Mike Banning isn’t finished with Gerald Butler

Some of the greatest movie franchises are trilogies. Lord of the Rings, the original Star Wars releases, and Back to the Future. When a trilogy just won’t cut it or a film franchise develops a cult following, Hollywood green lights another movie. Rambo and The Fast and The Furious franchise are perfect examples.

Now, you can add Gerard Bulter’s Mike Banning to the list. Recently, Millennium announced the fourth installment in the Fallen series Night Has Fallen.

The Series So Far

The franchise began in 2013 with Olympus Has Fallen. Mike Banning (Butler), a disgraced Secret Service Agent, thwarts a North Korean attack on the White House and the attempted assassination of the President of The United States.

In 2016, Butler reprising his role as Banning in London Has Fallen. This time, Banning and the President faced terrorists bent on revenge for a drone strike years before while attending a state funeral in London.

The most recent installment hit theaters in 2019. In Angel Has Fallen, Butler once again reprised the role of Mike Banning. Banning evaded law enforcement after being framed for an assassination attempt on the President. He eventually clears his name and becomes Director of the Secret Service at the end of the film.

The Future Of The Franchise

With no release date set, the next installment will film in various locations across Europe. With 2020 and the lockdowns in Europe limiting Hollywood’s ability to film, chances are production won’t start until 2021.

After the announcement of Night Has Fallen, the studio confirmed two more movies are in development. There are talks of a potential TV spin-off as well. This move by Millennium makes financial sense the series grossed roughly $521 million since 2013.

Where Will The Story Take Banning?

Questions remain about how this new installment will further the story of the aging Mike Banning. Many have compared Butler’s character to Matt Damon’s Bourne. While there are some similarities, the storylines are vastly different. One focuses on espionage, the other on protecting the President. It will be interesting to see how the studio handles the new installment and if they take a page out of the globe-trotting Bourne’s playbook.

In the end, will Butler hand the mantel over to a young fresh action star? Time will tell, but it is unlikely. Butler, while not an American, is about an All-American action hero as you can get. His star appeal is undeniable as he trends well with both men and women.

Ultimately Night Has Fallen will have to tackle a tough production schedule, fight a pandemic, and deal with an aging action hero. But, if anyone can do it, it will be Mike Banning’s, Gerald Butler.

Five Perfect Winter Reads

Are you ready for winter? These five books will transport you to the middle of a snowstorm, so have your hot chocolate ready before you turn the first page.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

This classic children’s tale is set in a winter wonderland, where the Pevensie children must battle the White Witch and bring spring back to Narnia. Packed full of sleigh rides, snow-covered woods and frozen waterfalls, this book masterfully evokes the harsh beauty of winter with every page. Sit back, snack on some Turkish delight, and travel back to childhood.

A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R. R. Martin

“Winter is coming.” Has any other modern fantasy series produced a more iconic phrase? Although these epic fantasy novels visit the sun-drenched gardens of Dorne and the blistering hot Red Waste, the Northern sections of Westeros dominate the pages. Whether you’re following along with the young Starks as they huddle by the fire in Winterfell, cheering for the Night’s Watch as they defend the solid ice of the Wall or holding your breath as Jon Snow encounters Wildlings in the freezing cold of the uncharted lands beyond the Wall, you’re never far from a long night of dark, unrelenting cold.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Are grimdark fantasy novels not for you? Do you long for some Christmas cheer to read as you sip hot cocoa beneath a pile of blankets? Try humorist David Sedaris’s collection of holiday-themed short stories, including his beloved, career-launching account of working as a Macy’s elf for one long Christmas season.

The Long Winter by Laurall Ingalls Wilder

Return to a simpler time with the sixth book in the Little House on the Prairie series. The Ingalls family must survive a harsh winter in North Dakota with the help of their neighbors. This realistic story showcases the importance of community and is packed with heart-warming moments like Laura and her sisters learning to make maple syrup candy, settlers sharing food with each other and a much-anticipated Christmas morning in May when the snow finally melts.

The Shining by Stephen King

Winter can be wonderful, but it can also be cruel and isolating. In this horror novel, a suffocating snowfall that traps the Torrance family in an isolated hotel, opening the door for malevolent spirits to torment Jack, Wendy and Danny. With each passing day, Jack grows more insane, and Wendy and Danny have no way to escape. Make sure to read this novel by a bright, crackling fire, or the wind that howls through the pages of this book may echo too loudly in your skull.

Whether you’re looking for a winter-themed read to cool yourself down during a sweltering summer day or a snow-centered adventure to get you through a long day huddled beneath blankets, these five books to read in the cold will take you on a magical journey.

The Impact Of COVID-19 On Hollywood May Become Permanent

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Hollywood film sector. Theaters are closed, films are delayed and video streaming has significantly impacted the industry. Last year alone, more than $42 billion was made at the box office. More than 400,000 businesses and two million jobs are dependent on Hollywood. Numerous changes in the film industry began before the pandemic.

Fewer Americans are attending films and ticket sales have declined despite the investments in cinemas, audiovisual technology and comfort. The exclusive rights of theaters to films are challenged by streaming, downloading and sales available shortly after the initial release. Cinemas now have exclusivity for approximately two months less than during the past.

The reason is consumers now prefer streaming videos and SVoD services. The result is a decline in incentives for running movies in theaters for long periods of time. Studios are releasing movies exclusively for the services they provide, further decreasing the availability of films in theaters. In the past, between 20 and 25 films were released by the six major studios including Walt Disney, Universal and Paramount.

Today, the same studios are releasing fewer films. This signifies a shift in power. Films are being released and shown to the consumers by Amazon and Netflix. Hollywood can no longer rely on box office revenue due to digital content. Profits have become dependant on advertising revenue and subscriptions as opposed to releasing television series and movies.

Optimizing new releases for specific schedules, holiday weekends or primetime slots has become a thing of the past. Increased engagement is the current goal. Lost earnings have resulted in bundled subscriptions created to increase revenue. Nearly half of all tickets sold are at cinemas. With films released right to the consumers, the profit margin is threatened.

Theatrical releases have been bypassed leading to boycotts and disputes. The biggest impact is expected to hit independent theaters. The exclusive rights to movies are generally given to the major chains. Some people believe the cinema operators are consolidating to survive. Others are targeting consumers with loyalty programs based on important consumer data.

Technology is being used for the integration of communications systems to effectively target consumers attending the theater on a regular basis. The benefits are only available to the largest movie studios. Fewer films are now available, with the impact questioning the future of Hollywood. Disney has become important for the growth of the industry.

Despite the key six franchises only achieving revenue growth of 10 percent since 2000, Disney has more than doubled its share during the last 10 years. Financing movies has increased in risk due to COVI-19 due to the increased cost of insurance and health security. Raising capital is more difficult for smaller studios. This might result in a decrease in film diversity.

Distribution has been affected due to theater consolidation. Smaller studios may have to rely on alternative options for the promotion and funding of new films. Gaming companies and SVoD services are now enjoying a slice of the revenue once provided for Hollywood. Whether or not Hollywood will recover remains to be seen

Meghan Markle Carving New Path To Hollywood Following Brief Taste Of Royal Living

It hasn’t been easy for Harry and Meghan, but they are slowly adjusting to their new lives with baby Archie far away from Buckingham Palace and the U.K.’s long tradition of monarchy.

H and M Reinvent Themselves

The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 38, ‘stepped back’ in January as senior members of the royal family to create a new destiny and a life of purpose. The pair are hoping to split their time between living on Vancouver Island and in sunny Los Angeles.

Before she married Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had a solid career in the television series called “Suits” in the role of Rachel Zane. She enjoyed acting, and rumor has it that the Duchess got quickly bored with the royal lifestyle. Now, away from the royal bubble, she hopes to regain her popular following as an up and coming star, and Harry fully supports her ambition.

With Energy Out Of The Gate

When Meghan and Harry got engaged, she suggested to the media that she was retiring from acting and welcomed a new change. She was excited to begin working with Harry as a team. She had been on “Suits” for seven years and had made her mark in the entertainment field.

Now, she had the opportunity to bring new energy and ideas with the prince to a global platform. She would take her new role seriously and with respect because her voice was now one that people were listening to. Meghan wanted to strike a proper note.

Her Royal Duties Weren’t Enough

The Duke and Duchess were photographed often by famous British royal photographer Arthur Edwards. He covered their every move in public and could see how Meghan had captured the hearts of the British people, but slowly, things started changing. A toxic relationship had developed between Harry and the media. He began shutting them out, and it was unusual to see his once normal, happy demeanor disappear.

Edwards blamed Meghan for Harry’s sudden coldness to everything royal. He believes that royal living just wasn’t enough for Meghan, and he says that the couple could not have it both ways, half in the U.K and the other half in the U.S.

The photographer says that being patrons of charities demand a lot of time and being immersed in a community and its people.

MM’s Job Is Truly Magical

Disney is called the Most Magical Place On Earth, and that appears to be where Meghan is headed. She nailed a great gig, and it looks like Harry set the wheels in motion for his partner.

The pair was on the red carpet of the “Lion King” premiere in July 2019. Harry mentioned to then Disney CEO Bob Iger about Meghan being available for voice-over work.

London sources say the actress already performed her role and did the voice-over before the couple’s six-week holiday break. It’s a win-win for everyone as she signed the Disney deal in return for a donation to the wildlife charity “Elephants Without Borders.”

How CBD Boost Acting Performance

CBD stands for cannabidiol. It is one of the most studied compounds found in the cannabis plant, next to THC. This crucial molecule does not have the same physiological effects commonly associated with smoking marijuana because its levels of THC, the compound that causes marijuana’s “high”, exists only in tiny amounts on full-spectrum CBD oil. CBD does not get users “high”. Instead, it exerts a number of other powerful effects.
Actors are increasingly turning to CBD to harness its potent benefits in the hopes that it will buttress their acting skills. The evidence is clear that CBD can help actors in a number of ways.
Here are the top reasons why, as an actor, you might be wise to consider supplementing with CBD to knock your next audition out of the park.
Anxiety
Stage fright is as old as the acting profession as well. We’ve all been there – even the most outgoing actors are liable to become overly nervous before a big performance or audition. Enter CBD, the anxiety neutralizer. Suppressing anxiety is a major focus point for researchers interested in CBD’s anxiety-crushing effects. The best part about CBD for your next big performance is that, as opposed to other anti-anxiety medications, it carries no risk of dependence. Pharmaceutical drugs like benzodiazepines, the class of drugs that includes Xanax and Valium, carry huge side effects. In high doses, they impair cognitive function and suppress memory – not good if you need to remember your lines. In addition, they create dependency with a host of nasty withdrawal symptoms. Opt instead for the natural anxiety solution, CBD.
Memory
Boost your ability to quickly and effectively memorize your lines with CBD. The compound is so powerful at improving memory, in fact, that it is currently used as a treatment for Alzheimer’s and other degenerative neurological conditions that cause memory impairment.
Getting Your Beauty Sleep
Acting sometimes requires long days on set or in rehearsal. You might feel drained after such long periods of work. Sleep is an important part of the recovery process. After a long day, CBD can help you unwind, relax, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer to rack up the hours of slumber that you need to look and feel your best.
Skin Tone Benefits
CBD products have made a huge splash in the beauty industry, appearing nowadays in cosmetic products ranging from shampoos to lotions. The craze is based on the very real scientific data that shows CBD’s effectiveness in improving skin tone. CBD also benefits the skin by reducing inflammation that can make you appear tired or worn out. For a sleek look sure to impress audiences, consider CBD as a topical solution.
A high-quality, well-sourced CBD product can have a hugely positive impact on your acting career. Finding a good CBD manufacturer is easier than ever, and now is the time to supercharge your acting with CBD supplementation
OUCH! 10 Noteworthy Movie Scenes That Left Actors Wounded
In the annals of film history, there have been many scenes that caused viewers to wince with imagined pain. But how many of these blurred the lines between fantasy and reality, causing actual harm to the actors involved? Here’s a list of ten movie moments that heralded significant real-life injuries.
1. George Clooney, Syriana
During a torture sequence, the Oscar-winning actor was slammed into a concrete floor. The blow to his head resulted in a brain injury that left Clooney with intense headaches and memory loss for the next year. The damage was so severe, it literally caused spinal fluid to leak from his nose.
2. Uma Thurman, Kill Bill Vol. 2
Unlike the majority of the sequences in Quentin Tarantino’s revenge thriller, the scene that left Uma Thurman with a concussion and knee injury wasn’t supposed to be graphically violent. Thurman would later blame Tarantino for the incident, claiming that she requested the use of a stunt driver but was turned down.
3. Viggo Mortensen, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Mortensen’s character, Aragorn, was grief-stricken over the apparent loss of his friends. The actor’s ear-piercing howl, however, was genuine: When the metal helmet connected with his foot, it fractured two of his toes.
4. Buddy Ebsen, The Wizard of Oz
Ebsen was originally cast as the Scarecrow, but gladly switched places with Ray Bolger to play the Tin Man instead. During production, however, Ebsen suffered from shortness of breath, muscle cramps, and body aches. It turned out he was allergic to the aluminum dust in the makeup, and Jack Haley took over the role.
5. Dylan O’Brien, Maze Runner—The Death Cure
During production of the YA adaptation, O’Brien was filming an aerial scene when his harness broke, causing him to collide with a moving vehicle. His injuries, including a severe concussion, caused the actor to miss a year on the set.
6. Linda Hamilton, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Hamilton’s Sarah Connor has a fine hand with a gun. Unfortunately, the actress forgot to replace her earplugs before one shooting sequence. Although the gun was loaded with blanks, Hamilton suffered permanent ear damage from the blow.
7. Jared Leto, Chapter 27
To play Mark Chapman, Leto reportedly gained a significant amount of weight in a short period of time—so much so, in fact, that the actor developed gout as a result.
8. Tom Hanks, Philadelphia and Cast Away
Similarly, two-time Oscar winner Hanks dropped so much weight for his roles as an AIDS patient and a plane crash victim (respectively), he was eventually diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The actor believes that gaining the weight back and losing it again contributed to his diagnosis.
9. Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables 3
Although the action-hero icon is no stranger to on-set mishaps, he’s confessed that the back injury he sustained during his work on this three-quell was the worst of his career.
10. Daniel Craig, Spectre
Craig’s fourth outing as James Bond left him with a knee injury that put the film’s production on hold for two weeks. In fact, it could have been halted longer to allow the actor a chance to fully heal, but Craig insisted on working through the pain.
Training for Greatness: Actors Harnessing the Power of Mindfulness Acting Through College and Beyond
 
In this article, you’ll unlock a stunning training technique that actors keep secret.
Since I’ve been training as a professional actor for over a decade, I have sampled nearly every impressive training technique available. Bringing mindfulness into the life of your performance rejuvenates your senses with the boldness that many seasoned actors crave.
Let’s dive into why actors should try this profound method.
The Benefits of Using Mindfulness When Acting
Why Should Actors Train to Be Mindful?
When we act on stage or for the camera, we embody the actual life of a character. It is your true self that brings life to the character, so it’s important to use what you already know and feel when you create a character.
We use mindfulness to connect with our core beings, and this allows us to ignite the character’s behaviors. When we commit to thrilling actions, we must be completely authentic in order to provide a jaw-dropping performance.
Benefits of Using This Method
  • Supercharge Your Creativity:

    Running out of creative juices is a problem that plagues seasoned acting professionals. Mindfulness is the formula that supercharges the creative powers within each of us.

    Mindfulness has helped me express my manifestation of characters without judging everything that my brain creates. I’m free to explore movements and gestures in a safe setting.
  • Connect With Other Actors:

    Although some performances are minimal ones that feature only one actor, many scenes contain parts for multiple people. Directors struggle to keep actors on task and connected to each other. If one actor in the production isn’t doing their job, the entire piece is at risk of crumbling.

    Through meditation and practicing mindfulness, I have learned more about myself, and this has helped me build a greater connection with other people.
  • Remain Present Throughout Performances:

    Keeping an audience in their seats and fascinated by a performance is a tall order. However, actors and crew members spend massive amounts of time in the rehearsal process. In order to stun audiences, actors must remain present throughout each authentic performance. Otherwise, the audience might start falling asleep.

    Being attentive and aware of each moment has allowed for me to foster an impenetrable connection to other actors during scene work.
  • Listen With Your Whole Self:

    Even if a character isn’t paying attention to the world around them, it’s the actor’s job to be aware of the space and other inhabitants. In order to put on an explosive performance, actors must reach out with their entire beings. Instead of listening with your two ears, you need to take the world in with all of your senses. Imagine you have more ways of gathering information to have a powerful internal life for the character.

    Mindfulness teaches us to connect with the stillness that surrounds us. When we listen (like we were able to as children), we are practicing avoiding judging everything that presents itself.
Annette Bening Gives A Strong Performance In Her Film  ‘Hope Gap’
 
“Hope Gap” is a new film starring Annette Bening as an English woman going through a divorce after three decades of marriage. It is set in the small coastal town where she lives, and this is a very scenic location. Bening’s performance is very strong, and she has also gotten positive recognition from critics who point out that, although she is an American, she has been able to use a believable English accent to portray her character.
The end of a marriage
The film starts with Bening’s character and her husband at their seaside home. She grows nervous and apprehensive when her husband invites their grown son to join them, and she is expecting some kind of announcement from her husband. She is still blindsided, however, when he tells her that, after three decades of marriage, he is going to leave her for a younger woman. The viewer knows this is coming because we have seen the husband prepare his goodbye speech beforehand.
The husband says that the marriage has grown lifeless and that he is no longer in love. Bening’s character, for her part, blames him for the stale routine and essentially accuses him of being a bad husband. Afterwards, the husband follows through on his threat and departs.
The protagonist moves forward
Much of the film centers around how Bening’s character copes with divorce in the days after it. For the most part, she does pretty well, but it is a mixed reaction. She acquires a dog, for example, so that she won’t be alone, and this is a good sign, but she names him after her ex-husband, which indicates that she is dwelling too much on the past.
On the positive side, she starts to do volunteer work on a hotline for people who need to talk, and this helps her move forward. At one point, she makes the interesting observation that women who are divorced unexpectedly by their husbands go through much of the same grieving and anguish that widows do, but they aren’t view favorably by society. Again, Bening does a fantastic job of portraying a flawed but sympathetic woman who is coping with a landslide in her personal life.
Husband and son
The departed husband is not as major of a character as Bening’s character. He clearly doesn’t care as much about his marriage as Bening’s character, and when he has the opportunity to bail out, he does. If he regrets this, the viewer doesn’t see it. The son, on the other hand, is disturbed by how callous his father is, and he takes a good look at himself in order to determine if he is the same kind of man.
In conclusion, this is a story focusing on middle-class adults going through a time of crisis. There is nothing unusual about their story, yet the acting and screenwriting are so strong that the viewer is pulled in. Basically, it’s a film about real life and moving forward.
The Greatest Films Of Great Actor Robert De Niro
 
 Robert De Niro has been appearing in films since the 1960’s, and many of these are considered classics. While, it’s a difficult task to pick out the best films from an actor who has appeared in so many terrific ones, it’s also an enjoyable one. From oldest to most recent, here are the finest (arguably) Robert De Niro movies!
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Although critics at the time this film came out thought that the story line featuring Robert De Niro, who played godfather Vito Corleone in his youth, slowed down the main plot featuring Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, over the years this film has come to be recognized as one of the best films in American cinema history. It also firmly established the powerful on-screen chemistry of De Niro and Pacino.
Taxi Driver (1976)
In Taxi Driver, De Niro plays a character who goes from slightly eccentric to full-blown violent. As with other characters, he gains sympathy even as he repulses, and his dark deeds become understandable. It’s hard to imagine many actors other than De Niro who would be able to play an individual who becomes an assassin for no good reason and still be able to portray him sympathetically.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
Released at a time when America was just beginning to try and process its national experience in Vietnam. The viewer sees De Niro’s character in his normal and happy youth, and then they see what happens to him as a result of serving in Vietnam. The before and after is a metaphor for the entire nation, and audiences felt like they were watching a real person who they knew in De Niro’s character.
Raging Bull (1980)
Filmed in black and white, this film is haunting. De Niro plays an aging boxer who becomes a comedian after he has been beaten to the pulp in the ring too many times. While his character is not likable, he earns the viewer’s respect for his perseverance.
The King of Comedy (1982)
This film explores the relationship between fans and celebrities, and it looks at the warped perceptions ordinary people often have of the famous. De Niro plays a part where he drifts to the wrong side of the line between being a fan and being a stalker, and he does it in his own inimitable way.
The Untouchables (1987)
Robert De Niro plays Al Capone in this film, and he even gained weight for the picture so that he could look even more intimidating. Even as his character is pursued by good cops played by Kevin Costner and Sean Connery, it’s De Niro’s performance, especially in the infamous baseball-bat scene, that stays with the viewer.
Goodfellas (1990)
This film is one of several where the combination of Martin Scorcese’s direction and De Niro’s acting, combined with a mafia-related script, yields an awesome film. The fast-pace and violence of this film captivates the viewer, and it’s impossible to look away from the first scene to the last. Although Ray Liotta’s character is the protagonist in this picture, De Niro’s performance is at its heart.
Cape Fear (1991)
In this film, De Niro plays a deranged ex-convict bent on getting revenge on the lawman who put him in jail. De Niro takes creepiness to another level in his portrayal of a bad guy who is persistent, cunning and obsessed. He’ll even go after his enemy’s teenage daughter.
Heat (1995)
With Al Pacino’s cop to De Niro’s robber, this film has two very strong leads. Even as De Niro plots bank robberies, you gain sympathy for him as you see him struggling with the challenges of running his crew and trying to have a relationship. This film also has one of the best gunfight scenes in film history.
Casino (1995)
As in Goodfellas, this film has De Niro and Joe Pesci playing gangsters who work together. In Goodfellas, however, the relationship is more volatile, and casino-manager De Niro is sometimes repelled by the disregard Pesci’s character shows for the boundaries. Set in 1970’s Las Vegas, this film sparkles.
Top 5 Seasons of Law and Order
Since its debut in 1990, “Law & Order” has appealed to drama lovers and crime enthusiasts alike. For two decades, the show saw tremendous success, winning countless awards and nominations. Though “Law & Order” released its final episode in 2010, we were blessed with 20 seasons of this fantastic show. According to viewers, here’s how the seasons stacked up.
#1 – Season 5
This 23-episode long season is a fan favorite. From the nerve-racking mysteries to the hideous murders, everything about this season intrigued audiences.
#2 – Season 6
The sixth season of “Law & Order” had viewers on the edge of their seats. Kidnappings, conspiracies, and death penalties all intertwined to create an unforgettable season of crime and chaos.
#3 – Season 10
This season was rich with whodunits. With the perfect amount of suspense and mystery, this season quickly became memorable. “Fools For Love” and “Blood Money” were two standout episodes.
#4 – Season 1
Surprisingly, the first season of “Law & Order” thoroughly impressed audiences. It didn’t take long for viewers to realize the show’s potential, which is why the first season sits proudly in the top five.