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Lana Condor has "an obsession with war films".The 27-year-old actress - who stars alongside Chase Stokes in the new action-thriller film 'Valiant One' - has recently fulfilled her long-held ambition of starring in a war film.She told Collider: "Weirdly, I have an obsession with war films. I love thrillers. "I don’t know what that says about me, but they are more my comfort movies than anything else. I’ve always loved watching them, and I’ve always thought, 'Man, I would love to know what it’s like to make something like that.' "And so, when I got the opportunity to do 'Valiant One', it was the first time that our amazing producers and our amazing director and the production company and just someone in the industry, in general, believed I could do something so wildly different from what I’m known for,...

Oscar-nominated No Other Land scored among highest per screen openings for a documentary in the last year, grossing an estimated $26.1k on one screen at the Film Forum in New York City.

With the Academy Awards a month away, much-nominated A Complete Unknown and The Brutalist are holding in the top ten. All We Imagine As Light by Indian director Payal Kapadia and I’m Still Here by Brazil’s Walter Salles crossed the $1 million mark.

It’s a quiet period for indie openings.

New this weekend: No Other Land by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers and activists chronicles the Israeli military’s incremental expulsion of the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta — home to 20 ancient Palestinian villages. It has swept most major prizes since premiering at the Berlin Film Festival, where it Won Best Documentary and the Audience Award. Producers are self-distributing with Cinetic and mTuckman Media, opening...

Last Updated on February 3, 2025

Plot: With tensions between North and South Korea, a US helicopter crashes on the North Korean side, now the survivors must work together to protect a civilian tech specialist and find their way out without the help of US military support.

Review: A war film starring two actors who appear in popular teen dramas from Netflix doesn’t exactly scream high quality. And given the time of the year, it’s easy to go into Valiant One with rock-bottom expectations. And I think that mindset will only help the film as it’s surprisingly competent in nearly all aspects. As evidenced throughout indie action, it’s really hard to accomplish believable action on a budget. And seeing as how that’s the main draw for most people, it needs to be handled competently. So I was very impressed with how much Valiant One was able to...

Last Updated on February 3, 2025

Earlier this week, we predicted that Dog Man was going to take a huge bite out of Companion’s opening weekend, and it looks like the gulf between both is getting wider as the weekend goes on. Dog Man, which is an animated spin-off of the Captain Underpants series, is opening much higher than we expected, with it likely to earn a massive $35 million at the weekend box office. By comparison, Deadline is revealing that Drew Hancock’s Companion might not break the $10 million mark this weekend, with it opening in a distant second place.

Now, the news isn’t all bad for Companion. Sporting excellent reviews (including from our own Tyler Nichols), and a solid B+ CinemaScore (very high for a horror flick), word of mouth should be good. Horror fans might discover this one in the coming weeks, although it will have steep competition from the gory rom-com,...

No Other Land, Academy Award-nominated for Best Documentary Feature, opens today in New York at Film Forum from mTuckman Media/Cinetic Media with a limited theatrical expansion next weekend.

The doc is written, directed, produced and edited by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli activists and filmmakers — Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It premiered at Berlin, winning Best Documentary, followed by a widely decorated festival sweep. It sits at 100% with Critics on Rotten Tomatoes (57 reviews). Deadline’s Matthew Carey interviews the filmmakers here.

The release started circulating against the backdrop of the brutal Israel-Hamas war, currently in a period of ceasefire. It predates the war but explores root causes of enmity as the filmmakers chronicle the Israeli military’s incremental expulsion of the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta — home to 20 ancient Palestinian villages.

Over a period of five years (2019–23), Masafer Yatta resident and Palestinian...

An unpretentious B-movie made with A-grade effort, “Valiant One” packs decent action and mostly sturdy drama into the tale of U.S. soldiers whose mission near the Dmz goes haywire and leaves them stranded in North Korea. The first film directed by longtime producer and production executive Steve Barnett (“300”) doesn’t add anything to the “trapped behind enemy lines” playbook but does offer a pacy combination of well-executed combat scenes and reluctant-hero drama that should play especially well with military movie buffs. Boasting solid central performances by Chase Stokes (“Outer Banks” series) and Lana Condor (“To All the Boys” films), “Valiant One” opens in limited U.S. cinemas on Jan. 31.

“Valiant One” is the kind of mid-size action movie we’ve seen much less of in commercial theatrical release since these straight-to-streaming days began. Though lacking the scale of a big-budget spectacular — it’s no “Black Hawk Down” — the...

“Valiant One” is the new live-action military thriller directed by Steve Barnett, starring Chase Stokes, Lana Condor, Destin Borges, Callen Mulvey and Jonathan Whitesell, releasing January 31, 2025 in theaters:

“…with tensions between North and South Korea, a US helicopter crashes on the North Korean side.

“Now the survivors must work together to protect a civilian tech specialist…

“…and find their way out without the help of military support.”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Movies like Valiant One, a new “American” action thriller from Steve Barnett, who co-wrote the dud with Eric Tipton, can go well beyond frustrating. Sure, the film has good intentions, trying to portray servicemen and women in a positive, albeit grueling, light. Does that mean we must treat the subject matter with such a contrived story?

Yet, even with the action film’s limited budget, time and care for the plot are jettisoned in favor of a political slant we have seen thousands of times before. However, none of that can cover the lousy acting, gaping plot holes, and puzzling character decisions that make you want to pull your hair out. Yet, Hollywood keeps recycling these movies, and we keep gobbling them up.

Related Pulp Fiction 30th Anniversary — Amazon Exclusive 4K Uhd Collector’s Edition Valiant One Review and Synopsis

The story follows Captain Edward Brockman (Outer Banks’s Chase Stokes...

“Valiant One” is a new live-action military thriller upcoming directed by Steve Barnett, starring Chase Stokes, Lana Condor, Destin Borges, Callen Mulvey and Jonathan Whitesell, releasing January 31, 2025 in theaters:

“…with tensions between North and South Korea, a US helicopter crashes on the North Korean side.

“Now the survivors must work together to protect a civilian tech specialist…

“…and find their way out without the help of military support.”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Mel Gibson’s Flight Risk has taken off to become #1 at the box office this week, pulling in $12 million during its debut. This is a pretty unimpressive number to head the box office, and considering Flight Risk had a budget of $25 million, it has a bit of a way to go to recoup its expenses. But those that did check it out over the weekend no doubt did so in part to support Gibson, who hasn’t directed a movie since 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge.

Flight Risk’s take – which we knew would help it get to #1 this weekend based on early projections – would also mean the dethroning of franchise fare at the 2025 box office so far. Even though we’re still in January, it’s worth noting that there have only been sequels at the top of the box office so far this year: Mufasa: The Lion King (a late...

I always have a great time talking to Lana Condor and Chase Stokes. I have been interviewing the Netflix alums about their respective projects – Lana with all the “To All the Boys” films and Chase with the “Outer Banks” series. Now, both actors star in the action-drama “Valiant One” based on true events. From

The post “Valiant One” Interview with Lana Condor, Chase Stokes appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

Film Bridge International has added Sidhartha Mallya (“Mafia Wars”) to the cast of “Thrill Ride,” with production scheduled to commence in the U.K. during the first quarter of 2025.

The thriller, helmed by Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura from a script by Chad Law (“Lights Out”) and Christopher Jolley (“Granny Krampus”), follows a group of passengers trapped upside down on a roller coaster when a mysterious saboteur threatens to drop them to their deaths one by one. Mallya steps into the role of Trey.

During the American Film Market, Film Bridge International landed several distribution deals, with Volga Films taking Cis and Benelux territories, and Falcon Films securing the Middle East. Signature acquired U.K. rights during the Cannes Film Market. Additional territory sales are pending announcement.

Mallya, who recently appeared alongside Tom Welling and Cam Gigandet in “Mafia Wars,” is represented by Untitled Entertainment and Carey Dodd Associates in the U.

“Valiant One” is a new live-action military thriller upcoming directed by Steve Barnett, starring Chase Stokes, Lana Condor, Destin Borges, Callen Mulvey and Jonathan Whitesell, releasing January 31, 2025 in theaters:

“…with tensions between North and South Korea, a US helicopter crashes on the North Korean side.

“Now the survivors must work together to protect a civilian tech specialist…

“…and find their way out without the help of military support.”

Click the images to enlarge…...

"No matter how hard it gets, you stick your chest out." Briarcliff Ent. has revealed an official trailer for a military thriller called Valiant One, marking the feature directorial debut of producer Steve Barnett. This is ready for release early next year in theaters starting at the end of January 2025. In the heart-pounding military thriller Valiant One, a routine mission spirals into a fight for survival when a US Army helicopter crashes deep within North Korean territory. With strained tensions between North & South Korea, the team of survivors must work together to protect one more civilian and find their way out without the help of US military support. They desperately race across the treacherous Demilitarized Zone. Valiant One stars Chase Stokes, Lana Condor, Desmin Borges, and Callan Mulvey. Another upcoming jingoistic war movie to watch if you need an adrenaline rush in the cinema next year. This has a mix...

Familiar faces returned to Poguelandia on Saturday. As the cast and crew of “Outer Banks” celebrated the premiere of Season 4 Part 2 at a fan event in Santa Monica, some of the stars also teased future projects.

Chase Stokes will be seen starring as a U.S. Army tech specialist in the action thriller “Valiant One.” “My character isn’t your traditional soldier,” Stokes told Variety. “He’s somebody who’s working at a desk on a base and gets put into a very unconventional situation for himself. So it’s a little bit of a hero’s journey.”

He discussed the parallels between his “Valiant One” character and Glen Powell’s portrayal of Gary Johnson in “Hit Man.” While both actors play unassuming characters thrust into combat roles, Stokes shared his interest in working in a creative capacity behind the camera as well.

“[Glen Powell] being somebody who was a writer on ‘Hit Man...

Exclusive: Film Bridge International has acquired international rights to the action thriller Valiant One and will be selling the film at the upcoming American Film Market.

Steve Barnett directs the flick in his feature debut. Starring are Chase Stokes (Outer Banks) and Lana Condor (To All the Boys franchise). The story follows a routine mission that goes awry when a U.S. Army helicopter crashes deep within North Korean territory. Now, a team of non-combat tech specialists, led by Captain Edward Brockman, must navigate the hostile terrain and fend off North Korean forces as they desperately race to escort a civilian tech specialist across the treacherous Demilitarized Zone.

Briarcliff Entertainment will release the film in the U.S. on January 31, 2025.

The film is produced by Bernie Goldmann (300) and Alan Powell, and executive produced by Vicky Patel. Stokes served as co-executive producer. Written by Barnett and Eric Tipton with counsel from former members of the U.

It is that time of the year when we once again find ourselves on the precipice of another year of new film releases. This is when we look forward eagerly to the films scheduled for release in the coming year. There is probably likely something coming out at some point during the year that should be of interest to everyone (at least that’s what most studios are hoping). As always, there will be the usual sequels and big blockbusters set as tent-pole releases, as well as a plethora of additional titles in multiple genres to choose from. We hope you find this list of the upcoming films of 2025 and their release dates useful and that it helps you plan what you’re going to look forward to throughout the years.

The list below gathers all of the titles we know that are coming in 2025 by their current release date.

His breakout role in Netflix’s Outer Banks catapulted Chase Stokes to fame. In the series, he portrays the charismatic and determined John B, the leader of a group of young outcasts on a treasure hunt in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The show’s blend of adventure, mystery, and coming-of-age drama quickly gained a massive fanbase, establishing Stokes as a rising star. Since then he’s been in Tell Me Your Secrets, this year’s The Uglies, opposite Joey King, and next year’s Valiant One, not to mention Season 4 of Outer Banks, which is dropping in October. On this episode, he […]

The post “You Just Have to Learn to Adapt”: Chase Stokes, Back To One, Episode 310 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

His breakout role in Netflix’s Outer Banks catapulted Chase Stokes to fame. In the series, he portrays the charismatic and determined John B, the leader of a group of young outcasts on a treasure hunt in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The show’s blend of adventure, mystery, and coming-of-age drama quickly gained a massive fanbase, establishing Stokes as a rising star. Since then he’s been in Tell Me Your Secrets, this year’s The Uglies, opposite Joey King, and next year’s Valiant One, not to mention Season 4 of Outer Banks, which is dropping in October. On this episode, he […]

The post “You Just Have to Learn to Adapt”: Chase Stokes, Back To One, Episode 310 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Flight Risk has been delayed to 2025. The movie, which was directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay by Jared Rosenberg, stars Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace, and Michelle Dockery. Mel Gibson's Flight Risk is set to follow U.S. Marshall Madelyn Harris (Dockery) attempting to transport informant Winston (Grace), only to discover that the pilot of their small aircraft, Daryl Booth (Wahlberg), is a hitman who has been hired to eliminate Winston. However, the trio end up in danger and are forced to continue to fly together for their own survival.

Lionsgate has confirmed that Flight Risk has been delayed from its original theatrical release date of October 18, 2024 to January 24, 2025. This eliminates theatrical competition with the upcoming Parker Finn sequel Smile 2, a follow-up to the highest-grossing horror movie of 2022. On its new date, the Mark Wahlberg movie will be playing opposite the original thriller Valiant One, led by Outer Banks'...

Exclusive: Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired domestic rights to Valiant One, a military action thriller starring Chase Stokes (Outer Banks) and Lana Condor (To All the Boys franchise), slating it for release in theaters nationwide on January 24, 2025. Check out a first-look still above.

Marking the feature directorial debut of producer Steve Barnett, the film watches as a routine mission goes awry when a U.S. army helicopter crashes deep within North Korean territory. Now, a team of non-combat tech specialists, led by Captain Edward Brockman (Stokes), must navigate the hostile terrain and fend off North Korean forces as they desperately race to escort a civilian tech specialist across the treacherous Demilitarized Zone.

A Monarch Media production written by Barnett and Eric Tipton, with counsel from former members of the U.S. Military, CIA and Department of Defense, Valiant One also stars Desmin Borges (Only Murders in the Building) and Callan Mulvey...

Exclusive: Lana Condor (To All The Boys franchise), Andrew Koji (Bullet Train), Ross Butler (Shazam! franchise), Sung Kang (Fast & Furious franchise) and Elodie Yung (The Cleaning Lady) are among those set to star in Worth the Wait, a romantic comedy marking the U.S. directorial debut of award-winning Taiwanese filmmaker Tom Shu-Yu Lin (The Garden of Evening Mists), which has wrapped production in Vancouver and Kuala Lumpur.

Others cast include Karena Lam (American Girl), Osric Chau (Supernatural), Ali Fumiko Whitney (The Road Dance), Ricky He (From), Kheng Hua Tan (Crazy Rich Asians) and Yu-Beng Lim (Rebel Moon).

An English-language indie set against the intercontinental backdrops of Seattle and Kuala Lumpur, which is said to be in the vein of Love Actually, Worth the Wait follows a year in the interconnected lives and romances of an all-Asian ensemble cast. Script is written by Maggie Hartmans. Producers include Dan Mark and...

Exclusive: Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein (I Feel Pretty) have closed deals to write and direct Big Pink, an English-language remake of the Spanish dramedy La lista de los deseos for Monarch Media.

Related Story James Gray To Direct ‘Ezekiel Moss’ At Focus Related Story 'I Feel Pretty' Duo Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein Board Senior Citizen Esports Team Movie For Ubisoft Related Story 'Curb Your Enthusiasm': Reports Of HBO Show's Demise Have Been "Greatly Exaggerated," Says EP Jeff Schaffer

Like the original 2020 film written and directed by Álvaro Díaz Lorenzo, the remake will be a heartwarming and funny tale about a group of women from different generations who, after completing treatment for breast cancer, go on a road trip adventure and learn to live life to the fullest.

Steve Barnett and Alan Powell will produce through their Monarch Media shingle, with their Monarch partner Vicky Patel exec producing.

Exclusive: Chase Stokes (Outer Banks) and Sydney Taylor (American Born Chinese) are set to topline the YA romance Marked Men from director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook).

The film written by Sharon Soboil (After We Fell) is based on the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel Rule by Jay Crownover — the first in her hit series Marked Men, which has been translated into 11 languages. It’s being sold worldwide by Voltage Pictures, which is currently placing it before buyers.

Taylor stars as Shaw Landon, who has loved Rule Archer (Stokes) from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule, a fiery-tempered rebel tattoo artist, doesn’t have time for a good girl pre-med student like Shaw – even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails,...

Exclusive: Monarch Media, Point Grey Pictures, Lylas Pictures and Giant Ant are teaming to produce an animated feature based on Sarah Leavitt’s acclaimed memoir, Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me.

The synopsis for Leavitt’s 2010 graphic novel: When Alzheimer’s disease begins to strip away her mother’s vibrant personality, a headstrong young woman is forced to return to her oddball family in the conservative small town she recently fled in order to care for her. She quickly realizes she must accept the cruel and warped reality of the disease – and the imperfect beauty of her family – in order to become the daughter they need.

The Tangles film will be directed by Giant Ant principal Leah Nelson. Vicky Patel, Steve Barnett and Alan Powell will produce through Monarch Media, along with Seth Rogen through Point Grey Pictures and Lauren Miller Rogen through Lylas Pictures.

UTA Independent Film Group...

Exclusive: Lana Condor (To All the Boys films), Desmin Borges (The Time Traveler’s Wife) and Callan Mulvey (The Gray Man) have signed on to star alongside Chase Stokes in Monarch Media’s thriller Valiant One, which goes into production in Vancouver this month.

The first feature directed by Monarch’s Steve Barnett watches as a U.S. helicopter crashes on the North Korean side of the Dmz. With tensions between the North and South already on the verge of war, the surviving U.S. Army non-combat tech soldiers must work together to protect a civilian tech specialist and find their way across the Dmz, without the possibility of U.S. military support.

Condor will play Selby, a hard-as-nails and highly capable but very inexperienced Medic Specialist who joined the U.S. military after becoming a citizen to give back to her new homeland. Borges is set for the role of Josh Weaver,...