the town one night. However, Laura has time to redeem her motherly instincts by fighting alongside Steven and protecting their children, which includes a great scene with a drill. She becomes the caring and protective mother figure, that Nicole seeks by the end, You also have Nicole’s best friend Margo played by Alyssa Milano. Margo is more of the bad influence to Nicole, bringing her to the club to pursue Mark Wahlberg’s David. Margo also comes on to Nicole’s dad as she uses her seductiveness and diversion by bending over in front of him while he’s working. This gives Mark Wahlberg’s David the time to sabotage Steve’s office clock so that David has more time to be out with Nicole, and disrespecting curfew. Alyssa Milano has some great dramatic chops here when shit starts hitting the fan and even though she brushes off David’s problems at the start of the movie, justifying David’s abuse as just “what boys do,” she starts to become truly terrified when she’s pursued in her vehicle, or even taken for David’s own pleasure at a party while under the influence, and David enjoying the sadism of it all.

Fear made 20 million and became a sleeper hit off a very small budget of 6 million. Not too shabby, however its critical reception was not too polite comparing the movie as a Fatal Attraction for teenagers. It currently holds a 46% critics score with a 63% audience score. Fear does indeed project itself more of a horror rather than a thriller. It’s the twisted tone of it that makes it a horror, with some slasher elements thrown in for good measure. Reiterating my statement before, there is something truly terrifying about a human being capable of snapping at the flip of a hat, and while that’s been done in similar films like Cape Fear, Fatal Attraction, or P2, Mark Wahlberg plays it with sincere credibility. You get some hints of his upbringing, but you truly don’t know the extent of his mentality when every scene is elevated to the prior one, unleashing the direness of being in Nicole’s shoes. At least you can say David’s devoted to his women, in a very twisted, malevolent kinda way. Ah, that young love makes me all bubbly inside, if it were only that simple. Yeah right.

Two previous episodes of Revisited can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!

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The release of the third season of The Morning Show would suffer much delay due to COVID (season 2 would stream on AppleTV+ in late 2021); however, the new episodes are now primed and ready for release. AppleTV+ has released a new trailer that spills more details about the plot of the season. Jennifer Aniston and Billy Crudup’s Alex and Cory butt heads and things get even more complicated when UBA undergoes a cyber attack. Sensitive information is released and the network is put in jeopardy. Jon Hamm‘s character enters the fray as producers of the show get desperate for survival.

The official synopsis from AppleTV+ reads,
In The Morning Show season three, the future of the network is thrown into question and loyalties are pushed to the brink when a tech titan takes an interest in UBA. Unexpected alliances form, private truths are weaponized, and everyone is forced to confront their core values both in and out of the newsroom. Along with Witherspoon and Aniston and, the star-studded season three ensemble cast is led by Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Jon Hamm, Nicole Beharie, and Julianna Margulies. 

The Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice Award-winning drama, which has already received an early renewal for season four, is directed and executive produced by Mimi Leder, with Charlotte Stoudt serving as showrunner and executive producer. The series is produced by the studio Media Res, and executive produced by Michael Ellenberg through Media Res, along with Aniston and Kristin Hahn through Echo Films; Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter through Hello Sunshine. Leder serves as executive producer and director.

Now streaming globally on Apple TV+, the broadly acclaimed second season of The Morning Show received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Reese Witherspoon; Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Billy Crudup, who also won the award for season one; and, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, Marcia Gay Harden. 

Season 3 has yet to premiere, although recently it’s been reported that Apple has already renewed The Morning Show for season 4. The third season will be ten episodes long and will premiere globally on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, with the first two episodes followed by new episodes every Wednesday through November 8, 2023.

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After much delay due to COVID (season 2 would stream on AppleTV+ in late 2021), season 3 of The Morning Show is finally on its way. The popular drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon will be making its way onto the streaming platform this fall. Aniston and Witherspoon executive produce in addition to starring in the show. The third season will be ten episodes long and will premiere globally on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, with the first two episodes followed by new episodes every Wednesday through November 8, 2023. The new trailer has just been released and showcases the tense drama surrounding the plot to get The Morning Show back on track amid behind-the-scenes politics. Jon Hamm, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, and Julianna Marguiles also make up the cast this season.

The official synopsis from AppleTV+ reads,
In The Morning Show season three, the future of the network is thrown into question and loyalties are pushed to the brink when a tech titan takes an interest in UBA. Unexpected alliances form, private truths are weaponized, and everyone is forced to confront their core values both in and out of the newsroom. Along with Witherspoon and Aniston and, the star-studded season three ensemble cast is led by Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Jon Hamm, Nicole Beharie, and Julianna Margulies. 

The Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice Award-winning drama, which has already received an early renewal for season four, is directed and executive produced by Mimi Leder, with Charlotte Stoudt serving as showrunner and executive producer. The series is produced by the studio Media Res, and executive produced by Michael Ellenberg through Media Res, along with Aniston and Kristin Hahn through Echo Films; Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter through Hello Sunshine. Leder serves as executive producer and director.

Now streaming globally on Apple TV+, the broadly acclaimed second season of The Morning Show received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Reese Witherspoon; Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Billy Crudup, who also won the award for season one; and, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, Marcia Gay Harden. 

Season 3 has yet to premiere, although recently it’s been reported that Apple has already renewed The Morning Show for season 4.

The post The Morning Show season 3 trailer drops online from AppleTV+ appeared first on JoBlo.

One of the original banner series for Apple TV+ is The Morning Show which stars big names like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. The drama has been a success for Apple, although it’s been stifled a bit due to COVID. Season 2 would stream on the platform in late 2021, but season 3 is currently on the way later this year. Now that the show is returning, according to Deadline, The Morning Show has already been renewed for season 4.

It’s also been reported that prior to the renewal, Aniston and Witherspoon’s contracts only go to the end of season 3. Apple is currently in talks with the stars and fully expects them to sign on for season 4. There are even talks of an option for a season 5. Season 3 of The Morning Show will be welcoming some new stars to the cast, which includes Jon Hamm, Stephen Fry, Tig Notaro, and Nicole Beharie. Witherspoon has shared that the addition of Jon Hamm in particular had “everyone excited.” Hamm will be playing a media mogul named Paul Marks who reportedly gives Billy Crudup’s Cory Ellison a “run for his money.”

The Morning Show also features an ensemble including names like Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Desean Terry, Janina Gavankar, Tom Irwin, and Marcia Gay Harden. The Apple drama will have a new showrunner taking over with Charlotte Stoudt, executive producer on Pieces of Her, replacing Kerry Ehrin. She will be joining executive producer Mimi Leder, who also directs for the series.

In addition, Media Res, Hello Sunshine, and Echo Films produce the show, along with Michael Ellenberg, Kristin Hahn, and Lauren Neustadter on board as executive producers. When AppleTV+ premiered its streaming service, they had lined up only a few pieces of original content at first, but the popularity of the streamer has enjoyed much success ever since with the comedy Ted Lasso becoming a major hit with both critics and audiences. Lasso would win a bevy of Emmys while The Morning Show earned an Emmy and a Critic’s Choice Award for Billy Crudup, as well as a SAG award for Aniston.

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For years, Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up and coming, or well established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…

Edgar Ascensão

Edgar Ascensão is a poster artist living in Portugal. While in school, Edgar studied Graphic Design as well as Multimedia Arts & Audiovisual.

He now spends half of his professional life working at a national TV channel as a camera news reporter. The other half is dedicated to creating movie posters!

Regarding his art style, he started with minimal concepts and layouts. Over the years, it has developed to more oneiric illustrations, poetic representations of the film narrative.

He likes to think that his work can offer a fresh take, a conceptual interpretation, if you will, of a film’s meaning.

He has collaborated with Hero Complex Gallery, Gallery 1988 and Printed in Blood.

JOBLO: What got you started as an artist?
EDGAR: As a kid I was very introverted. I didn’t have any friends living close to me, so I spent a lot of time at home reading comics, watching movies on VHS recorder or drawing imaginary cities in my room. I rewatched some of the movies so many times that I memorized the dialogues and ended up designing my own videotape covers.

Growing up, another hobby was oil painting. I loved the surrealist themes of artists like Salvador Dalí and René Magritte and I also wanted to convey my own crazy ideas into the white canvas.

As I grew some more, circa 2009 I found myself marveling at this trend I discovered on the internet: The alternative movie posters. With concepts and ideas so brilliant that it made me think that I too should make posters like those.

Who were some of your favorite artists growing up?
Salvador Dalí was always one of those who fascinated me and I tended to imitate his style in my paintings. In comics, Moebius made me dream. My childhood dream was to create comics and his art seemed so easy, so simple but at the same time so unattainable.

He was on the same level as Hergé and his Tintin, who I envied, always with that clean but rigorous trait.

Closer to the movies, it was The Art of Ralph McQuarrie and I idolized those iconic posters from the seventies and eighties that nowadays everyone knows the artists by name, but I didn’t know who Struzan, Alvin or Peak were at the time…

Who do you really dig these days, follow on Instagram
It amazes me every week to see the bursts of creativity of Polish artist Karol Rogóż. I identify a lot with his posters and I end up feeling a healthy twinge of envy, which only makes me want to make even more posters!

Among the hot shot artists, I love to see the work of Laurent Durieux, Doaly, Kilian Eng, Nico Delort, Tomer Hanuka..

What should we be looking out for from you in the future?
I will continue to make alternative movie posters without pressure and with my own free will and pleasure.

On the other hand, I would love to get some licensed IP work for galleries (hello Bottleneck!) and I would also like to create more official work for feature or short films, and thus forever leaving my “footprint” in the world of cinema.

Being a fansite, we have to ask you… What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time?
Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unconditional love for Die Hard, I even have a “shrine” for my memorabilia at home. But I also lose my mind with Indiana Jones, Robocop, T2, Groundhog Day…

I like hard sci-fi (Contact, Interstellar, Annihilation), and mindfucks (Lost Highway, Memento, The Fountain).

As for TV series, I remember that I was religiously following Quantum Leap, 24, Lost or Fringe on a weekly basis. Today I can rewatch any Seinfeld episode anytime without blinking.

More recently I enjoyed watching Dark, The Afterparty or Inside Job. Others that I look forward to seeing them return are One Punch Man and Black Mirror.

Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Edgar as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / PosterSpy / Red Bubble / Gallery 1988 / Store

Beethoven

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Dances With Wolves

The Fabelmans

Get Out

Godzilla

Halloween

Joker

The Martain

The Neverending Story

The Northman

Pleasantville

Saw

Scream 2

Star Wars

Starship Troopers

Stranger Things

Top Gun

Train To Busan

Unbreakable

Waterworld

The post Awesome Artists We’ve Found Around The Net: Edgar Ascensão appeared first on JoBlo.

Ashton Kutcher is shooting for a revival, it seems, reprising his role as Kelso for guest spots on That ‘90s Show and headlining his first movie in a decade. Out of the spotlight or under criticism, Kutcher maintains that his mantra is, “Invest in enduring happiness.”

Ashton Kutcher became an easy target as a doofy leading man in buddy comedies like Dude, Where’s My Car? and a series of rom-coms like Just Married (alongside Brittany Murphy), No Strings Attached (alongside Natalie Portman) and Valentine’s Day (alongside seemingly everybody). Even with dramatic turns, as in 2004’s The Butterfly Effect and 2013 biopic Jobs, Kutcher hasn’t exactly had a lot of praise thrown his way. Still, building off of his mantra and previous words of hope, it’s clear the actor is more of an inspiration that many might give him credit for.

In a recent Esquire profile, Ashton Kutcher said, “I want to tell stories that say something…I want to tell stories that deliver people joy. And I want to deliver stories that make people think. And I want to play characters that are fun to play. And I’m willing to work my ass off to do that.” It may not always seem like Kutcher works hard on the big screen or that his movies would be categorized as thought-provoking, but it says something that he was a bankable leading man for a decent stretch and is still willing to put in the time now to make fans happy.

Ashton Kutcher can be seen this weekend in Netflix’s Your Place or Mine (read our review) with Reese Witherspoon. It comes complete with a plot, stars and poster straight out of the early-to-mid-2000s, but you can imagine just how well it will probably do on the streaming service. And Kutcher will love the viewership, as he also stated, “I will never deny the fact that I love attention…And anybody who says they’re in entertainment and doesn’t love attention? Fucking liar.”

Ashton Kutcher had a supporting role in B.J. Novak’s Vengeance, but Your Place or Mine will be his first starring role outside of TV since Jobs. Your Place or Mine comes to Netflix on February 10th, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

How do you feel about Ashton Kutcher? Do you respect his career aspirations even if you’re not a fan of his work? Let us know below!

The post Ashton Kutcher will bust his butt to bring audiences joy appeared first on JoBlo.

Plot: Debbie and Peter have been best friends for 20 years even though they’re total opposites. Practical, risk-averse accountant Debbie craves routine and stability with her son Jack in LA; Stylish brand consultant Peter thrives on change in New York City. When they swap houses and lives for a week, they learn they haven’t told each other everything after all and discover what they think they want might not be what they really need. 

Review: It is February, so every studio and streamer release an onslaught of romantic movies for audiences looking for Valentine’s Day programming. In the post-pandemic era, viewers are more discerning than ever, making movies like Your Place or Mine the perfect fit for those who want safe, fun, comfortable movies that will make them laugh, cry, and cuddle with their significant others. With rom-com veterans Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon in the lead roles, Your Place or Mine checks all of the requisite boxes for a successful romantic comedy and plays by the expected rules. Like a box of chocolates, you know exactly what you are getting with this movie: equal parts sweet and decadent but easily discarded when you finish it.

Opening with Peter (Ashton Kutcher) and Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) hooking up in 2003, replete with on-screen graphics pointing out the antiquated early 21st-century aesthetics. Despite their chemistry, twenty years later, the pair are best friends separated by thousands of miles. Peter is a successful consultant in New York City with casual romances that never last more than six months. Debbie is a by-the-book single mother raising her son, Jack (Wesley Kimmel, nephew of Jimmy Kimmel). When Debbie has the chance to finish an accounting degree in NYC, she stays at Peter’s apartment while he heads to California to take care of Jack. During their time in each other’s homes, the two friends discover more about each other’s lives that they didn’t know. It also allows the two to learn about the other without cliche dating sequences or awkward in-person interactions. In short, it is the perfect social distancing era romance.

As the trailers have teased, Your Place or Mine splits the romantic leads for virtually the entire film, a conceit used in the Nancy Meyers rom-com The Holiday starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. Here, Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon play close friends and former romantic partners and communicate throughout the film using split screens, FaceTime, and voicemails. This disconnect between the two lends the film a Sleepless in Seattle meets You’ve Got Mail vibe, but it also allows for character development for each character to occur in a way that feels fresh for the main characters. It also helps that the film features the requisite comedic supporting characters who offset the more even-keeled protagonists. It lacks the chemistry between the two leads that you would expect from a movie like this, with Kutcher and Witherspoon sharing less than fifteen total minutes together physically.

It is interesting that, unlike many romantic comedies, most of this cast is all in their mid-forties, giving the story a more realistic feel. Kutcher and Witherspoon are only two years apart in real life, and the supporting characters are all within a five-year age range. Zoe Chao plays Peter’s former flame, Minka, who compliments Debbie’s safe lifestyle and pulls her out of her comfort zone. Chao never plays Minka as vapid but allows her to be playful and serves as something of a fairy godmother, orchestrating Debbie’s relationship with a book editor, Theo (Jesse Williams). In California, Peter interacts primarily with Jack, and Wesley Kimmel is a charmingly natural actor. Kutcher never feels over the top, and this may be one of his better performances. Kutcher spends a lot of time with Tig Notaro as a mutual friend, Alicia, whose dry wit is hilarious. Despite brief appearances from Shiri Appleby and Rachel Bloom, the other significant character is Steve Zahn’s Zen, the only one-dimensional performance in the film.

Written and directed by Aline Brosh McKenna, best known for writing the screenplay for The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses and co-creating Crazy Ex-Girfriend, Your Place or Mine never feels like it is going to end up going in any direction aside from a happy ending. Clocking in at just under two hours, the movie does not offer much in the form of challenges to Peter and Debbie ending up together. Even when things present themselves in the final act that could derail the fairytale ending, they never really amount to much of a realistic chance of stopping the film from going the formulaic route. It never feels disingenuous as the movie chugs along, and it never feels boring, but the energy level of what happens stays pretty mellow. There are heartfelt moments and a couple of sexy ones as well, but aside from a well-placed f-bomb, this movie is very safe for general audiences.

Your Place or Mine is a satisfyingly safe romantic comedy that glides by on the effortless charm of the two leads while never presenting any chance that the pair will not end up together. This is not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it is just romantic enough that you will be grinning as you watch it. The more jaded viewers will likely roll their eyes at this movie. Still, given the excellent supporting performances from Tig Notaro and Zoe Chao, even the least romantic will find some bright spots in this movie. I would have liked a little more shared time between Kutcher and Witherspoon, a little more development on the subplots involving their dream jobs, and an ending that doesn’t feel so rushed, but you could do a lot worse than a couple of hours with an age-appropriate couple experiencing a pretty realistic relationship.

Ashton Kutcher

GOOD

7

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The holiday of love is on the horizon! Valentine’s Day is lucrative for romantic comedies, and the trailer for a new movie to Netflix and chill to has just been released. Your Place or Mine stars romantic comedy veterans Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. You can read about the details and sneak a peek at stills from the film below. Kutcher has expressed his enthusiasm to take part in this project, “Through the years, with every romantic comedy that I thought about doing, I would always ask if Reese was available. I’ve wanted to work with her my entire career. And so, when I was approached about this film, I immediately said, Yes.”

The official Netflix synopsis reads,
“Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher) have been best friends for 20 years even though they are total opposites. Practical, risk-averse accountant Debbie craves routine and stability with her son Jack (Wesley Kimmel) in LA; Stylish brand consultant Peter thrives on change in New York City. When they swap houses and lives for a week, they learn they haven’t told each other everything after all and discover what they think they want might not be what they really need. Written, directed and produced by Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, 27 Dresses), the film also stars Jesse Williams, Zoë Chao, Steve Zahn, Tig Notaro, Griffin Matthews, Rachel Bloom, Shiri Appleby, and Vella Lovell.”

In addition to writing and directing Your Place or Mine, Aline Brosh McKenna also takes up producing duties along with the film’s star, Reese Witherspoon. She is also joined by producers Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan, and Lauren Neustadter.

If you are looking to cozy up with a special someone and enjoy the holiday, Your Place or Mine is set to premiere on Netflix on February 10.

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Hollywood is ready to “Pick Flick” again for an Election sequel starring Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show) called Tracy Flick Can’t Win. The original film’s writer and director, Alexander Payne (Sideways, King of California), will return for the follow-up to Witherspoon’s 1999 cult comedy. Payne is writing the sequel with Jim Taylor, inspired by Tom Perrotta’s latest novel of the same name. The story focuses on Tracy Flick, an assistant principal at a public high school in suburban New Jersey. Despite her tenacity and thirst for power, Flick still struggles to make her mark on the world and show doubters who’s boss.

Here is the official description of Perrotta’s novel Tracy Flick Can’t Win:

Tracy Flick is a hardworking assistant principal at a public high school in suburban New Jersey. Still ambitious but feeling a little stuck and underappreciated in midlife, Tracy gets a jolt of good news when the longtime principal, Jack Weede, abruptly announces his retirement, creating a rare opportunity for Tracy to ascend to the top job.

Energized by the prospect of her long-overdue promotion, Tracy throws herself into her work with renewed zeal, determined to prove her worth to the students, faculty, and School Board, while also managing her personal life—a ten-year-old daughter, a needy doctor boyfriend, and a burgeoning meditation practice.

But nothing ever comes easily to Tracy Flick, no matter how diligent or qualified she happens to be. Her male colleagues’ determination to honor Vito Falcone—a star quarterback of dubious character who had a brief, undistinguished career in the NFL—triggers memories for Tracy and leads her to reflect on the trajectory of her own life. As she considers the past, Tracy becomes aware of storm clouds brewing in the present. Is she really a shoo-in for the principal job? Is the Superintendent plotting against her? Why is the School Board President’s wife trying so hard to be her friend? And why can’t she ever get what she deserves?

In addition to her starring role, Witherspoon produces with Lauren Neustadter for Hello Sunshine alongside Bona Fide Productions’ Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa. Perrotta will also serve as an executive producer.

Hot damn! This news is the last thing I expected to write today, but I am all about it. Election, starring Witherspoon as a thorn in the side of Matthew Broderick’s Jim McAllister, is comedy gold, and I highly recommend watching it. Payne’s Election is dark, disturbing, and powered by lies, corruption, and a broken system. Hey! It’s just like real politics! Hey-o!

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